Alphabetical Search Menu for your vBulletin page

[veenuisthebest]

This tutorial will help you make an alphabetical search menu similar to what we see in memberlist.php

I had been looking for this for quite some time, opened a thread (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=182445) too but no help. Now, after some little programming homework I find it quite easy. Hope few of you find this useful.

Assuming you have intermediate knowledge of HTML and PHP.
Its hard for me to understand how this is done in memberlist.php. But this is the most easy way.
Do follow the comments in code.
I am not a coder. :eek:https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachment.php?attachmentid=82282&d=1213432232

1. First, we create a template for our product titled alphamenu and copy this code into it.

<table class="tborder" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="1" border="0" width="100%" align="center">

<tr align="center">

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=A">A</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=B">B</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=C">C</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=D">D</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=E">E</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=F">F</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=G">G</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=H">H</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=I">I</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=J">J</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=K">K</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=L">L</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=M">M</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=N">N</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=O">O</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=P">P</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=Q">Q</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=R">R</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=S">S</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=T">T</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=U">U</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=V">V</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=W">W</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=X">X</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=Y">Y</a></td>

<td class="alt2" width="3%"><a href="page.php?do=alphasearch&amp;ltr=Z">Z</a></td>

</tr>
</table>2. Then in our custom vbulletin page.php, we create a subpage called alphasearch and copy the below code into it. Ofcourse, this would require editing according to your needs, so read the comments carefully.


//******* ALPHA SEARCH MENU*******
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'alphasearch') //Creating sub-page
{

if(empty($_REQUEST['ltr'])
{
eval(standard_error(fetch_error('error_invalidurl' ))); // Error phrase for invalid url
}

$vbulletin->input->clean_gpc('g', 'ltr', TYPE_STR);
$letter=$db->escape_string($vbulletin->GPC['ltr']);

//****Beginning Page Navigation ***//
// Default page variables
$perpage = $vbulletin->input->clean_gpc('r', 'perpage', TYPE_UINT);
$pagenumber = $vbulletin->input->clean_gpc('r', 'pagenumber', TYPE_UINT);
// Count all log entries
$itemcount = $db->query_first("
SELECT COUNT(`uid`) AS `itemcount`
FROM `" . TABLE_PREFIX . "mytable` WHERE colname LIKE '" . $letter . "%'"); //Change colname to actual column name in table that you want to search in.

if ($itemcount['itemcount'] == 0) { // Show if recordset empty
$emptysearch=true; // With this, you can easily create a condition in the template to show NO ITEMS message
} // Show if recordset empty

// Make sure all these variables are cool
sanitize_pageresults($itemcount['itemcount'], $pagenumber, $perpage, 10, 8); //Change 8 to as many records you want to show per page
// Default lower and upper limit variables
$limitlower = ($pagenumber - 1) * $perpage + 1;
$limitupper = $pagenumber * $perpage;
if ($limitupper > $itemcount['itemcount'])
{
// Too many for upper limit
$limitupper = $itemcount['itemcount'];
if ($limitlower > $itemcount['itemcount'])
{
// Too many for lower limit
$limitlower = $itemcount['itemcount'] - $perpage;
}
}
if ($limitlower <= 0)
{
// Can't have negative or null lower limit
$limitlower = 1;
}

eval('$alphamenu .= "' . fetch_template('alphamenu') . '";'); //Use this line of code to show alphamenu in any sub-page you want. Then simply use $alphamenu variable in the associated template.

$query_Searchltr=$db->query_read("SELECT * from " . TABLE_PREFIX . "mytable WHERE colname LIKE '" . $letter . "%' LIMIT " . ($limitlower - 1) . ", $perpage"); //Change colname to the same column name you had set in the above count query

while ($search_result = $db->fetch_array($query_Searchltr))
{
$row_id=$search_result['uid'];
$row_name=$search_result['name'];
$row_class=$search_result['class'];
// and so on...
}
// Finally construct the page nav
$pagenav = construct_page_nav($pagenumber, $perpage, $itemcount['itemcount'], 'page.php?do=alphasearch' . $vbulletin->session->vars['sessionurl'] . '&amp;ltr=' . $letter);
//****End Page Navigation******//

$navbits = construct_navbits($navbits);
eval('$navbar = "' . fetch_template('navbar') . '";');
eval('print_output("' . fetch_template('mysearchbits') . '");'); //The main output prints on mysearchbits template, so create it and use variables defined within the while loop above for results
$db->free_result($query_Searchltr);
}
//*******END ALPHA SEARCH MENU*******Now, as said earlier in comments, simply use this line in any sub-page and put $alphamenu in the associated template. This would show the menu.

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



By: http://tech6.com

[jose22]

do not understand that part of -> So, in our usual vbulletin page.php, we will create a sub-called alphasearch and copy the code below for this. Sure, it would require editing to suit your needs, so read the comments.
and where it can help? pa of creating for instance in the cinema section of my forum?

[vietfancy]

very useful. Thanks

[Shadab]

if( isset($_GET['ltr']) )
{
$letter = $_GET['ltr'];
}

// <snip>

$itemcount = $db->query_first("
SELECT COUNT(`uid`) AS `itemcount`
FROM `" . TABLE_PREFIX . "mytable`
WHERE colname LIKE '" . $letter . "%'");


$letter is assigned the value from $_GET['ltr']
and then directly used in the DB query without sanitizing it.

Is that safe ?

[veenuisthebest]

Have edited the code. I think its safe now.

[vbplusme]

Caution: This "Tutorial" does NOT describe a WORKING mod and does not work as written. It is COMPLETELY based on a "theoretical" model and is completely worthless as a realtime MOD that just needs to be "tweaked". Not sure what the author was thinking when he called it a tutorial?

[veenuisthebest]

Caution: This "Tutorial" does NOT describe a WORKING mod and does not work as written. It is COMPLETELY based on a "theoretical" model and is completely worthless as a realtime MOD that just needs to be "tweaked". Not sure what the author was thinking when he called it a tutorial?
ehm.. that is what an article is. ROFL!

# Assuming you have intermediate knowledge of HTML and PHP.

[Jasem]

thank you!