[CMS] Customs Fields in CMS?

[vidmarc]

I need to create specific layouts with searchable content for each specific field. Is this possible in the CMS?

Can Article pages be used as product pages? For example, I need to build a DVD releases database with cover art, synopsis, special features and links to amazon UK and US. Is this possible?

What I would then like to do is rather than adding DVD release info to the forum, add it to the cms and promote it to the forum's relevant section.

I would also like users to be able to catalogue their DVD collection by selecting the titles they currently own. The list could then be viewed by other members from their profile page or signature etc. A "collection" add-on of some sort.

Any suggestions? Or is there an add-on that will allow this?

[arvid]

I think it is possible to create your own custom content types to achieve this, but as of now there is no GUI way to do this, only PHP/MySQL coding (Bugtracker story about this
This sounds like something you should ask at vBulletin.org if you don't have the manpower to do it yourself.

[vidmarc]

Thanks, I've posted the request over there too. I'd have thought adding new fields was the most basic of CMS requirements?

[punchbowl]

There's a custom form creator http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=234385

[Ramsesx]

I think it is possible to create your own custom content types to achieve this, but as of now there is no GUI way to do this,

Creating a custom content type must be similar in complexity like creating a space shuttle, never heard of someone getting this task done.

There's a custom form creator http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=234385

That's only for forum but not cms.

[bszopi]

Vidmarc, I think I remember helping you out when you first moved over to vBDrupal. Anyway, do you have an example page of what you are trying to accomplish? It might be as simple as using a PHP Direct Eval content type. There are definitely some limitations I have discovered with the PHP content type recently (mainly with form submittal), but it has the ability to do a decent amount of things. Post a link for me to look at, and I'll tell you if its feasible to use the PHP content type or not.

[vidmarc]

Hi bszopi , so good to hear from you again

example CMS page

I'm lost without vBDrupal - everything was just so flexible!

A friend has actually written his own CMS (from scratch!) which he hopes to be able to tie in with vBulletin (same users/login etc). That may well be another option for me to follow if the vBulletin CMS doesn't improve.

[bszopi]

If everything in that sheet is pulled from a database, then it would be quite simple to recreate it using a PHP Direct Eval content type. Is that page currently generated using PHP? If so, then it would be pretty simple to just convert the PHP to work within the PHP content type requirements.

[vidmarc]

The page I linked to is generated via a Perl scripted CMS (it was custom written by a programmer friend of mine around 10 years ago). This database currently holds around 17,000 records. I'd love to be able to add a similar feature to the vBulletin CMS if possible.

Sadly I am completely clueless when it comes to writing php etc. How would you suggest I proceed?

ps: I really liked the CCK (Content Creation Kit) module in Drupal - it would be fantastic if the vBulletin CMS has this sort of flexibility.

[bszopi]

If you could provide a database schema for the information, and point out what columns correspond to what areas of the table in that link, I could probably throw something together that would at least be a start, and we could move on from there.

[vidmarc]

Wow, that's very kind of you. Basically, these are the fields I require:

Title
Other Titles
Director(s)
Cast
Country/Countries of Production
Year

Company
Special Features
County of Release
Image (cover scan)

buy link 1
buy link 2
buy link 3
buy link 4
buy link 5

[bszopi]

Ok, I'll try to throw something together in the next couple of days for you.

[vidmarc]

Thank you! Is this something that I'll be able to use indefinitely through numerous vBulletin upgrades? That's what I'm always worried about. I'd hate to spend months inputting data only to lose it due to an upgrade.

Do you know if it's possible to pull in data from amazon directly via a template?

[bszopi]

Are you currently able to pull data from Amazon via html or php? If you can do it now, it can be done with the PHP direct eval content type. Once the code for the page is written, all it will be doing is pulling info from a source (assume database) given a set of values sent to it (movie name), which will have to be a different form. With that said, I don't see how it could ever break, unless vB decided to completely change how they handled PHP direct eval pages.

[vidmarc]

I've not worked out how to do it to be honest - do I need to sign up to their Developer Program to access APIs?