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Improving the custom profile fields


Wolfie

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There's already a field for HTML code to include a profile field in the topic view.

Be nice to have an HTML section for how to format the data in the members profile view. If empty, it would just display the information 'as-is'.

This could then be used to easily add in support for additional services (either IM or websites) without having to edit the template bits.

Currently, there are a bunch of if/else/if/etc nestings to check for AIM, ICQ, etc. But if it's for a service not pre-supported, then unless the admin modifies the bit, it will just show the data as it was entered.

With the ability to modify HTML code per field, a new service could be added easily. Also, would allow the admin to alter how it appears (big, small, underlined, bolded, pryotechnic, etc).


Either that (which I would imagine wouldn't be too terribly hard to implement) or another idea, where pre-supported services could be managed, then if a field is made that uses one of those pre-supported services, it could use the HTML code from that. It would make it easy for new services/sites to be added.


Main goal overall is to make it possible for services/sites to be properly linked, but without having to modify skins in order to do it. If someone has 10 skins on their board, the that's 10 that they have to modify currently to add support for just one profile field (if it needs a certain format or something).

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Well what i'd love to see is a multiselectbox like we have in IP.Content to FINALLY integrate a list of predefined Hobbies, Areas of Intrest etc.

Why: becaue we could SEARCH this later on. Imagine you're building a movie community and have a text-field for your favorite TV-Shows. The first guy writes 'Star Gate' the second one 'Stargate' the third 'Star Gate SG1' the fourth 'Star-Gate-SG1' etc etc. This would really help, especially if you plan on using this for lets say a dating community :)

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I also want the ability to multi-select from a list of modules. Currently members write what modules they have and some idiots include stuff that isn't a module (for the 3D Software program that my forum supports).

3DKiwi

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I have to get better at searching on these forums! ;)

As you probarbly understand I support this suggestion 100%! And I honestly cant understand how they thought about including option for topic view format and at the same time didnt think it would be a good idea to add option for profile view format aswell.

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There's one problem that I foresee for this, the way the Profile is laid out having the admins format it on a per item basis could potentially cause layout problems on a per field basis. That being said I do support this as I constantly manually format it. This won't stop me from doing it but it would help a lot.

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The 'more advanced' idea would be to have a list of services which in turn would have the HTML formatting in it and then just selecting that service (when creating a custom profile field) would refer to that service which in turn would use that HTML formatting. Since the HTML should be something short and simple (usually a hyperlink and the text), it would be more of a convenience to have pre-defined services, although it would make it easier for admins to have multiple AIM fields. Either way, new services (or profile fields) could then be added to support new services which would make it easier to 'stay with the times' as new trends rear their ugly heads.

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Is this only for like IM fields then? Because I know a lot of people are utilizing the custom Profile fields for things like mini-mods for moods and flags and things.

If this is for like IM fields and stuff then I'm not sure I care either way. I guess as long as it doesn't have the online link *that always bogs down pages for me* then it doesn't matter? But I thought this was for Custom Profile Fields in general. If it was I was actually thinking about it and no matter what, this would be harder to implement then it sounds I think. Because it would not only require template changes but it would require that they add an entire new function I think to the custom profile fields.

Something like what you do in the template but more intense and a lot more then just a few lines of code that it requires to set up a, "IF THIS FIELD THEN DO THIS".

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My reason is for IM and website fields, but should be useful for other types of fields as well.

Just that there is built-in support for AIM, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Skype, Yahoo! messengers and also for website URL's. To add in support for Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, etc (so person only includes their name there, not the full URL), then you have to modify the skin template to do it... for each skin you have installed.

The idea is to make it so that either with supported services being predefined in the custom fields area, or a straight out HTML to include in the members profile, then the extra services could be included much easier.

Using the services idea, admin wants to add support for Twit, for example, then they add it with the name Twitter (key: twitter) and the small bit of HTML code. Then they create the custom field and select that it as the service to apply to that field (selection would either be blank for none or one of the supported services). Then it's available for everyone to use and the members can put in their twit name and have it automatically linked to their twitpage. Benefit to this is that a 'service' could be used multiple times, so an admin only has to add the service once and then make use of it. The drawback is that if it's only to add one profile field, it's a two step process, but even then the 'service' could be imported, so as new services are added via the resource downloads, then more admins could just add it via XML and their board would have support for that service.

Skipping the services idea, admin would have a new field they can fill out. If it's blank, then the contents that the member puts in would just be displayed as is, otherwise the HTML format the admin puts in is the format that would be used (just like the topic view format).

Currently, in the skin templates (Profiles / customFieldGroup__contact), you have this code:

		<if test="cf_aim:|:$f->raw_data['pf_key'] == 'aim'">

			<a class='url' href='aim:goim?screenname={$f->parsed}'>{$f->parsed}</a>

		<else />

			<if test="cf_msn:|:$f->raw_data['pf_key'] == 'msn'">

				<a class='url' href='msnim:chat?contact={$f->parsed}'>{$f->parsed}</a>

			<else />

				<if test="cf_yahoo:|:$f->raw_data['pf_key'] == 'yahoo'">

					<a class='url' href='ymsgr:sendIM?{$f->parsed}'>{$f->parsed}</a>

				<else />

					<if test="cf_icq:|:$f->raw_data['pf_key'] == 'icq'">

						<a class='url' type="application/x-icq" href='http://www.icq.com/people/cmd.php?uin={$f->parsed}&amp;action=message'>{$f->parsed}</a>

					<else />

						<if test="cf_website:|:$f->raw_data['pf_key'] == 'website'">

							<a class='url uid' rel="me" href='{$f->parsed}'>{$f->parsed}</a>

						<else />

							<if test="cf_jabber:|:$f->raw_data['pf_key'] == 'jabber'">

								<a class='url' href='xmpp:{$f->parsed}'>{$f->parsed}</a>

							<else />

								<if test="cf_skype:|:$f->raw_data['pf_key'] == 'skype'">

									<a class='url' href='skype:{$f->parsed}?call'>{$f->parsed}</a>

								<else />

									{$f->parsed}

								</if>

							</if>

						</if>

					</if>

				</if>

			</if>

		</if>

This idea would knock out just about all of the if's and else's, so you might get something like this:

		<if test="$f->raw_data['pf_service'] != ''">

			(command to parse the service selected with the value the member has added)

		<else />

			{$f->parsed}

		</if>



Much shorter and lots of new services could be added easily without modifying the template bit.

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The expected input format should be also improved:

Something like Custom Media BBCodes should be done to custom profile fields, improving expected input format, code replacement, et al.

Nowadays it isn't so easy to reach these approaches:

post-94759-126783089894_thumb.png

Many people input junk data in these fields. :(

Regards,

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