Tweet
vBulletin 3.0.0 Gamma Released
vBulletin 3.0.0 Gamma
After several weeks of intensive development work, it's now time to release the Gamma version of vBulletin 3. This latest version is the first to include the new style and language-independent templates. This means that it's now safe to start customizing the templates and translating the phrases on your own board without fear of major changes before the final version.
These Are Not The Final Graphics
The graphics supplied with the Gamma version are not the final vB3 images. They are simply re-colored versions of the graphics that have been released before. The final (and completely new) vB3 graphics will make their appearance in a later release.
New Style Functionality
The most obvious change with this version is the new style. The new templates were designed with the goals of streamlining the user interface, making for cleaner layout and easier navigation. For those users with Javascript enabled (ie: most), many of the less-frequently-used controls are now contained within popup menus, which you can identify for the most part by a word followed by the
image. Clicking these links will pop open a menu containing more in-depth controls for the page you are viewing. For users without Javascript capabilities, alternative layouts are displayed, making the best use of space possible.
Additionally, you will find that many elements of the interface can now be collapsed or minimised using the
buttons in order to further reduce screen clutter. If cookies are enabled on your browser, your collapsed element preferences will be automatically saved for the next time you view a page of that type.
Language Independence
For those boards running in a non-English language, the new language-independent templates will be a bonus. All text contained within the templates is now stored in the Language system, which can be administered from the admin control panel. This means that you can create a non-english version of your board without editing the templates at all.
Simplified Template Conditionals
In order to simplify the use of conditionals within templates, we have converted the vast majority of conditionals to check a value in the new '$show' array. Elements within this array contain a simple true/false, and are named in order to make their purpose as clear as possible.
For example:
New Features
Upgrading your Board
As the templates have changed dramatically since the previous versions of vBulletin, you will not be able to use your existing templates unless you are going to make notes of what has changed in the new templates and apply the changes to your customized versions. There is a new tool in the style manager called "Revert all templates" which will delete all customized templates from your style, leaving any CSS and Stylevar preferences you have for that style. This will make your style instantly usable.
As always, you should back up your database before upgrading to this version. We recommend using mysqldump from the SSH/Telnet command line.
Once your backup is complete, you can point your browser at install/upgrade.php on your board and the system will take you through the rest.
Changed Files / Changed Templates
Rather than list all the changed files and templates here, which would be rather pointless, we will simply say that every file and every template has been modified since vBulletin 3 Beta 7.
Extra Styles
The 'vBulletin 3 Grey' and 'vBulletin Classic' styles available at vBulletin.com can be downloaded from here. (See the end of this post).
In order to make 'Liquid' (expanding width) versions of these styles, you will need to edit the Stylevars for each style and make the following changes:
We hope you enjoy working with this Gamma release, and we hope to bring you the first Release Candidate very soon.
Now off to the Members' Area!
After several weeks of intensive development work, it's now time to release the Gamma version of vBulletin 3. This latest version is the first to include the new style and language-independent templates. This means that it's now safe to start customizing the templates and translating the phrases on your own board without fear of major changes before the final version.
These Are Not The Final Graphics
The graphics supplied with the Gamma version are not the final vB3 images. They are simply re-colored versions of the graphics that have been released before. The final (and completely new) vB3 graphics will make their appearance in a later release.
New Style Functionality
The most obvious change with this version is the new style. The new templates were designed with the goals of streamlining the user interface, making for cleaner layout and easier navigation. For those users with Javascript enabled (ie: most), many of the less-frequently-used controls are now contained within popup menus, which you can identify for the most part by a word followed by the
image. Clicking these links will pop open a menu containing more in-depth controls for the page you are viewing. For users without Javascript capabilities, alternative layouts are displayed, making the best use of space possible.Additionally, you will find that many elements of the interface can now be collapsed or minimised using the
buttons in order to further reduce screen clutter. If cookies are enabled on your browser, your collapsed element preferences will be automatically saved for the next time you view a page of that type.Language Independence
For those boards running in a non-English language, the new language-independent templates will be a bonus. All text contained within the templates is now stored in the Language system, which can be administered from the admin control panel. This means that you can create a non-english version of your board without editing the templates at all.
Simplified Template Conditionals
In order to simplify the use of conditionals within templates, we have converted the vast majority of conditionals to check a value in the new '$show' array. Elements within this array contain a simple true/false, and are named in order to make their purpose as clear as possible.
For example:
HTML Code:
<if condition="$show['submit_button']"> <input type="submit" value="$vbphrase[submit_this_form]" /> </if>
- Private messages are now grouped by sending date, and each group can be collapsed to conserve screen space
- Calendar events to which you are subscribed can now be managed via a tool in the user control panel
- Styles can be quickly switched using the Quick Style Chooser menu located at the bottom of the page
- Paid subscriptions now have a link in the user control panel
- Your attached files can be managed using a link in the user control panel
- The new horizontal-style postbit can be changed to use the old-style vertical postbit via a simple switch in the vBulletin Options admin control panel
- The CSS editor now includes a simple description for each style element, telling you where the class tends to be applied
- CSS stylesheets can now be saved as cacheable files, rather than included within the HTML of every page
- Special <phrase> tags may now be used in templates. This allows you to use phrases that contain variable parts by only editing the templates (versus editing the files). Here's an example: <phrase 1="member.php?find=lastposter&t=$thread[threadid]" 2="$thread[lastposter]">$vbphrase[by_x]</phrase> {1} and {2} in the phrase by_x will be replaced with the values you see there.
Upgrading your Board
As the templates have changed dramatically since the previous versions of vBulletin, you will not be able to use your existing templates unless you are going to make notes of what has changed in the new templates and apply the changes to your customized versions. There is a new tool in the style manager called "Revert all templates" which will delete all customized templates from your style, leaving any CSS and Stylevar preferences you have for that style. This will make your style instantly usable.
As always, you should back up your database before upgrading to this version. We recommend using mysqldump from the SSH/Telnet command line.
Once your backup is complete, you can point your browser at install/upgrade.php on your board and the system will take you through the rest.
Changed Files / Changed Templates
Rather than list all the changed files and templates here, which would be rather pointless, we will simply say that every file and every template has been modified since vBulletin 3 Beta 7.
Extra Styles
The 'vBulletin 3 Grey' and 'vBulletin Classic' styles available at vBulletin.com can be downloaded from here. (See the end of this post).
In order to make 'Liquid' (expanding width) versions of these styles, you will need to edit the Stylevars for each style and make the following changes:
- Main Table Width: 100%
- Form Width: auto
- User Control Panel Form Width: auto
We hope you enjoy working with this Gamma release, and we hope to bring you the first Release Candidate very soon.
Now off to the Members' Area!
Comment