Display count of unread posts in welcome box
 

* This hack only works if you use the new database thread marking system, if you don't, then you probably should be. *

With the new marking system I have found a simple count of the new posts since your last visit to be less informative and useful than it used to be - esp as the GetNew function now excludes threads you have read, but includes threads from before your last visit. Therefore I decided to try a new system that counts the actual number of posts that are still considered unread by you, and will show up in a GetNew search.

In fact this hack gives you two options (with a new setting in the vBulletin Options > General Settings). If set to yes, it will only count the unread posts since your last visit, if set to no it will count all posts considered unread. This setting reflects the divider in the GetNew display.

To install this hack simply download the xml file to your pc and then import it into vbulletin as a product - then alter the ACP setting to your preferred option (the default is 'no' (i.e. all unread posts).

Note: This hack injects the result direct into the navbar template during page construction, thus avoiding the need for a template edit. This requires that a certain text combination exists in your template. This will be fine for most boards that use a navbar based on the vB default, but you should bear this in mind if you have a totally custom navbar.



History:

v1.01 : First Release.
v1.02 : Minor changes, no update necessary.

Nice mod but you might want to remove the echo query out of the xml file or some newbies are really going to be confused. ;)

Yeah, I suppose so.

Since it was commented out it wouldn't actually do anything, but removed anyway. :)

Just trying to save you tons of "why does it run 2 queries that are the same" questions you were bound to get. ;)

Nice to know you think so highly of us Boofo. Ha ha... great idea.

* acidburn0520 clicks install

I was hoping I didn't have to classify you as "newbie", but if you insist. ;)

Where do I upload "products"? I have no product manager in my admin panel and I am running the latest version of VB.

Before anyone jumps in here, I have talked to this gentlemen in another thread and explained the differences between 3.0 and 3.5. 'Nuff said. ;)

was hoping this worked on rc2 :( oh well.

edit...nevermind.

I've installed this product but the "new post" bit has not appeared

Using RC3.

Any ideas why this wont work?

Thanks,
Paul

works great thx!
(RC2)

<< clicks install

Works on RC3 *install*

i installed on rc2 to but didnt get the new posts count

trancetopia & GoNz00 (and anyone else).

It will work on any 3.5 version, however, did you read all the smallprint ?

1. Are you using a custom style (specifically the navbar template) ?

2. Are you using the database based thread marking system - if not then it won't work.

Hi Paul, thanks for getting back.

Ahhhh, i'm not using the databased thread marking system so there is my problem. Going to switch it over and give it a try.

Many thanks.

Sweet it's working now. Great mod.

thanks it works now :)

for those wondering where to look

admin cp / vBulletin Options > General Settings > Thread/Forum Read Marking Type > set to database

I've highlighted the requirement in bold to make it slightly more obvious.

This hack adds a line under the "Welcome, user" line in the right edge of the navbar. This might not be noticed by some people, especially those already used to using the "New Posts" link (between Calendar and Search). I'm thinking this might be better if, instead of the new line, if the existing "New Posts" link was changed to either say, "X New Posts" (X is the number), or "No New Posts". What do you think?

I'm happy with the link where it is (as this is how we do it on our forum) so thanks for the idea, but I don't intend to change it. :) You are of course free to alter it as you want if you plan to use it on your own forum, however, I can only support it as supplied. :)

Everybody has allways "1 unread post" and when clicking it it say "no unread posts" ;(

:squareeyed: Got it working now :squareeyed:

But :rolleyes: :-) is there a cmps version.

In my forum it's working great but on my homepage it isn't redirected to my vbul folder.

Thnx in advance,

Rob

Do you have a forum where "Index New Posts in Search Engine" is set to 'no' ? - this would be my guess as 3.5 currently excludes these from a GetNew display.

(I reported this as a bug and it's fixed in the next version - RC4 ?).

Sorry - I don't have or use cmps.

I found it .. I have a hidden (Archive) forum .. there was one post in there :)

How can that be a bug? That would make sense on how it should work.

Not really - excluding posts from the search index is to stop people searching for them with a text search - it has nothing to do GetNew (or GetDaily) which are for finding all the new posts since your visit (or today).

Fixed it , hope U don't mind , made a minor change :

Changed
<a href='search.php?do=getnew'>
to
<a href='http://www.huijting.nl/vbul/search.php?do=getnew'>

Rob

Nope, I don't mind, you can change it as you see fit on your forum. :)

Works very well except it counts my own post as an unread post, and it's quite annoying. By this I mean I make a post and the unread count goes up to 1, I click on unread posts and it goes back to zero. Is there any way to stop this?

Using it on 3.5 Gold.

It's a feature of the way vB and the database marking system works atm - basically when you create a new thread/post it is initially considered to be unread, even by you. Therefore when you are taken back to the thread display, the post is counted as unread, of course it then becomes marked as read (by yourself) so the display will update when you click on unread posts.

thank

Interesting. I guess there's not really much motivation for the vB guys to fix that as it's only really a problem for mods, so is there any chance of a workaround/fix?

I reported it as a bug and Jelsoft have fixed it for new threads [in the next release] but they won't do it for posts, as there could be other unread posts in between you viewing a thread and replying (I'm still not entirely sure why this would be a problem).

I suppose it would be possible to add some plugin code to mark them as read as part of this hack, and i'll look at it sometime in the future, but it's not a big priority for me atm.

Np, thanks for taking the time. Don't quite understand the distinction either, there could just as easily be a new thread as a new post in that time.

weird, but after installing it on gold version, i dont see options in user CP :o

Um, there are no options to see in usercp, what are you expecting ?

Sorry, i confused between acp and usercp when reading above :D

BTW, it's no possible to have phrase like these: xxx posts since your last visit (date time) ?