menu manager

[brianjw]

Ok. Here goes my long lecture for the idea.

It is getting really old and tiring to have to login to ftp then open up index.template.php when it takes so long.
I think there should be a way to bypass that and do this in the admin.

What I am trying to get in the index.template.php file is the menus so I can add more items to the main menu. Im talking the top menus (the ones that come with the smf program)
anyway... maybe you can have it in a menu manager thingy where it allows you to put the image url or text and place it in order how you want on the top, it can also let you type the link for each menu.
I admit i can be a little lazy... But I am sure many members would agree with this. I mean... Some of the members use SMF and TP but do everything from the admin section. They probably dont know to go into the index.template.php file and look up the curtain area to delete, edit, or add a menu button.

Please take this thought into consideration...

Thanks,
Brianjw

[Techdomain]

you can edit the index.template.php for all themes except the default directly from the admin. The problem doing what you are suggesting is that different themes all use different ways to generate links. Some are text, some are images, and some only show if the user meets the criteria (ie admin, logout, register). While it technically would be possible (more so if all themes used exactly the same sort of codes for the menu) it would probably be difficult...

That is imho of course!!!

[anunlike]

I'd love to see SMF tackle this, not TP. If SMF could try with this, TP could possibly enhance it.

That said, I think I remember reading that something like this was being considered for SMF. I'm not sure about that, though. I'd have to go and look to confirm it.

[rebelrose]

Brianjw dude;

1. go to the admin area
2. go to current theme
3. go to modify themes
4. Browse the templates and files in this theme. (option for all themes installed except default)
5. You can edit to your hearts desire.

The draw back is that if you do not make a backup copy of the file you are going to edit and you make a mistake, it will be much harder to correct.

You should explore your forum and see all the features that are available to you.  

As anunlike said this is an area for SMF, Tiny Portal will only enhance and expand your SMF forum.

[anunlike]

Yes, you can easily do this as RR says.

But, I was thinking that SMF was considering an easier and more direct way to edit the menu... not by needing to alter the template files directly, but by using an actual admin interface dedicated to altering the menu.

[Techdomain]

There really should be.. Its porbably the first php that you have to edit when you start messing with smf/tp (provided your package manager works well) so to take that step out, could really help out the less technical users.

[brianjw]

yeah. i think so... RebelRose, the point is to make it easier to edit with a simple form in a section of the admin that lets you edit it there. It defeats the purpose to find another way to edit the template.

Also,
how to edit links in the default theme...
in my default it shows the links Forum Forum twice and i didnt change any code!

[IchBin]

Suggestions in the Suggestions board, support in the support board brian. Thanks!

[bloc]

The idea is actually a old one, and will be explored further in future versions of SMF. But as mentioned its really the themes that create the trouble: even if the menu system is array-based (so it can modified through SMF ) the themes will still need to adress that array. Which means any old theme will simply not see it until its updated to do so.

But TP can also do this of course..modifying the template_menu is probably MORE important in TP than in SMF, since TP is bound to generate the need for more general buttons. Still the themes will need update though.

[brianjw]

Well. You know how crip is a tp converter and maybe modifies the theme just a little. Maybe crip or someone could modify the older themes and make it compatible with this new knowledge.