Implemented [Suggestion] Blocks system / sidebar widgets

[yoghurtfarmer]

Perhaps it's already there but a system to allow admins to add blocks in key areas would be useful (left side, right side, top, bottom, maybe between posts).

There could be some predefined blocks such"most recent posts" "top posters", but the most important feature would be the an option to allow custom php or html blocks.

The blocks could be controlled through member permissions (guest only, member only, etc) and content type (show only on index, show everywhere, show only on pages, etc).

With the custom blocks, admins can customize their forum and add advertisements/banners with ease.

 

[Markos]

I think it would be nice for an option somewhere in the admin where you can select what sidebar you would like to be displayed on what section or forum.

Totally agree! My dream is to have an everywhere sidebar, and in any forum you can put a different sidebar or simply different widget/modules.

 

[Shelby]

This type of funcionality would certainly be nice.

 

[majdi]

if you want it, hit "like" on the first message.

 

[adchased]

I agree, a global Sidebar Option would be really nice!

 

[ragtek]

I really hope that we will get a global sidebar including an block manager to ex/import blocks in the next 12 months

ATM the sidebar is ONLY on several pages and some of them include search strings in there template(to place your own addon blocks)

You're able to include the sidebar via <xen:sidebar> on own pages, BUT the standard blocks from forum index (including the template hooks) are missing.
That's why ALL CUSTOM BLOCKS will fail, if you don't include the search strings e.g.

<!-- end block: sidebar_online_staff -->

into your custom template.

Another problem here is, that if you use template hooks to add blocks, you need to scan the template code for the searchstring, to be sure it will be shown.
If not, it's causing unnecessary runtime because you fetch the data, create a template object render it and try to attach it to the existing template, but it won't be attached because of the missing search string

This problems would stop with an core block manager

 

[3dsoft]

A global sidebar is needed by many board owners. And a block manager would be awesome.

 

[NickM22]

any progrtess on this subject?

 

[Morgain]

Any news on this?
Like maybe who is working on it?

 

[ragtek]

Any news if this is one of the parts which will be changed in 1.2? ( http://xenforo.com/community/threads/development-update.25726/#post-311302 )

It's not a pain for 3rd party devs to create sidebar blocks/widgets but it's a pain for the end user to use them.

1. there are several different "frameworks/addons" by 3rd party devs for this.
Most of them aren't compatible to each other, so the user have to choose one and then he complains that block/widget xyz isn't available for this framework........

2. it's really not user-friendly to manage the available blocks and avarage joe still doesn't understand, why he can't just copy the code from template xyz into his template to have the sidebar with the board statistics available on a custom page or an other template......


Would be nice if you check the ipb blog to get some ideas
one of the IMO best features there is http://community.invisionpower.com/blog/1174/entry-5434-ipcontent-21-dev-update-external-widgets/

 

[Akela]

 

[xf_phantom]

Please please mike and kier, include this!

Stop addon coders coding & releasing their own widget system!
It's really not necessary to create the same widget 4x to provide it for all the different widget/sidebar systems (1x xenforo sidebar, 1x widget framework, 1x xenporta block and last but not least the brandnew custom widget system addon)

 

[DRE]

This is done with bd widget already.

 

[DRE]

Please please mike and kier, include this!

Stop addon coders coding & releasing their own widget system!
It's really not necessary to create the same widget 4x to provide it for all the different widget/sidebar systems (1x xenforo sidebar, 1x widget framework, 1x xenporta block and last but not least the brandnew custom widget system addon)

I agree. The addon coders release their own widget systems because they develop them first for their own site. If it was built in, they wouldn't need to.

 

[IcEWoLF]

Lets get this added to 1.2 folks!

 

[The Dark Wizard]

+1

 

[Paul B]

+1

Doing that achieves nothing.

As the guidelines state:

First and foremost, if you like the suggestion that a person has made, like the post. If you have further tweaks to the suggestion, please post them but still like the post.

Suggestions can be sorted by the number of likes the first message has received by using the "thread display options" tab at the bottom of thread list. The number of likes that the first message of a thread has received is "shown" on the thread list by hovering the replies/views cell.

Threads with a large number of likes will bubble up to the top and give us things to focus on. However, please keep in mind that a highly-liked suggestion is not guaranteed to be implemented. There may be technical reasons to not do it or it may not fit in with the goals for the product. We will give our thoughts on as many suggestions as possible.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

Fair enough.

 

[Alpha1]

A widget / blocks system would need an adminCP drag & drop layout manager. Similar to what Micheal created for his microclassifieds:

Don't forget to like the first post.

 

[Chris D]

This is generally implemented in XF 2.0 with a ream of built in widgets plus support for additional widgets to be added via add-ons. There may be additional functionality which is still desirable but these should be branched off to additional suggestions.