vBulletin: A Users Guide电子书

Building Forums with vBulletin

Table of Contents

Building Forums with vBulletin

Credits

About the Authors

Preface

What This Book Covers

Conventions

Reader Feedback

Customer Support

Downloading the Example Code for the Book

Errata

Questions

1. Introduction to the vBulletin Board

What is vBulletin?

Why Have a Discussion Board?

Benefits of a Discussion Board

Why vBulletin?

History

Development

The vBulletin Advantage

Versatile

Performance

Customizable

Easy to Maintain

Other Features

vBulletin Licensing Options

Leased License

Owned License

Choosing a License

Example vBulletin Sites

Summary

2. Installing and Configuring vBulletin

Requirements

Disk Space

Bandwidth

System Resources

Shared Hosting

Semi-Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated Hosting

Other Options

Installing vBulletin

Tools

Downloading the Installation Files

File Extraction

Upload Preparation

Creating the Database

Command-Line Database Creation

cPanel Database Creation

File Editing

Uploading the vBulletin Files

Running the vBulletin Installation Script

Troubleshooting

Database Access Issues

Images/Styling Not Showing

PHP Errors

The vBulletin Control Panel

Importing Data into vBulletin

Downloading the ImpEx Script

Compatibility

Preparing for Upload

Editing the Configuration File

Target Database Settings

Source Database Settings

Upload the ImpEx Script

Running the ImpEx Script

Default Usergroups

Securing vBulletin

Help & Support

Summary

3. A Tour of vBulletin

The vBulletin User Experience

How to Get to the Board?

What the End Users See

Site Logo

Forum Title, Login Box, and Navbar

Welcome Banner

Main Body of the Forum

What's Going On

Footer

Touring the Main Forum—Unregistered Users

No "New Threads" for Unregistered Users

Registering on a vBulletin Board

Touring the Forum—Members

New Threads

Replying

Editing a Message

Private Messages

BB Code

What Does BB Code Look Like?

Using BB Code

User Tools

Display Modes

Navbar Changes for Members

The vBulletin Administrator Experience

Forum and Thread Tools

vBulletin Options

vBulletin Option Tools

Forum Management

Editing and Adding Forums

Editing Existing Forums

Moderation Options

Forum Styling

Access Control Options

Forum Posting Options

Enable/Disable Features

Branding

Changing the Logo

Undoing the Change

Summary

4. Customizing Your vBulletin Board

Types of Customization

CSS Modifications

Changing the Table Title Text

Viewing Changes

Undoing the Changes

Phrase Modifications

Searching for Phrases

Making Changes

Viewing the Changes

Undoing Changes

Template Modifications

Accessing Templates

Exploring a Template

Template Structure

Adding a FORUMHOME Sidebar

Two Changes

PHP Code Modifications

PayPal Modification

File Modification

Hacks

Pros and Cons of Hacking a vBulletin Board

Finding a Hack

Installing a Hack

Backing Up a Hack

Commercial Hacks

Summary

5. Administering Your Forum

Setting Up a Forum

Creating the Forum

Forum Permissions

Viewing Permissions

Opening the Forum

Super Administrators

Creating a Super Administrator

Other Changes to the config.php File

Admin Log Viewing Permission

Admin Log Pruning Permission

Query Running Permission

Undeletable and Unalterable Users

Maintaining the Database

Backing Up the Database

Repairing and Optimizing the Database

Some Maintenance Issues

Smilies

Editing a Smilie

Adding a New Smilie

Uploading a Smilie

Creating Your Own Smilies

Avatars

Adding Avatars

Storing Avatars

Summary

6. Upgrading vBulletin

When to Upgrade

Preparing for Upgrade

Migrating Changes

File Compare Utilities

Uploading the Files

Running the Upgrade Script

Testing the Upgrade

Unveiling the Upgrade

Summary

7. Changing the Look of vBulletin

Styling vBulletin

Template Lifecycles

Lifecycle 1—Constant Change

Lifecycle 2—Working Behind the Scenes

Editing the Default Style

Changing Image Paths

Other Editable Elements

Some Tips about Editing Styles

Adding a New Style

Editing the Style

Saving the Style

Downloading the Style

Making the New Style into the Default

Distributing a Style

Installing a New Style

Summary

8. Developing a Hack

Hacking vBulletin

Making the Changes

Locating the Template

Hacking the pm_newpm Template

Testing the Hack

Hack Distribution

Tips for Hack Distribution

Plugins and Products

Getting Plugins and Products

Adding a Product

Adding a Plugin

What If Things Go Wrong?

Summary

9. Programmer's Reference

Default Usergroup Settings

(COPPA) Users Awaiting Moderation

Administrators

Moderators

Registered Users

Super Moderators

Unregistered / Not Logged In

Users Awaiting Email Confirmation

Banned Users

Default vBulletin Database Tables

Moving Servers in Six Easy Steps

Cookie Check

Back up Database

Download the vBulletin Files

Transfer to New Server

Database Restoration

Back Online

Graphics

Global Post Text Find and Replace

Programming Standards

Braces

Indenting

Give Operators Space

String Quoting

Return Values

AND and OR

AS

SQL Queries

Naming Conventions for Functions

Summary

A. vBulletin Directory Structure

vBulletin Directory Structure

Notes

B. vBulletin Resources, Hacks, Add-ons, and Templates

Official vBulletin Sites

Main vBulletin Hack Site

vBulletin Styles and Templates

vBulletin Add-Ons

General Discussion Board‑Related Sites

Index