• caefer
  • Junior Member
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  • Registered: 2005-03-01
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Make more use of templates

hi there,

I just discovered punbb and chose to use it instead of phpbb since I think it's way better. :-)

the only thing that I do not like is this:

you make use of two templates and that's it. the inserted parts like the footer or the header and various functions and options are insterted from php scripts that write html.
if you are - like I am - about to migrate punbb into your own websitedesign, you are likely to be moving things about. like intigrating the top 'menu' (index, userlist, rules,...) in your menubar on the side and the like.

this get's complicated though, because many of these elements are somewhere hidden in php-scripts.

it would be much (!) nicer, if those elements too each had their own htmltemplate, that you can alter if needed without messing in phpscripts.

however I will have to do that now.. but maybe in some future release you will have changed that..?
(besides: if you do, people like me would be able to upgrade and keep their alterations! :-)


anyway, this seems to be the only weak spot yet. be proud of yourself, you have written quiet a nice software!


regards
/christian

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Make more use of templates

This has been discussed quite a bit earlier. I suggest you lookup one of the older topics on the subject. A fully template based design would of course be preferable from a skinning and integration POV, but it would also add a lot of overhead to the code.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

3 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Wales, UK.
  • Registered: 2003-08-13
  • Posts: 3,089

Re: Make more use of templates

The idea that templates make maintenance easier is not always true. If you only have one style for a site then templates certainly simplify matters. If however you offer your users a choice of templates and updates occur which involve altering the templates then you have several template sets to maintain as well as their accompanying stylesheets. This was a point made by the admin at MacAddict.

  • caefer
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  • Registered: 2005-03-01
  • Posts: 3

Re: Make more use of templates

but nessessary changes to templates imply major changes in the software itself.
like adding of a bunch of neew functions.
this would be more than a .1 version upgrate and properly documented users could alter the templates to their own likes...

  • caefer
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  • Registered: 2005-03-01
  • Posts: 3

Re: Make more use of templates

my idea of a 'perfect' bb would be a sort of toolkit. that consists of many tiny templates for all sorts of functions.
those put together in a nice punbb forum template would build the forum.

if you make major changes, you could always say: the default template(s) is changed. only unaltered templates are supported. and the toolkit changed as well as so did the documentation of it.

this would provide users that use an out-of-the-box punbb a new template. and those that have build their own template would be able to have a look at the new toolkit. decide which new tiny templates they want to use and where to put them.

was that clear in a way?

regards
/christian

6 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
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  • From: Wales, UK.
  • Registered: 2003-08-13
  • Posts: 3,089

Re: Make more use of templates

Whether that is a good idea or not depends on your priorities. For most people here I think that speed and ease of use are the most important factors not customization and skinning. Your system is great for styling but what effect would it have on performance.