One's first step in wisdom is to question everything... ~Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
05 August 2007
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on August 5th, 2007 @ 07:25:20 pm, using 288 words, 21003 views
A while back I found myself needing the ability to uniquely identify each blog on my b2evolution system. I wanted to be able to display blog-specific CSS styles and header imagery, while using the same b2evo skin across the entire site, rather than developing slightly varied skins for each blog.
The solution is rather simple, and allows each blog to be styled uniquely, while still allowing the remaining stylesheet definitions to cascade over elements which are not called by the unique identifier. So... on to the code...
Adding the following code to your b2evo skin's /skinname/_main.php file will cause the 'body' tag to be ID'd with the '$blog_shortname' of the specific blog. Essentially, this will ID the body tag as id=1 for Blog All, id=2 for Blog A, and so on....
The following code will work on b2evo 0.9.x...
<body id="<?php echo $Blog->disp( 'shortname' ) ?>">
...and the following code works in b2evolution 1.10.x...
<body id="blog<?php echo $blog ?>">
Once this code has been implemented in the _main.php file of your favorite b2evo skin, you can assign blog-specific styles to your CSS stylesheet as so:
body#blog2 #header {
background: #000 url(images/blog2header.jpg) top center no-repeat;
text-align: left;
}
body#blog3 #header {
background: #000 url(images/blog3header.jpg) top center no-repeat;
text-align: right;
}
The CSS style shown above works with the second PHP example, and can be used in b2evolution 1.10.x blogs...
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Decoder & Substance - Heist / Curvature
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
27 January 2006
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on January 27th, 2006 @ 02:40:37 pm, using 233 words, 14748 views
Had a little downtime and started working on a new skin design for the b2evo blog software. I'm calling this one 'bambooya' and giving it an organic, earthy theme. Like all my recent template designs for b2evolution, this one is valid XHTML Strict and CSS 2.0 compliant. It has a long way to go, but the general look and feel is in place. I'll add more information as the development progresses.
If you'd like to check it out, (bearing in mind it has a long way to go yet), you can see it here: http://blog.thedarksighed.com/main?skin=bambooya This skin was designed for a now obsolete version of b2evolution (0.9.x) and has been removed. Check back for an updated release. If you need a custom skin design built for a current release, leave a comment or send a message.
The appearance of the comment/feedback form isn't completed yet, but feel free to leave some feedback if you notice any issues with the appearance of this skin. Make sure you include your platform and browser/version as well.
Be sure to check out the 'b2evo blog skins' category for more custom b2evo skins...
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Dillinja - Grimey EP
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
10 November 2005
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on November 10th, 2005 @ 03:35:51 pm, using 365 words, 18318 views
Almost done with another skin for the b2evolution blogging software. This one is called "blue lunar" and is XHTML Strict compliant. It displays at 800x600 without any horizontal scrolling.
If you'd like to check it out, you can switch to the "blue lunar" skin. This skin was designed for a now obsolete version of b2evo (0.9.x) and has been removed. Check back for an updated release. If you need a custom skin design built for a current b2evo release, leave a comment or send a message.
Some of the features, off the top of my head, include:
- valid css and xhtml-strict compliance
- css-based fluid and dynamic text size across all tested browsers, for accessibility reasons
- title tags for all link text
- post word-count and link to "all posts by author"
- display of last 3 posts made to each blog (customizable)
- optional display of last 5 aggregate posts from each blog
- display of last 5 comments made to each blog (customizable)
- stats page hidden unless user is logged in
- super-cool textured header area
- little white separator line auto-included after each post (gratuitous visual gimmick)
- each blog is numerically auto-identified in the body tag, so custom header graphics can be assigned per-blog
- custom rss, atom, and w3c sidebar shims
- menu bar auto-expands vertically to accomodate for multiple lines in case you have more than the average of 3 or 4 blogs
Additionally, I'm working on completing the CSS to allow multiple columns of text within the main post body.
If you're viewing this post in a skin other than "blue lunar" you won't see this section as two columns...
This skin is a static width and doesn't have a wide version, but dual-columns might be found useful.
It's still a work in progress. Leave me some feedback if you notice any issues, or have any suggestions for things that would be neat to include.
Be sure to check out the 'b2evo blog skins' category for more custom b2evo skins...
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Urban Tribe - The Collapse of Modern Culture
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
07 October 2005
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on October 7th, 2005 @ 04:48:17 pm, using 226 words, 10124 views
Pretty much complete now, the brightling skin, a close variant on my original darkling skin. The current version is XHTML-Trans compliant. I should have the XHTML-Strict version complete in the next day or two, but it's friday evening and I've got places to go.
You can switch to the brightling skin by clicking here, or select it via the skin-switcher in the sidebar. This skin was designed for a now obsolete version of b2evo (0.9.x) and has been removed. Check back for an updated release.
If you need a custom b2evo skin design built for a current release, leave a comment or send a message to the author of this post. B2evo skins for current versions of the software can be accessed and loaded in the skin switcher located in the sidebar of this blog.
Give me some feedback on my attempts here... I'll be developing seasonal variants of the general layout (autumnling (or fallling?), winterling, springling, and summerling), before turning my attention to a completely different layout which I have in mind.
Be sure to check out the 'b2evo blog skins' category for more custom b2evo skins...
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
King Diamond - Them
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
06 October 2005
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on October 6th, 2005 @ 12:19:55 am, using 290 words, 9750 views
Just finished (well, maybe) the development of an XHTML Strict compliant variant of the darkling skin. It's based entirely on my xhtml-transitional compliant original version. Both versions of the skin contain the following features:
- valid css and xhtml-transitional or xhtml-strict
- css-based fluid and dynamic text size across all tested browsers, for accessibility reasons
- title tags for all link text
- wide-view in single post display
- css-animated navigation tabs (flicker in IE6+ because IE sucks)
- easy on the eyes color-scheme
- separate print stylesheet (not quite complete yet)
- optional static title across all blogs
- post word-count and link to "all posts by author"
- separate styles and hidden post-date for EdB's stickypost hack
- display of last 5 posts made to each blog
- optional display of last 5 aggregate posts from each blog (coming in the soon to be completed brightling variant of this skin)
- display of last 5 comments made to each blog
- stats page hidden unless user is logged in
- super-cool textured header and footer area
- each blog is numerically identified in the body tag, so custom header graphics can be assigned per-blog
- probably a couple things I overlooked at the moment
I have to give thanks to all the helpful denizens of the b2evolution forums for their useful tips and tweaks. and, of course, to the Lord Jesus because he really had nothing better to do than to help me make this skin, or to help that football player score that touchdown... you know. ;)
Be sure to check out the 'b2evo blog skins' category for more custom b2evo skins...
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Autechre - Covert Operations
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
20 September 2005
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on September 20th, 2005 @ 02:52:13 pm, using 220 words, 16738 views
In b2evolution 0.9.x automatically updating the antispam database involves the creation of a local file which will process the new entries and add them to the database. First, create a file in your b2evolution blog's /admin/ folder (in this example we name the file b2antispam_poll.php) and paste the following code into it:
<?php
require_once( dirname(__FILE__) . '/../conf/_config.php' );
$login_required = false;
require_once( dirname(__FILE__) . "/$admin_dirout/$core_subdir/_main.php" );
require_once (dirname(__FILE__).'/'.$admin_dirout.'/'.$core_subdir.'/_functions_antispam.php');
b2evonet_poll_abuse();
?>
Then, create the following crontab:
0 */6 * * * /path/to/php /path/to/blog/admin/b2antispam_poll.php
When CRON executes the b2antispam_poll.php file, the central antispam database is polled for new entries which are then entered into the local antispam database. Essentially, this process automates the task of updating the antispam list, eliminating the need for an administrator to manually keep the local antispam blacklist up to date.
(The above CRON syntax specifies that CRON will execute the b2antispam_poll.php file at the top of the hour, every six hours. Read this page for additional information on CRONtab syntax.)
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Quannum - I Changed My Mind
15 September 2005
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on September 15th, 2005 @ 09:57:06 pm, using 123 words, 42729 views
The following block of PHP code will insert a blogroll or linkblog into the sidebar of your b2evolution 0.9.x blog. A blogroll is an aggregatated listing of external links which are stored, typically, on a dedicated 'linkblog' blog on a b2evolution system, and displayed as a list in the sidebar of other blogs on the same system.
<!-- ============== LINKBLOG ============= -->
<!-- =========== START SIDEITEM 7 ============ -->
<div class="bSideItem">
<!-- <h3><?php echo T_('Linkblog') ?></h3>-->
<?php require( dirname(__FILE__).'/_linkblog.php' ); // LINKBLOG INCLUDED HERE ?>
</div>
<!-- ============ END SIDEITEM 7 ============= -->
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Orbital - In Sides (U.S. Bonus Disc, Second Version)
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