Proper steps to create a homepage with an article forum

[alternadiv]

I'm redesigning my website and I'm finally giving it a normal homepage that isn't the forum list. The 2.2 article system is perfect for this.

My intent is to show a single large article and a few smaller article blocks under it (preview mode). I will then use widgets to have something like a carousel at the top of featured store products, etc. Under the list of articles might be popular forum posts, etc.

This is how I think I should configure this, but I'm looking for some clarification. Maybe this isn't the most efficient way?

1. Create a node that uses article threads, preview mode selected
2. Do not show this node in the forum list to make it not technically exist as a node
3. Friendly URL for this node = /home
4. In board settings, change the board homepage to domain/home/ -- now domain.com = the article forum and domain.com/forum = the forum list
5. Using a new .less template (custom_homepage.less), target this specific forum ID#
6. Use the custom template to modify this specific forum to feel more like a typical website homepage and less of an actual forum (adding the widgets, modifying the way the previews are displayed, etc.)

That's what I've done and it feels correct. Is it?

Also, if I wanted some homepage's articles to also display as sticky threads in relevant nodes, is that possible? I'm thinking there could be a way to add a search forum node into this to make it a little configurable...

1. The article node mentioned above is now a search forum, but the other steps are the same
2. It is configured to display what I would want to show on my homepage
3. I'm now able to have specific sticky threads from various nodes display on the homepage as articles
4. My understanding is that a search forum cannot display articles in preview mode, so this would be accomplished with a custom template to force the search forum node from step 1 to use article preview mode

 

[alternadiv]

I see this was moved out of XF questions and support. But I'm asking if this is the correct way to configure these options. Not if this is a good idea for a website.

 

[Paul B]

Your original post asked for:

Feedback?

So this seemed like the most appropriate forum.

There is no correct or incorrect way to set up and configure your site.

It's however you want to do it.

 

[alternadiv]

Your original post asked for:


So this seemed like the most appropriate forum.

There is no correct or incorrect way to set up and configure your site.

It's however you want to do it.

I realized that and took it out of the post.

I'm just trying to know if on the backend, these are the correct ways to accomplish this for XenForo.

If anything, is this part correct or is there another way it is meant to be done?

--Create the node, set the board URL to this node, it then becomes the homepage. The forum list is then at /forums.

That's good for everything to function correctly and to not break SEO, etc?

 

[Paul B]

The Board URL should remain as the URL where XF is installed.

Change the Index page route to have a different index/home page.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Using a new .less template (custom_homepage.less), target this specific forum ID#

I wouldn’t do it that way, I would just create another style and In the home page node settings set that style to override the main style.

 

[alternadiv]

I wouldn’t do it that way, I would just create another style and In the home page node settings set that style to override the main style.

I wouldn’t have thought of that. Great idea.

 

[briansol]

Is that really a better choice? seems like some caching would be lost on 'swtiching styles' from home to forum.

 

[btmgreg]

1. Using a new .less template (custom_homepage.less), target this specific forum ID#
2. Use the custom template to modify this specific forum to feel more like a typical website homepage and less of an actual forum (adding the widgets, modifying the way the previews are displayed, etc.)

Target the specific forum ID? Could you tell me more?
Can you tell me how you used the custom template to modify this specific node/forum? I've found it difficult to add widgets to accomplish it looking like a typical website homepage. Everything else looks great so far.

Thanks!

 

[alternadiv]

Target the specific forum ID? Could you tell me more?
Can you tell me how you used the custom template to modify this specific node/forum? I've found it difficult to add widgets to accomplish it looking like a typical website homepage. Everything else looks great so far.

Thanks!

You can target the forum ID with .node--id# and replace # with the ID number of the node you want to target. But I still pretty new to editing templates on my own so you might want to wait for an answer from someone more experienced. (Like @Russ)

 

[l3ta]

OMG. Spare yourself some pain if you don't quite know wut ya doing and let Russ deal with it ;-)

 

[btmgreg]

That way, you'll never learn anything! Though russ is extremely helpful, and for anything I can't work out I'll ask.

 

[l3ta]

That way, you'll never learn anything! Though russ is extremely helpful, and for anything I can't work out I'll ask.

You learn more after Russ is done with it.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Is that really a better choice?

I believe so. It seems to be the obvious, simnpler and elegant way to do it.

seems like some caching would be lost on 'swtiching styles' from home to forum.

What do you mean "caching would be lost"

 

[briansol]

You'll end up with 2 image directories effectively doubling the amount of data a user has to download from your site, even though it may be 99% the same.

logo
flag
smiles
directories are all replicated in a sub style folder.

 

[Mr Lucky]

I do it various styles and just one directory