Category descriptions in sidebar

nolageek

I'd like to put by category descriptions in the sidebar. It looks like I can't use PHP in the messages - so what would be the best/recommended way to do this? I don't see any way to manage the sidebar or anything there other than messages.

whu606

@nolageek‌

To get the best advice, you should always add your numerical Vanilla version when asking a question.

You could start by taking a look at the Pockets addon:

http://vanillaforums.org/addon/pockets-plugin

:

R_J

The blocks in the sidebar are called "Module" in Vanilla-Speak. Here's something I've written down few weeks ago: http://vanillaforums.org/discussion/comment/210188#Comment_210188

nolageek

Geesh. Even as a non-programmer I can usually pick up a web software's template and figure out what needs to edited to add custom elements to a theme. Vanilla has just about the most non-friendly code I've ever seen. I'm just trying to figure out how to add text to a sidebar and it's so confusing.

I managed to manipulate the ForumDonate module, using some bits and pieces of code elsewhere on the forum to get the description in the sidebar, but good lord I can't just get the title of the category in there now.

  return $this->_Sender->Category->Description;

Gets me the description.

  return $this->_Sender->Category->Name;

Gets me the Category name.

But I can't seem to get them to both show at the same time.

hgtonight

Hiya!

Modules in Vanilla override the ToString() method. This method must return a string.

The key is that you are trying to return twice. In PHP (and every other language I am familiar with), execution of a block of code will stop after the first executed return statement. You are looking to concatenate two strings and return the result.

Try something like this in your ToString() method:

public function ToString() {
  $CatName = $this->_Sender->Category->Name;
  $CatDesc = $this->_Sender->Category->Description;

  return $CatName . ' ' . $CatDesc;
}