Forum Display Enhancements - Alternate Last Post Display

Alternate Last Post Display
By: Idan B.

1. Description & Usage:
Alternate Last Post hack will allow the forum admin to make the "Last Post" column on forum look different (have another/better layout):
Hack will make it with user avatar picture & instead of showing post date, it will show "time diff" since the post (for example: 4 Hours, 5 Minutes ago") - See pictures in attachment for better understanding. :up:
This Hack can be enabled on both Forum Home & forum Display or Forum Display Only.
The hack was develop for request of Theater (request was made here: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=214212 )
I assumed this request might be "handy" to other users of community, so developed it to be a fully working modification.

2. Installation:
Please click Mark as Installed.
Installation is pretty easy - just download & install:

• Extract zip for product xml & no-avatar picture.
• Goto: AdminCP->Plugin System->Manage Products : Choose "Add/Import Product" and import this product xml (product-alt_last_post.xml)
• Upload the "anonymous_avatar.gif" file onto /images/avatars/ directory. If testing it on your develop board, be sure to upload there as well.

3. Upgrade From Older Version:
1. uninstall previous version
2. Download new version xml & install as instructed in previous section.

4. Configuration:
Once installed, the "Vbulletin Options" under admincp will have extra section:
Section name: "Alternate Last Post Display"

• Enabled ? - Yes/No (default YES)
• Enable on Forum Home ? - Yes/No (default NO)
• Enable on Forum Display ? - Yes/No (default YES)
• Use "Last Post" text as title ? - Yes/No (default YES)
• Show differential time ? - Yes/No (default YES)
• Align "Never" to LEFT ? - Yes/No (default YES)
• Use profile picture instead of avatar ? - Yes/No (default NO)
• Picture width - INT (default: 40)
• Picture height - INT (default: 40)
  

5. Known Bugs:

• Forum Tabbbed modification has known competability with this mod - result it is not showing on forumhome. Currently debugging this one to allow fix on next version.
• v1.1.4 released. Since v.1.1.0 code was re-writeen completely from "scratch" and now it should support multi-languages (other than english) ! Note: Cyrillic & Latin chars reported to have some issues, still under check)
• See changelog below for full description of stuff fixed.

6. TO-DO's LIST (Next Versions):

• Allow thread view option on admincp.
• Other mods (such as Forum Tabbed Modification) conflict fixes - under checking !.
• [S]Admincp option to set avatar width/height.[/S] added in v.1.1.4
• [S]Admincp option to select between profile and avatar picture.[/S] added in v.1.1.4

NOTE: Currently supported format chars for date/time (v1.1.4) are :
Date: "j","d", "m", "n", "F", "M", "Y", "y","S"
Time: "h", "H", "g", "G", "i", "s", "a", "A".
Any other chars will result with Post Time: N/A displayed !

NOTE: i've left v1.1.3 and added in addition the v1.1.4, just in case anyone has problem, he can download old version & rollback.

Enjoy hack & dont forget to click Mark as Installed

[troll2]

Hi,

Installed lastest for testing. Left alignment does not work anymore.
I added a screenshot

[IdanB]

hmmm.. weird, it's working fine for me.
Any chance this is some other mod installed causing it ? caching templates / some sort of optimizer ?

[aztecboi2003]

Downloaded and about to install. How do I find out how many querys my forumhome has, with and without this mod? Thanks.

[IdanB]

Originally Posted by aztecboi2003

Downloaded and about to install. How do I find out how many querys my forumhome has, with and without this mod? Thanks.

Place forum to debug mode.
Scroll to bottom before installation of this mod, see the queries number, install mod, and check number again.

roughly, there are about 2-3 queries performed per forumbit (for user id, avatar / profile) So it shouldnt be that of a problem.

[aztecboi2003]

thanks. I'm backing up my db now. Once I figure out the debug mode I will check it out. I love all the support your providing here for this mod.

[IdanB]

You need to place forums onto debug mode. You have 2 ways to do so:
1) manual: requires edit of config.php (located under /includes/ directory), specific adding this line:

PHP Code:

$config['Misc']['debug'] = true; 


2) automatic: download debug mode plugin:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=196422
This plugin will enable you with options to set debug mode on/off on both forums & admincp.

[aztecboi2003]

Thanks. My querys went from 25 to 61. I still like this mod though.

[IdanB]

yea, well, like said, it adds max of queries x2/3 per forumbit, meanining the more forums there are, the more queries it will "hog".
(so for "worst case" example, should there be 10 forums visible, it will add 10x3 = 30 more queries)
If you wish better performance, you can enable this on forum display only, and not on forum home.

[IdanB]

Originally Posted by goxy63

1.Can you please edit mod for non english languages (serbian latin and cyrillic in my case)
Nicknames with lets say these signs šđčćž dont have avatars displayed

Just verified this on your test devbelop board, i can say (without a doubt), this has nothing to do with non-english characters.

Problem showing there is avatar is missing for certain users, but that not due to user characters (user id is obtain inside mod correctly).

In close exmaine & debug of this case, it showed the db is not ok & possibly corrupted.
For example user id of x has inside db avatar id of y, but when doing query for avatar id of y inside avatar table, the query returns NULL. (emtpy).

I could "fix" mod in this case to still show "anoymous" avatar if 2nd query returns NULL, but logic suggest admin better fix the problem rather than cover un-logical cases into mod.

If user has avatarid, then he should have avatar. remove of avatar should have removed his avatarid field from user table in db.
if you have some mod installed that manages your users avatar, there is possible bug with it, as it doesnt update your database in all proper locations.

[dancue]

Originally Posted by troll2

Hi,

Installed lastest for testing. Left alignment does not work anymore.
I added a screenshot

Same here.

I've flushed my cache through vboptimise and still not aligning to the left.