Linking an image in a block and the name of block not showing up when inserted.

Do you have {blockname_title} in your skins? Do you have a set as an allowed tag?

As if you didn't know by now  :-D, the site is www.twiwrite.net, 3.5.2, and is not bridged.

It's always best to include this either in your post or some people put it in their signature.  With so many people on the forums, there's no way we can keep track of what everyone's site is, even for the frequent posters.

Which skin are you working with first?  And what block?  The problems and solutions for each skin may and probably will be different.

From what you posted, it seems like you may be trying to add the link to us block .  Which I just now realized, I included again by mistake.  This is an experimental block that's not quite ready for prime time.

I didn't think to put it in my signature. *facepalm* That's a good idea. Thanks.

Um, OK, first off. It's not the link to us block that is built in. I honestly didn't know what that was, so I never initialized it. I want to add a few blocks so I can put pictures and have them link to a few others sites and pages. The first skin I am working on is the Midnight Blue. Midnight Red is our default skin, so I didn't want to mess with it until I was sure I had the system right. I tried to do this from the Blueberry skin, but like you said Tammy, I did notice it was much different in the way the codes showed up. It kind of took me off guard, so I decided to do Midnight Blue. I want them to eventually show up on all the Skins, but these two particularly as they seem to be the skins that everyone likes so much.

OK as far as the {blockename_title}, well, I have no idea if I have that added in or not. The only modifications I've done so far is to include the code above, and I am now realizing that it's incorrect obviously, with the "link to us" and probably something else. It showed the picture which was  a huge step for me. lol

I was able to add the picture to the images folder, I got that. Then I added the block code above to show it placed. I got that too. Past that, I'm lost.

I don't know what it means to have a set as an allowed tag. I was trying to follow the instructions on the wiki for adding a block, but it seemed more or less for blocks already installed. I went with steps three and four, but when I tried to modify the variables.tpl I believe it was, it would just give me a black screen with an error code at the top telling me my coding on that line was wrong, so I just took it out and came here instead of messing it up since my site is live. I don't have a test account. I wasn't sure if some of the free domains supported efiction enough to use as a test site and didn't want to spend the money for another domain name, but it looks like it might be a good idea to do that anyway.

So, my guess is, that I am way off base here in where I'm putting the code and what I am putting in order to add the extra block. I thought I was starting to get the hang of this. lol

Thanks so much for your help girls. I know I'm asking a million questions, but this place is so helpful and I appreciate the time you put in here in helping the clueless like me. I'm hoping I'll catch up to this eventually.

Iz

The link trouble might be because by default eFiction doesn't allow the a tag (a s in a href). So you want to make sure it's on your list in Admin > Settings > Site Settings.

The {blockname_title} the code to display a block's title, where "blockname" is replaced by the name of a block. Most blocks are only in index.tpl but sometimes you'll find them in others like header.tpl (especially if the block is displayed on more than just the index page). I suggest reading over the wiki article on index.tpl which talks about this: https://efiction.org/wiki/index.php5?title=Index.tpl

If {blockname_title} is in the skin and it's still not appearing that may have to do with variables.php. If the skin isn't turned on then the content won't display. Most often you'll see the box in the skin created by the HTML/CSS but nothing in it. Also there are probably blocks that don't have a {blockname_title} defined so maybe that could be it too. (All the ones I can think of off of the top of my head have it though.)

Make sure to have all the right quotes and semicolons when editing variables.php, because if you don't it will break it. Sounds like it's outputting PHP messages, which would be good to know in order to help you fix it.

The skin that I am working on uses the index.tpl for the right hand column. These only show up on the index page. The header.tpl is for the left hand column and shows on every page. So I am guessing that I need to add the code to the variables.tpl.
I can get the image to show up on both sides when I insert this code in the header or index files.

<div class="leftblock">
<div class="lefttitle"><div class="lefttitle2">{twitter_title}</div></div>
<div class="content"><img src=""{skindir}/images/twitter.jpg"}</div>"
</div>

I replaced the {blockname_title} with {twitter_title} as you can see. So, I went to the variables.tpl guessing this is where I was going wrong. I tried both of these:

$blocks['random']['status'] = 1; 

and

<div class="leftblock">
<div class="lefttitle"><div class="lefttitle2">{twitter_title}</div></div>
<div class="content"><img src=""{skindir}/images/twitter.jpg"}</div>"
</div> 

and got this error both times:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '<' in /hermes/web03/b353/moo.twiwritenet/eFiction/skins/MidnightBlue/variables.php on line 68

Am I just adding the wrong code, or am I not putting it in the right place?

I also noticed that in the "manage images" section that I get a similar error message on all the skins. I have a stories folder and it is set to 777. I don't know if this ties together of not. I actually just disabled the "upload images" feature to keep from getting that code and have my users link them instead which is kind of pain in the butt, but I didn't realize this until late last night. I don't know if that means anything or not.

I also added the (a) tag under allowed tags. So I have that done too like you suggested.
I feel like a complete moron right now. I know you are telling me what to do, and I feel like I am doing it, but I also know I'm doing something wrong, because it's not working. My poor variables, header, and index files are being manhandled. lol

Thanks so much for your help.

BTW:      <div class="content"><img src=""{skindir}/images/twitter.jpg"[b"]}</div>

As for the variables.php error msg... could you paste its contents for us to see?

Where did you get a Twitter block? That's one I haven't seen before. Is it actual block (ie a bunch of code inside a folder called "twitter" in your blocks folder) or are you just trying to display a Twitter image in the skin?

You can make something look like a block in the skin without it actually being a block in the code. Just put whatever you want the title to be in the lefttitle div. If you want the image to be a link, you have to but the href around it. Also, it doesn't look there is an image at the file path you're specifying. (Make sure it's in the images folder within the skin's folder.)

It's not a twitter block, it's just the picture I started with. I guess that is the root of the problem. I just want to make it look like a block and have an image in it where I can have the image linked so if a user clicks on it, it will take them to the page I want them to go. I'm running out of room on my menu and I have a few more customized pages that I want to use on the site as well. Plus a few sites we affiliate with.

I hope that made sense. lol I did add the twitter image to the skin images file. That's how I linked it to the "so called block" I was trying to make. I tried to access it but it's not showing but I looked in my file manager on my control panel and it is under the midnightblue skin. So I have no clue. I was thinking that I needed to make a "block" but I just want to insert images and have them linked to other pages.

I guess that explains why everything I was reading was telling me to "activate" the block, but the block wasn't there to activate. Huh. lol I'm sorry about that confusion.

As far as the error code in the variables.php, the error code that I listed in m last post is the only error I received when I tried to change the files. That's all I have. I'm sorry I'm not more help. I guess I could have just asked how to add a linked image on the side bars instead of going through all this.

As far as the link, do I put it like this? Like you would an HTML image and link?

<a href="" http://www.twiwrite.net/"><im g" src="" "" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> 

This one is obviously different as I actually linked this one on my blog from my PB account and not from the website, but same concept right? This I understand. lol It's the CSS and php that throws me some.

I hope this helped and I answered all your questions. Let me know if I missed one or something else. It seems like I have nine million things going on right now. lol

Thanks for all your help.
Iz

I haven't looked at the code for Midnight Blue, but try this:

<div class="leftblock">
      <div class="lefttitle"><div class="lefttitle2">Twitter</div></div>
      <div class="content"><a href="" http://www.twiwrite.net/"><im g" src="" http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy162/JaspersIzzyPB/TwiWrite/TwiWrite-1.gif "" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a> </div>
   </div> 

You won't need to modify variables.php.

Also, do you want it to be linking back to the site itself or to the Twitter page?

BTW, there's a separate board for skinning issues where it's better to post skin questions.

That was exactly what I needed!!! Thank you all so much. I just added it right into the header.tpl file and it worked! Yay! You had the site .gif and the site link name put in there, so I just added the twitter image from the images file and changed the link to our twitter page. Worked like a charm. Thanks so much for this. I'll make sure to post things like this over there from now on. I wasn't sure it was a skin question at first, thinking it was for a block but I guess that is part of the skin now that I think on it. Sorry for posting in the wrong spot, but thanks for helping me. I have exactly what I need now to add the things I wanted to.
Sorry about all the run around. I think I just got confused on thinking it was a block I was adding since that was what the others were. I should have it now.

Iz