I updated the package to version 2.0

Whats different?

1- Carrid the 'article' theme through to the rest of showthread.php and even forumdisplay.php by adding 2 more templates. Granted, these changes are only subtle when compared to the first yet I felt it needed to be done for completeness.
2- Grouped phrases into their own lot
3- Added a couple of buttons

To upgrade, download the latest release and follow the upgrade instructions (they are pretty straight forward).

nJoy

A vBadvanced module block would be a piece o cake to do (essentially just latest topics for pre defined forums).

Ill look into it as it could be a cool addition.

Very nice update. I've just seen a little problem under Firefox : when you want to vote for an article, little stars don't show, where as they do with the normal templates. And again congratulations !

Thanks for that. I forgot a phrase in the install package (though in my firfox, it showed the stars but not the title of the drop down).

I have updated the install file, however you can quickly fix yours by adding a new phrase:
Phrasegroup: GeekArticles
variable: geek_articles_rate_this_article
Text: Rate this Article

Thanks again!

nJoy

Here's a little translation for French users :-)
(only the visible phrases translated).

Sweet! Ill fold that into the next update as an option to install.

I got various layout problems with this hack.

The top:
http://www.tcb-files.com/temp/541da952e5525c.jpg
1. There are no 'Article Tools', 'Search This Article' or 'Rate article' links
2. The foldout menu's do work however, but give empty boxes (like under admin tools there are only empty boxes)
3. There's no dark line under that table (where the article tools, search this article and rate this article links should be). It also have a different outline compared to the article table and the comments tables.

The bottom:
http://www.tcb-files.com/temp/541da955b67193.jpg
1. the two tables where 'comments' (first row) and the 'Make a comment on this article' textlink (second row) doesn't feature any text.
3. There are no 'Previous Article | Next Article' textlinks, only the << and >> signs.


It seems like it has to do something with the language. But I only have the default language and the default template installed. I have checked for the phrases, and they are installed. The alignment problem doesn't exist in the normal showthread.

I also see links to images like 'background="images/dp/skin_images/forumbox_top_tile.gif' in the templates. Those files are meant for your skin, but aren't working for people having a different skin.

Looks like much (if not all) of your phrases did not install.

Can you PM me a link and also do a quick phrase search for the variable geek_articles_next_article

Did you get any errors running the install script?

Cheers

All phrases have been installed (already checked). I will run through all lines that I have to edit again :D

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but... Can articles have inline images in them?

Thanks.

Art

P.S. Excellent work by the way.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/

And I have also checked that the geek_articles phrases are loaded in the php files, like in showthread.php:
So the phrases are there, the geek_articles is added to the phrasegroups, and still the language doesn't show up :ermm:

Must have been asleep last night to have missed that!
That is most likely why your layout went funked. However, you are still missing all of the phrases that I can see. The only thing I can think of is that you didnt add geek_articles to your phrasegroups.

I have updated the package to remove those instance of my style 'additions' (that I found). I also integrated cclaerhout's french phrases (cheers) into the install package. Before it installs the phrases it gives you the option to install in english or french.

Thanks all!

so your showthreads.php phrasegroup line looks like this:

yup.

Thanks ;)

I have uninstalled the hack (using the install script) and then re-installed the latest version (with the english/french option). And now it works :D

sweet. (was getting nervous for a minute ;) )

Grrr! Just after I started entering the phrases manually :rolleyes:

Yesterday i saw the size problem between boxes, but i was too tired to tell you lol
I've installed again with your new installation file, and it rocks both in english and french ! Thanks to have integrated my translation. And again congratulations for your hack, your humour inside it (;-) ) and the support you give us.

Typical. I install yesterday then you release an update today.

Oh well it's still good work. :D

[high]* peterska2 clicks install[/high]

Nice hack - I think :) Errr I'm confused. Followed instructions to the letter. I go to the forum that I speicifed to be the article forum and well.... nothing.

There are no buttons to click to write an article with. I know it's something I've done wrong but I have no idea what. I'm new to VB so be gentle :)

Attached image of what I'm seeing. Any ideas?

Hey there naathanus. Are there any threads in there? Also, did you upload the newarticle.gif button to your images/buttons folder?

Since you are running a modified skin, you may need to copy it to wherever that skin looks to for its buttons. In all reality though, you may need to create a button called newarticle.gif that would look better on your skin (same thing for comment.gif)

Hope this helps ;)

Just as an FYI, I created a 'Latest articles' module for vBadvanced found here. Those using vBadvanced CMPS should give it a whirl.

Due to popular request, I have also released a Featured/Random Article module for vBaCMPS here->https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=73836

Wow, nice modules!

Thanks for theses modules. I'm going to use one of them for sure :)

Hi
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you - I fell asleep at the computer :(
There are no threads - I'm testing this and all mods - on a test forum. I created the thread especially for this mod. Ith as an ID of 3 so could then go add 3 to the php_start option.
I uploaded the buttons but I'm thinking I may have added them to the default image folder not the modified skin's foler.
Ultimately I'll change the buttons but for now as it's on a test forum it doesn't matter :)

I'll try the button moving and let you know

Yep okay when I uploaded the images to the correct diectory I suddenly had an option to make a new article (amazing huh?). However I still have the issue where, in the title bar of where the articles are listed it shows up as
In the normal forum section, that area would be:In your demo you link to that section on your forum says:
Another question, in your demo link you have at the top of the article:
Is there an extra step to get the "Written by" part to show up?
Thanks :)

PM or post me a link. It sounds like your phrases arent installed correctly

MMMMMultiplepages :)

but they'll be asking for the PrinterFriendly template to go with!

Some article software I have used elsewhere lets you insert a pagebreak tag to create the breaks. Were you thinking along those lines, or perhaps would separate posts by the author be separate pages?

Regards,

Matt

Nathanaus: I had exactly the same issue as yourself and it was solved after a second uninstall -> install.

Nail Geek, I was looking at the files and reviewing the install and it just occurred to me that maybe the installation procedure depends on the changes made to the 2 php files. If so, that would explain why I need to do a second install to get it to display properly.

Yep that fixed it. Uninstall then re-install. I'm thinking the mod's need to be done to the files before running the installer. Thanks very much rlamego for the tip :)

So I think if people are planning on adding this great hack, they should do step 2 then step 1 of the insturctions. :)

Great hack :) *clicks install*

I think TCB had a similar install problem however I cant see for the life of me how the PHP files would do have anything to do with the installation of phrases.
I think it has more to do with the creation of the phrasetype. Ill review the install file... maybe during installation the language isnt rebuilt, but during the uninstall it is.

Anyway... Im glad everyone digs it.

memobug: Yea, I was eyeing the printthread template with a little disdain. I think that will be the next job to tackle.
As far as multipages... that is a little harder. I have managed to work out additional code to do the pagination to keep the articles seperated from the comments (harder than you would think) but it also requires more showthread modifications, a new table added, and some newreply modifications to enter data into that table.
Im away next week and when I get back I will look at cleaning up the pagination routine and look at adding the newreply modifications. Hopefully I may have something in a few weeks.

Oops I had to retype this.

I had two comments and a possible bug for you. Everything installed okay with just these notes

1. It would probably help a lot to number the instruction steps in each of the php script mods. Since you need to switch screens to cut & paste to install this, it is easy to lose track. I think it was some 5 in the first file and 3 in the second

2. As usual, when I installed this one the language changes didn't "take" right away. I had to go into the language admin and pretend to alter one of the terms to give it the kickstart it needed to go. I just searched on GEEK and "edited" the Article Ratings term by clicking OK, then all the terms snapped in. Happens all the time and most probably has nothing to do with you, but worth mentioning in case someone else has a similar problem. (I see now that two posters above did have that behavior!)

3. The bug (I think it is a bug) is related to missing Author icon on relocated articles. I understand that this template is designed to show the Author's avatar in the first post and subsequent posts don't have it, and are treated as comments, right? That is how it behaved when I created a new article. But when using the Thread Move tool, I move old articles that people have written months ago into my new "articles" forum, these articles shows up without any Author avatar and no spiffy Article title or byline next to it. (I tried moving a couple of articles with the same result) When the articles are moved back to their origins, the post title and avatar return.

I tried editing and saving the first post too, but that didn't help. I moved three articles with the same result. All had good avatars and titles. One was my own.

Any ideas?

AN IDEA ABOUT HTML:

This article thing has me really going, and I would like to be able to have HTML in the article posts so I can run the articles in two columns (tried it and it looks cool) and embed images inline, but not have the server risks of enabling HTML in the comments. What do you think about making it so the first post could display HTML but it would strip HTML in subsequent posts?

Regards,

Matt

Great feedback and suggestions.

I agree and will try to re-sort this for my next release. Nice suggestion

Hmm... I am now almost 100% positive that this has something to do with inserting a new phrasetype. I will have to investigate why the language isnt rebuilt correctly after it is added.

This one is really odd. Are you saying that after the move the threads look just like normal ones? Can you send me a link with a moved article so I can take a peek?

Couldnt some bbcode be done to signal a new column?

[column]blahblahblah[/column]
[column]asdfsdfasd[/column]

make the BBcode translations simply add <td>blahblah</td>

I am just speaking off the cuff here so cut me some slack ;)

Hi TNG, here you go

link to an article created in the articles Forum
link to an article moved to the Articles Forum
Link to a two column article for fun (also moved to this forum)

Yes I think you could make some table tags. I saw a posts recently for creating some table tags using special BBCODE. I am thinking of doing all sorts of things in the articles. Everything from including graphics and recommend-it and probably including just a brief intro blurb and IFRAMING content from another Content Management System I have that does multipage stuff, print format and the like. Links to articles by the same author, on a related subject, etc, etc.

Regards,

Matt

P.S. Get some plants in that nailshop to deal with the free radicals and nasty solvents. Dracaena is supposed to be very good. We need you around for future upgrades to this hack ;)

hmmm... Have you done any modifications to the template? (just checking ;) )
Can you put this in the first line of your GEEK_POSTBIT_ARTICLE template:
<-- the firstpostid: $thread[firstpostid] -->
(just above <!-- post #$post[postid] --> )

It is failing that test on the articles you have linked to and hence the reson why it thinks its a comment instead of the article. I have moved some articles about on my site and havent had a problem.
Are any of these threads split by chance?

[offtopic]
Thanks for your concern regading the solvents ;)
However, the amount of harmful vapour in a busy salonis about 100-200 times below safety thresholds meaning you are in a much more dangerous arena driving to the plant store to get a new one ;)
Sadly, some solvents simply smell really strong in very low (and very safe) concentrations. However I may just go and get a new plant anyway :)
[/offtopic]

nJoy

Great update, someone should made a mod for this to work with daniweb (cscgal)'s SEO hack, so that we can have just for the forum of the articles...

article<ID>-title-title.html instead of post<id>-title-title.html

Hi, TNG,

1. I made the template change requested.
2. I also tried a simple test of creating, splitting, and moving posts into the article forums and both split pieces behaved correctly as you designed with avatars on the first post.
3. To answer your question, I am not sure if the problem threads were split threads. That was a common way of creating articles on our forum. Someone posts a question and someone else answers with a long, "article-like" reply, so I split it out and they flesh it out a bit more into an article.

However, I am thinking that the problem seems to be with older posts. I believe both the ones I moved with problems were created under vbulletin 2.3.5. The tattler comment you asked me to insert reveals that those problem threads have a firstpost=0... So maybe that firstpost thing is new for 3.0.3?
4. Would I have to change each firstpost field in the database to make it correct, or is there some other way of rebuilding them?


Another topic:

Article ownership:

It seems like it might be necessary in practice for the moderator/admin to be able to attribute an article to someone else. Quite often people send me stuff and I format, edit and post it for them. It would be great if there were a way to go back and make it appear to be theirs.

Regards,

Matt

@The Nail Geek: Any chance of those vBa CMPS add'ons being done for vBIndex?

Why not just make a script that selects all threads with a firstpostid=0 and update them? I guess it just depends on your quantity of threads that have this situation that you may want to put in as an article.
I guess you could always test the firstpostid in showthread.php and if it is 0, do a quick select to get the first one.

Anyhooo... those are a couple of things that may help you work around the issue.

This is a feature that was requested several pages back. It is dooable, but a little difficult.
In the design I am working on, I am storing any 'extra' article info in a seperate table (hate changes to existing vb tables) that is pulled when a user is browsing an article.
I was going to store an extra 'author' line there, however that causes problems with the forumdisplay pages. You would really want this extra field to be displayed next to the title in forumdisplay. However, what if its not even a member name? Just display the name? No link or anything? Blech. I hate trying to get my head around these things. Guess Ill have to do the later.

BTW: Not sure if its off topic or not... but the pagination did my head in and I am still not sure if I like the way that it looks. Any feedback guys? (personally Im gunning for it all on 1 line)