Cchost/guide/Customize

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Docs Home Install Upgrade Troubleshoot Customize Admins Devs Content Query Templates Commands Skins

Overview

There are many levels of customization to a ccHost installation with each level requiring more and more technical skill. It is not obvious what kind of customization is possible at each level so here are some hints that might help you to decide what you need to do in order to achieve your goals.

Admin Customizations

In ccHost 5 there are dozens of customizations that do not require any coding. You can do all these simply by filling out forms:

For more options see Basic HOWTOs.

Query Customizations

All user content (uploads, topics, reviews, etc.) is display via the Query API. With a little knowledge of URL building you gain control over what uploaded content is displayed in the settings of your choice. For example if you want to show the most popular uploads tagged 'remix' for the last two weeks you specify that using URL syntax in a navigation tab, including the title to display:

 tags=remix&sinced=2 weeks ago&sort=rankings&title=Hot Remixes

The query engine also works with topic contents.

Configuration Customizations

The way the system is set up, all of the customizations in the 'Admin' section above are actually fancy ways of manipulating configuration files already in your system, many of which can be superseded by simply making your own version.

Even if you don't exactly know what the configuration syntax is or how it works, you can easily customize your installation with some judicious cut and paste in configuration files that the system will look for in your <local_files> directory. These include:

HTML/CSS Markup Customization

If you are comfortable with a little HTML and CSS hacking and you still want more control over your installation then you will find quite a large world open up to you.

Custom Pieces

If you are generally happy with the overall look and layout of the site but want to change specific screen, you can create customized display layouts and then select them through the admin screens:

Custom Skins

Creating your own skin is how you take ultimate control of the overall look and feel of your installation. Learn how this is done in the Skins section.

Developer Customizations

Common

There are many customizations that can be done with just a few lines of code. Some of those the more popular ones are:

Event Hooking

ccHost triggers events at certain key moments and you can register to be notified at those times. The more popular ones of those are:

Esoteric

There are many other hooks in the system (over 100) many of which still fall in the category of "easy to hook" even if the hook itself may or may not require heavy lifting. These include:

  • Adding % macros that expand on file renaming and ID3 tagging
  • Adding and verifying new parameters to the query engine
  • Replacing the file verifier
  • Adding a new search type