- - - FIRST TIME INSTALL - - -

(* = Important/mandatory step)

* 1: Mod Manager Install

	This is what the mod .cfg file looks like when it's opened.

	<== Click the Install button.

	When the mod is installed green, open it again. This is what it looks like.
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* 2: Create tables, folders and more

NOTE! This button shall ONLY be used at FIRST TIME install.

	<== Click the ...Create tables, folders and more button. A new tab/window will open.

	There will be a white page while the script is working. When done, you will get reports. If all went well, you will also have a form to fill out (below).

	Initial Setup The first e-mail is mandatory: It is used by the system to send mails to you. Enter an e-mail where you want to receive messages. The second e-mail is the from-address in Watch-mails to your users. If someone posts in a thread, an e-mail is sent to all other users that are currently Watching the thread. (Max one mail per day per thread) Note: If you don't enter any e-mail here, the Watch function is disabled.

	Language(s) If your site default language is translated, that will be your default forum language. If there is no translation, English will be the default. If you use more than one language at your site: If there is no translation for your default but for other languages that you use, English is suggested but you may select another one of the translated ones. If you use more than one language, you may also select a second language to make your forum(s) bi-lingual: You can (as you whish) set up forums in one or two languages. (You write both versions) Users may (as they whish) post in one or two languages. Users who don't use your site default language will get the texts displayed in the second language.

	Forum Name Finally give your forum system a name. This name is displayed at the top of all pages and will link to the forum starting page. If you have only one forum, this text is nothing but a name/logo, as there is no page to link to. If you have selected a second language above, you have to provide a name for that language too.

	When you click the Finish Setup button, among other things your values are added to your customconfig.php file.

	If all goes well you will receive this report and you can close the tab/window.
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* 3: Set up your first Forum(s)

NOTE! This button shall ONLY be used at FIRST TIME install.

	And now you are ready to... <== Click the Set up your first Forum(s) button.

	Forum setup This is the panel where you set up and edit forums. Note the text. It may be vital for you.
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(Rename and Edit e-mails)

	At the top of the Setup and Edit forum panel are buttons to edit the common forum name and e-mails you did set in the *Initial Setup*. You may do that by clicking the button you want to edit.

	Rename Click the button and it opens a box to enter a new name. If you have a bi-lingual system, both boxes are mandatory. <== Click Save or Cancel.

	Edit e-mails Click the button with the e-mail you want to edit and it opens a box to enter a new e-mail. <== Click Save or Cancel.
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New Forum: Languages

	This does not apply if you didn't select a second language at Initial Setup. You may start the forum in one or two languages. This does only affect the forum name, description and the first thread and post. Users may post in one or two languages as they please.

	If you select to start the forum in two languages, you will have two boxes for each text. Both boxes are mandatory.
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* 3a: New Forum: Forum Name and Description

Forum Name

At our site we use Persons, Families, Places etc. One forum per subject.
Have a look at the demo site: (Select a role and click the button)

Forum Description

Describe the forum in a short way.
At our site, f.ex. the Persons forum description is:
"About the persons in our tree. Discuss, ask about or ask for help but do not suggest plain changes/corrections here.".

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* 3b: New Forum: Sticky Thread with First Post

	You can select to create the forum with (default) or without a starting thread. Uncheck the first checkbox to create an empty forum. You can make the starting thread Sticky (default). Un-check the checkbox to select a "normal" thread. You can make it Sticky/Normal later. As long as you keep this thread Sticky it will stay on top of the thread-list for this forum. It is therefore suitable to use for such things as forum rules or a more detailed description of the forum. By default, a Sticky thread is a Locked thread: Users can't post. You can unlock it later. Note: Check the 1st post Text checkbox if you are going to use only one forum. This will copy the Description you wrote above to the first post. (You can also check it even if you use more than one forum and you don't care to write a separate text here.)

	Add an image if you want to. <== Check the Image checkbox to open the image selection form. <== Click the Browse... button to...

	...get a file selector. Select the image file and click Open.

	The name of the image is beside the Browse... button. <== Enter image text in the box(es) if you want to.
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New Forum: Restrictions

	<== You can restrict the whole forum, making it invisible for all but Editors and Administrators. Note: You are recommended to make at least one forum without restrictions as the Forum link will be visible for all users.
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New Forum: Forum Type

Help-forum

This forum is best suited for manuals, instructions etc.
All threads are Sticky and Locked by default.
All posts are collapsed with a header. (Read more below)

Question-forum

This forum is for asking questions: All threads are marked as a Question by default and should be marked Answered when it is. (Read more below)

A forum can be of only one type.

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* 3c: New Forum: Forum Icon

	Each forum should have an icon. Use a max 40x40 image that you think is suitable. You can also use the TNG original 40x40 icons enclosed in the package in the folder Forum icons Save on PC.

	Click the Browse... button to get a file selector. Select your file and click the Open button. The file name will appear beside the Browse... button.
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* 3d: New Forum: Save and Test

	When you are ready, you click the <== Save button. Everything will be saved in the database.

	The Setup and Edit panel will shrink and you have created your first forum. You can now safely close the window, if you want to take a break. As long as you haven't made your forum available for your users, you return here by the Set up your first forum(s) button in Mod Manager.

	If you want to see what your forum looks like: <== Click the Test button

	This is your Forum Threadlist page. There is only one thread now: Read This First The icons mean Sticky, Locked and Started as bi-lingual. <== Click the thread name to open it.

	This is what the first post in the first thread looks like.

	Close the tab/window when you are done, to return to the SETUP and EDIT forum panel.

	<== You can now Edit the forum if you want, or completely Delete it. Or you can add more forums: <== Click the Create New button. Forums can be added, edited or deleted at any time - also after install.
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* 4: Make The Forum Available

	When you are satisfied, click the <== Make Available button to finish the setup and release the forum.

	You will receive this pop-up. <== Click OK. The window will close and you are back in Mod Manager. Go to the public part of the site.

	Your forum is now on-line and the Forum link is added to the bottom of the Info dropdown menu.
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The User View

	When there is a new post that the user hasn't read, the News-! will appear at the Info menu heading...

	...and beside the Forum link.

	As there is only one forum, all users - including yourself - are taken directly to the Forum Threadlist page. The user can start a new thread from here.

	The user's view of the thread. Because it is Locked the user can't add posts. The circle icon beside the date shows that the post is written in two languages. The image shows the post when any language but the default (Swedish here) is selected - the secondary language (English here) text is shown.

	Switch to the site default language (Swedish here) and the text of that language is shown.
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The Administrator View

	As an Administrator, you have access to the SETUP and EDIT forum panel button at the bottom of the Forum Threadlist. (Read more below)

	This is the Administrator view of the first thread. There are two distinct differencies here, compared to the User's view:

	The Administrator Dashboard It makes it possible for you to set or un-set the current thread's settings as you please. The selection is a bit context sensitive: A forum with no restrictions can't have a first thread restricted.

	*The Write a post* button Administrators may add posts** also to Locked threads without having to un-lock them first.
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- - - ADDING FORUMS - - -

Open The Setup and Edit forum panel

	<== Use the button to open the Setup and Edit forum panel. NOTE the warning!

We are sorry! All forums are CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE at the moment. Please try again later.	All users that try to reach the forum will see this text for as long as the Setup and Edit forum panel is open.

	Read the RED text! ALWAYS close this page by the <== MAKE THE FORUM(S) AVAILABLE button. The Maintenance text is not gone before then. Should you, by accident, close the window or browser by any other means, there is a back-door: Go to the public part of the site, logged-in as an Administrator and simply select the Forum link in the Info menu. This will un-lock and open the forum.
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Add An Editor Forum

	An Editor forum is only visible for Editors and Administrators. No other users will know of it. <== Click the Create New button to open the empty form.

	<== Enter values everywhere. <== Select the *Visible only for Editors & Admins* radio button. <== Select an icon.

	<== Click the Save button.

	Your Editor forum is added. The Pencil icon shows that it is an Editor forum. The forum is invisible for all but Editors and Administrators. NOTE: Threads in other forums can be marked Editor+Admin or Admin when they are started. Such threads will be invisible for all other users.
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Different Users - Different Views

	When you make the forums available, different users will have different views:

	Administrator view As there are two forums available to Administrators, the Forum collection page is the starting page. At the bottom is the link to the Setup and Edit forum panel.

	Editor view Both forums are also available to Editors and therefore the Forum collection page is the starting page also for them.

	Administrator and Editor view The Forum Threadlist page. Note that the text "Test Forums" is a link back to the start (Forum collection) page.

	Other User View Because the Editor forum is not available to other users, there is still only one forum available and therefore the Forum Threadlist page is the starting page for them. Note that the text "Test Forums" is not a link as this is the start page.
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! Add A HELP-forum

A HELP-forum is specially designed for instructions or manuals and such. Because all posts in a thread are "collapsed" with a headline, the user gets a good over-view of the contents. A click on the headline opens or closes the post. Each thread can f.ex. be one subject. At our site we have threads named "Help for Forums", "Help for Submitting Suggestions and Corrections" etc.. The first post in each thread is then a short presentation of the subject and the other posts are steps to get a result. For example. You can of course use it for whatever and in any way you like.

	Click the Create New button to open the form. <== Enter values everywhere. <== At least one Help-forum should not be restricted. Threads can be restricted in an un-restricted forum. <== Check the Help-forum checkbox. <== Select an icon.

	When you click the Save button, your new Help-forum is added to the list. NOTE! Read below about *Make A HELP-thread*.
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! Make A HELP-thread

	<== Click the Start a new thread button to open the form.

	<== Select one or two languages if you have a bi-lingual forum. As we have American users I select two languages. <== Enter values everywhere. <== Select an image if you want to. <== Enter an image text if you like (if an image is selected). <== As only Administrators can make Help-threads you make the thread visible only for them. <== And so you click Start the Thread.

	And this is the result: The introduction with an image.

	Now you need posts to show how to do it: <== Click the Write a post button to open the form.

	<== Write your instructions. Start with a short line that will be the headline for this post. Each post will have a headline that should reflect what's described. That way the user will have a good over-view and can select the interesting parts. Make an empty line after the headline; just because it will look good.

	When you Send the post it is added to the thread and shown in a "collapsed" state. <== The headline is clickable...

	<== The Arrow icon and the headline are both clickable to expand or collapse the post.

	Only one post will be open. If there is one open when this is opened, it will be closed. <== As long as this post is the latest and your own, you can edit it. <== The red icon is an Administrator Delete This Post button. All replies in all forums have one. (Read more below)

	So you add some posts with great tips and instructions like the one above about headlines. And of course you have Planned Ahead so that you know what will be in each post and the order... The headline is taken from the first line of text, but not quite 100 characters. <== If it's interrupted, it will end with "...".

	The headline is at the top of the post and in bold text. The line is then repeated A: Below an image if one is posted B: With the full text if it was interrupted.
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Add A Question-forum

A Question-forum is marking all threads as questions by default. At our site we use a Question-forum for helping eachother to interpret hand-written texts and such. The original poster adds an image or a link to the text and other members try to "de-code". It's a very lively forum.

	Click the Add New button to open the form. <== Enter values everywhere. <== Add an image if you want. <== You can restrict the whole forum, but threads can be restricted in un-restricted forums. <== Check the Question-forum checkbox. <== Select an icon.

	When you click the Save button, your new Question-forum is added to the list.

	A Question-forum when it has some threads. Some have got their answer while other still wait for it. It's the original poster's responsibility to mark the thread as Answered.
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Sort The Forums

	The appearance of the forums at the Forum collection page is in the order they were created. If that isn't good for you, you can sort them in any order you like. <== Open the SETUP and EDIT forum panel.

	If you want the Editor forum to be at the bottom, you click the <== #4 radio-button for that forum. The Question forum (former #4) will now be #2 - they switch. This way you can decide the precise order.

	<== Click the Click to sort button.

	The forum list is now sorted. The Question forum is now second and... ...the Editor forum is at the bottom.

	<== Release the forums.

	The Forum collection page after the sort.
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- - - MAINTENANCE - - -

The Administrator Dashboard

When you open a thread you will find the Dashboard at the top of the page. By the Dashboard it's possible for you to set or un-set every aspect of the current thread's status and move or delete the thread. You can also delete separate posts.

	The Administrator Dashboard can be divided in two parts: The Icons and Move / Delete thread.
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The Dashboard Icons

	The Dashboard Icons are from left to right: Sticky, Question, Answered Question, Administrator, Editor, Discussion and Locked. All icons don't have to be present all the time (contents sensitive). You can turn on / off these thread settings:

	Sticky thread A sticky thread stays on top of all other threads. Sticky threads are sorted Oldest (top) to Newest (last).

	Question thread This thread is a Question. It's the responsibility of the original poster to mark the thread as a Question.

	Answered Question This Question is now Answered. It's the responsibility of the original poster to mark the thread as Answered. Note 1: Turning Answered off automatically turns Question on. Note 2: Turning Answered on doesn't Lock the thread: Users can post.

	Administrator thread This thread is only visible for Administrators.

	Editor (and Administrator) thread This thread is only visible for Editors (and Administrators).

	Discussion thread This thread is a Discussion. It's the responsibility of the original poster to mark the thread as a Discussion. Note: Turning a Discussion off is not the same as closing the discussion.

	Locked thread The thread is Locked meaning the users can't post to it and not Watch it

	Closed Discussion A Closed discussion is the same as a Locked discussion - users can't post or Watch the thread. It's the responsibility of the original poster to Close the discussion. <== To Close the discussion you Lock it.

	The Closed Discussion icon looks like this.
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Move A Thread

	Open the thread you want to move.

	Select the forum you want to move the thread to.

	You will get this pop-up. <== Click OK.

	The thread will close and you're back to the Forum Threadlist. The title of the thread lookes like this. Note: If there was a restriction (Admin- or Editor-thread) the title is still restricted (invisible for others) although it's not marked as such. The link will open the forum where the thread was moved to.

	And there it is.
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Delete A Thread

	Open the thread you want to delete.

	<== Click the Delete button.

	You will get this pop-up. <== Click OK.

	The thread will close and you're back to the Forum Threadlist. The title of the thread lookes like this. Note: If there was a restriction (Admin- or Editor-thread) the title is still restricted (invisible for others) although it's not marked as such.
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Delete A Post

	Open the thread where there is a post you want to delete.

	Each post has it's own Delete button <== Click it to delete the post.

	You will get this pop-up. <== Click OK.

	The post will be deleted with a message.
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"Un-report" A Post

	Any user may report a post for any reason (as long as one is given) by checking the Report(ed) checkbox. When a post is reported you will receive a mail.

	When a post is reported, the checkbox is disabled = only one user can make a report.

	When an Administrator is logged-in, the checkbox is active. If the post is not going to be deleted (read above) you "un-report" it by un-checking the checkbox.

	The post is not reported.
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Forum For TNG - The Admin Manual

The Installed Mod

What the start page will look like ...

... when ONE forum ("This Is A Question Forum") is set upThe Forum Threadlist page:

... when TWO OR MORE forums are set upThe Forum collection page:

Table of contents:

FIRST TIME INSTALL

ADDING FORUMS

MAINTENANCE