Geek Article and Review System (GARS) LITE
 

From the makers of disco and square dancing comes the LITE, GARS LITE. Released for those needing an article/tutorial/recipe/review/blahblahblah system for only 1 forum, GARS LITE will make your site sing.

To say that GARS is only for articles, tutorials and reviews is like saying spoons are only for eating cereal. GARS can radically transform your forums look and functionality by allowing you to create an unlimited amount of different configurations of phrases, template and modules that can be applied on a forum by forum basis.

Designed with its own module system, you can easily expand and customize your configurations like never before. Modules can be re-used and re-used each time with different settings.

GARS LITE Key Features

• Transform any forum instantly without importing or changing the underlying data.
• Since GARS sits in front of vB, Anything you can do in vB you can do in GARS (user permissions, WYSIWYG editor, BBcode, Subscriptions, attachments, etc...)
• Create an unlimited amount of configurations, template sets, etc...
• Upload default thread header images and create a gallery of images for users to choose from
• Create a standard set of Ratings for each configuration to use (perfect for reviews)
• Page break and navigation system for GARS that span multiple pages.
• GARS LITE comes with 9 pre installed modules.

What you cant do in the LITE version that you can in the PRO:

• GARS LITE limits you to using it on 1 forum.
• Users can not upload their own header images.
• Users may not rate in reviews only authors can.
• The module caching system is disabled

Please note that you MAY NOT remove the copyright at the bottom of the GARS enabled pages.

Check out the in depth on-line manual for information and admin screen shots

GARS requires vBulletin 3.5x and requires no file or template edits.

If you install, do me a please click the freaking install button.

nJoy

Reserved for the nerd.

Nice for you to share this awesome script with community dude ;)

Sounds very nice indeed, well done!

I might be keen if I wasn't already using webtemplates...

hugh

Though I havent used web templates before... I think they are VERY different concepts. Maybe someone familiar to both systems can comment?

Thanks for this geek.. Appreciate it

Thanks for this <clicks install>

but what is the difference between LITE and PRO versions?

Your welcome :)

I just upload a new package because I found a typo with the first one which prevented you from adding additional modules to a module set. To upgrade, all you need to do is upload the latest upload/forums/gee/gars/gars_class_admin.php file (replacing your old one).

Thanks

I agree with him! Tnx so much.

Hi i was wondering these 2 limitations

GARS LITE limits you to using it on 1 forum.
Users can not upload their own header images.

Using on 1 forum meaning we cant have articles categorized into sub forums? And also whats the default header image for users?

Thanks

Hey Looney,

Yes, limiting it to 1 forum means that you can not organise categories via sub forums as per the PRO version, however there are crap loads of sites that simply have 1 forum where they dump their articles, tutorials or reviews in so its perfect for those guys. Its also perfect for those that want a particular forum to be specialised (i.e. using the .org install/release add on I did). People may already have an article/review solution, but want a different type of solution for another aspect of their site (ie. maybe a recipe location on their site, or a download area).

GARS is pretty freaking versatile, flexible and customisable. I think people will find loads of use for this LITE version.

The default header image thing is not in the LITE version and optionally gives users the ability to upload an image for the header. This image appears in the title of the GAR as well as the threadbit. Some don't use this feature anyway as there is also a 'gallery' of sorts where you as the admin can upload a selection of images for users to choose from to customise their entries.

The important thing is that even though it is 'LITE' and there are a small handful of features that exist in the PRO version, there is crap loads of functionality and features which will benefit countless sites without ever needing those features found in the PRO version. Check out the link in the first thread for the on-line manual. Hopefully that will help give you an idea of the possibilities with the system.

Thanks

If I wanted to upgrade from LITE to PRO, will it just be a matter of overwriting the LITE files?

Glad to see you released a free version, thanks!

yes, and importing the product xml.

Hope you guys find it useful :)

thanks for sharng this with the community its much appreciated.

uploaded files ran product . refreshed admincp nothing as far as gars besides under vbulletin options. and thats one field. am i missing something

Webtemplates is to make extra pages that use the vBulletin system, while GARS instead uses vB and transforms it into a tutorial/review/article/blog/whatever you can dream of really.

Hey Visionz... did you import the product_gars.xml into your product manager?

Could anyone that installs give me a high five by clicking the install button please?

yeah it installed the templates . i refresh and then the only thing in admincp is under (vbulletin options.

Forum ID Hint
Look, dont mess with this unless you are told by secret service agents eating bannanas. Basically its a quick hint for GARS to spawn itself which saves a query to the datastore on non GARS pages. This value is fed by the GARS Settings admincp page. Tweak it there. Goodbye!


Warning: Unknown(./geek/gars/includes/gars_ignition.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /global.php(337) : eval()'d code on line 33

everything is uploaded to the forum root so i dont understand that unless in the admin cp gars admin that i am missing you have to set something

and gars_ignition is uploaded to yourforums/geek/gars/includes/ ??!?!?

yep..

/httpdocs/Forum/geek/gars/includes/gars_ignition.php


Nevermind That I am a Jack ***

I forgot thats the public board
i need to upload it to the test forum haha. i am sorry
thats why it couldnt find anything i was looking at the wrong place :(

worked fine after i installed it at the right place :P

not a problem, Ive done that one before. Just glad its sorted as I was quickly running out of ideas :D

One thing I will find this very useful for is evaluating the full GARS, now I can see it in action myself. :)

Glad you shared it with us! :)

anyone have a live link so I can see it in action?

Here is a testing forum for the PRO version-> http://www.thevbgeek.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40

Here are a couple other oddities that you can do with it:
An on-line manual-> http://www.thevbgeek.com/forumdisplay.php?f=48
With the vb.org release add on-> http://www.thevbgeek.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

@Paul - would love ANY feedback from you on it. Feel free to post thoughts on it or PM me if its really bad :P

I have set up a recipes section and everything will go in there but is it then possible to set it for example to have different categories such as chicken, beef, fish etc? Also, can I change it to say recipes instead of articles and if so where do I do that?

Thanks very much for sharing this its great.

Hi there. You would need to orgainize your categories via sub-forums which isnt possible with the LITE version.

However I have done you a quick tutorial on creating a recipe term set (which you then apply to a type) I also did you a quick button :D here-> http://www.thevbgeek.com/showthread.php?t=1158

I also whipped up a quick 'shopping list' module here for you->http://www.thevbgeek.com/showthread.php?t=1159

Please click install if you have installed GARS LITE :D .

Thanks, hope it helps.

Thanks very much for doing that, thats great, so would I be right in thinking that I wouldnt be able to have individual categories as such with the lite but if I pay for the full version I can?

yes, the PRO version would allow you to apply types to several forums so you could create categories that way however give this one a go for awhile, you may also find that it will serve your needs without needing to buy the PRO version :D

i have it installed for my how 2 section but when i click next page it only gives me the same how 2's on every page. can you please tell me what my issue is?

Eh? Can you provide a url please? I havent heardthat one before and cant imagine how it could happen.

Thankt

heres the link

http://www.lowandloud.com/forumdispl...149&order=desc

login: review
password: review

It tells me I dont have enough posts to see the forum.

im fixing this now please check again.

That forum isnt GARS enabled, nor can I see what you mean :D

please PM me if your on for more than 5 minutes. i will change it once were on atthe same time. thank you

great !
/me clicks install

What exactly are the compatibility issues with GARS and vBAdvanced CMPS 2.x and 3.5.4? Some problems were mentioned on the vBAdvanced forum:

GARS/VBAdvanced what am I missing?

Is it possible or relatively straightforward to pull GARS data into vBA CMPS blocks? Such as "latest 5 articles in category X"?

Thanks for your input.

Hey Marris, there isnt any compatability issues... just the fact that people want a module for vbacmps that just plain doesnt exist :)

I did happen to hire someone to do this about 3 months ago, but he seems to of vanished. Hmmm. Wonder if he reads this thread :D

I would put the module together, however Im too swamped with other matters. If I find myself with some free time and one still hasnt been made then you can bet your bum ill do it.