AMIA ARCHIVE • View topic

Is there anyone who can replicate the current layout for a phpBB3 forum? This one is phpBB2 and they decided that it was a good plan to do everything completely different and guarantee endless amount of layout frustration because ... well, no clue what they thought.

All I ask for is a simple banner, side panel, content layout without using frames. I have been spending at least 20 hours on this nonsense, running from one problem in the other and essentially getting nowhere.

From Teh interntz wrote:

To create new styles for phpbb3: CSS is broken down into different files. For example, all colours are in colours.css, all content is in content.css.. and so on. All .tpl files are .html files and therefore it is quite easy to convert a phpbb2 theme to work on phpbb3.

Duh....

I know the theory, it's a matter of the layout being a frustrating mess.

Quote:

Finding the right class to edit can be really hard. Especially with phpBB, because all classes have multiple subclasses.

This quote from the phpBB forums itself is the understatement of the year. You'd get the idea that they build this application to make sure only the most foolhardy people make their own styles.

I went looking through the documentation and then my eyes went >.<

It also has probably something to do with the fact i've been up for 24hrs.

I'll fiddle about with it, see if I can make tail or horns out of it.

Well, I stripped about 455758 divs, and now it seems to become something sensible.

I'd like to take a look also. Seem's simple enough. Referencing style sheets and section titles when one wants to use something. Much like how you reference a default CSS style sheet and how you reference Framesets and their styles, just on a wider spectrum. Just requires a lot of organisation.

I need to start working with PhP at some point anyway. Might as well start looking now.

Edit: I'm guessing by creating new styles you mean creating MODS?

http://www.phpbb3bbcodes.com/index.php

That site is pretty useful.

Oh and it always comes back to CSS doesn't it? No wonder this stuff seem's a little simplistic, used to coding basic CSS from scratch, this site suggests that PhPBB3 is just a system that automatically enters styles referecning precreated CSS stuff. There is a firefox addon that helps find the class you want within' 1 second. Firebug I think.

http://www.phpbb.com/kb/article/how-to- ... le-basics/

It's a bit more involved than that. You can't edit the styles directly, for example. Everything is cached, and the (official) combined stylesheet I am changing is 3800 lines, including lots of double instances littered over the place. Editing is done in a text field twice as big as the post field on this forum and every change takes 3 clicks. Enjoy your stay in phpBB.

If they'd just used NORMAL stylesheets, for the love of god, and not some bastard system that does the trick worse than either prefab styles you can click-and-edit in the admin panel or real CSS files that you can edit as a file... well, that'd had been nice. This is just frustrating, inefficient, and very unintuitive.

Sounds like PHPBB3 isn't the future of forums anymore. Time to go find another system ha?

Well, one that imports half a million posts from phpbb2?

Dev Disco wrote:

Well, one that imports half a million posts from phpbb2?

Probably does exist. ASP.NET likely does heh. Given PHPBB3 is an alternative to ASP.NET. Though I don't suggest it because I have no idea how it works, beyond being a service when hosting websites.

You're mixing up PHP and phpBB.

Your probably right. I don't work with either much honestly.

http://www.astahost.com/info.php/Phpbb-Smf_t4008.html

So yes, you can change your board software and not lose half a million posts. I don't know if SMF is good or even whether it has a sane stylesheet, but the forums that I've seen use it are pretty nice-looking.

You can also try:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=import+from+phpbb2

I managed to make a new version of the old forum. Looks about the same with a few nice little touches.

In glory of your momentous achievement, I will eat beef for dinner.

Having previously used phpBB2 and now trying to figure out phpBB3 I'm just sat here staring at my screen with a "Wtf?" expression on my face and slowly getting more annoyed... phpBB3 is confusing as hell to me.

It is, but we will get there in the end.

I ran a phpBB3 forum for another PW. There is a definate learning curve, and some fumbling around. It's different in enough ways from BB2 to make it confusing at first, but in the end, it is much more versatile and gives you better options as an administrator. I would consider it well worth the switch.

If you still need advice on any technical aspects, let me know I can direct you to someone who does this for a living and was invaluable when we did the switch a couple years back.

If you've already resolved the issues, then disregard this post.

When looking through a multi-page thread (or the list of forum members, eg.) is it possible to have, say, an option somewhere to skip multiple pages? 5 or 10? Or maybe to half-way between the page you're on and the end? Having to repeatedly click 'Previous' or 'Next' to move through 40 pages one at a time to find to something you know is in the middle is not worth the trouble.

Yes, my sister can code BB3, she has loads of free time. If you want help, she's your girl. Lemme know.

I already got intimate enough with phpBB3 to do what I want. Thanks anyway!

Xaviera wrote:

When looking through a multi-page thread (or the list of forum members, eg.) is it possible to have, say, an option somewhere to skip multiple pages? 5 or 10? Or maybe to half-way between the page you're on and the end? Having to repeatedly click 'Previous' or 'Next' to move through 40 pages one at a time to find to something you know is in the middle is not worth the trouble.

Or, go to a particular letter or symbol for forum members would be nice. I have no idea if that is possible, tho.

Xaviera wrote:

When looking through a multi-page thread (or the list of forum members, eg.) is it possible to have, say, an option somewhere to skip multiple pages? 5 or 10? Or maybe to half-way between the page you're on and the end? Having to repeatedly click 'Previous' or 'Next' to move through 40 pages one at a time to find to something you know is in the middle is not worth the trouble.

At the top, the url says http://www.amiaworld.net/phpBB2/viewtop ... asc&start=3200

Divide that last number by 50, and that's what page you're on.

I... knew that... :oops:

*Shrugs* It was just an interim suggestion. And adding 25 will take you halfway down the page, also.

Yurell wrote:

Xaviera wrote:

When looking through a multi-page thread (or the list of forum members, eg.) is it possible to have, say, an option somewhere to skip multiple pages? 5 or 10? Or maybe to half-way between the page you're on and the end? Having to repeatedly click 'Previous' or 'Next' to move through 40 pages one at a time to find to something you know is in the middle is not worth the trouble.

At the top, the url says http://www.amiaworld.net/phpBB2/viewtop ... asc&start=3200

Divide that last number by 50, and that's what page you're on.

Actually, divide the last number by 50 and add 1. Example: start=450, 450/50 = 9, 9+1 = 10. start=450 gets you to page 10.

Also, (0/50)+1 is page 1.

Add random numbers for a laugh?

Can't help but notice that the server info on the right doesn't show when on a search page.

Also doesn't show when posting and a couple of other things. But it didn't with phpBB2, either.

It gets moved to the forums bit by bit so that will solve itself.

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