The article has been updated successfully.» What is it?
» Where do I edit it?
» Welcomes Box
» News Forum
» News Message
» Chatroom
Chapter 1: What is it?
The Utility Box consist of two Parts, one for Guests / Users that are not yet Logged In, and one for Registered Users. It's a box that always shows up at the top of your Board Index, at all times.
The Guest Part is the "Welcomes Box", which might be a known feature for some of you. For others Who don't know it: It's a box that shows up at the Top of your Board Index. You can display a text that Guests will see. It is mostly used to explain to Guests what the benefits are of Registering. But you can do with it whatever you want. Only text and BBCode is allowed.
The Registered Users Part can be different things. It can be a "News Forum", a "News Message" or a "Chatroom". A News Forum will display News posted in a certain Forum you selected. A News Message will display a Text you have written. And a Chatroom is a Chatbox, where you can chat with other users.
More on these later, in their own chapters!
Chapter 2: Where do I edit it?
You can only Edit the Welcomes Box and the Utility Box from your Administration Control Panel (ACP). Once in the Administration Control Panel you must select the Advanced Admin Panel, which can be found in the upper right corner. Now you're by default in the GENERAL Tab. Then you will find the option called Utility Box in the Board Configuration Submenu.
So it will look like the following:
"Advanced Administration Control Panel (ACP) » General Tab » Board Configuration SubMenu » Utility Box"
All Options are there, you will need this for a later stage: The upcoming Chapters.
Chapter 3: Welcomes Box
This feature might already be known to several people of you, for others it's still something unknown. This is a feature which allows you put a Box at the Top of your Board which Guests will see. You can put Text in there, with BBCode if you want to. It is most commonly used explaining people what the benefits are of Registering. However, you can use it as you wish.
This is an example of a Welcomes Box:
The Black Box were Ads, I removed them for now.
You first have to Enable it in the Edit Section of the Utility Box explained in Chapter 2, then write your Text in the box. Only Plain Text and BBCode is allowed!
Chapter 4: News Forum
This will show a Box on the Forum with the latest News that is posted.
Enabling & Editing consist of several steps:
» Enable Utility Box: Yes
» Utility Box Style: News Forum
» News Forum: Select the Forum from where you want the post to show up
» Number of Topics: How many News Item will show up at the top of your Board
» Post Preview Length: How many Characters from the News Item that will show up.
Once that's all sorted, you have your News Forum enabled.
This is an example of a News Forum:
Chapter 5: News Message
This will show a Box on the Forum with the News Message, that you write.
Enabling & Editing consist of several steps:
» Enable Utility Box: Yes
» Utility Box Style: News Message
» News Message:
Once that's all sorted, you have your News Message enabled.
This is an example of a News Message:
Chapter 6: Chatroom
This will show a Box on the Forum with a Chatroom, a Chatbox. It's an AJAX Chatbox.
Enabling & Editing consist of several steps:
» Enable Utility Box: Yes
» Utility Box Style: Chatroom
Once that's all sorted, you have your Chatroom enabled.
This is an example of a Chatroom:
