TP Question

[sturmkatze]

Hi all! I have some questions about TP. A friend was helping me set it up and I think it's looking okay, but.... I am wanting to change my website to a CMS. The website www.reenactor.net is sort of big and rambling and hard to keep control of. Here is the tp site I have got going now.

Another friend had me look into joomla and I even set it up here to try and make it work... I DO like its possibilities, but I am having a WAY horrible time w/ it too. At least I can sort of understand SMF having used it on my Forum for over a year now.

Anyway, what I am tryig to do is: I need to be able to make the new site not only be a content management system, but also basically replicate how my website IS now. By that I mean, I have a number of different areas which cover different time periods -- I set those as categories in TP, but I don't see how to have different menus for each time period. I also need a way to link to articles inline.  Are you still with me? I can't figure a way to do this stuff in TP.

Also, in the different time periods, I need it to break down into about 5-6 pages that will have links from different historical reenacting groups on them. I need it to be easily editable by my assistants and even to have visitors be able to add their links (yet, they need to be "approved" first so we don't end up w/ spammer's crap). In these links, I want them to be able to upload a small group logo... How, how, how?

How do I edit the metatags? I tried it on the template and messed it all up and had to re-load the backup. As you can see, I'm not a coder, so I have a hard time w/ stuff like this until I understand it.

How can I add stuff under the copyright like this site here?

I am getting discouraged. My friend who was helping is just WAAAAAY too busy in her life and doesn't have time to really help w/ this. 

Is anyone still there? Is what I am looking for possible? Will it kill my google rating to change the site around like this?? (we have a #1 ranking for what it is and I'd like to keep that).
So now, after blathering on and probably driving everyone away, I'll end this.
Thanks for anyhelp you can give... Best, Marsh

[JPDeni]

I don't see how to have different menus for each time period.

You can create your own menus, just by using an html + BBC block. It's not difficult at all and it gives you complete control over your menus. (I'm sure others will have a different answer, but I think some things are just easier to do yourself. )

I also need a way to link to articles inline.

I'm not sure what that means, but if you want to link from one article to the next, just add a link from Article A to Article B. It's all just html.

Also, in the different time periods, I need it to break down into about 5-6 pages that will have links from different historical reenacting groups on them. I need it to be easily editable by my assistants and even to have visitors be able to add their links (yet, they need to be "approved" first so we don't end up w/ spammer's crap). In these links, I want them to be able to upload a small group logo... How, how, how?

There might be something in TP1.0 that will do that. (I haven't kept up with what the new version is going to have.) If not, it's not that difficult to create something like that through a php article.

How do I edit the metatags? I tried it on the template and messed it all up and had to re-load the backup. As you can see, I'm not a coder, so I have a hard time w/ stuff like this until I understand it.

You were on the right track. You can edit the index.template.php file to add meta tags.

How can I add stuff under the copyright

Again, you edit the index.template.php file.

Will it kill my google rating to change the site around like this??

I don't know.

We can help you as you go along if you do something and run into problems.

[sturmkatze]

I don't see how to have different menus for each time period.

You can create your own menus, just by using an html + BBC block. It's not difficult at all and it gives you complete control over your menus. (I'm sure others will have a different answer, but I think some things are just easier to do yourself. )
okay... but how do I DO that? I only see one menu? If I make a block like that, will it let me make a new menu in it?

I also need a way to link to articles inline.

I'm not sure what that means, but if you want to link from one article to the next, just add a link from Article A to Article B. It's all just html.
Again... how? Am I going to have to pull up the article, then find the direct link? This kind of thing is totally new to me. Normally, I do my site in Adobe GoLive... (I bet you thought I'd say FrontPage huh!? ) I just don't know where the articles are AT so as to make the link...

Also, in the different time periods, I need it to break down into about 5-6 pages that will have links from different historical reenacting groups on them. I need it to be easily editable by my assistants and even to have visitors be able to add their links (yet, they need to be "approved" first so we don't end up w/ spammer's crap). In these links, I want them to be able to upload a small group logo... How, how, how?

There might be something in TP1.0 that will do that. (I haven't kept up with what the new version is going to have.) If not, it's not that difficult to create something like that through a php article.
And there we have it. I do not understand php in the slightest and when I try looking at books on php, my eyes glaze over and little puffs of smoke start coming out of my ears... it kinda throws them for a loop in Borders when I do that. Seriously, I wouldn't even know how to start on that. And if I can't do it, my assistants won't be able to. 

How do I edit the metatags? I tried it on the template and messed it all up and had to re-load the backup. As you can see, I'm not a coder, so I have a hard time w/ stuff like this until I understand it.

You were on the right track. You can edit the index.template.php file to add meta tags.
After the fiasco the other day, I am sort of, shall we say, wary (scared) of trying such a thing again... Of course, I did it inside of SMF. Are you saying to do it outside of the program? Still don't know what I'm doing and when I did the metatags (just trying w/ keywords first) all I did was cut and paste, being extremely careful NOT to change anything but the keywords. BOOM! SMF not work... ack!

How can I add stuff under the copyright

Again, you edit the index.template.php file.
above...

Will it kill my google rating to change the site around like this??

I don't know.
I am trying to do this, it's just waaaaay more complicated than I thought. I like SMF... I was/AM hoping to be able to get this to work.

We can help you as you go along if you do something and run into problems.

Am there now 

[G6Cad]

The only way to get the picture sometimes is to make your self a nice cup of tea, sit back, browse the diffrent hideouts we have here, i would start in the block code and snippets board as it holds almost everything you ask for in one way or the other

[sturmkatze]

The only way to get the picture sometimes is to make your self a nice cup of tea, sit back, browse the diffrent hideouts we have here, i would start in the block code and snippets board as it holds almost everything you ask for in one way or the other

The only way to get the picture sometimes is to make your self a nice cup of tea, sit back, browse the diffrent hideouts we have here, i would start in the block code and snippets board as it holds almost everything you ask for in one way or the other

I have been looking over the boards-- smoke is starting to emit from my ears. I am not a coder and although I can sort of mess w/ html, I don't think in it. CSS is a black art to me and to even use SOME of that, I have to spend a lot of time fooling w/ it. PHP? Might as well ask me to use the Force. I am all for trying stuff, but if it's a lot of code, I can't do it. I don't have the time in my life :-(

[JPDeni]

okay... but how do I DO that? I only see one menu? If I make a block like that, will it let me make a new menu in it?

You create a new block, of the type html + BBC. Then you make a bunch of links just like you would make in a forum post. You can use the exact same code (BBC = bulletin board code) in the block as you use for posts.

Am I going to have to pull up the article, then find the direct link?

That's what I do, if I don't know the URL of the article off the top of my head.

I do not understand php in the slightest and when I try looking at books on php, my eyes glaze over and little puffs of smoke start coming out of my ears... it kinda throws them for a loop in Borders when I do that. Seriously, I wouldn't even know how to start on that. And if I can't do it, my assistants won't be able to.  

You have a whole forum at your disposal. You're "standing" in it right now. We do custom programming all the time. All you have to do is to fully describe what you want and someone -- me or someone else -- will likely be able to come up with something for you to use.

All you will have to do is copy the code and paste it into a block. You don't have to understand it, although you might begin to get some understanding of it just by osmosis, whether you want to or not. 

After the fiasco the other day, I am sort of, shall we say, wary (scared) of trying such a thing again... Of course, I did it inside of SMF. Are you saying to do it outside of the program?

I've actually never tried to modify a file within SMF. Well, I looked at it once and got confused, so I gave up. I like having the whole page available to me at the time. Yes, open up your file in a text editor -- not a word processor!!! -- and edit the text. If you have probems, you can ask for help. We do help people here.

[G6Cad]

Not to be rude to you now, but that last sentense are somewhat nessesary for you to make time.
We will not build your forum for you, only help and guide you through the process if you get stuck.
If you dont have the time to build your forum that you use, why should we take our time and build it for you ? 

Most of the codes in the block code and snippets board are just copy and past in to blocks and save and it will show up in your blocks, the same goes for the php codes that you can use in phparticles as you like and place as both pages, iframes and articles in "boxes" 

[sturmkatze]

Not to be rude to you now, but that last sentense are somewhat nessesary for you to make time.
We will not build your forum for you, only help and guide you through the process if you get stuck.
If you dont have the time to build your forum that you use, why should we take our time and build it for you ? 

Most of the codes in the block code and snippets board are just copy and past in to blocks and save and it will show up in your blocks, the same goes for the php codes that you can use in phparticles as you like and place as both pages, iframes and articles in "boxes" 

I don't think you're being rude and I'd never ask anyone to build my site for me. Well, not unless I was paying them to do so. Part of my problem is that there is no manual I can just read. I looked at all the docs on the site. I resisted even posting for a few days. When I say I don't have time, I mean I do not have time to learn php or coding. It's like jumping in and swimming when you can only dog paddle.

And I did look at the snippets... 3/4 of them didn't make sense to me. I am sure I need to take it one step at a time, but it's not like I can make this thing live until it's done.

I understand iframes, but doesn't IE ignore them if set to a higher security level?

Blocks... I did look at them and I have used some, but this whole thing is a bit alien to me -- you think I'm arguing w/ you when I am simply telling you that I don't know what I am doing.

Where to start? I saw where it had a links manager, but it says "not implemented" :-0 That sounds like it would be what I want, but it's not set up yet?! Right? Errrk! New glasses, headaches and the inability to get the structure right means I can't even do the site work yet. Did you look at my site? I mean the real site and not the TP or Joomla ones I am trying to make work. It's fairly big and it does ramble, but I need to be able to make the tp one work like it. I have the traffic, I need the ability to organize it and make it simple for others to assist w/ doing so.

[sturmkatze]

And looking at the admin area... where do I find the location of each article?

I see this:
http://www.reenactor.net/duplisite/index.php?action=tpadmin;sa=editarticle13

Okay, I see that it has "tpadmin" and "edit" in it, so that's not the article, but my link to go edit it. How do I call the actual article in a link to be able to go right to it? I don't want a box (like I have now) w/ links to articles. I want to be able to just throw a link in the text and have it go there. What am I missing?

[JPDeni]

When I came to SMF and TP, I did exactly what you are wanting to do. I had an existing site that I wasn't happy with and wanted to re-create it in an easier way. I did know a little bit of php at the time, but I learned a lot while I was working on it. It took me nearly six months to get it done.

I saw where it had a links manager, but it says "not implemented" :-0

Right. At the moment, TinyPortal is in a public beta release. The final version has not even been created as yet, even though the beta works pretty darned well.

Where to start? Decide how you want to organize it. Create an outline of the structure you want to use. That's how you stop it from being rambling.

Once you know how it's going to be organized, start with the front page and decide what you want to be there. Start building some blocks for the front page. If you can't figure out how to create a block that you want, ask for help.