Introduction To TinyPortal

TinyPortal (TP) is a magnificent modification of Simple Machines Forum (SMF). It will turn your simple SMF forum into a fully operational portal. It will expand your SMF forum with Frontpage options, Articles, Panels filled with Blocks, with an on-going list of Module add-ons to choose from.

Developed to work seamlessly with SMF, it uses many of its internal functions and is therefore more secure. There is no need for 2 admin interfaces, memberbases, or themes to manage as with other portals. Tiny Portal will operate on a single software system. The best way to put it: "TinyPortal" is an extension of the "Simple Machines Forum", not 2 different integrated softwares.

TinyPortal enables you to setup HTML/Javascript, PHP, or BBC articles and blocks. Expanded permissions give you all the admin/user options you could ask for. Adding content to your site has never been easier, and it will have your site carrying that professional appeal.

Best of all, it's FREE!

- Articles: are HTML, PHP, BBC, imported or external pages with optional author information and visual options to show alone, with panels & blocks, and/or with other articles. All articles can be categorized, or have comments and ratings.

- Frontpage: is the first page or index page of your TP & SMF site. TP gives you ability to dress up your frontpage any way you see fit using forum posts, articles, panels & blocks, and even modules. If you're not interested in all that, you can choose for your frontpage to go directly to your forum index.

- Panels: are several sections or containers that hold all of your blocks. There is the left panel, right panel, top panel, upper panel, frontpanel, lower panel and bottom panel. These panels help control the layout of your TP & SMF driven forum.

- Blocks: these are small boxes of information or functions in HTML, PHP, or BBC. They can be placed in any order, in any panel and section/action of the TP & SMF driven site.

- Menu manager: A built-in Menu Manager allows you to create multiple menu's. These menu's are displayed in a block. You get all the features of blocks to display these menu's in different places along with choosing who gets to see the blocks based on permissions. You can create different types of links: links to articles, categories, or even just a custom link. You can choose to have the link open in the current window or a new window.

- Modules: are enhancements to TinyPortal written by various developers that add new abilities to the overall functions of the site. Examples of a module would be: File Manager, Gallery Manager, and Chat.

- Downloads Manager: A built-in module for TP that lets you offer files for your members to browse and download. Its works by having the downloadable files placed in categories. These categories have permissions on them, letting you restrict member groups access level per each category. You may also allow members to upload files, controlling which membergroups are allowed and what types of files they may upload.

- Shoutbox: TPShout is the built in shoutbox that offers instant chat functionality to your forum users. It's a box in which you can leave messages for others to see and thus maintain a simple "chat" on the site. Combined with permissions you will have much freedom in who can participate as well. And as your visitors will discover, it's actually quite fun to leave a smiley or two in it.

- Plugins: are modifications to existing TinyPortal features or modules that extend its abilities. NOT available at this time.