SMF2.1:Smileys and Message Icons

Work in progress, expect frequent changes.

Please see SMF1.1:Smileys and Message Icons, SMF2.0:Smileys and Message Icons or SMF2.1:Smileys and Message Icons depending on the version of SMF you are using.

Smileys

With the rise of emojis in recent years, smileys are less prevalent in general, and are a less extensive feature of SMF, than they once were. While emojis are so closely tied to text, they almost are a special kind of text; smileys are purely graphic elements which can still be inserted into text, at least in software like SMF.

In SMF, administrators can install as many sets of smileys as they like, giving their members a choice which set to use. Alternatively they may prefer to just provide their members with one set for everyone to use.

In Admin Center > Forum > Smileys and Message Icons there are six sub-menus or pages of options: Smiley Sets, Add Smiley, Edit Smileys, Set Smiley Order, Message Icons, and Settings.

Smiley Sets

Here on Admin Center > Forum > Smileys and Message Icons > Smiley Sets page, you will see a table listing of all the smiley sets that the administrator has installed on the forum.

Default - This is the far left column. A checkmark will appear beside the set the administrator has chosen as the forum's default. This is the set which will be shown to Guests, or non-logged-in members. If the administrator has not allowed members to choose their preferred set, everyone will see this set.
Name - This shows the name of the set.
URL - This shows the URL of the set.
Modify - This text link opens a small form where you can edit any of this data: Name, URL, or Default status. Be sure to click the Save button at the bottom right corner after you make your changes.
In the far right column are checkboxes. By checking a box, and clicking Delete Selected button, you can remove smiley sets.

Multiple Smiley Sets

Smiley sets can contain any number of smileys, but if multiple sets are allowed, each set must meet both of these requirements:

They must display (in the message editor) the same kind of smileys, and
the same kind of smileys must have the same name.

For example, think of an imaginary forum that only offers three smileys - a happy, a sad, and an angry smiley. If the adminstrator offers more than one set, all the sets must have a happy, a sad, and an angry smiley. Note that the name referred to here, means the Tooltip or Description field, in the edit form -- not the filename.

If the sets do not meet both of those two requirements:

administrators will see new errors in the Error Log, whenever the smileys are used in messages; and
forum members may see either missing smileys in posted messages, or only the smiley code, instead of the graphic smiley image.

Work in progress, expect frequent changes.

Installing New Smiley Sets

There are two ways to install new smiley sets. Administrators can either use the Package Manager, or upload it directly to their server.

Install a Smiley Set Using the Package Manager

The Package Manager can be used to install new smiley sets to the forum. This is the best way to install smiley sets which have been downloaded from the SMF Customization site, or other SMF sites. It works the same way as installing new modifications.

Smiley packages from SMF sites usually already meet the multiple set rules described in the Multiple Smiley Sets section, but not always. Administrators should double-check this after installing them. See the Enter Smiley Data section below, to learn how.

Upload a Smiley Set Directly to the Server

The other way to add a smiley set is to create a new directory inside the "Smileys" server directory. First, give it an appropriate name, like "blue_smiley_set", for example. Then upload all the actual graphic files (primarily PNG and/or GIF files, probably) into that directory.

Next, go to Admin Center > Smileys and Message Icons > Smiley Sets and click on the New Smiley Set button in the bottom right corner.

Name - Type a name for the set, which would likely be the same name that was given to the server directory, "blue_smiley_set" in this case.
URL - Click the dropdown menu and choose "blue_smiley_set".
Default Smiley Set - Check this box if this set is going to be the forum's default set.

Be sure to click the Save Changes button in the bottom right corner, when you finish.

This is the best way to install a custom set of smileys, which administrators may have compiled themselves. However, this technique may result in sets which do not meet the multiple sets rules, explained in the Multiple Smiley Sets section. Please see the next section, Enter Smiley Data, to learn how to configure them.

Enter Smiley Data

No matter which way the new smiley set has been installed, administrators should go next to Admin Center > Forum > Smileys and Message Icons > Edit Smileys and make sure all the individual data for each smiley is correct. The Admin Center is set up to configure smileys for the multiple sets rules, but you should always double-check. In any case, any of the smiley data can be edited here. Please see the Edit Smileys section for details.

On this page is a table containing all the individual smileys, and their unique data as described below. In the top right corner, be sure to select the newly installed set, or whichever set you need to edit. There are seven columns in this table.

The far left column has no title, but obviously is displaying the actual smiley graphics. You can edit any of the smiley's data by clicking on them, or by clicking Modify, five columns to the right.
Code - This column shows the combination of characters which will display the smiley when entered in the message editor.
Filename - This column gives the name of the smiley's file.
Location - This shows the location of the smiley. It can either be displayed in the message editor, or post form, More, or hidden. More is a small button in the row of smileys where they are displayed above the message editor. If all the smileys you have installed do not fit above the editor, you can put them in a popup window, which is activated by clicking the More button. Hidden means the smiley is installed, but cannot be used or even seen anywhere.
Tooltip or Description - This is the name of the smiley, which should match the equivalent smileys in all the other sets that are installed.
Modify - Click this text link if you want to edit any of the previous smiley data.
The last column on the right does not have a title, but contains checkboxes. This will allow you to edit the same data as the Modify text button, except you can edit more than one smiley at a time. In the bottom right corner is a dropdown menu titled With Selected. If you click on that, there are four choices for whichever smileys are checked:
- Make Hidden - This option hides the selected smileys but does not remove them.
- Show on Post Form - This option displays the selected smileys above the message editor.
- Show on Popup - This is the More button which is described above under Location. The selected smileys are displayed on the popup window.
- Remove - This removes the selected smileys from the forum.

Organize Smileys

At this point, administrators may also wish to set the order in which the smileys appear, in whichever place they have chosen for them to appear. On the Admin Center > Forum > Smileys and Message Icons > Set Smiley Order page, it is simple and intuitive to set the order. Please see Set Smiley Order for details.

**Page mostly updated to this point. Hardly updated at all after this point**

Add Smiley

This page/sub-menu is displayed only if Enable customized smileys has been checked on the Settings page/sub-menu.

Generally, the Admin Center > Forum > Smileys and Message Icons > Add Smiley page allows administrators to add individual smileys to pre-existing sets. There are three ways to do it.

1. Install a smiley which has been previously uploaded, but never installed.

In the Image Source section, tick the Use Existing File option.
Click the Filename dropdown menu, and select the smiley you want to install. See the Preview to confirm you selected the right one.
In the Add a New Smiley section:
- Type a Code for the new smiley - This is the text code which will display a smiley in the message editor.
- Type a Tooltip or Description - This is the name which must be the same for equivalent smileys in different sets (all "sad" smileys, for example)
- From the dropdown menu, select the Location you want for this smiley. Post form or message editor; More is the button which opens a small popup window; and hidden means the smiley will not be displayed anywhere.
Click the Save Changes button when you finish all the settings.
Note that when you install a smiley in this way, into one smiley set, it automatically is added to any other sets which may be in use.

2. Upload and install a new smiley to the server.

2A. Upload an individual smiley to all smiley sets.
- In the Image Source section, tick the Upload New Smiley option.
- Leave the Same image for all sets box checked.
- For File to upload: Image to be used by all smiley sets. click the Browse button, and choose the smiley image you want to upload.
- In the Add a New Smiley section:
  - Type a Code for the new smiley - This is the text code which will display a smiley in the message editor.
  - Type a Tooltip or Description - Whatever name you enter here will be applied to this smiley, in all the sets.
  - From the dropdown menu, select the Location you want for this smiley. Post form or message editor; More is the button which opens a small popup window; and hidden means the smiley will not be displayed anywhere.
- Click the Save Changes button when you finish all the settings.
2B. Upload a different individual smiley to each existing smiley set. Note that even though these may be different smileys, they will all receive the same Code, Tooltip or Description Name, and Location.
- In the Image Source section, tick the Upload New Smiley option.
- Uncheck the Same image for all sets box.
- For File to upload click the Browse button for each set. You can upload different smileys or smiley files to each set.
- In the Add a New Smiley section:
  - Type a Code for the new smiley - This is the text code which will display these smileys in the message editor.
  - Type a Tooltip or Description - This name will apply to all these smileys.
  - From the dropdown menu, select the Location you want for this smiley. Post form or message editor; More is the button which opens a small popup window; and hidden means the smiley will not be displayed anywhere.
- Click the Save Changes button when you finish all the settings.

Edit Smileys

This page/sub-menu is displayed only if Enable customized smileys has been checked on the Settings page/sub-menu.

The Edit Smileys page of the Smileys and Message Icons section of the Administration panel allows you to modify settings of all of your existing smileys.

Showing Smilies and settings for Smilies

On the top of the page (below the Smileys and Message Icons tabs) you will see a dropdown with all of the smiley sets you have installed on your forum. First select the smiley set you want to edit by selecting it through the drop down. Right away all of the smileys will be changed to what they look like in the smiley of the set you just changed it to, no refresh is used.

Below the dropdown you will see a seven column table divided in the following:

The first column will show the actual smiley you are dealing with. Click on the smiley and you will be allowed to modify the settings of the smiley.
Code - This will show code used for that smiley. Being the code that you type in a Post for the smiley to be shown.
Filename - Shown here is the filename of the smiley as it is shown in the smiley's smiley set directory uploaded on your forum.
Location - Shown here is the current location of the smiley. If it says hidden, the smiley will not be shown anywhere. If it says Post-form, the smiley will be shown directly on the posting screen where you can click on it and the smiley's code will be inserted into the message box. If it says Popup, the smiley will be shown only when you click for a popup box showing all of the smileys available.
Tooltip or description - Shown here is what the description of the smiley is. So when you hover your mouse over a smiley, you will see the description you put in for the smiley.
Modify - Shown here is a link to modify the settings of the smiley. It will lead to the same page as clicking on the actual smiley in the first column.
The last column can save you a lot of time. You can perform a action on each selected smiley by checking the smiley and going down to the dropdown at the bottom and selecting the location you want the selected smileys to be, or to remove the selected smilies.

Modifying a smiley

When you modify a smiley, you will be presented with these options:

Code: Enter here the code you wish to be typed in for the smiley to be shown in a post.
Filename:Select the file for the smiley from a dropdown of all of the smileys uploaded on your forum.
Tooltip or description: Enter the description of the smiley so when a mouse hovers over it it will show it.
Location: Choose from "Post form", which will show a clickable smiley right on the posting screen. "Hidden", which will not show the smiley anywhere but instead can only be used when the smileys code is typed in. "Popup", which will show the smiley in a popup box if the user clicks on the link for additional smileys.

Set Smiley Order

This button is displayed only if Enable customized smileys has been checked in the Settings menu.

The Set smiley order section is a simple place to reorder the order your smilies appear in.

The first box is for the smileys on your post-form and the second is for smileys on the popup box.

Simply click on any smiley, a red box will then highlight the selected smiley. Then, click on any of the arrows pointing down to place the smiliey in that exact location.

Edit Message Icons

This button is visible only if Enable customized message icons has been checked in the Settings menu.

Viewing your message icons

The Edit Message Icons section is for managing your message icons on your forum.

You will see a six column table on this page. The first column shows the actual message icon image. The second column shows the filename of the message icon as the name you uploaded on to your server. The third column is the description of the message icon as you would see when hovering your mouse over a message icon. The fourth column shows the boards the message icon is in. Either it will say all boards, or a specific board you will find the icon. The fifth column shows a modify button so you can modify your message icons. The last column has a checkbox where you can remove the selected message icons by clicking the "Remove" button located at the bottom.

There is also an Add New Icon button alongside the Remove button. Selecting this enables the administrator to add more icons to those already available for messages. To add more icons you need to fill in the Filename and Tooltip or description as explained below.

Editing your message icons

When you click "Modify" next to any message icon you will see a page where you can see and edit the following:

Preview: Shows you the message icon your are currently editing.
Filename: The filename of the message icon, this needs to match a image uploaded on your server in Themes/default/images/Post
Tooltip or description: The description of your message icon. Which is what will show up when you hover your mouse over it.
Board: Either choose to allow members to use the message icon on every forum or just a specific board that you select from the dropdown.
Location: Pick the order you want the message icon to appear on the dropdown list on the post screen.

Settings

Groups allowed to manage smileys and message icons - Here it is possible to select the membergroups allowed to manage smileys and message icons.
Default Smiley Set - The set of smiley chosen from this drop-down list will be used as default smiley for the forum.
Enable smiley set selection by members - If selected the members will be able to change their set of smileys choosing from those available on the forum.
Enable customized smileys - Selecting this option it will be possible to set and use customized smileys different from those provided by default with SMF using the Add Smiley page.
Base URL to all smiley sets - The base URL for all the smiley sets.
Absolute path to all smiley sets - The base path where all the smiley sets are located. Each set then is stored in a separated subdirectory.
Enable customized message icons - Once selected it will be possible to add or remove message icons. The edit message icons option will not be visible unless this is checked.

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