In case you run into problems, you can always reset back to the default templates by visiting http://myguild.epicmount.com/admin/template/reset

Any guild here at EpicMount can have the guild's template pages (and associated bits) modified to dramatically change how the guild is presented to the world. (Premium guilds can customize their forum template pages.)

In very simple terms, the template page is very similar to a form letter. The page defines where things should go and how the various items should be laid out.

The template page uses a very simple template language to build up the page for display. There are seven template pages:

• Body template: This describes how the entire page should be display using the other templates to do this.
• Navigation bar element template: This describes how each element in the navigation bar should be display.
• Sidebar box template: This describes how each box in the sidebar should be displayed.
• Main Content Box Template: This describes how each box in the main content area should be displayed.
• Forums Template: This describes how the forums page is displayed (i.e. myguild.epicmount.com/forums)
• Topic Listing Template: This describes how a forum's topic listing page is displayed (i.e. myguild.epicmount.com/forum/1)
• Topic Template: This describes how a topic page is displayed (i.e. myguild.epicmount.com/forum/1/2)

The Body Template uses the other three templates to construct the page for display. It is the top most template and one where you want to focus most of your attention.

• The base CSS (not to be confused with the theme CSS), and supporting javascript assumes a one to three column layout using DIVs.
• The default body template renders the main content first, followed by the left sidebar (if defined), and then the right (if defined).
• The left and right columns are of the CSS ID's sidebar_left and sidebar_right respectively, and both use the "sidebar" class. The javascript code to collapse the columns uses these IDs.
• The default sidebar box and main content box model uses a layered DIVs model to support custom corners.
• It is possible a main content box *may not* have a title. Typically this is used to display website announcements, or alerts and is usually the first box displayed.

The following is a reference for the various template commands (aka macros) available to use. More commands may become available in the future.

• For command arguments, only alphanumerics and the underscore (_) are allowed as parameters. No spaces.
• The dollar sign ($) is used to start a command. To just display a single $, use $$ (two dollar signs).
• Make sure your changes work on the popular web browsers: Internet Explorer 6 (~20% of users), Internet Explorer 7 (~30% of users), Firefox (~%40 of Users), and Safari (~5%). Otherwise, you might scare away potential members.
• Most $if* commands may have any $else as well.
• <% and %> are used internally and if entered in will be converted to &lt;% and %&gt;

$topbar_link

A top bar link which has been defined in the Layout area.

$title

The title of the box

$if_have_title lines [ $else lines ] $end

If the box has a title, then display lines. (Currently, only main content boxes use this.)

$body

The body of the box

$body_class

The CSS body class (may be multiple names separate by a space). Currently only the Event Calendar sidebar box uses this.

$if_have_body_class lines [ $else lines ]

If the box body has a class name(s), then display lines

$if_have_id lines [ $else lines ] $end

If the box has a CSS id, then display lines

$id

The ID of the box

$if_have_body_id lines [ $else lines ]

If the box has a title, then display lines. (Currently, only main content boxes use this.)

$logo

The image tag for the guild's logo (if there is one), or the name of the guild

$logo_align

How to align the logo (left, right, center)

Body Template - Account Bar

---

$account_bar

The account bar area

$if_account_bar(location) lines [ $else lines ] $end

This display lines base on the requested position of the account bar. location can be:
top - if the account bar is to be located in the top area of the page (left, right, or expanded)
below - if the account bar is to be located below the logo.

Body Template - Sidebars

---

$left_boxes

The left sidebar boxes processed through the sidebar box template first

$right_boxes

The right sidebar boxes rendered through the sidebar box template first

Example:

Assume the sidebar box template was set to "<b>$title</b><br/>$body<br/>" and there are two left sidebar boxes for the guild. The first box is a set of links with the title "My Links", and the second is the events calendar)

$left_boxes would display:

<b>My Links</b><br/>
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
<br/>

<b>Events Calendar</b><br/>
(the events calendar)
<br/>

Body Template - Sidebar Controls

---

$if_have_left lines [$else lines] $end
$if_have_right lines [$else lines] $end
$if_have_either lines [$else lines] $end

lines are display if there is a left, right, or either a sidebar

$if_left_collapsed lines [$else lines] $end
$if_right_collapsed lines [$else lines] $end

lines are displayed if the left or right sidebar has been collapsed.

$is_left_collapsed(collapsed,not_collapsed)
$is_right_collapsed(collapsed,not_collapsed)

Displays collapsed if the sidebar has been collapsed, or not-collapsed if sidebar has not been.

$sidebar_showing(neither, left, right, both)

The neither, left, right, or both arguments are displayed depending on which sidebar is present and showing (i.e. not collapsed)
neither - Neither sidebar is showing
left - Only the left sidebar is showing
right - Only the right sidebar is showing
both - Both sidebars are showing

Examples:

$if_left_collapsed <font color="red">You shrunk the left side!</span> $end

Will display, if the left sidebar was collapsed:
<font color="red">You shrunk the left side!</span>

<div class="$sidebar_showing(nothing,there_is_left,there_is_right,both_are_here)">

Will display:

<div class="nothing"> for no sidebars showing
<div class="there_is_left"> for just the left sidebar showing
<div class="there_is_right"> for just the right sidebar showing
<div class="both_are_here"> for both sidebars showing

Body Template - Top Navigation Element

---

$topbar

Creates a top navigation bar

Example

$topbar

Assume there are 3 top bar links defined, and the top bar element template was set to "[ $topbar_link ]".

[ link1 ] [ link2 ] [ link3 ]

Body Template - Main Content

---

$main_content

The main content boxes rendered through the main box template first

Example

Assume the main box template was set to "<div class='title'>$title</div><div class='body'>$body</div>" and there are two boxes for the guild.
Box 1 is the guild news. Box 2 is the recent topics box.

$main_content would display:

<div class='title'>News</div>
<div class='body'>
The guild news goes here..
</div>

<div class='title'>Recent Topics</div>
<div class='body'>
topic1
topic2
topic3
</div>

Forums Listing Template

---

$each_forum_category lines $end

This will loop over each forum category in position order. There will *always* be one category (typically named "Forum") if no other categories are defined.

$category_title

The current category's title (aka name)

$each_forum lines $end

Loop over each forum within a category.

$forum_title

The current forum's title.

$forum_url

The URL to the current forum

$if_forum_locked lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines are displayed if the current forum has been locked

$forum_topics

The topic count for the current forum

$forum_messages

The message count for the current forum

$forum_description

The current forum's description

$forum_last_post_url

The current forum's last post url

$forum_last_poster_name

The current forum's last post creator's name

$forum_access

The access level for the current forum

$forum_creator

The current forum's creator name and link.

$if_have_locked_forum lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if any of the forums has been locked

$topic_sort

A link to sort the page by topic subjects

$last_post_sort

A link to sort the page by topic last post date

$each_topic lines $end

This will loop through each topic for the current page in the forum.

$if_topic_locked lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the current topic has been locked

$if_topic_sticky lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the current topic has been marked as "sticky"

$topic_subject

The current topic's subject

$topic_creator

A link to the current topic's ceator

$topic_created_at

A date for the current topic's creation time

$topic_replies

The current topic's number of replies. (aka message count)

$if_topic_has_replies lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be display if the current topic has any replies.

$topic_reply_at

The date of the last reply for the current topic

$topic_reply_name

The name of the poster who replied last for the current topic.

$topic_url

The current topic's url.

$topic_pages

Displays a set of page navigation links if the topics listing spans multiple pages.

$if_forum_has_sticky lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be display if any topic on the page has been marked as "sticky"

$if_forum_has_locked lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be display if any topic on the page has been locked

$if_forum_locked lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the forum itself has been locked.

$if_user_can_post lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the user is allowed to post to this forum.

$topic_create_url

A url to a page which the user can create a new topic for the forum.

$if_topic_locked lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the topic has been locked

$next_unread_link

This is a link to the next topic or message which is unread.

$if_have_next_unread lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the user has unread topics or messages.

$each_message LINES $end

Loop through each message on the current page.

$if_msg_unread lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the current message has not been read by the user.

$msg_anchor

The current message's anchor (aka message id). This is used by the next unread feature to have the browser position the page on the unread message.

$msg_subject

The subject of the current message

$msg_poster

A link to the current message's poster.

$msg_poster_mail

A mail icon link to send mail to the current message's poster.

$msg_poster_count

The total number of messages this poster has written.

$if_msg_have_avatar lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the current message's poster has an avatar image

$msg_avatar_url

The image url for the current message's poster avatar.

$if_poster_have_award

lines will be displayed if the current message's poster has been given a trophy award

$poster_award_url

The image url for the current message's poster trophy award.

$msg_text

The message's text

$msg_created_at

The creation date of the current message.

$msg_edited_at

The last edit date of the current message

$if_msg_edited lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the current message has been edited.

$if_msg_edit_by_other lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the current message has been edited by someone other than the creator.

$msg_editor

A link to the user who last edited the current message.

$if_msg_show_forum lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the template has been requested to display the forum's title of the current message. (This is used when a search has been performed and the results are being displayed.)

$msg_forum_title

The current message's forum title

$if_msg_have_quote lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the current message is quoting another message.

$msg_quote

(Deprecated  on March 15, 2008 - Quoted messages are now directly incorporated into the replying message.)

The quoted message's text.

$if_msg_have_sigline lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the current message has a signature line.

$if_hide_sigline lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the user has requested signature lines not be shown.

$msg_sigline

The current message's signature line text.

$if_msg_need_links lines [ $else lines ] $end

lines will be displayed if the user is allowed to reply to the current message, AND/OR edit and delete the message if the user has the appropriate privileges.

$msg_links

The links to reply to the message, and edit and delete the message if the user has the appropriate privileges.

$message_pages

Displays a set of page navigation links if the topic's messages spans multiple pages.