[IPS4] Tutorials

[Adriano Faria]

About This File

A full-featured Tutorials/Article system for your IPS Community.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the features for this application:

• Unlimited categories of articles, plus unlimited depth of parent-child relationships
• Ability to use comments system or support topics, or both
• Per-category permissions to show category, read articles, submit articles, add comments, and avoid approval queues
• Extra Fields that can be used per-category
• Group permissions on specifc actions
• Integration with the Bulk Mail system
• Integration with ACP Live Seach (Tutorials categories)
• Integration with Tag system
• Integration with Report system
• Integration with Search systemsystem
• Integration with Share Links to share, download, or print articles
• Integration with Sitemap system to include tutorials in your sitemap
• Moderator actions on articles and comments
• Ability to create RSS feeds of all tutorials
• Ability to attach files to tutorials and comments
• Ability to quickly convert a forum post into a new tutorial
• Ability to copy a tutorial from one category to another or to the same category
• Friendly URLs for tutorials and categories
• Ability to give reputation points for tutorials
• Ability to rate tutorials
• Ability to follow categories and tutorials to receive notifications on updatesupdates
• Tools to create topics to existing tutorials, make tutorials of topics and rebuild support topics text if you have changed the template on Tutorials settings.
• And much, much more!

Missing in this version:

• Multi-page tutorials. It will be back in a future version.

 

For IP.Board 3.X: https://community.invisionpower.com/files/file/5386-tutorials/

[NewRockRabbit]

I may be missing something here, but where is the link to the 4.0version? I can only see link to 3.X version plus a link above showing eror code 2D161/2.

[Adriano Faria]

... a link above showing eror code 2D161/2.

That's the link. The marketplace moderator didn't approve the submission yet.

[Adriano Faria]

I may be missing something here, but where is the link to the 4.0version? I can only see link to 3.X version plus a link above showing eror code 2D161/2.

The submission is approved now.

[mesteele101]

I'm not sure where to post a topic for support?

I can add a category but when I try to add the permission to view:

I turn on View system and I get:

Is there any documentation on how to turn on what permissions, and how to add tutorials to categories.

The same thing happens in Members and Groups when I try to turn on the who can view switch.

I just noticed in Applications it says locked.

I'm working on an off line test 4.0.8.1 development site.

Edited June 28, 2015 by mesteele101

[Adriano Faria]

I'm not sure where to post a topic for support?

When you add/edit a category, you'll notice a tab called IP.Board Topics:

This tab will appear ONLY if you have FORUMS app installed.

This is used only if you want to create topics in different forums, per-category. If you want to create topics in one forum, regardless the category, use the setting FORUM TO USE FOR SUPPORT TOPICS on this app settings.

I can add a category but when I try to add the permission to view:

I turn on View system and I get:

The same thing happens in Members and Groups when I try to turn on the who can view switch.

I just noticed in Applications it says locked.

Sorry, both issues above fixed. Download the file again, uninstall your app and reinstall it.

Is there any documentation on how to turn on what permissions, and how to add tutorials to categories.

Do you really think it's necessary? It works exacly like all other official apps from IPS and 3rd-party apps.

You go ACP and create the categories; give the groups the proper permission. Then go to public side and on +Create, choose a category and then create tutorials.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Adriano Faria

[mesteele101]

It documentation is really not necessary now that I know the problem I was having was not with something I was missing.

I did exactly what you described, well until I tried to access the category from the Tutorials URL.

My tutorials reside in the forums. I'm moving them out so the existing view count will be lost. Is there a way for me to transfer the view count from forums to Tutorials. I'm comfortable editing the database tables if needed?

So far, with the new update, all is going as expected. Very nice addition

[Adriano Faria]

My tutorials reside in the forums. I'm moving them out so the existing view count will be lost. Is there a way for me to transfer the view count from forums to Tutorials. I'm comfortable editing the database tables if needed?

How are you creating the tutos ? There's a tool that create tutorials from topics, the third one on Tools screen. I can make a quick edit (just to you, not to the package itself) to update the tutorial view with the topic view.

So far, with the new update, all is going as expected. Very nice addition

Thank you.

[mesteele101]

I'm created new categories, and then added the tutorials individually. I saw the option in Tools for creating Tutorials from topics but it looked like something that was not reversible if there was problems. Also I think it said multiple in the title.

I can delete all the new Tutorials. Not a problem as I have them in my forums as topics. and them use the move option if the view count comes with it. I think that allowing the 'Views' counts to be moved along with the topic would be more natural?

I'm not real sure how the Move option works. It appears that it removes the original Topic, but have not actually tried it. Maybe allowing the Topic to remain in the original location, and do a copy as an option? Not a big deal for me as I have backups of my tutorials offline if something happens. The big thing would not to loose the view count.

Also, My topics reside in the support forum. I see this in the settings. I'm not sure how that works, as it looks to be global.

I'd like to have an option to add a link to the support forum for the tutorial, maybe shown at the bottom in this section?

I'd just like a easy way for the client to jump to the support forum right from the tutorial page?

[mesteele101]

My tutorials are all HTML. I did not create them within IPB. I can't edit my HTML code within IPB, I have to use an external editor and then past the HTML code back to the IPB editor and save. For me I prefer to do it this way because it forces me to make sure I have current backups. My tutorials have evolved over the past 13 years.  They are heart of my website.

Once my HTML is saved in the IPB editor, IPB preforms some sort of sanitation service to the text before the save, or possibly when it is pulled back into the editor. This actually changes parts of my original HTML when I pull it back into the editor.

I'm hoping the 'Move' post to tutorial will not require me to go back in and past my original HTML back in for each of the moved topics. However, I have backups. I don't want to use the 'Move' option until it can move the view count along with the topic.

[Adriano Faria]

I'm created new categories, and then added the tutorials individually. I saw the option in Tools for creating Tutorials from topics but it looked like something that was not reversible if there was problems. Also I think it said multiple in the title.

When you use the tool, it replaces the content of topic first post by the topic support template text; so if you run it twice, you won't get nothing than the support template text.

I think that allowing the 'Views' counts to be moved along with the topic would be more natural?

Personally I don't think. Although the tutorials can be based on a topic, they're different content from different apps and not true I say a tutorial has 1,000 views when in fact it was created 1 min ago and has 1 view. But I can easly add a new option on that Tool form, so admins can decide if they want to use the topic views as tutorial view. No big deal to me.

I'm not real sure how the Move option works. It appears that it removes the original Topic, but have not actually tried it. Maybe allowing the Topic to remain in the original location, and do a copy as an option? Not a big deal for me as I have backups of my tutorials offline if something happens. The big thing would not to loose the view count.

No, it doesn't delete anything. If the new category uses a different forum from the source category, the topic will also be moved to the proper forum. It the new category uses forum but the source don't, the topic will be created. This is handled by the framework itself.

Also, My topics reside in the support forum. I see this in the settings. I'm not sure how that works, as it looks to be global.

 

As I said here https://community.invisionpower.com/topic/417126-ips4-tutorials/?do=findComment&comment=2562259, this is used only if you want to create all topics in same forum. If you want different forums per-category, then you have to choose a forum on each category.

 

I'd just like a easy way for the client to jump to the support forum right from the tutorial page?

If you mean SUPPORT TOPIC, if the the tutorial category has a forum and the tutorial has a topic associated, then the GET SUPPORT button will appear, as it shows on screenshot of this app:

My tutorials are all HTML. I did not create them within IPB. I can't edit my HTML code within IPB, I have to use an external editor and then past the HTML code back to the IPB editor and save. For me I prefer to do it this way because it forces me to make sure I have current backups. My tutorials have evolved over the past 13 years.  They are heart of my website.

Once my HTML is saved in the IPB editor, IPB preforms some sort of sanitation service to the text before the save, or possibly when it is pulled back into the editor. This actually changes parts of my original HTML when I pull it back into the editor.

I'm hoping the 'Move' post to tutorial will not require me to go back in and past my original HTML back in for each of the moved topics. However, I have backups. I don't want to use the 'Move' option until it can move the view count along with the topic.

The editor of this app will work exacly the topic editor, or the Articles (from Pages app), or the Gallery editor or the Downloads editor, etc. So if doesn't work here, expect it to doesn't work in all other areas too. The editor is a central feature of the framework. I can't use a different or "make some magic" to your tutorials works on it.

[mesteele101]

Yes, exactly on the editor. I don't expect the editor to work any differently in Tutorials than it does in the Forums, or any where else. I've adjust the way I edit and insert content into the editor that fits my needs.

I'll try the Support topic option and see how it works.

How about moving the date installed along with the view count (makes more sense) so it doesn't look odd? I would prefer that

[Adriano Faria]

How about moving the date installed along with the view count (makes more sense) so it doesn't look odd? I would prefer that

Not sure what you mean.

[mesteele101]

The post being moved to a tutorial has a posted date, along with the current view count. It might look odd as you said earlier showing 1,000 views, and was posted 1min ago.

Moving the original posted date along with the current view count seems to be the best solution than just moving the count?

[Adriano Faria]

Please, Michael, be clear. What you mean by "post being moved to a tutorial" ? You can create tutorials in 4 ways:

1. using the form (that's not the case it seems)
2. tutorializing a post (clicking on a link on each post)
3. using the tool on ACP.
4. copying an existing tutorial

[mesteele101]

For an example:

I have a Topic in a forum that I want to move to a Tutorial. I also want the original creation date along with the current numbers of views to be transferred.

Not sure the best way to do this as I've only created new tutorials.

It's getting complicated and I guess I'm not explaining it well enough. I went ahead and manually changed the creation date and view count on all my Tutorials to match the original creation date, and current number of views from the original topics in the forums. All is good.

Maybe put this on the back burner until someone else requests it?

I'm stuck on another issue:

I have a Tutorial that has an existing Support forum. I'm not seeing how to activate the 'Get Support' button, and will this button point to a specific forum?

[mesteele101]

I think I see part of this but setting the 'Get Support' button is confusing:

In Tools: Create Support Topics for existing Tutorials

Be sure you have set up your options for using Support Topics, including defining a forum for the topics to go in for each category if you have it set up this way.

I'm assuming this is where I'm having issues with creating the 'Get Support' button for each of my Tutorials.

I have four Forum categories:

1. Category 1
2. Category 2 - 6 support forums
3. Category 3 - 6 support forums
4. Category 4 - 3 support forums

I have three Tutorial categories:

1. Category 1 - 6 tutorials
2. Category 2 - 6 tutorials
3. Category 3 - 3 tutorials

In each Forum category there is a support Forum to match each Tutorial

• Forum category 2 holds all 6 support forums for the 6 Tutorials in category 1
• Forum category 3 holds all 6 support forums for the 6 Tutorials in category 2
• Forum category 4 holds all 6 support forums for the 3 Tutorials in category 3

I'm not certain how activate the 'Get Support' button for each of my Tutorials that point to a specific support forum?

It looks like I need to run the Create Support Topics for existing Tutorials in Tools in some fashion. However, I'm not sure and really don't want to hose the database by doing something wrong or out of step.

Edited June 28, 2015 by mesteele101

[Adriano Faria]

I think I see part of this but setting the 'Get Support' button is confusing:

In Tools: Create Support Topics for existing Tutorials

Be sure you have set up your options for using Support Topics, including defining a forum for the topics to go in for each category if you have it set up this way.

I'm assuming this is where I'm having issues with creating the 'Get Support' button for each of my Tutorials.

I have four Forum categories:

1. Category 1
2. Category 2 - 6 support forums
3. Category 3 - 6 support forums
4. Category 4 - 3 support forums

I have three Tutorial categories:

1. Category 1 - 6 tutorials
2. Category 2 - 6 tutorials
3. Category 3 - 3 tutorials

In each Forum category there is a support Forum to match each Tutorial

• Forum category 2 holds all 6 support forums for the 6 Tutorials in category 1
• Forum category 3 holds all 6 support forums for the 6 Tutorials in category 2
• Forum category 4 holds all 6 support forums for the 3 Tutorials in category 3

I'm not certain how activate the 'Get Support' button for SETTING my Tutorials that point to a specific support forum?

It looks like I need to run the Create Support Topics for existing Tutorials in Tools in some fashion. However, I'm not sure and really don't want to hose the database by doing something wrong or out of step.

It's pretty simple and obvious and it's been like that since version 1.0.0, when the other dev created this app for IP.Board 2.

In SETTINGS you have 2 settings for the topics.

1. forum

2. Template for the support topic. This one you have to fill if you want to use topics, regardless the forum setting (global or per-category).

For every app I know, SETTINGS is a global configuration for various things. If you want something specific for a category, go to category!

It's simple: choose a forum on SETTINGS if you want to use THE SAME forum for ALL your categories. See the text below the forum field, indicating that you can use different forums for diffrrent categories. If you want FORUM1 to be used on CATEGORY A and FORUM2 in CATEGORY B, then DO NOT choose a forum on SETTINGS. Choose it on CATEGORY instead.

You don't activate the button on tutorial view manually. Simply choose a forum (globally on settings or per-category) and create the tutorial. The button will be there.

And please, use the right terms. The confusion only gets bigger at every new post you do.

What is SUPPORT FORUMS? I have no idea!

Edited June 29, 2015 by Adriano Faria

[mesteele101]

PM sent...

[mesteele101]

I just noticed something. In tutorials it doesn't look like forums.

When I create categories in Tutorials I get

Having it look like the forums layout will give it a far better look.

Is there something i missed?

 

[Adriano Faria]

It is working exacly like it was built. Only FORUMS app is like your screenshot. All other, including all others from IPS is exacly like Tutorials. Go to Pages, Downloads and Gallery and you will see.

https://community.invisionpower.com/files/categories/

https://community.invisionpower.com/4docs/

I'm really not worried with "better looking".

Edited June 30, 2015 by Adriano Faria

[mesteele101]

There is a lot to say about how products appear to the end user. Just look at Windows 10 and all the hype about the UI.

I think the display is how it was in 3.x. To me is would be more 4.x by using the same type of display as the forums. I like the idea of being presented with all the Tutorials when it's opened. And the actual Category names is their own color header.

But that's just me

[mesteele101]

I'm trying to figure out how to turn off the 'Tutorial Information' so it will open the screen to full page. Is there an option for this?

I wouldn't mind having the 'Tutorial Information' being a widget that can be placed in the side block or at the bottom of the tutorial, at least that would allow us to use the full side block if it was a widget, for other widgets. Also it would be nice to be able to place the Tutorial Information at the bottom.

[Adriano Faria]

I'm trying to figure out how to turn off the 'Tutorial Information' so it will open the screen to full page. Is there an option for this?

No, no option. You can edit the template on ACP -> Customization -> your skin -> Tutorials -> Front -> View -> view, find:

		<aside class='ipsColumn ipsColumn_wide'>
			<div class='ipsPad'>
				{{if $article->container()->forum_on AND $article->container()->forum AND $article->topic()}}
					<a href='{$article->topic()->url()}' title='{lang="tutorial_get_support_title"}' class='ipsButton ipsButton_normal ipsButton_fullWidth'>{lang="tutorial_get_support"}</a>
					<br>
				{{endif}}
				<h2 class='ipsType_sectionHead'>{lang="tutorial_information"}</h2>
				<ul class="ipsDataList ipsDataList_reducedSpacing ipsSpacer_top">
					<li class="ipsDataItem">
						<span class="ipsDataItem_generic ipsDataItem_size3"><strong>{lang="views"}</strong></span>
						<span class="ipsDataItem_generic">{number="$article->views"}</span>
						<meta itemprop='interactionCount' content='UserPageVisits:{$article->views}'>
					</li>
					{{if $article->container()->allow_comments}}
						<li class="ipsDataItem">
							<span class="ipsDataItem_generic ipsDataItem_size3"><strong>{lang="tutorial_comments"}</strong></span>
							<span class="ipsDataItem_generic">{number="$article->comments"}</span>
						</li>
					{{endif}}
					<li class="ipsDataItem">
						<span class="ipsDataItem_generic ipsDataItem_size3"><strong>{lang="submitted"}</strong></span>
						<span class="ipsDataItem_generic">{datetime="$article->date"}</span>
						<meta itemprop='dateCreated' content='{expression="\IPS\DateTime::ts( $article->submitted )->format( 'Y-m-d' )"}'>
					</li>
					{{if $article->updated != $article->date}}
						<li class="ipsDataItem">
							<span class="ipsDataItem_generic ipsDataItem_size3"><strong>{lang="updated"}</strong></span>
							<span class="ipsDataItem_generic">{datetime="$article->updated"}</span>
							<meta itemprop='dateModified' content='{expression="\IPS\DateTime::ts( $article->updated )->format( 'Y-m-d' )"}'>
						</li>
					{{endif}}
					{{if \IPS\Member::loggedIn()->hasAcpRestriction( 'core', 'members', 'membertools_ip' )}}
						<li class="ipsDataItem">
							<span class="ipsDataItem_generic ipsDataItem_size3"><strong>{lang="ip_address"}</strong></span>
							<span class="ipsDataItem_generic">
								{{if mb_strlen( $article->ipaddress ) <= 16 }}
									<a href="{url="app=core&module=modcp&controller=modcp&tab=ip_tools&ip=$article->ipaddress" seoTemplate="modcp_ip_tools"}">{$article->ipaddress}</a>
								{{else}}
									<a href="{url="app=core&module=modcp&controller=modcp&tab=ip_tools&ip=$article->ipaddress" seoTemplate="modcp_ip_tools"}"><span data-ipsTooltip title='{$article->ipaddress}'>{truncate="$article->ipaddress" length="22"}</span></a>
								{{endif}}
							</span>
							<meta itemprop='dateCreated' content='{expression="\IPS\DateTime::ts( $article->submitted )->format( 'Y-m-d' )"}'>
						</li>
					{{endif}}
					{{foreach $cfields as $k => $v}}
						<li class="ipsDataItem">
							<span class="ipsDataItem_generic ipsDataItem_size3"><strong>{lang="tutorials_{$k}"}</strong></span>
							<span class="ipsDataItem_generic">{$v|raw}</span>
						</li>
					{{endforeach}}
				</ul>

				<div class='ipsResponsive_showPhone ipsResponsive_block ipsSpacer_top'>
					{template="follow" app="core" group="global" params="'tutorials', 'article', $article->id, $article->followers()->count( TRUE )"}
				</div>
			</div>
		</aside>

Move it to wherever you want. Bear in mind that CUSTOMIZATION isn't part of the suppoort. You're on your own. The app is as it is.

I wouldn't mind having the 'Tutorial Information' being a widget that can be placed in the side block or at the bottom of the tutorial, at least that would allow us to use the full side block if it was a widget, for other widgets. Also it would be nice to be able to place the Tutorial Information at the bottom.

But I do mind and I won't change this. OK to me if you want to change YOUR installation and do whatever you want.

Please Michael. Don't treat this app as it is a custom job made exclusively to you. I have other 415 clientes that likes it the way it is, or at least I didn't see any others 20, 30, 75 requests to change it. One, sorry, do not justify. I already made one change to you, you know that, it will be available on next version, but that is all.

[mesteele101]

   Move it to wherever you want. Bear in mind that CUSTOMIZATION isn't part of the suppoort. You're on your own. The app is as it is.

But I do mind and I won't change this. OK to me if you want to change YOUR installation and do whatever you want.

Please Michael. Don't treat this app as it is a custom job made exclusively to you. I have other 415 clientes that likes it the way it is, or at least I didn't see any others 20, 30, 75 requests to change it. One, sorry, do not justify. I already made one change to you, you know that, it will be available on next version, but that is all.

The review process has a weight on how well the developer interacts with their users, especially paid users. Just because someone makes a suggestion doesn't mean you have to jump and do anything custom. You can do whatever you want it's your program. If you feel a suggestion could benefit your user base, than by all means use a suggestions, but you don't have too.

However, I wish you would think about modifying this 'Tutorial Information'  issue. IPB 4.0 has a widget system now that could be used for displaying 'Tutorial Information' if a user wanted. Adding widgets to the side of Tutorials is broke anyway, and I'm sure someone in that 400+ user base will eventually complain.

The reason behind this is two fold:

1) If the end user opted out of displaying the 'Tutorial Information' widget they could use the full screen width for their tutorials. Right now the 'Tutorial Information' is limiting the width of the tutorials. The 'Tutorial Information' only uses up a small section at the top but robs screen area the full length of the tutorial that is dead white space.

If there was a widget it could be added to the bottom block if so desired.

 2) If the end user opted in to the 'Tutorial Information'  widget, this would  give the end user the option of adding more widgets under that one.

It's only a suggestion, you have 400+ users that probably don't care.

Edited June 30, 2015 by mesteele101