Today is widget time! I'll show you two custom widgets that might be useful in your forums.

Categories Widget

This widget is a table where all categories and their forums are listed, so you can select where to go without going first to the main page.
The current forum/blog you are in (if any) is marked, even if you are watching a topic.



First, you have to create the Widget.
Go to Modules  Portal & Widgets  Forum widgets management  Create a Widget

Code:

<p style="margin: 8px 0;"><strong>Category 1</strong></p>

<dl class="mod-categories">
  <dt><a href="http://fmwecoc.forumotion.com/f1-main-forum">Main forum</a></dt>
  <dt><a href="http://fmwecoc.forumotion.com/f5-sub-forum">Sub forum</a></dt>
  <dt><a href="http://fmwecoc.forumotion.com/f4-closed-forum">Closed forum</a></dt>
</dl>

<p style="margin: 8px 0;"><strong>Category 2</strong></p>

 <dl class="mod-categories">
  <dt><a href="http://fmwecoc.forumotion.com/f6-blog">Blog</a></dt>
</dl>

There you have to configurate the names (yellow) and links (purple) and add as many links/categories as you want.
You can also use only the dl block part with the links listed if you don't want category titles.

Now, you need to set a new javascript.
Go to Modules  HTML & Javascript  Javascript codes management  Create a new javascript
Name: Module Categories
Placement: In all pages

Code:

$(function(){
  var mod_cat = $(".mod-categories");
  var nav = $('a.nav');
  if (!mod_cat[0] || !nav[0]) return;
  var current_forum = nav[nav.length-1].href;
  mod_cat.filter(function(){
    var rows = this.querySelectorAll('dt');
    for (var i = 0; i < rows.length; i++) {
      if (rows[i].childNodes[0].href == current_forum) {
        $(rows[i]).addClass("current");
        return;
      }
    }
  });
});

You don't have to change anything there.

Finally, the CSS customization.
Go to Display  Pictures and Colors  Colors  CSS Stylesheet

- Use .mod-categories dt to change propierties on every row format
- Use .mod-categories dt.current to change propierties on the current row

This is the CSS I made for the example shown before:

Code:

/* Module Categories */

.mod-categories dt {
  padding: 4px;
  background-color: #111111;
  border-top: solid 1px #202020;
}

.mod-categories dt:last-child {
  border-bottom: solid 1px #202020;
}

.mod-categories dt.current { background-color: #317d9d; }
.mod-categories dt.current a { color: #fff !important; }

And that's it

Posts Widget

This one is a bit crazier. It shows a list of all the posts of the current topic. Same concept, but with posts.
The javascript in this one is more extensive and has some configuration you will have to beware.

But first, you have to create the Widget.
Go to Modules  Portal & Widgets  Forum widgets management  Create a Widget
All you are setting there is the default value when you are not in a topic; it will simply say "You are not in a topic or blog" (you can change it to whatever you want).

Code:

<div class="mod-posts">
   <span style="color: #666666;">You are not in a topic or blog</span>
</div>

Now, let's create the Javascript.
Go to Modules  HTML & Javascript  Javascript codes management  Create a new javascript
Name: Module Posts
Placement: In all pages

Code:

$(function(){
 
  // ------------ Configuration ------------
  var page_size = 25;        // Set here the number of posts per page
  var all_pages = true;       // Display all pages or only the current one
  var post_avatar = true;  // Display the avatar of the poster
  var post_date = true;    // Display post date
  var current_post = true;  // Differentiate the current post from others
  // ------------ Configuration ------------
 
  var mod_post = $(".mod-posts")[0];
  var location = /\/t(\d+)/.test(window.location.href);
  if (!mod_post || !location) return;
  var current_page, pages={}, pagination=$(".pagination")[0];
  // Get current page
  if (/\/t(\d+)p(\d+)/.test(window.location.href)) {
    current_page = (window.location.href.match(/\/t(\d+)p(\d+)/)[2] / page_size) + 1;
  } else {
    current_page = 1;
  }
  pages[current_page] = window.location.href.toString();
  // Get other pages
  if (pagination && all_pages) {
    var links = pagination.querySelectorAll('span a:not(.pag-img)');
    for (var i = 0; i < links.length; i++) {
      pages[links[i].innerHTML] = links[i].href;
    }
  }
  // Get the posts data
  mod_post.innerHTML = "";
  var p, div_content, used_fids=[], pages_info={};
  var page_function = function(pages, callback) {
    for (p in pages) {
      var boundCallback = callback.bind(null, p, pages[p]);
      setTimeout(boundCallback, p);
    }
    return this;
  };
  page_function(pages, function(index, content) {
    $.get(content, function(d){
      div_content = '';
      $(".post", d).each(function() {
        var fid = this.className.match(/\post--(\d+)/)[1];
        if (!used_fids.includes(fid)) {
          used_fids.push(fid);
          var avatar = this.querySelector(".postprofile-avatar img").src,
          author = this.querySelector(".postprofile-name").innerText,
          post_text = this.querySelector(".topic-title a").innerText,
          post_link = this.querySelector(".topic-title a").href,
          date = this.querySelector(".topic-date").innerHTML;
          div_content += '<div class="mod-post mod-post--' + fid + '">' +
          (post_avatar ? '<div style="display:inline-block"><img src="' + avatar + '" style="width:24px;height:24px;border-radius:24px;" title="' + author + '" /></div>' : '') +
          '<div style="display:inline-block"><a href="' + post_link + '">' + post_text + '</a>' + (post_date ? '</br>' + date : '') + '</div></div>';
        }
      });
      pages_info[index] = div_content;
      if (Object.keys(pages_info).length == Object.keys(pages).length) {
        for (p in pages_info) {
          var div_page = document.createElement('div');
          $(div_page).addClass("mod-posts-page");
          if (current_page == p) $(div_page).addClass("current");
          div_page.innerHTML = pages_info[p];
          mod_post.appendChild(div_page);
        }
        if (current_post) GetCurrentModPost();
      }
    });
  });
  if (current_post) {
    $(document).scroll(function() {
      GetCurrentModPost();
    });
  }
});

function GetCurrentModPost() {
  if (!$('.mod-posts-page.current .mod-post')[0]) return;
  $('.mod-posts-page.current .mod-post').filter(function(){
    $(this).removeClass("current");
  });
  var posts = $(".post");
  for (var i = 0; i < posts.length; i++) {
    var post = $(posts[i])[0];
    if (post.offsetTop > $(document).scrollTop()) break;
  }
  $('.mod-posts-page.current .mod-post').filter(function(){
    if (this.querySelector('A').href == $(post)[0].querySelector(".topic-title").querySelector('A').href) {
      $(this).addClass("current");
    }
  });
}

You can configurate:
- How many posts has every page (it has to be the same value defined in the AP)
- Show posts of all pages or only the current page
- Display the poster's avatar
- Display the post date
- Differentiate the current post from others

Now for the CSS part.
Go to Display  Pictures and Colors  Colors  CSS Stylesheet

- Use .mod-posts for the block of the module itself
- Use .mod-posts-page.current for the block on the current page
- Use .mod-post for every row
- Use .mod-post.current for the current post row

In this case it's a bit harder to understand how to manage this parts so I made two examples, Basic and Advanced.
The colors on the advanced one correspond to the current page posts (dark blue) and the current post (light blue)

Example - Basic:

Example - Advanced:

I only tested them in modernBB but it should work fine in all versions

If you have any trouble just tell me in this topic what it is