Description: This is a guide to creating your own modifications to the user page. This includes discussions of PHP, MySQL, and other things you will need to know in order to modify your user page.

Requirements: eFiction 2.0

This guide is also written as though you currently have user.php, viewuser.php, and your database open as you’re reading.

Mod History:
29 June 2006 — Created this guide and submitted to developers for review
09 July 2006 — Guide Released
14 July 2006 — Edited for clarity

Download HTML version

Modification & Support: eFiction.org

Table of Contents

• Page 1: Introduction & Requirements
• Page 2: Understanding your Database Structure
• Page 3: Planning your Database Addition
• Page 4: Inserting your new field
• Page 5: Introduction to user.php
• Page 6: Understanding SQL statements
• Page 7: The Edit Bio Form

INTRODUCTION

So you want to create a custom user page? Great! Customizations to the user page are probably one of the areas that receive the most modification requests for eFiction 2.0. While this page may look confusing, it’s actually pretty straight forward once you get the hang of it.

As with any mod, making frequent backups is essential. If you want to be really safe, I suggest making multiple copies of your modifications as you progress through each step, for an easy return to that step should something go wrong.

Another thing to note is that eFiction 3.0 will allow you to add your own custom fields to the user profile. I’ll update this guide or release a new one once it is released to explain how to customize your install and how to do further modifications.

Description: I originally had this bright idea to write up a detailed guide to putting php in your TPLs, but my schoolwork is keeping me from doing anything decent.

Please note that I have not had the chance to try this out, but according to the Template Power web site it is possible. The keyword throughout this entire post is “should” — meaning theoretically, it should work.

At any rate, there are two ways you can do this easily. The way you do it depends on how ambitious you’re feeling. This should work in both 2.0 and 1.1, but again — don’t quote me on that.

As usual, please be sure to make backups in case I’m wrong. ^^;;

Requirements: eFiction 2.0+, eFiction 3.0+, Template Power 3.01 (should already be included)

Modification History:
May 31, 2006: Released untested instructions for eFiction 2.0

Instructions: