displaying a variable from the database

[kh99]

You want to display it on the navbar on all pages (not just your chat page)? Then you need to create a plugin that queries the database for that value, then registers it to the navbar template. Then you can edit the navbar template and insert that value where you want it. Something like:

$chatters = $vbulletin->db->query_first("SELECT chatters FROM some_table");
vB_Template::preRegister('navbar', array('chatters' => $chatters['chatters']));

then in the navabr template

{vb:raw chatters}

The hook choice is a little tricky (or maybe someone else knows better), but you'd ideally not want to add the query unless it's needed, but since the navbar is rendered in a bunch of separate scripts there doesn't seem to be any way to know for sure when it's needed. In any case global_setup_complete should work.