Alphabetical Forum Filtering (ABC Threads Menu)
 

This mod add an "ABC Menu" on top of forumdisplay.php, to filter threads by theirs initial letter. It's fully customisable, as you may see in the screenshots attached.

I take a lot of caution coding 3 different locations to place it and a variable that you can use to manual placement.

There's also styling options:

- active "filtered letter" link color;
- active "filtered letter" cell background color;
- letters cells classes (only alt2 or alternating alt1/alt2);
- configurable optional message above the ABC Menu - phrased (multi language);

When the user clicks a letter in the ABC Menu, the thread results will be filtered in the default order (configured in ACP or overriden by user options in UserCP). Then, a popup menu will be displayed aside the letter to reorder the filtering (there's all options: per title, starting date, last post date, replys number, number of views, thread started username and thread rating - all in both descending+ascending orders).

The # link lists not only the threads started by numbers, but all threads not started by a letter (what includes number 0-9 and all symbols).

Stop loosing your time. Download, install and see it yourself!

Installation instructions
- Import attached product

Upgrade instructions (any version to 1.1)
1- Import attached product (set Allow overwrite = Yes)
2- Check your configs (will need to adjust colspan and positioning again)

Note about colspan

Take some time checking the colspan value. The lower you set it, better. I'm saying this because if you set 5 for a skin that need only 4, newer browsers will renderize it ignoring the excess, but older will render 1 (or more) blank columns (and you will end up with an HTML structural error, regardless what the browser renderize).

It's now adjusted as 5 by default (new installs*). If you upgraded your version, you will need to manually adjust it. This occurs because the old version automatically add + 3 to configured value. But I saw some skins this week with very different layouts for forumdisplay (they have only 2-3 columns), so I decided to remove this "+3" adjustment in code. So, if you set it 3, you will have colspan="3", and so on.

The mod auto adjusts the colspan based in your forum configurations (the colspan is increased by 1 when the forum have threadicons and/or the inlinemod column is show). When you use manual placement, a key text should be used as colspan value in your template (--abcfilter-colspan--), to benefits of this function that identify the inlinemod/threadicons columns + the colspan setting.


Version History

01/11/2009 - 1.0
- Initial release.

01/11/2009 - 1.0b
- Fixed Plugin code (see post #1908976).
- Small edit in popup menu <if> statements.

05/11/2009 - 1.1
- Fixed pagination.
- New template positions.
- 1 more fix in the <if> statements.
- Removed unnecessary template caching.
- Added session hash in URL, when present.
- Configurable No Follow parameter in links.
- Optional line break (<br>) below ABC Menu.
- Configurable # symbol (set 0-9, @, or whatever).
- Selected letter cell class now match styles automatically.
- You may still customize the colors, if you want a "highlight".
- Re-ordering results in forum footer keeps the thread list filtered.*

* This may not work with all styles (let me know).

[S]Known bugs: pagination works fine, however, page totals are not decreased after filtering.

e.g.: if you have 200 threads, divided in 10 pages (20 per page), after filtering the forum for the letter "A", if you have 35 results, you will see not only 2 pages, but all 10 (pages 3 to 10 returns the default "no threads to show" error). I do not see it as a big problems, specially because I added both Asc/Desc orders in the filtering, so you don't need to waste your time trying to find the "last page" of a filtering with 5+ pages: just inverse the order and go to page 1[/S] :)

IF YOU'RE USING IT, MARK AS INSTALLED. IT'S GOOD FOR YOU AND ME.

nice mod
thanks,

Very nice, but popup menu don't working.

great but, I think it works with forums that use Latin characters

After installing this mod, when I go to any forum I'm getting this error...

Thanks. :D
Mark as installed, please.

Nominate? :rolleyes:

Try this updated version. If still not working with your skin, try default vB skin.

Let me know the results, please.

Sorry?

Thanks for reporting. Warnings were disabled in my server.

Updated.

English is not my 'm sorry for writing wrong
How beginners as beginners will do 0.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9 figures

@delibakis,

The button # will show all threads not starting with A-Z.

So it show threads starting with: 0-9, [ ] { } $ # % ^ & * .. whatever

You may replace the "#" symbol for other text in:
Plugins > Alphabetical FF - Show ABC Menu (@around line 18)
I may also add a field to change it at mod options in next update, or show both separated: 0-9 and # (symbols) buttons.

Where are you from?

Great addon, thank's.
I was waiting for this...

Obrigad?o Renato...:up:

thanks great mod

Nominated For MOTM. :up:

Works Fine on vB373 PL1. :up:

I Hope You Can Find a Way to Work the Extra Pagination. ;)

Is Important that you Include Usergroup Restrictions, like an Option to Select the Usergroups that Can Use this Mod. ;)

On Plugin "Alphabetical Forum Filtering - Show ABC Menu" you can add

at the Beginning

and at the End

to Display it Only to Usergroups '5,6,7,2'; if required you can Add Usergroups by Adding them Sepparated by Commas.

You can Add an Option for the Mod where Admins can Specify the Usergroups listed as

5,6,7,2

My Best Regards.

:)

No way to have popup menu working. I have updated to last version. I'm on 3.7.5

Nice mod, and lol @ donate button INSIDE the admincp options ..

Probably going to use it on http://wetalk.tv in the 'tv shows' forum.

Feature request: this, but for forums. I have a site with 500 sub forums, having the user use that as a directory would be cool.

Thanks :)

I found a forum with a custom "ABC Menu" who did it, I think it's not too hard. Will look further still today.

Thanks for the suggestion. Works exactly same way the forums configuration. I just didn't realize somebody would want usergroup permissions. Will be implementing this for sure.

The mod has been developed for 3.8.4 (should work from at least 3.8 RC 3).

3.7 require a new mod, with the JS popup menu ported (3.8 have it built in).

I will be looking @ it next days/weeks. Would be faster if you donate to incentivate :D

Something wrong with the donation button? :erm:

Searched vb.org rules and found nothing related to donations for coders. Considering vB.org have a specific forum for paid requests, it sounds nice to incentivate coders develop free mods and paid mods for a lower price (this mod is from a paid request, and while other coders would ask hundreds dollars, I asked a very low incentive and firmed that it would be publicy available after finished). ;)

I'm still implementing all features the user request: he wants A-Z filtering in forumhome (index.php) also, below each forum title. However, this seems hards to code, because there are 4 forumbits to attach the ABC Menu template and there is nothink to "hook in" that is widely used from different styles. Any user using a style != from vB default will have to use the manual placement in forumhome (and, like I said, there are 4 forumbits...). Like you can see, I hate manual edits. It make upgrading vB a bad experience. :(

My forum have ~350 forums (50 of usergroups and staff level sections). I found a way to reduce the 300 content forums to only 8 (I'm implementing this - it's some kind of "filtering" too) :)

Send me a PM if you're interested in know more.

@Cerbero1000:

Users reported it to works with 3.7.3 PL1, so it should work with 3.7.5 as well (I mean, it have the JS necessary built in), so there's no need for a new mod released to 3.7.x.

Please post your forums URL here (or send me a PM), then I will be able to debug it (at least 1 forum must be open to guests).

Pm sent.
Thanks! :)

Nice work, thank you!
one q :) is possible to add filter threads by last word for eg.
Alphabetical Forum Filtering

Wow, what kind of forums you run? :P

I will study mysql/regex to find a way of doing it (I know the regex to do it matching "[space]F" but it would not match a thread with a single word).

:p i have place wher users add threads for eg.

Mike - my collections pictures from Sweden
Kate - pictures from London

ect.
Thank you very much
:)

I don't mind that coders set paypal up in their profile, so those who decide to support it, have it in their release thread on the right column.

It's not needed to pollute my admincp with donate buttons.

If there's a readme.html or install.html, I think it's a suitable place to have someone consider contributing to it while they're reviewing it.

What's next, a popup that prevents one from using the product until donate option yes/no has been selected? Sorry, personally I find it a step too far to butt in on the admincp with going anywhere further than provide the code for the addon.

It's a personal preference. It got me by surprise. And I hope it's not a trend. It is actually a motivator for me to either a) stop using it and uninstall it as it gives me the impression the mod is only released to try and get some money out of it (just like so called "lite" releases on vborg) or b) just edit the code out and no longer support the idea of donating for it.

Again it's just me .. I would donate if it's a fair honest submitted contribution for free, no commercialization or monetizing on the mind, and there's a paypal link on the release or install thread in the right place.

No, it's not a problem, and yes, I understand your motivation. But no, I don't personally like it. That's why I commented on it. Nothing personal against you.

If I did not mentioned I developed it after a mod request, you would never know it. I can say it's "a new mod, grab from the idea of a paid mod", and not "a mod based in a paid mod". I went ahead and developed a mod better than what a user requested (asking a bid), and put it here, for free. I do not like template edits, although I ever read "Instructions.txt" as I ever read the manual of anything I buy. However, I know people do not like to do it, therefore I prefer to provide a simple .xml to import.

Also, it is not the mod the user requested. It is a very different mod (far better, in my point of view). Like I said, he wants something that looks "simpler": the filtering links in forumhome (index.php), below forum titles. However, it's harder to code, because there are more forumbits than a single forumdisplay template to edit (and there're no hooks or variables I can use to append the ABC table content). And if I did only it (with no menu in forumdisplay), then people would go back index to filter other letter, and I would not have a good place to put the ordering popup menu.

Anyway, thanks for your point of view. I still think you're free to use it, or not. It's up to you. You would never see the mod acp options after the 1st time you go there (or you maybe never see it, if you're good with default options: show in all forums, no bgclass alternating, no table header message, "white over blue" selected letter cell styling), then you will not see the donate button anymore.

IMHO, a single (optional) donate button is FAR, very very very FAR from a popup asking for a donation. The fact is the mod have currently 28 installs (not counting the people using it without marking as installed), and I didn't received a single donation, then it isn't so intrusive.

What to say about search engines? Not too far, you were able to search web without seeing ads in the results pages. Today, every search tool is ad monetized. You only see the ads if you decide to search. Same way, you only see my donation button if you decide to use the mod.

If you still think the donation button is intrusive and do a) or b), I will be sad if your option is a). I prefer you do b) than not use the mod at all. Your suggestions will be helpful for me and all ppl using the mod. :D

Regards.

(I should update it today, with new options: usergroup settings and - maybe - the pagination fix).

Thanks for your point of view too. And yes, I use it. It runs on the network of 10 sites on wetalk.tv - beta testing it now to see which forums we want to include/exclude.

Installed And Nominated For MOTM. It is Just Great..

Posting just to inform you:

I fixed the pagination problem!! :)

I will be posting the mod today (just adding some more nice features).

Rated excellent and featured mod of the month!

So I just upload the product and that's it? Thanks.

Yes! :D

Please mark as installed if using. Thanks.

Regards,

Installed. Looks and works great. Thanks.

Great Improvements. :up:

Pagination is Working Fine Now. :up:

One Little Maybe Bug:

When Selecting "Yes" for "Use custom style for selected letter?", and then selecting a Letter, the Colors are being applied to the Selected Letter and to the Ones located to the Left of the Selected Letter, but for the Letters to the Right the Color of the Letters are not being Applied. :confused:

Is it dessigned to work this way? :confused:

Question: For Next Update will you be Including the Usergroup Permissions? (so that we don't have to Edit the Plugin, Je Je Je) ;)

My Best Regards.

:)

May you please post a screenshot (or a URL - better)?

Yes, next update, usergroup permissions :)
(actually, I simply forgot to include it in this version)

(Click the Image for Full Size)

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2...alforumfil.jpg

I've set Red Color for the Text Option; as you can see, the Letters from A to T are in Red and from U to Z are in the Normal Color (Black in this case). :confused:

My Best Regards.

:)

On the First Version the Colors where Being Displayed only for the Selected Letter, (I've Just Confirmed that on the Board where I have Installed the Previous Version).

My Best Regards.

:)

Thanks for reporting. I really found some problems in the code.
But, strangely, it was working fine for me... :confused: :p

Try this version attached.
If works, I will add the selectable groups setting and send as v1.2.

The Attached Version Works Fine, Renato. :up:

Now the Color Format is Applied Only to the Selected Letter. :up:

One Detail I noticed since the beginning is that the Sticky Threads are not Filtered, but are Sorted when Choosing a Sorting Option; Perhaps would be nice for Future Versions to Include an Option for the Admin to Choose if Filter should be Applied (or Not) to the Sticky Threads too, (with a Long List of Sticky Threads this would help a lot to Clear the Forum Display Page). ;)

Great Mod, I Hope it Gets Soon on the MOTM Poll. :up:

My Best Regards; I'll wait for the Next Version to Update my Main Boards. ;)

:)

@inciarco,

Thanks for the suggestion, very cool!!

I have no control over the stickies db query (it's the only query without hooks in forumdisplay.php), therefore I can't filter them by letter.

However, I can hide them from page 2+ (or hide them in all pages) when filtering for a letter.

If you have too many sticky threads that mess your thread listing, maybe they should not be stickies, but only highlighted with a Prefix or a [tag] in the title (the tag will make them appear when filtering for symbols/numbers (clicking #)).

But now (with this new attached file) you may simply set to hide all sticky threads when filtering for a letter (only from page 2 or in all pages)!

Regards.

Cool!!

You didn't even downloaded the last attached file and I already got around the lack of hooks for sticky threads!

This is the first function of the mod that handles an internal forumdisplay.php variable [S]($limitothers)[/S] ($prefix_filter). I do not like to do it, but I LOVED the result :D

NEW version attached. :)

[S]Obs: need some test to confirm that users not allowed to see threads started by others see them when filtering by letter, but I think I coded right ;)[/S]

I've Tested the Latest Version Attached on Post 37, and is Working Great, Renato. :up:

It's Hiding the Sticky Threads from the Second Page on. :up:

It's Filtering and Sorting the Sticky Threads with the "Filter Sticky Threads?" Option Set to "Yes", and when Set to No it Sort them but Present them All on the First Page. (Great Feature). :up:

It's Very Nice the Option to Set the # Text as Desired. :up:

And of Course the rel="nofollow" Parameter as You Describe on the ACP Mod Option, is Very Important to Keep it not to have Duplicate Content. :up:

I Loved the New Features, Renato, Congratulations for this Great Mod and Thank You Again For Sharing it. :up:

I Hope You Can Include the Usergroup Permissions Option on the ACP Mod's Options. ;)

My Best Regards.

:)

How possible would it be to port this over to work on categories? I'd really like to at least attempt it.

Hi,

I use this add on. It is pretty successful except Turkish characters. When I click on Y; İ and Ü are also displayed. When I click on C; both C and Ç are displayed. How can I resolve this? Any ideas?
Edit/Delete Message

strange that nobody ever thought of it. Even I didn't...but this actually helps to make many things easy to find.

Dope mod!