HTML Question:

[Former Member]

As of now I can only code HTML. Can that do anything for my proboards site? And if so what?

[Brian]

Hi, @henny4315.

HTML is the primary language used to produce the layout of a web page, and pretty much the sole language used in our forums' layout templates by default, so it's plenty useful to have knowledge of it if you're interested in customizing your forum's layout.

I would highly recommend looking into CSS as well if you haven't already as you can use it to style your HTML. All of the fonts, borders, colors, and background images you see in elements on this forum are examples of things handled entirely by CSS.

[Former Member]

Oct 11, 2017 11:25:37 GMT -8 Brian said:

Hi, @henny4315 .

HTML is the primary language used to produce the layout of a web page, and pretty much the sole language used in our forums' layout templates by default, so it's plenty useful to have knowledge of it if you're interested in customizing your forum's layout.

I would highly recommend looking into CSS as well if you haven't already as you can use it to style your HTML. All of the fonts, borders, colors, and background images you see in elements on this forum are examples of things handled entirely by CSS.

Thank you very much! Next I want to learn CSS. 

Does Javascript do anything on ProBoards?

[Brian]

Javascript controls a lot of the forum's functionality on the user end such as all of the editor options you see on the posting page and probably too many other things for me to list in a single post (I'd be here a while).

As far as customization goes it's a powerful tool to have in your arsenal, but isn't a necessity for theme design. Most layout related things can now be accomplished entirely through the use of HTML and CSS thanks to advances in both languages. There are a few limitations in layout template customization on ProBoards that can only be circumvented through the use of Javascript (mostly due to the templates of some pages not being editable) but nothing so problematic that not knowing the language would end up destroying your masterpiece.

On the other hand, the more complicated plugins in our Plugin Library make extensive use of Javascript to add new features to the forum. To give an example, the Virtual Forum Tour plugin that I created is handled entirely by Javascript. All of the dialog positioning, addition/removal of highlight effects, and keyboard controls shown in the preview images on its library page are reliant on Javascript in order to function.

[Former Member]

Oct 11, 2017 12:28:35 GMT -8 Brian said:

Javascript controls a lot of the forum's functionality on the user end such as all of the editor options you see on the posting page and probably too many other things for me to list in a single post (I'd be here a while).

As far as customization goes it's a powerful tool to have in your arsenal, but isn't a necessity for theme design. Most layout related things can now be accomplished entirely through the use of HTML and CSS thanks to advances in both languages. There are a few limitations in layout template customization on ProBoards that can only be circumvented through the use of Javascript (mostly due to the templates of some pages not being editable) but nothing so problematic that not knowing the language would end up destroying your masterpiece.

On the other hand, the more complicated plugins in our Plugin Library make extensive use of Javascript to add new features to the forum. To give an example, the Virtual Forum Tour plugin that I created is handled entirely by Javascript. All of the dialog positioning, addition/removal of highlight effects, and keyboard controls shown in the preview images on its library page are reliant on Javascript in order to function.

Wow. Thanks. Can I just ask you one more question?:

Can templates change the shape and arrangement of the boards? Lets say I want two boards to be next to each other in a squared shape. Can I do that and if so how?