[phpstart]

I have recently set up a smf website, only having seen all the other smf forums that have been turned into protals i have been inspired to do this as well.

Are you all using modules / addons for you forum to do this or is most of the pages static ones that have been created manually?

[3cellhosting]

Hi phpstart

It may be easier if you could name a few of the sites that you like so people could give you accurate information. :)

For example - I have a site where the forums looked so good I developed the Joomla template to match. This was Forum first, site second.

I had a previous site (no longer with forum) where the site was Joomla and the forum was an afterthought, which proved unrequired on that particular site and was subsequently removed. Site first, forum second.

I look forward to you expanding on your needs.

Regards
David

[Jamie]

Well you have a few options when it comes to portals. You can use a premade module for smf like tinyportal, or you can go about creating your own one. SMF include functions that you can use to intergrate a site with the forum, these are found in SSI.php. You can use these to include recent posts, user online lists, login boxes and other general stats.

You can, additionally, create your own functions, just using some simple mysql queries you can get any data you want.

Jamie

[berlin]

I start with forums first. I consider it the lifeblood of all of my websites. Then I shop around for a Portal. If I happen to change or revamp the main site / CMS, the forum always remains open.

[Seph]

I started with the forum first too, I built my own portal'ish thing though, I don't want full integration, I just want SMF to handle all the user functions.

Originally Posted by phpstart

I have recently set up a smf website, only having seen all the other smf forums that have been turned into protals i have been inspired to do this as well.

Are you all using modules / addons for you forum to do this or is most of the pages static ones that have been created manually?

i sergest www.tinyportal.net

Tiny Portal was the only portal system specificly made for smf.. no trasfer complications, quick and easy and it offers a vast amount off freedom to do whatever you want

I would also sugest tiny portal. I would have used it too if I had known about it. But its too late for me to use it now.

[SKETCHi]

TinyPortal is definitely worth checking out. It is the best, if not only, SMF portal mod. However, if you want something a little more than the generic portal front page, I suggest making your own pages and using SSI to incorporate the pages with your forum. You can see examples of SSI.php at ../ssi_examples.php

Examples are? Where?

Anyway, that is all good, but there are people who arent skilled enough or dont have enough time to make their own. I dont even have enough time to sleep let alone build my own. Although, I kinda of already have. Although.. .Ill just shut up.

[SKETCHi]

Examples are on everyone's SMF board... ../ssi_examples.php, meaning "yourboard.com/ssi_examples.php".