Allow upshrink to work when hidden by default in forum mode.

[WizardHawk]

As it stands, if you check the box to hide a side bar when in forum mode, there is no way for a user to open it back up if they want.

Along with the idea of allowing users to shrink individual boxes (another thread), the ability to have a side bar be off by default, but allow users to open if they wish would allow less important boxes to be fully optional and out of the way by default.

For instance, I'm not using the shout box now on my site because there isn't enough room on the left bar and I'm not fond of having two bars as a default for the forums (I like the space to view threads and pictures). Allowing a user to open the right bar if they wish would give me room to put some of the other fluff features that many users will not use without annoying everyone by making them hide it.

I'm all for ways of providing fluff and features but allowing users to easily remove/hide things they do not like or need.

Just allowing upshrink functionality on default hidden bars and adding upshrink to individual blocks would make this idea work well.

[IchBin]

I might be more appropriate to say that the admin should have a choice in weither he wants users to be able to open or close a side bar. I for one, don't want my users to have a right bar while in the forums. But giving that option to admins who don't mind is a good thing.

[WizardHawk]

I'd love to have the board default to having the search, themes, and stat blocks to shrunk with the option to open them. Yes, there would be several sets of extra check boxes on the TP admin to manage it all because you may not want some blocks to be shrinkable while others would be but start out open by default.

And yes Bloc, you have said that your current 'hide' method still keeps the items in memory and only uses java tricks to remove it from the screen. This would be just fine for the blocks as well. The idea isn't to rescue system resources but rather to allow users to have items THEY want in a quick and easy access area. Some users love the shout box, others hate it. Let them all decide if they want it on their bar.

[bloc]

Not quite though..if the setting "hide bar in forum" is set, nothing is loaded for that bar. If its not set, the user can hide of course.

i might include options in more detail for the left/right bar in parts of the forum, stats, admin for example , are very wide and would benefit from that.