vBulletin 4 Template Conditionals List

[Nick]

This is an updated list of conditionals with the syntax used in vBulletin 4. A preview of the syntax was made available on Wayne Luke's site, vBCodex and is the basis from which I have formed this list.

As of writing, vB 4 isn't even out yet (it's in Alpha testing) so this won't be of use to you just yet, but at least you know it's here and we have it. Might as well add it to your bookmarks now so you have it when you need it.

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Viewer is a guest

<vb:if condition="$show['guest']"> </vb:if>

Viewer is a member

<vb:if condition="$show['member']"> </vb:if>

Viewer is in a specific usergroup (In this example, 6 is the usergroup ID. You can add more using commas)

<vb:if condition="$is_member_of($bbuserinfo,6)" /></vb:if>

Viewer has a specific User ID (user ID = X)

<vb:if condition="$bbuserinfo['userid'] == X"> </vb:if>

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This list will be updated and maintained as time goes on and more information becomes available.

[Michael]

Awesome Nick, I have bookmarked!

[David McHenry]

any reason why the moved from the easy format of

<if condition="$show[member]">

to the new syntax?

Is the <vb: part of it, so it can be broken down to application specific sections? Like their new CMS

<cms: if condition="$show['guest']"> </cms:if>

[Michael]

Originally Posted by BSMedia

any reason why the moved from the easy format of

<if condition="$show[member]">

to the new syntax?

Is the <vb: part of it, so it can be broken down to application specific sections? Like their new CMS

<cms: if condition="$show['guest']"> </cms:if>

I wouldnt be surprised if that is true, sounds dead on to me

[Nick]

Originally Posted by BSMedia

any reason why the moved from the easy format of

<if condition="$show[member]">

to the new syntax?

Is the <vb: part of it, so it can be broken down to application specific sections? Like their new CMS

<cms: if condition="$show['guest']"> </cms:if>

Wayne explains some of the reasons for the changes, here:

The problem though with template hooks, <if> conditionals and <phrase> tags is that it made it very difficult to work with templates in tools like Dreamweaver and Go Live!. Syntax highlighting was off, variables didn't render and preview was a general mess. With the move to an object oriented template system in vBulletin 4, this would have become even worse over time. So the developers decided to move vBulletin's proprietary tags to their own namespace and create a better way of presenting variables within the templates.

Template First Look at vBulletin 4 Template Variables - vBCodex

[twhiting9275]

So in order to help those that can't do the job right, we get stuck with more complicated templates. NOT good

[kneel]

waynes site is an amazing thing...

thanks for this mane!!

[cheat-master30]

Thanks for the list Nick. This should help anyone who wants to start converting the simpler modifications on their forum to vBulletin 4 versions.

[Lynne]

Originally Posted by twhiting9275

So in order to help those that can't do the job right, we get stuck with more complicated templates. NOT good

How is simply sticking a vb: in front of the if "more complicated". It really is just that simple.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Lynne

How is simply sticking a vb: in front of the if "more complicated". It really is just that simple.

I think adding anything extra to the code which is already there may make it more daunting for beginners to look at. The normal ifs when I first seen them looked really hard to use and with adding vb: or other prefixes it may make the first look of them even more daunting to beginners to the software.

[Chani]

I both like this and dislike this.

I think it'll be cool to be able to add PHP into your templates, but then again, having PHP and HTML separate (gently merged) in vB's current form is one of the things that makes it so easy to edit. (Ever templated a Zen-Cart site??? )

As long as the code remains somewhat portable within the site, I'm sure I'll get used to it.

[Wayne Luke]

The problem is the current syntax is invalid and causes validation to fail if you check just a template. However by adding a namespace, you can get around that and it is the proper way to code it.

The most important part though is that is modular and expandable. The new system allows the use of loops in templates as well as special variable syntax for parsing things like dates, times, and numbers within the templates instead of the PHP Code. This allows you to present more customized experiences to your end users as an administrator without worrying about the PHP code. It allows programmers to give you more tools through addons to customize it even more.

I doubt there will be PHP in the templates and the new syntax is less PHP-like than before. You'll need to keep your PHP in plugins where it belongs.

[David McHenry]

Originally Posted by Wayne Luke

The problem is the current syntax is invalid and causes validation to fail if you check just a template. However by adding a namespace, you can get around that and it is the proper way to code it.

The most important part though is that is modular and expandable. The new system allows the use of loops in templates as well as special variable syntax for parsing things like dates, times, and numbers within the templates instead of the PHP Code. This allows you to present more customized experiences to your end users as an administrator without worrying about the PHP code. It allows programmers to give you more tools through addons to customize it even more.

I doubt there will be PHP in the templates and the new syntax is less PHP-like than before. You'll need to keep your PHP in plugins where it belongs.

Thanks for the update on why the change occurred. I personally don't find it any more difficult to stick vb in front of a condition.

[Webmist]

You know this reminds me of coding for Joomla.

Do you think we'll have an actual list of conditionals? I would really like to see that in the release.

[David McHenry]

Originally Posted by Webmist

You know this reminds me of coding for Joomla.

Do you think we'll have an actual list of conditionals? I would really like to see that in the release.

From the looks of it, they aren't really changing over current conditionals. I'd imagine there maybe some new ones, and some small changes/tweaks to the current ones, but for the most part it seems its simply a new syntax to prefix the conditional with <vb: