This tutorial will teach how easy it is to add new groups to your admincp left panel. Have you ever installed a plugin, and refreshed the admincp to find some new group added under the vBulletin options, or a new link under a default option? Here is how to do that.

Adding a new group
This first think you will need to do is turn on debug mode. This isn't absolutely necessary but it's a good habit to get into when your making your products, and we're going to use some features that require debug on to be on.

To turn on debug mode add the following line anywhere in your config.php file.
Okay, now we're ready to add a new nav group. Here is the following code that will let you add a new group. This code is XML and should be pretty easy to understand.

Create the product
Nothing helps you understand better then doing it yourself! Lets start by starting our own product. Login to your admincp panel. Under the Plugin System you should click the Plugin Manager's link. From there you should see [Add/Import Product]. Click on that and under the Add New Product group add the following information.

Product ID: tutorial_test
Title: Tutorial Test
Version: 1.0
Description: This is a test

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After saving this, we can now add our XML code to display our custom nav group.

create a file called cpnav_tutorialtest.xml with the following code.
Notes:
+ Notice the product attribute is the same as the Product ID.
+ The phrase attribute will look for that phrase. You will need to create this phrase in the phrase manager for this to show up.
+ Notice the permissions attribute is missing. We won't be using it, since custom admin permissions will be a future tutorial of mine.

Upload that file to your /includes/xml/ directory. Now go ahead and refresh your admincp. If your seeing blank options. Like this:

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Then you need to add the phrases titled: test_title & my_test_link the phrase type called: Control Panel Global.

Adding the Phrases
Under Languages & Phrases look for Phrase Manager. Click the Add New Phrase button. You will need to do this twice. Here is the first set.

Phrase Type: Control Panel Global
Product: Tutorial Test
Varname: test_title
Text: Tutorial Test
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Phrase Type: Control Panel Global
Product: Tutorial Test
Varname: my_test_link
Text: My Test Link
4.gif

Now you should see this.

5.gif

Your Done!

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Ken Iovino / Escalate Media

Greatly appreciated, I will post up a downloads hack once I have it ready.

I'd appreciate it if you didn't do it before me as this will be my first one. I already built a Merit system... but it's for clans and I don't know how useful it will be to others.

^.^
<3 Kiko

Don't worry. I'm far to busy with my own work to release hacks right now. ;)

Thanks for this mate, certainly very useful.

muc happreciated. thanks bro

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Thank you so very much for this. It's one of the best tutes on this subject that we've ever seen.

However there are two additional areas that you seem to have left out; Product URL and Version Check URL. Could you please post some information on how to best use those two areas? Thanks you so much LiveWire

What exactly does Debug mode do? I just turned it on, and it confused me as to its purpose. So I turned it back it off.

thanks for the tut i willing to lean anything

wow long response, but debug is for developers, it enables cvertain features with vbulletin, that the general people would not use.

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Thanks a lot, this works like a charm ;)