New VA questions

[John]

Hi,

Recently started work on a new VA .....

Came across your site and it seems you guys may have saved me a lot of time

A few questions first, I have registered and successfully integrated php VMS in the back end and have a VA registered with you guys.

To use XAcars, do I need to install the data they have on their website (I am aware for pilots we must put in the details on the application) but am I right to assume that now php VMS is installed, I don't need to do anything else server side for XAcars to work with our site.

Secondly, I am using Joomla for the web interface, is it as straightforward as it seems to create a new skin whilst working with Joomla, I am sure it is, just wanted to ask.

We were going to use VAFS and had played around with that but after coming past php VMS, I really don't see the point in paying them when ypou are offering a fantastic package for no charge (by the way, I will insure we will donate a nominal fee as a gesture, considering we were about to fork out a yearly subscription to VAFS)

The thing I find very user friendly with VAFS was, we were able to display pilot page, live map etc with use of wrappers or iFrames, I assume that's not possible here.

If those questions could be answered, I would be very thankful

Regards

John

[Nabeel]

Hey John, welcome

For any of the acars, nothing has to be done serverside, except for FSFK, which needs FTP information. Any settings are in the local.config.php file, or in the app.config.php file. To change them, you copy them from app.config into local.config for them to take effect.

Also, with Joomla, the easiest is created a duplicate skin within phpVMS. Several VAs have done this, it just ends up being easier in the end. Some have tried using iframes, and I personally think iframes look ugly.

But the advantage with our way (create an identical looking skin as your Joomla install) is that you can customize virtually every single page to your liking. All the templates are in the core/templates folder, and to customize it, you copy it to your skin's folder, and it takes effect. You can also call any page into another page pretty easily, by calling the module then the function:

MainController::Run('pilots', 'index');

And that will show the pilots list... and you can put that anywhere (template, skin, etc).

Hope that answers some of your questions... if there's anything else, feel free to ask

[John]

Nabeel

Thanks for your prompt reply.

Thats good news with regards to XAcars .....

And I think I will do as you advised with regards to duplicating the template.

If I become stuck at any stage, I will come back an ask

Thanks again for your help

Regards

John

[John]

Nabeel

Following your instructions and as usual, I must have missed something

Originally I copied my Joomla template (a payware one I bought from Shape 5) into my skins folder

After some deliberation on why it wouldn't work, I have come to the conclusion thats not what you asked me to do

So am I right in assuming, I need to duplicate a skin in lib/skins and move all the content from my Joomla template into that folder.

Its quite possible I am so far wrong you may giggle, all my live I have worked with Joomla and have little experience coding (some basic css and HTML) as you know with joomla, so much of it is moduleised and its just a matter of simple uploading and enabling

Sorry if I am being a pain .....

Thanks again

John

[Nabeel]

Well, not verbatim copy it, but you have to copy the basic structure, following the skinning guide. There are docs here:

http://docs.phpvms.net

As well as a few video tutorials, which should help get you started.

[Guest Brian]

Well, not verbatim copy it, but you have to copy the basic structure, following the skinning guide. There are docs here:

http://docs.phpvms.net

As well as a few video tutorials, which should help get you started.

If you have any issues, Let me know. Joomla has a funny way of integrating 3rd party software into it.

[Nabeel]

Well this isn't really an integration, just sharing a skin which looks the same.

[John]

Well this isn't really an integration, just sharing a skin which looks the same.

Nabeel

Well it is now, I have decided to incorporate the sections of phpVMS (like pilot centre, Live Maps etc) in to my Joomla template (website).

I just had too much work done on my site already .... and too many modules that I would need to code into on of the PHP VMS skins

Is that possible, I know everything is possible but is it straight forward enough, iiisssssshhhhh

Brian, if you have done this, I would be interested to look at your site if you dont mind ..... just to see the source code

[Nabeel]

Nabeel

Well it is now, I have decided to incorporate the sections of phpVMS (like pilot centre, Live Maps etc) in to my Joomla template (website).

I just had too much work done on my site already .... and too many modules that I would need to code into on of the PHP VMS skins

Is that possible, I know everything is possible but is it straight forward enough, iiisssssshhhhh

Brian, if you have done this, I would be interested to look at your site if you dont mind ..... just to see the source code

Well what I meant that, on you rphpVMS site, you link to your joomla site sections, and on your joomla site, you link to phpvms site sections, that type of thing

[simpilot]

What I have found is instead of intergrating phpVMS with another system, wether it be joomla, e107, a forum board, or any other system, is to do as Nabeel has said and match the templates. You can see an example on my site where I have matched the templates for both phpvms and an smf forum board. New England Virtual I am working on the template for my joomla site to match these as well.

[John]

Well what I meant that, on you rphpVMS site, you link to your joomla site sections, and on your joomla site, you link to phpvms site sections, that type of thing

Yes,that sort of thing ...... was playing about with trying to get the modules of PHP VMS into joomla (like new pilots), not as easy as it sounds, well not if your learning

[John]

What I have found is instead of intergrating phpVMS with another system, wether it be joomla, e107, a forum board, or any other system, is to do as Nabeel has said and match the templates. You can see an example on my site where I have matched the templates for both phpvms and an smf forum board. New England Virtual I am working on the template for my joomla site to match these as well.

Looks really good .... well done

Am I right in assuming that's your PHP VMS with a different template.

The template I am using is quite complex, its a Shape 5 template, I have numerous other sites (own business ones) were I have used Joomla, I don't come from a computer background and most of what I know I thought myself.

The thing about joomla is (obviously) its very easy to work with, both of my other sites are moderately successful e-commorce sites and they were built soley on Joomla (pay template) with Joomla extensions / modules, which are basically upload to the server and postion.

I have tweaked other things using basic html editing (position or colour) but that's kinda as far as I went.

This is a little more complex though, as PHP VMS don't have modules to upload, so I am trying to find the HTML tables and putting them into my site

I had played around with VAFS, that's was extremely easy as they give you all the information (coding) and its just a matter of putting in iframes.

But all in all VAFS is very primitive looking and not all that user friendly, and I came across PHP VMS and I quite like it

I am trying to learn as I go, the website its self is fully built, just having lots of fun trying to incorporate the PHP VMS information into the website (did I say fun )

But hey, I will get there and my philosophy in life is, once you learn you never forget

[Nabeel]

Have you watched the video tutorial?

[John]

Have you watched the video tutorial?

The video tutorial (if its the right one), shows you how to manipulate a PHP template ....

I haven't seen one were it shows you how to take parts out.

Main issue I have is putting php in Joomla (as in HTML format)

So my issue is converting PHP into HTML format ......

If you know what I mean

[Nabeel]

The video tutorial (if its the right one), shows you how to manipulate a PHP template ....

I haven't seen one were it shows you how to take parts out.

Main issue I have is putting php in Joomla (as in HTML format)

So my issue is converting PHP into HTML format ......

If you know what I mean

There's one tutorial which shows you how to cut it up. You could goto your Joomla site, and do "view source", and follow the directions. Actually... if you give me the URL to your Joomla site, I can tell you what to put into your header.tpl and footer.tpl files, that'll get you started at least.

[John]

There's one tutorial which shows you how to cut it up. You could goto your Joomla site, and do "view source", and follow the directions. Actually... if you give me the URL to your Joomla site, I can tell you what to put into your header.tpl and footer.tpl files, that'll get you started at least.

Thanks Nabeel

Site is offline so I set up an account which I have PM'd to you to enter when prompted

John

[Nabeel]

Thanks, I'll try to get to it tonight or tomorrow. Fighting with both of my guitars now to get them sounding proper. Grr

[John]

Thanks, I'll try to get to it tonight or tomorrow. Fighting with both of my guitars now to get them sounding proper. Grr

No probs, when ever you have a chance