We have been trying to use the forums for maintaining a knowledge base for all of our products. We have also been working on two fairly large documentation tasks lately which have made us start thinking about better options. Taking a bit of inspiration from a couple iPad apps, I'm thinking we will be introducing a new view option similar to the attached mockup very shortly. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I think this is a fantastic idea! I would love to have this available right now as it would allow me to create a style guide I've been working on using the DNN help module, which is far from ideal.

When can I get it?

I think this is an excellent idea. Just like Ray I am strugling with the Help/FAQs module and I assume this will blend in much better.

Cool idea

If there was a like button here, I'd press it!! Very cool indeed.

Fortunately, I want it now and it only requires one enhancement and one bug fix for Active Forums. The bug fix is for the AF 5 code base, which is already in AF 4.2 but you can't see it yet

Now you're just teasing us, Will!

nice, some thoughts:

would the sub items (topics) panel be collabsible? I think that would help with order, assuming there was a good number of categories. Then child menus could expand onclick for the category. Probably better as an option, opinions will differ according to application type. Would be nice as a list implemented via CSS, then admin can control via a single class if you want all child menus to display or only display on click of main menu item.

it would be cool to have a next and prev. button at the bottom of each, and possibly a bullet list of topic links within the current category, with the link for the current page having a different class, so when the user reaches bottom of page they don't have to scroll back up to the top.

Great idea I am working on a KB project. This will work well for my needs. The collapse idea is also a good one.

It would be nice to be able to define a ?Category Group" and pass the Category Group in the URL, categories in the group would be listed on the page

Here are a few more mockups

So when can these sweet views show up inside an AS group?

Really depends on the final implementation. As long as I can keep everything within the current template/view structure then it will be possible within a group. If I have to use the new AF 5 template/view structure it will take a little longer to get this view within a group. However, right now it looks like everything can be done with what we already have in place.

What you've shown so far in mock ups looks great, Will! I could use this right now - like this very minute!

Should see it live on this site within the next day or so.

Excellent idea. I have few suggestions for my need not sure about other.

First I would like option like My Links in SharePoint. In this forum only we can follow or save links is via psoting a comment and that becomes in My Topics. I would like the ability to see to add my favorite links to be added in my links.

Another would be the ability to add or atleast embed video with the topic. It may be possible already but I have not explored it yet so not sure.

Easy to cross link or even better automated like a Wiki

Looking forward to this excellent enhancement.

Vote up and down like Digg or Stack OverFlow

Tie it to point system if not already

I think this should be a separate feature request.


Already possible. You can see we have done this in several topics on this site.


Coming very soon.


Also coming very soon, but in the form of a very flexible rating control.


Everything in Active Forums already ties into the existing point system.


Thanks! Me too!

I've just updated the Active Forums release notes so you can see the scope of the next release.
http://www.activemodules.com/tabid/...fault.aspx

Just one question.

What will a member see if he/she has not selected subject of topic 1 or 2 from the right hand side?

List of all subjects from the categories displayed to the right? (I hope).

Also, I hope that even if we upgrade our forums to the proposed AF, we can still keep our existing format/template.

My current forum structure is similar to the proposed one.
I am using What's new and the html/links modules to achieve the following. It's crude so the proposed refined structure is welcome.

The view that we are building isn't going to meet all needs or personal preferences. However, the controls that have been built are very flexible and should allow you to come up with whatever structure you want. Right now we have this completed with a custom topics view and topic templates. How you use these templates and which forums is totally up to you

I always like options. Thanks!

I really hope AF does not become as complicated as AS when it comes to customization, especially to those who have no knowledge.

So when do we see the new AF on ActiveModules? I am eager to see it up and running.

I know I'm biased, but I think AS is very close to becoming easier than Active Forums. You also have to consider the size of the application. Active Forums has 4 primary views and 5 secondary. Active Social has 8 primary views and over 30 secondary views. I've heard from several customers that the new template manager in Active Social is making customization much easier. We still need to add more template consistancy across all the controls, but we also don't want to create upgrade problems. Better documentation will help too, but that's what this entire topic is about anyway

Speaking of documentation, will you allow customers to add/update documentation after you switch to this new layout?

BTW, why can't I subscribe to notifications for this topic?

Not with 4.3, but probably shortly after. We certainly want to get to that point soon.


Should be able to subscribe now.

Being a programming writer, I'm really looking forward to this.



Thanks, Will!

Here are a few more screen captures to show you how this is coming together. The first and second show the layout. The third and fourth will give you an idea of the template layout flexibility.

wow....way cool

I noticed that you'd added profile pictures to the who's online at the bottom of the forum too...

Actually, that is a new custom view for Active Social I was testing.

Now... it looks better. Is there a way to give them fixed width as well? Or, customize their width and height?

However, I can see the issue of giving them fixed width if the names are very long. Maybe, we can wrap the names if they over flow? Automatically reduce the font size etc? I also see that my request is probably unnecessary. I am just being anal about symmetry.