Thread Introductions
 

About
This little hack will allow you to have introductions at the top of your threads that only admins can edit. Screenshots follow in the next posts.

I was inspired by my ignorance, really. I was over at http://www.bikeforums.net/ to gawk at his contest thing at the top of each thread, and I didn't realize it was on EVERY thread - I thought he had created some kind of hack! scsa20 pointed out that it was merely a template edit.

I had already fallen in love with this idea, though. So here it is.

Notes:
1. If you install this, please click the "install" button or post the URL of a thread with an introduction in your forums in this thread so I can see this in action. :) I'd consider it a personal favor.
2. I was unable to get one screenshot working, but I can just tell you that the thread introduction editing page looks like the post editing page. If someone could post this screenshot, I'd appreciate it.

Latest Version: 1.1.5
The latest version integrates the "Thread Introduction" link INTO the admin options menu, adds an option to show the thread title when no intro is present, and allows you to update the introductions of ALL threads in EVERY forum at once (Thanks Boofo for the idea). If you are upgrading, read through install.txt, but the only necessary things to do are to change the "threadintro" template and to overwrite the old threadintro.php file with the new one!
Download: here

Old Versions / Change Log
v1.1.0 - added formatting & introduction box
v1.0.0 - first release

Screenshot #1 - thread introduction

I'm just getting black pictures.

fixed - at least one :)

It works now. The only thing is, what's the main point of this? If you have a message, it goes on the thread. If a moderator has an annoucnment, it has it's own thread.

*shrug* I don't know. If you can't think of a use, don't install it. It's a lot of fun though. :D

for starters, i used it once to tell people not to SPAM for the sake of post counts on a thread where people were guessing who would get the most posts

in general, it would be good to, as the name implies, introduce the thread or to make a clarification, etc.

*shrugs*

Don't sweat it. There's countless hacks here that I haven't installed because I personally don't see a use for them but each adds overall value to VBulletin and the VBulletin community. I'd hate to think what it would be like if the various hackers here were deterred from writing or releasing their addons because they thought no one else would benefit.

The more the merrier! ;)

I get two instances of

A few things - I found that the first bit of code (as mentioned above) has to be put under the second instance.

Secondly, I think you should point out that the "Thread Intro" thing is a link, literally underneath the admin menu - I thought by "under the menu" you meant it was an option in the menu.

Thirdly, does this require that the user does his/her own formatting? This is what I get (see attachment):

great hack I will install this later! :)

if you want to do formatting, you are welcome to go ahead and do this in your template :D

old version file - no formatting

edit: attachment removed

yea, i like it. ti's a good way to keep people reminded of stuff that would be going on. before you would have to hope they looked in the announcement, with this hack you are guaranteed the members will see it if they go on your board. :)

question. Is this always visible, or is there a way to turn it off?

it is only visible if there is a thread intro in the database for that particular thread. if not, the table disappears.

So if the thread has been deleted, it will not show, correct?

I'm somewhat confused as to how this works now that I've read this whole thread. Is it similar to the Bike forums, or something different?

Is it an actual link to a thread?

Look @ the screenshot - it's at the top of showthread.php in any threads that the administrator creates thread introductions for. If there is no thread introduction set, the table will disappear.

i get the feeling this isnt catching on

This looks interesting. Could this be used as a Forum Introduction?

If I understand correctly, this could be used as a "Welcome to xxx forum" that would be displayed at the top of any particular forum?

This would be better(?) than posting a "Welcome..." thread or Announcement:, where visitors might or might not view it. This would be automaticallly displayed & viewed by all that visited the forum where it was posted. Correct?

I assume the admin has the option to post it in any forum?

Thanks...

No, these introductions are in THREADS...see the screenshot.

Oh well, I was hoping this could have been used for Forum intro's. Thanks anyway.

i might get to that sometime ;)

Is this the same thing that Firefly is using here in the big letters? And how do you get it to automatically do it in the big letters whenever a new thread is started? I tried to run the install php but got errors from the global.php on all 4 line twice. Did I miss something?

Another great hack, Nick! Is there a way that we can have it automatically add the threadintro to the db whenever a new thread is started so we don't have to do it manually for each thread? The editor is a great idea, but can it be made to edit the threadintro in the navbar too? It's best to have them match, if possible. :)

Well, one COULD, but it would take extensive modifications to the showthread_adminoptions template. I'll take a look and post the new contents of that template here if I get it working. ;)

And BTW, the automatic thread intro thing can be done, but would use lots of space...

Okay, to link to the thread introduction changer actually IN the admin options menu, first back up your showthread_adminoptions template in case this doesn't work, then replace it with the following:

did you get that, boofo?

The above doesn't work. Did I get what? :)

BTW: Is there anyway that your hack can edit the threadintro if there is one and if there isn't one, just edit the default one ($thread[title]) and make that one into a threadintro. That way there will always be a intro at the top of the page whether it is edited or not? Do you understand what I mean? Like they have here on the thread headers where it is different form the original one. Can you do it? :)

all they do is use multiple instances of $forum[title]

can you please be more specific as to any error messages you are getting, etc.?

I see what you are saying about multiple instances now. I wonder why I didn't think of that. :)

The errors I got on the Admin Options box after I applied your code was that it would say the page was done loading and be a blank screen. It kept pulling up the postings.php when it tried to run.

While I have you here, I am tring to do a forum header like it did the thraed header but I am running into problems with the table messing it up. Do you know a way around that? I tried to do it just like the thread intro but the table is completely different in the forum header.

okay, please post the url that appears in the browser window after choosing an option

as for the header, you shouldn't need to do any more tables, just to <p><font size="SIZE YOU WANT">$thread[title]</font><p> somewhere up there

try this:

I tried that but they have a table that goes up and down on the left side in the thread header area so when I put that code it, it never centers. :)

honestly i dont know then...i've never tried that

Here's the error I get when I pick anything but thread intro:

No thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the Webmaster

When I pick thread intro it kicks me back to the main forum page.

Could it have something to do with the form action at the top of the code? :)

try:

Sorry, same results... I guess your guinnea pig is letting you down. :)