What is it? It's a total makeover for UBB Threads. In the past this has been a template only mod, but this time I had to add some script changes to Threads so it's now a full blown hack. Instructions are included in the zip file, and you can see a demo here. Test Forum 1 is open for guest posting if you want to check out the new posting templates -I used the same layout for the reply, edit, and the private message templates. Keep in mind that my dev site may change a little as I add tweaks that are site specific to www.dalantech.com -but what you see on the dev site will be pretty close to what this hack can do. <br /> <br />With Facelift you get the Pop Up Graemlin Panel and an extended quick reply box. Special thanks to Just Dave, Josh Pet, Astaran, Scroungr, and everyone else who had a hand in developing the Graemlin panel since it was first introduced. <br /> <br />Sorry it took so long after the release of 6.5 to get this hack out to you: It is a pretty extensive hack and with a day job, a wife and three kids, plus my own site to run I sometimes have to borrow free time <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br />If you need professional assistance installing this hack contact Josh Pet or one of the other people listed in the developers for hire section of this site. I'm gonna use what little time I have to script more hacks <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br />Hope you like it <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br />Note: My templates look their best if you are using a resolution of 1024x768 or higher and your users do not select an insanely huge text entry box in their preferences. If you run into problems because users are setting too many columns or rows then let me know and I'll script a set of post entry pages that use a fixed size like the quick reply template. <br /> <br />Edit 15 Oct 04: Added article templates that match the look of Facelift. If you install the article template hack and Facelift then use the article templates included with Facelift. <br /> <br />Edit 16 Oct 04: Changed a custom class the I use on my site, navbar, with tdheader in myhome.tmpl. <br /> <br />Edit 16 Oct 04 #2:Fixed a form error in sendmessage.tmpl and mess_reply.tmpl <br /> <br />Edit: 19 Oct 04: quickreply.tmpl format change to make it match the layout of the posting pages, and to make it scale to higher resolutions than 1024x768 without the Graemlins ending up on the far side of your monitor <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br />Edit 02 November 04: Inspired by Allen Ayres I created UBB Code buttons for the posting templates and updated the facelift_ubbcode.tmpl file to use them. I eliminated the "underline" UBB code because one of them had to go (odd numbers of buttons don't look good) and the users on my site rarely ever use the underline code. <br /> <br />Edit 04 November 04: Added a "More Graemlins" button that matches the style of the instant UBB code buttons. Updated the instructions for editing the ubbt.inc.php file so that it uses the new button. <br /> <br />Edit 05 November 04: Due to my "leet" java script skills the question mark in the color selector bar was broken -no errors, it just wouldn't work. Mad props to Ian Spence for finding my mistake! I've updated the facelift_fontcolor.tmpl file, and I've modified the instructions for editing the ubbt.inc.php file. Instead of requiring the instant_markup.php language file three times, for the three different functions, I changede the facelift functions to only require the instant_markup.php file once. If the instant_markup.php has already been called by the script that uses the function then the function shouldn't cause the language file to be reread... New zip file attached.

<img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/yay.gif" alt="" />

Well done - thanks for all your hard work <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Just passing on something that I did for my own site <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

you use the class "navbar" in myhome.tmpl<br />It seems that not a default class. I replaced it with navigation for testing. Any instructions for the navbar class ?

Good catch! I used navbar because I wanted to add a background grafic. Please replace navbar with tdheader. I'll update the zip file as soon as I finish this post.

I like this facelift. Excellent work! <br /> <br />I have lots of hacks in my UBB so I add some facelifts step by step. First the easy ones, then showflat, showthread and postlist. <br />Now I do no modifications to the scripts, just to the stylesheet. I wait for UBB6.5.1 and then I finish this. <br /> <br />At this point, without the new input mask, it looks good. I have to find out how to hack in my photo insert hack (for PhotoPost) in the new posting template. If I found out or if I need help I will be back.

Attached to this post is the template that I created with text explanations of "what goes where" for the post input pages (editpost.tmpl, mess_handler.tmpl, mess_reply.tmpl, newpost.tmpl, newreply.tmpl, sendmessage.tmpl, and sendprivate.tmpl). The template is just the text input area with the graemlins, ubbcode, font colors, etc -it's not a complete template. But it should give you a baseline for setting up additional post input pages.

I see a different layout in Opera and IE/Firefox. In Opera 7 the closing border is double high as in IE/Firefox. With a little help from Krow we use this in the stylesheet:<br /><br />/* Rule for all Browsers */<br />.tdheaderb { <br />background: #224988; <br />height: 10px; <br />} <br /><br />/* Windows IE ignores the following */ <br />html>body .tdheaderb { <br />height: 5px; <br />}<br /><br />this works for me and display in all browser the same border.

I hate writing non-standard CSS to fix display problems with browsers that do not render standard scripting correctly -you can use that fix but I won't. Let it be broke and force the folks that script Opera to correct their browser...

yes please <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

and let IE and Mozilla make up and stop using different things like butterfly text and blinking only for IE...

I try to keep my scripting strict XML, and there are three advantages to doing so:

• If a browser renders the script correctly then my site looks like I intended it to...
• If someone emails me and says that my site looks odd I can email them back and say it's their browser, and not my scripting...
• When someone does get around to fixing a bug in their browser I don't have to change my script...

My advice to everyone is to stick to the standards: It's the only way we're going to force the people who write the browsers to fix their code...

[]Dalantech said:<br />I try to keep my scripting strict XML, and there are three advantages to doing so:

• If a browser renders the script correctly then my site looks like I intended it to...
• If someone emails me and says that my site looks odd I can email them back and say it's their browser, and not my scripting...
• When someone does get around to fixing a bug in their browser I don't have to change my script...

My advice to everyone is to stick to the standards: It's the only way we're going to force the people who write the browsers to fix their code... [/]<br /><br />Sorry for flaming again but the W3C Markup Validation Service has found 843 errors in your XHTML. <br /><br />Off course you can do whatever you like on your site. Everyone is free not to look at it, but I like to see the visitors of my sites as clients. And I want to present them a site as good as possible. They don't care much if their browser implements the standards correctly. If my site doesn't display correctly, they may just consider going to some other site that does. Well, and I can't even blame them, since I do the same.

I never said my site was perfect, and I'll correct quite a few of those errors. However there is a big difference between a mistake and deliberately scripting incorrectly to solve "low end" browser issues. How does your scripting hold up to the same validation that you put mine through?...

I like the new showflat layout but my user complain about the separation of the postings. So what to do? I start a try to merge the old UBBt layout with this facelift.<br /><br />I use the modification for the navbars and extra information. I include a back to top button (image is included in zip and must be copy to the ubb image directory). This is a compromise and accepted by my users. Maybe someone like it.<br /><br />Thanks to Dalantech for the for the ideas

The scripting is not wrong in the way that does not validate. It is crystal clear css by the book. Validates perfectly.<br /><br />As I stated earlier, I just got started with ubbthreads so there are no great sites, I can present. However I am working on a blogging frontend over at Zarzals dragon-clan which (at the moment) validates. <br />http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3...utomatically%29<br /><br />I also worked on the plone cms http://plone.org which should validate perfectly. (Although this ain't my work, but there is a lot to learn from their css-gurus)<br /><br />The problem I see with ubbthreads is that it is really hard work to get it to render clean code. The templates are chosen in a way that validation is only possible when they are run and filled with data. Then, seeing the error in the resulting code you have to find the corresponding template, fix it and get on to the next error. <br /><br />Well, this is stuff I do in my free time, but having seen how things could be makes it kind of frustrating to hack stuff on ubb which clearly has it strengths in other areas.

[]krow said:<br />The scripting is not wrong in the way that does not validate. It is crystal clear css by the book. Validates perfectly. [/]<br /><br />I'm about to let this discussion drop, since this thread is about Facelift. If you want to continue after this point then please start a new thread in the Design matters forum.<br /><br />Now this: html> is not standard CSS scripting my friend... <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /><br /><br />Threads has never validated well, and I see that you have compaired my site, which is fully integrated into Threads, to a couple of sites that you have had the luxury of scripting from the ground up -nice, like comparing apples and oranges...<br /><br /> [] The problem I see with ubbthreads is that it is really hard work to get it to render clean code. The templates are chosen in a way that validation is only possible when they are run and filled with data. Then, seeing the error in the resulting code you have to find the corresponding template, fix it and get on to the next error. [/] <br /><br />That's the only thing you've said that I agree with...

Attached is the showflat.tmpl file without spacing between posts <img src="http://www.ubbdev.com/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Nice work!