I’ve come up with three versions of starting points or “building blocks” for those who want to build their own BuddyPress components. For those impatient, here are the links:

www.davidbisset.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/bp-testv0-1-0.zip
www.davidbisset.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/bp-testv0-1-1.zip
www.davidbisset.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/bp-testv0-1-2.zip

All three versions are “drop and play” solutions. Just put the files in the right folders (see the included README in each zip) and these should work on a basic install with the BuddyPress beta components (your WPMU and BuddyPress must be working 100% first).

Version 0.1.0

www.davidbisset.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/bp-testv0-1-0.zip

This version is very close to the proof of concept screenshots for Twitter and Friendfeed. Very basic - it just adds a menu and two submenus to that menu. It should automatically also add the menu to the “BuddyPress Bar” that appears at the top and (by default) is grey.

Version 0.1.1

www.davidbisset.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/bp-testv0-1-1.zip

This version adds the “header tab” navigation you see in the above screenshot. This requires a few additional PHP functions, and therefore increases the complexity a little bit. I also added a few BuddyPress PHP functions in the sample page that you should become familiar with but are very straightforward. This version rounds out how to create major navigational elements in BuddyPress.

Version 0.1.2

www.davidbisset.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/bp-testv0-1-2.zip

This (final?) version changes the “Second Page” into an example of showing rowed results (similar to what you see on the wire page). This bumps up the complexity a bit since we use alot more PHP functions, mostly stored in the bp-test-templatetags.php file. We also use several classes seen in bp-test-classes.php and bp-test-templatetags.php. Also add a “standard” (of sorts) filter file (bp-test-filters.php). If you are planning on displaying anything in a table/row format like in the screenshot above, then you will want to examine this version. I have removed AJAX references to make it easier. Honestly this is all very close to the WIRE BuddyPress component so if you want to look at that as well, especially if you have the hang of this and just need to add in AJAX, that would be a wise move.

These three versions support potential BuddyPress components ranging from the very simple to more-or-less the level of some of the current BuddyPress beta components. These building blocks will hopefully be a learning tool first (if you don’t understand what they do, then you won’t get very far) and a time saver second.

As always check out the BuddyPress forums for the latest. I would like for discussions about these building blocks to take place there or here on my blog. These aren’t plugins technically and would prefer if these are polished before redistributed to any plugin sites outside of buddypress.org. But you are open to translate these, just provide a link here in my blog when you are done. Thanks!

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