Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

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Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
This post was updated on .
Okay, this is probably a dumb question, but I'm wondering how support.nabble.com is setup?

I like the pinned folders with topics underneath, and then inside the folders their are more pinned folders with topics underneath, but in my experimentation I'm having trouble replicating this look.  

So what kind of app?  (forum, mixed, category, etc.)

And how are the folders created? (pinned sub-forums, subcategories, etc.)

Like I said... probably a dumb question...
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

GregChapman
Nabble Support is a "Forum" app (i.e., the default app for any Nabble account).

In a forum app, if you go to Options > Structure, and select "Create new Sub-forum" it automatically generates a pinned sub-forum. By default this will appear under any existing sub-forums. Sub-forums added to a sub-forum will also be pinned in the same way. So, in terms of appearance and structure Nabble Support is set up using only Nabble's defaults - even it's colour scheme.

(The default positioning of any sub-forum can, of course, be changed or pinning removed by using Options > Structure > Manage sub-forums.)

User permissions are the only area where I see changes to the defaults. If you check out the "People" link, and use the drop-down to change the list of "Registered" users, you'll see that Nabble has set up a number of special groups for particular types of user. In particular, it does not use the default "Members" group (which is where you might expect premium support users to be placed) but has specific meaningful names for various special classes of user.
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

GregChapman
This post was updated on .
Further thoughts...

If you have experimented and tried some of the other apps you will find they operate in slightly different ways. For example, some of the apps, e.g. "Blog", call their sub-forums "categories" (although, structurally, they work in exactly the same way as a sub-forum) and not all apps will pin newly created sub-forums by default.

Also be aware that the default application type for a sub-forum varies depending on the app in which you create a sub-forum. In a "Mixed" application the default sub-forum application type is "Forum" but in a "Blog" a sub-forum will be created as another "Blog".

So if you have created a "sub-category" in a "Blog" and then change the parent application type back to "Forum" the sub-forum will not automatically become pinned, nor will in change application type. It will remain as a blog app, but it will be referred to as a "sub-forum" on the menu options of the parent forum.

If you have been experimenting, it is probably a combination of these features that have left you confused and with a mix of pinned and unpinned sub-forums and with a variety of apps at different levels in your forum structure.
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
Okay, thanks!

My top level app is set to "Categories", which I guess is why it's not replicating the same look.  As "sub-forums" are then "sub-categories", which don't show up as pinned folders above the topics.
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
... and as I recall, since I wanted to have a mix of public and private forums, I couldn't use the default "forum" app, because the privacy only worked properly when using "mixed" or "categories"....
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

GregChapman
Ah, yes!

Well the structure (keeping folders above the topics) on any page is easy enough to replicate by manually pinning each of the sub-categories but, obviously, a "Category" forum will still have the "Category" appearance which includes the forum description line and list of sub-categories, not to mention the quote from individual topics

Removing them requires a tweak of the NAML code and I am not competent to assist with that but it looks to me as if it is the macro "subcategories_column" that needs editing. I must leave Pedro to confirm and suggest the edits needed.

I have no idea why the privacy function doesn't work with the "forum" app. Obviously, you'd prefer that as a fix. Again, I must leave that to Pedro.
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
Okay, I've been experimenting some more, and I have to conclude that I'm running up against a Nabble bug (or feature).

I created a test forum (http://marctest.64277.x6.nabble.com/) that has a mix of public and private sub-forums (top level=Category), then I created a 2nd level sub-forum under one of the private sub-forums, and got what I was looking for -- the 2nd level sub-forum appearing as a pinned folder at the top of the sub-forum:



But when I tried to do exactly the same thing in my real forum (http://seattlesmartmeterforum.com), the 2nd level forum does NOT appear as a pinned folder at the top of the sub-forum.  Instead, there is an extra column added at the end (Sub Forum), and the 2nd-level sub-forum posts are intermingled with the 1st-level sub-forum posts.



As far as I can tell, these groups are setup exactly the same -- Category at the top, forums underneath.  I have no idea why they are being formatted differently, but I'd like for my real forum to behave like my test forum.  :-)


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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

GregChapman
Marc Martin wrote
I created a test forum (http://marctest.64277.x6.nabble.com/) that has a mix of public and private sub-forums (top level=Category), then I created a 2nd level sub-forum under one of the private sub-forums, and got what I was looking for -- the 2nd level sub-forum appearing as a pinned folder at the top of the sub-forum:
That's what I would expect to see, if you move directly from a Category app viewed as a "Main Page".
But when I tried to do exactly the same thing in my real forum (http://seattlesmartmeterforum.com), the 2nd level forum does NOT appear as a pinned folder at the top of the sub-forum.  Instead, there is an extra column added at the end (Sub Forum), and the 2nd-level sub-forum posts are intermingled with the 1st-level sub-forum posts.
And that's what I'd expect to see if you were viewing a Category app in "Topics View".
As far as I can tell, these groups are setup exactly the same -- Category at the top, forums underneath.  I have no idea why they are being formatted differently, but I'd like for my real forum to behave like my test forum.  :-)
I think you are discovering another feature of Nabble's apps rather than a bug.

As an unregistered visitor to your forums I'm not sure what access I'd need to be able to see your private forums and to see exactly what you see, but it would appear that the difference is down to switching between "views".

"Views" is another area where the various apps differ. The "Forum" app offers "Classic", "List" and "Threaded" views. Other apps offer less. (e.g. In "Mixed" and "Category" apps you can toggle between "Topics View" and "Main Page") It seems that in your main forum you have switched to "Topics View". Just return to "Main Page" to see the forum in the same layout your test forum. (You may need to go to the top level forum to do that.)

Don't be too quick to dismiss "Topics View" it can be enormously helpful for those who don't visit a forum too often, allowing them to see where the most recent posts have been made. It can also be useful to an administrator for working out which are the most active areas and trending areas and so where different areas should be pinned to make them more accessible to your users who only visit in the standard "Main page" view.
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
This post was updated on .
Ah, then that's where the problem is... my top level forum *is* set to "Main Page" in both cases, but the sub-forums are showing up as a main page view in one, but as a topics view in the other.  And in the other, there is no way to switch it back to a main page view in the sub-forum.

Marc
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

GregChapman
I've just been doing a few tests on my test forum and managed to confuse myself - so I am not surprised you are!

What I have discovered is that cookies must be involved in recalling the view state.

I think I found that a newly created sub-forum to a root Category app appeared as a forum app and that after I made a post in that app that sub-forum appeared in "List" view.

I recall playing with various views a few weeks ago when I was last playing with my test forum. It is quite possible I last left a forum app in "List" view. That's what makes me conclude that cookies are involved.

So it seems to me it is quite possible that Nabble could become confused about what view an app display in if there's been a lot of app changes been made.

If you really can't get into a position where  you app will display in the desired view then it may be you need to clear all Nabble cookies to restore things to the defaults (at the risk of other minor side effects).
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

GregChapman
One more thought!

Note that the "Topics view" and "Main page" links do not appear in the same position on the menu because of the addition of the "New topic" option in Topics view. Is it possible you are failing to see the link?
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
No, I see the "Main Page" and "Topics View" link, and it does have an effect at the top-level (Category app).  It's just that it has no impact on the sub-forum (Forum app), which is stuck in "Topics View", and no way to get out of it.

Marc
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
Also, I just cleared all my Nabble cookies -- no impact -- still cannot get a "Main Page" view.

Even tried it in a browser that has never been to that forum before -- still cannot get a "Main Page" view.

Marc
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

GregChapman
In which case, I'm out of ideas and will leave this to Pedro to investigate.

Sorry!
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Pedro
In reply to this post by Marc Martin
Hello,
have you noted that the "topic view" option only appears when the current (sub-)forum has at least one sub-forum?

Please, could you summarize what is the problem, I got a bit confused.
My test forum.
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
> Please, could you summarize what is the problem, I got a bit confused.

At the top level, I can switch between "Topics View" and "Main Page".  
And this does work at the top level:

  http://seattlesmartmeterforum.com/

However, I have a sub-forum that has another sub-forum underneath
it, and in that sub-forum, it is stuck in "Topics View".  I do not see
a way to display that sub-forum as a "Main Page" (toggling this at
the top-level has no effect, and there is no option to do it in the sub-forum):

  http://seattlesmartmeterforum.com/SUMA-Flyers-f345.html
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Pedro
The difference between your test forum and your own forum is that at the first you set Forum Format Standard, and at the second you set Forum Format Topics. You can change it at Change Appearance -> Preferences.

Change your test forum to Forum Format Topics and you will see the difference.
My test forum.
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

Marc Martin
Yes, that's it!  Thanks Pedro!  

And also thanks to Greg for helping me to understand what the actual issue was.  :-)

Marc
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Re: Dumb question -- how is support.nabble.com setup?

GregChapman
I'm annoyed with myself for forgetting about the option that Pedro mentioned. I have never used it so completely forgot about it.
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