phpBB • Stargate Portal - Contribution Details

Stargate Portal

Description

Stargate Portal (previously the Kiss Portal, the original phpBB3 portal)... is an advanced portal for phpBB3.

Notes:
Due to the upload limit of 2MB, I have removed quite a few images and support files from the Web Page section of the mod... Hopefully I can fix any issues resulting for the submission process and add the remaining section later... 11th June 2010.

Update Note: The upload limit has been increased to 8MB, however as I have uploaded the reduce mod, I will leave it at that for now...

Introduction:

The portal is fully configurable via the ACP...
It can be disabled with one click without affect your boards normal operation...
All edits to the phpBB core code are based on *Safe edits...
Uses the phpBB cached to reduce sql queries...

A very basic description of the portal:
In most instances you might assume the portal was just another page not unlike the index page with some frills... For the most part you would be right at least in relation to other portals but not the Stargate Portal.

SQL Queries: With 38 active blocks
On viewing the portal page all blocks/queries are cached.
The number of queries depends on the blocks enabled and can range from 10 to 50 queries.
Average queries reported on refresh: portal page (38 bocks): 27 queries
Average queries reported on refresh index page (12 blocks): 22 queries
These values include normal phpBB queries... Un-cached queries (portal page): 10

Built in Mods and Mini-Mods:
Pleas note, the portal includes code rendering several mod unnecessary...
In particular, the portal includes its own version of the Advanced Quick Reply, Admin assigned Cumulus Tags and Automatic Search Cumulus Tags...
There are several Mini-Mods included that may also remove the need to add mods...

The block format:

Stargate display information in the form of independent blocks arranged in columns...
The portal page includes a left block column, a centre block column and a right block column...
Block columns can also be displayed on any/all other page as determined by the admin...
The user can further arrange these block so suit, options include...
- Drag and Drop (any column, any location)...
- Show/Hide (Hidden blocks are hidden not minimised)...
The visibility of these block is on a group basis (one/many) as determined by the admin...
The initial/default location of blocks is determined by the admin...
Block names are replaced by language variables if defines, else we use the assigned name...
Block visibility can be set on a group (one/many) basis...
Blocks are in effect small modules, having associated data and variables...

Other Blocks: (not sorted)

Style Changer
Online Users
Last Online
Bot Tracker
Search
Categories
Cumulus (tags) Links (admin assigned)
Style Development
User Information
Clock
Cumulus (tags) Search (automatic)
Poll Block
The Team
Top Posters
Top Referrals
Most Active
Site Statistics
MP3 Player
Links
Link to Us
IRC Chat
Age Range
Books
Team Speak
Small Adds

Menus:

Main navigation Menu
Sub Menu

Additional menus can be added as desired...
Visibility of menus and each menu option is on a group basic...

Portal Pages/Web Pages:

Portal Wrapper
Youtube
About, Download, Features,History, Welcome.

Built in web pages generator (very simple editor).
All pages can be assigned meta data as well as normal data...
Future development will allow you to add block to your pages...

The ACP:
All portal features/setting are configurable via the ACP...
more ...

Styles:
All major styles have already been ported, the process is fairly simple.
Other styles ported on request...

Installation:
The mod is perhaps one of the largest mods out there, manual installation can take up to one hour...
Installing with AutoMod takes about a minute... (thank heavens for AutoMod & UMIL) :mrgreen:

*Safe edits:
I code in such a manner as to reduce possible problems in relation to upsetting the normal phpBB update procedure... I posted in the Mod writers forum on this regard... Not a terrible amount of interest... shame... How many mods of this (or any) complexity can be turned on/off without adverse effects to your site?

Future Development:
Completely remove all inline edits from the installation process... When updating your phpBB core, the find will never fail... To this end we will only apply, Find > Add before or Add after.