what would be an example of a variable??

b/c I entered this into my navbar template as follows

eval('$sponsor = "' . fetch_template('sponsor') . '";');

but it only displayed
eval('$sponsor = "' . fetch_template('sponsor') . '";');

does this have to be entered in to a php file, if so where??

it needs to be placed in a plugin, and assigned a product.

go to your plugins manager, and add a new plugin.
give it a name, and select the appropriate hook.

then you will be able to use $sponsor.

Ok..

I created a plugin php code with the eval statement from above

assigned to vbulletin for a product

Used global_complete for the hook

anything I am missing??

btw where can I read more about these things?

Well I added $sponsor to my header template (at the bottom) and nothing... so I must be missing something

Probably used the wrong hook. maybe also didnt change the names (EDIT) I just changed my plugin to global_start and it still shows up fine. as a matter of fact i can now use my $varible anywhere on the board.

first, where are you wanting the sponsor template to show up?

if you want it to show on your forumhome, then you would use the forumhome_start hook and put this code in that hook.

What this does; Every time the forumhome template is loaded, it executes this code, which loads the template into the $sponsor variable.
Once that is loaded, anywhere on forumhome that it sees $sponsor, it spits out the contents of that variable....

at least i think this is how it works.

im not sure about the global hooks, so ive been using specific hooks.

Also, you may not have set the plugin to active when you created it.

If there is a strikethrough on the title of the plugin, then it isnt active.

Well he said the header ;) You could try putting:

i missed that.

by why does he need to eval the header? he wants to put sponsor, plus header is already eval'd .... its put there by $header :p

Because if the header is evaled before you eval the sponsor variable then the variable will be empty, this might be the case so it might be fixed by doing that.

then he needs to find where the header is being evaled, and insert his sponsor code in that hook??

No, he just needs to use the code I gave him.