Newbie question about Editable pages in TP

[espressoguy]

Newbie here with a simple/basic question....

Is there a TinyPortal API that I can use to integrate SMF into my existing website? Is it possible to use TinyPortal just for the "edit this page" functionality and continue using my own css stylesheet for styling and navigation?  I can see that it's possible to have "articles" in TP but what if I want editable pages that are not "articles", they're just ordinary editable pages?  Please tell me if there are docs or demos on this.

Thanks in advance for help.   

[JPDeni]

what if I want editable pages that are not "articles", they're just ordinary editable pages?

That's what articles are. Ordinary editable pages.

I took a site that was a combination of html pages, php pages and an InvisionBoard forum and put it all into a SMF/TP combination. Works great.

The only thing would be that you would need to translate your css stylesheet into a theme. The advantage to that is that you would have a nicely coordinated site, with your forum looking the same as the rest of your pages.

[espressoguy]

Thanks JPDeni....

     If I install TinyPortal, what about Navigation?   I have a current website with about 15 static pages.  Navigation is via a navbar at the top of the page -for main categories- and then hyperlinks on the side of each page for sub-categories (pulled-in via a ssi-include on each page of the sub-category).   When porting a website to Tiny Portal do most people give up their own navigation system and start using some default TinyPortal Navigation system or is it practical to code one's own navigation system when moving over to TP?  Also, is it possible/practical to have some static webpages in a website when using TinyPortal or must all pages be stored in a Database? 

Thanks again in advance!   

[Ken.]

Take a look in the themes section espressoguy, you'll find lots of them there and you may find some that you would like for your site, most are free plus there are some that are paid.

The short answer to your question is yes, but there are so many ways that SMF/TP can be customized that the only real limits are up to you and how much work you wish to put into the process. You can build a great looking and working site with whats available 'off the shelf' or you can rework and alter many of the features and looks including navigation links and buttons.

[espressoguy]

Okay but I'm still trying to understand navigation in a TP site[.  I have an existing hierarchy in my current website.  If I were to port it over to TP, how would I maintain that heirarchy?  The heirarchy is very logical and its important that it be maintained. 

[IchBin]

Well, there's no way for us to figure that out for you without you showing us, or actually describing the heirarchy.

[Ken.]

Not sure I understand exactly what you are trying for, but as JPDeni mentioned you could always use articles to pull your existing pages into SMF/TP.

Take a look at the following link to one of my pages where you'll find a series of articles. Some of these pages began life as static pages on my original html website but after adding SMF/TP to my site I have slowly been changing over my old html pages to articles.

See if this is anything like what you want to do:
http://www.ourfamilyforum.org/FamilyForum/index.php?page=110

[espressoguy]

... describing the heirarchy.

http://www.ourfamilyforum.org/FamilyForum/index.php?page=110

Wow! nice looking site!  I assume we're talking not about the main page you provided a hyperlink to (which is the "wikistyle" page - I don't want wikistyle) but to the other sections of the site.  Thanks IchBin and Ken 

I'm on my way home now ...will post a link when I get home to show you the kind of navigation I have in mind.   

[Ken.]

Thanks, glad you like it.

Those 'how-to' pages that the link goes to are set to display only in the Wiki theme, but could be set to show in whatever the forum default theme is, or any theme that is available on the site.

[espressoguy]

Okay so the kind of navigation I'd like to do is something like what's being explained here (Toggling css div's with javascript) ...but I'd really prefer vertical submenus similar to the ones on this website   ...it's possible to get vertical submenus very similar to this by just toggling css div's with javascript. 

I'm trying to get some kind of understanding of what it would take to get this kind of navigation into TinyPortal.

Thanks again!!