Tip: Advanced Featured Member Area for your Home Page

[SweetPotato]

Hi all

Ever wanted an easy way to feature a top member in a bit more detail than the usual Ning member module allows?

This tip creates a neat profile box on your network homepage by taking the Profile Information (questions answered on Sign Up) and the member's avatar to create something like this:

Click to enlarge

Here's what to do:

1. Go to the Features Layout section of your dashboard and create a text box in your middle column on the homepage.

2. In the text box header insert whatever title you want - i've used 'Featured Member: Bob Smooth".

3. Switch to html mode of the text box and insert this:

<div class="featmembpic"></div>
<div class="featmembbio"></div>

Press save.

4. Now open your Custom Code section and insert this:

<script type="text/javascript">
x$(document).ready(function() {
x$('.featmembpic').load('/profile/sweetpotato .xg_widget_profiles_profile .xg_1col img.photo');
x$('.featmembbio').load('/profile/sweetpotato .module_about_user');
x$('.featmembpic').after('<div class="featmembview"><a target="_parent" href="/profile/sweetpotato">View Profile Page</a></div>');
});
</script>

You will notice that the bolded urls in the script above point to the member that you want to feature. These three need to be changed each time you want a new member featured.

5. Now let's style it with some css. Add this to your advanced CSS (or change to suit your network):

.featmembpic {
    background: #E0E0E0;
    float: right;
    padding: 5px;
    position: relative;
    right: 10px;
    text-align: center;
    top: 30px;
    width: 135px;
    z-index: 20;
}

.featmembpic img.photo{
width:120px;
}
.featmembbio .module_about_user {
    border: medium none;
    float: left;
    width: 325px;
}

.featmembbio .xg_module_body{
background:#f7f7f7;
padding-right:15px;
border:solid 1px #E0E0E0;
}

.featmembbio .module_about_user .xg_module_head, .featmembbio .module_about_user .xg_handle{
display:none;
}

.featmembview a, .featmembview a:hover {
    background: url("http://api.ning.com:80/files/wGJ6Wd4fAZH8EL*I5g9yJAVigDvvHmdOO5xhpyDRw6bBlP-T7cPHbSPmKd3atxkfZkZjyC9g2JUU4FGhitSkVuRrWCKKU7sn/more_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 0 transparent;
    color: #394B0A;
    float: right;
    font-size: 14px;
    font-weight: bold;
    left: 136px;
    padding: 6px;
    position: relative;
    text-align: center;
    text-shadow: 1px 1px #C4EA60;
    top: 185px;
    width: 134px;
    z-index: 30;
}

.featmembview a:hover {
color:#4E660E!important;
}

This tip was tested in the Design Studio using a three column layout. You will notice that the profile information questions and answers appear on the same line. I've not included this css in the tip but you will find it here.

Enjoy.

Sp

More tips here

[Troy D. Bertrand]

Saw this feature on DeferoLaw and wondered how you did it. I'll try to make it work in one of my side columns.

Thanks for that tip.

Regards

TDB

[SweetPotato]

Hi Troy,

I don't thnk you saw it on my site as i don't use it. I don't think it will work in the side columns as the profile information box is probably not compatible.

SP

[Troy D. Bertrand]

Hmm...

Remember seeing something of that nature somewhere though it was in a slide and not any columns. Thanks for clarifying.

[Ken Rich]

Can you let me know if you get this working on the side column? Thanks.

[SweetPotato]

too wide I think

[JFarrow]

sweet      potato!

[Eric Suesz]

A-mazing. 

[Jen]

Beautiful! Genius. Great tip.

[Writer Chick {Diane}]

Any idea if it works in the old appearance editor?

[SweetPotato]

Hi Diane,
I'm afraid I don't. The best I can advise is giving it a go on your test network. I see no reason why it shouldn't, other than maybe the middle column not being quite the same size as the middle on the newer themes. You could sort this by tweaking the CSS.
SP

[Rodelio Lagahit]

i tried it but it seems that other featured members also appeared. any ideas on what line of code to add to limit the number of featured members? because previously, i've featured a lot of members or tried to feature them without removing that.. :) 

[SweetPotato]

If you insert the correct URL path as indicated in bold then only one will appear.

This code does not affect or alter the standard Ning member module, so if you have featured members there then they will still remain