Page system and using Xenforo as a CMS?

[Deepmartini]

I am looking for information on the page system and how to use Xenforo as a CMS.

I would like to have a tab that says "articles" at top, with drop downs to categories, click on a category and it goes to a category page with lists of the articles showing with thumbnails. I would like to restrict this area to paid subscribers only. And when someone clicks on an article, they get prompted to join and become a member. Can this be done?

I don't want to just put everything in the forums area, I want it to be separate from the forums in it's own section.

Anyone know where to begin doing something like this?

 

[Paul B]

The Pages can be used exactly how you ask, template edits would be required to add tabs to the navigation bar though.
I use Pages extensively on my forum - well over 100 at the last count.

This Wiki add-on might also be something that suits your requirements: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/8wayrun-com-xencarta-lite-wiki.7589/

 

[Digital Doctor]

I am looking for information on the page system and how to use Xenforo as a CMS.
I don't want to just put everything in the forums area, I want it to be separate from the forums in it's own section.

Oddly enough, there isn't an Articles Addon yet.
"Pages" can be used for that, but the current version of pages has them restricted to the Forums Tab. So in Xenforo you can't have your own Tab and run the Pages in there.

The Pages can be used exactly how you ask, template edits would be required to add tabs to the navigation bar though.

As Brogan attests, with template edits you can trick the user into thinking they are outside the forum (by highlighting a non-forum tab).

If you don't want to do template edits ... there is an addon by Arik:
It took me 10 minutes to find it as I can't title search for Tab !

Assign Pages to Different Tabs
http://xenforo.com/community/threads/assign-pages-to-different-tabs.7006/
- His addon doesn't create the Tab.
- what it does is helps you associate a Tab with a page, so the appropriate Tab gets highlighted when displaying a page.

How to create a Tab (aka Navigation Tab).
http://xenforo.com/community/threads/add-own-navigation-tabs.5265/ - "addon"-like
http://xenforo.com/community/threads/how-to-add-a-new-tab-in-the-navbar.7781/ - template edits
Hope this helps !

 

[Deepmartini]

Impressive instructions. Thanks for your help! Seems it might be easier to just create a subforum to put articles in. And also it will have commenting ability. Right now, doesn't appear pages can be commented on.

 

[Digital Doctor]

Seems it might be easier to just create a subforum to put articles in.

Ewww. Don't do that. Use Jaxel's XenCarta for the articles. Embed the article with the wiki bbcode in the forums - and then people can reply to it. The comments won't appear below the wiki post though. However, Jaxel could do it, as he has comments in his XenMedio product. !

And also it will have commenting ability. Right now, doesn't appear pages can be commented on.

Read this post in the "Pages" thread.
http://xenforo.com/community/threads/pages.489/page-12#post-111513
Great minds think alike ! (Like, please !)

I think you'd be better off using Xenforo for Forums and Wordpress for CMS stuff.
Wordpress is dead simple.
And there are good Xenforo / Wordpress themes
and there is user integration between Xenforo and Wordpress (an addon).

It's hard to say when xenforo will get a native articles + blogs option that will come close to Wordpress.
Search engines Love Wordpress.

 

[Deepmartini]

I like wordpress and have used it before, but I am concerned that the user avatars and profile area would be different in the Wordpress comments and the Xenforo forum area. Is there a way to replace Wordpress avatars and have Xenforo run the commenting on Wordpress? That way everything is in sync and integrated.

 

[Digital Doctor]

I like wordpress and have used it before, but I am concerned that the user avatars and profile area would be different in the Wordpress comments and the Xenforo forum area.

oooo ... you are picky.

Nothing wrong with details !
My suggestion is the genius of Wordpress would be worth this issue .... but ...

Is there a way to replace Wordpress avatars and have Xenforo run the commenting on Wordpress? That way everything is in sync and integrated.

Double check in the Wordpress thread.
Ideally it would work as you suggest.
No avatar in the wordpress threads would be OK for me too.