About the (eventual) skin

[whoiam]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I've had this idea before. The bad news is, it won't work. The good news is, I have another idea which might.

The thing about skins is that each one has its own folder of .tpl files which are templates for the various pages. That means that every time I make a modification to the forums -- the suggested gender mod, for example -- I have to edit the relevant .tpl files in both of our current skins. Those files aren't quite identical, so I have to edit and upload them separately just to be safe. You see the problem: if we had a skin for every ship you guys might want in the forum logo, maintenance would become a nightmare.

However, I think there's another way to do it. What I can do is add another field to the user profile allowing you guys to choose from various logos. Based on your choice, the forum header template could then load the appropriate logo (as long as you were logged in). That would be more work than the gender mod, but I think I could do it.

A simpler alternative would just be to make a bunch of logos and make the selection random. I might try that first.

Sorry I didn't butt in sooner, but wouldn't it be possible to create the extra folders for the alternate layouts, and just redirect the requests for .tpl files through the strategic use of mod_rewrite and a .htaccess file?

Or, better yet, I know there are ways to use a php file to dynamically select the image that gets displayed... say that you add one field to each user's profile where they select which ship they'd like to see, and then point the layout at a php script for displaying the pic they'd chosen?

*is gonna try making that one himself*