End-User Options - Selective Forum Filter

I no longer support my hacks. Please feel free to update them and release new versions elsewhere as long as I get the credit for the original modification.

/*================================================= =====================*\
|| Selective Forum Filter
||
|| Author : Anton Kanevsky
|| Co-Author(s) : Andreas
|| Works on : vBulletin 3.5.x - 3.8.x
|| Released : May 31, 2009
||
|| Time required to install: 30 seconds
|| Difficulty: easy
\*================================================ ======================*/

DESCRIPTION

Ever came across large boards with a huge number of sub forums? Couldn't find your info? Wanted to run away from that huge load of stupid threads? This hack is intended to save your users from having such a horrible experience. It provides them with an opportunity to exclude any number of forums from the forums list (as well as from "get new"/"get daily" searches), which still letting them to access those forums directly and search within them, too.

STATISTICS

Products to Install: 1


INTRODUCTION

To enable "can be excluded" in all forums, run this query:
UPDATE PFXforum SET excludable = 1
To disable "can be excluded" in all forums, run this query:
UPDATE PFXforum SET excludable = 0
In both cases, PFX must be replaced with the actual table prefix that you have defined in config.php.
If you have not defined a prefix, remove PFX from the queries.
After you run either one of these queries, you must then open and save any one forum for the forum cache to be updated.

VERSION HISTORY

1.1.0
[+] The hack is now compatible with vBulletin 3.5.x - 3.8.x.
[+] Eliminated all template edits.

1.0.2
[+] The hack is now compatible with vBulletin 3.6.
[+] Corrected a couple of mistakes in the installation manual.

1.0.1
[+] Added option to set forums as excludable. By default, excludability of all forums is disabled.

1.0.0
First Public Release

The installation manual is contained within the attached file.

IF YOU LIKE MY HACK, PLEASE CLICK INSTALL

[Kungfu]

i cant seem to get this working even after setting the exclusions

[sunnycher]

This is the one where the members can filter forums, correct? I am using it, love it.

Isn't there one somewhere that the admin can filter the forum also?

[TheEDIGuy]

This works well. After running the query to allow all as excludable, I did have to re-save one of the forums manually to get them to show up on the list, but all else works great. The users have been asking for this one. Thanks!

[nix]

Is there a way to remove the forum from the search function but leave it on the index?

[Kungfu]

Originally Posted by TheEDIGuy

This works well. After running the query to allow all as excludable, I did have to re-save one of the forums manually to get them to show up on the list, but all else works great. The users have been asking for this one. Thanks!

uh ok, works now. thats wierd. Thanks.

[akanevsky]

Yeah. Simply disable the plugin at cache_ordered_forums hook.

[nix]

Originally Posted by Psionic Vision

Yeah. Simply disable the plugin at cache_ordered_forums hook.

Thanks. I thought of this last night but I forgot to run the query again. Thanks again!

[nix]

When you this there seems to be a limit with how many forums you can select. No matter how yo do it you can't select all the forums you want.

[akanevsky]

Originally Posted by nix

When you this there seems to be a limit with how many forums you can select. No matter how yo do it you can't select all the forums you want.

Yeah, you can select a maximum of 128 forums due to the limitation of the varchar database field. However, the hack is not intended to hide all forums. It is intended to hide a selection of forums only, otherwise there is no point to visit the site at all.

[nix]

Yea I don't want it to hid all of them. But its seems we are limited to 64.