Help:Wiki-style forums/set up

Wikia now has two types of forums for carrying on threaded discussions. See phpBB forums for the newer, messageboard-style forums.

Here we discuss the set-up of the older wiki-style forums, based on the DPLForum extension.

Setting up a new wiki forum involves copying a set of pages to your local Wikia. This page describes a basic set-up that adds two forums. Many aspects of this can be customised, but this set-up gives a good place to start.

For more information on forums, and instructions on adding additional forums, see Help:Forums

For help with this set up, please contact sannse or any other member of the community team.

To set up Help desk and Watercooler

 * Copy the following pages to the same title on your local wikia (all links go to the starter wikia):


 * 1) Forum:Index
 * 2) Forum:Help desk
 * 3) Forum:Watercooler
 * 4) Template:Forumheader/Help desk
 * 5) Template:Forumheader/Watercooler
 * 6) Template:Forumheader
 * 7) Category:Forums
 * 8) Category:Help desk
 * 9) Category:Watercooler


 * Copy the following text to the local MediaWiki:Common.css

/* Forum formatting -Algorithm & -Splaka */ .forumheader { border: 1px solid #aaa; background-color: #f9f9f9; margin-top: 1em; padding: 12px; } .forumlist td.forum_edited a { color: black; text-decoration: none } .forumlist td.forum_title a { padding-left: 20px; } .forumlist td.forum_title a.forum_new { font-weight: bold; background: url(/images/4/4e/Forum_new.gif) center left no-repeat; padding-left: 20px; } .forumlist td.forum_title a.forum_new:visited { font-weight: normal; background: none; padding-left: 20px; } .forumlist th.forum_title { padding-left: 20px; }


 * Save w:c:starter:Image:Forum new.gif to your hard drive, and then upload to your local wikia with the same name..


 * Copy the following text to the local MediaWiki:Monobook.js, at the bottom of the section headed /* tooltips and access keys */ (you will see similar commands in this section).

ta['ca-nstab-forum'] = new Array('c','View the forum page');


 * Add (optionally) a link to Forum:Index to the local MediaWiki:Sidebar

**Forum:Index|Forum

You may wish to test the forums by adding welcome messages similar to those at Welcome to the help desk and Welcome to the watercooler.