vbArticles v0.4 -- For your repository of Articles/Tutorials/FAQs etc.

UPDATES
version 0.4 is out

- Now allows for basic VBCODE input.
- Fixed somemore bugs.


Background
Required a section on my site to display articles/tutorials
No such hack in the Hacks Database
Decided to try my hand at it

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This hack uses a lot of code from Arunan Sridharan's vB Links Directory v2.0
I use that hack too and was inspired to code something around that
A big thank-you must go out to him for coding the Links Directory in the first place (I merely modified much of the code to suit my needs for this hack)

Appreciation also goes out to Kars10 for aiding me in this hack
He coded the portion in version 0.3 on number of articles count as well as article hits count
He also suggested several template changes which have been incoporated into version 0.3
A great big special shout out to TheComputerGuy, 97cobracpe, dontpanic for stamping out the bugs with your fixes. Thanks guys


WHATS IT DO ?
This hack allows you to have a database of articles/tutorials etc on your site/forums.

FEATURES

AdminCP
Installer script

Admin options

View Categories
Edit Categories
Add Categories ( category name, category icon, category order, category description )
Delete Categories
Add new article ( title, description, author, date, content )
Edit article
Delete article
View ALL articles in database
Option in vB options to turn validation of articles on/off
Fully template based as to how you wish to display the articles,categories and main article home page.
Addition of articles accepts basic VBcodes

Member options

View Categories
Browse Categories
View articles
Submit new article
Submission of articles accepts basic VBcodes


INSTALLATION & UPGRADING
This Hack should work on ALL 2.2.x versions and v2.3.0
Please read the install_readme.txt file in the package for fresh installation instructions
IMPT: If you installed a previous version pls read the upgrade_readme.txt file carefully for upgrade instructions

HACK DOWNLOAD

Version 0.4 of this hack can be downloaded here

ADD-ONS
i) Add-on for vbHome
ii) Add-on for ForumHome
iii) Add-on to enable only registered members to be able to view the article section


DEMO SITES
http://www.runaked.com/forums/articles.php ( running v0.4 ) - TheComputerGuy's site

http://www.mcseworld.com/forums/infocenter.php ( running v0.3 ) - dontpanic's site


Feel free to submit your sites if u installed this hack so it can be listed as another live demo site

SUPPORT
I cannot promise any support on this as i am pretty new to this but I will try my best.
If you are using this hack , pls click the INSTALL button
to be kept in the loop of any bug reports, add-ons and hack version updates.

Thanks everyone

[Aaron1]

Can't wait until version 0.5 comes out! ;-)

This is looking very promising. The first thing that i would like though is the automatic date & user who is filling out an article.

Thanks for your work Cinq!
Appreciated

[cinq]

Originally Posted by Andrew111888

Cinq, how would I fix the large articles not submitting but short gibberish articles do?

It's not a matter of the length of article, i believe its a aprostophe (sp?) somewhere in the content that is causing havoc.
It has been fixed for the next release.

[cinq]

Originally Posted by Aaron1

The first thing that i would like though is the automatic date & user who is filling out an article.

They have already been implemented.
Check back on the first page of this hack for updates.
Will update it as and when i have the time to play with the code.

[FleaBag]

Originally Posted by cinq

It's not a matter of the length of article, i believe its a aprostophe (sp?) somewhere in the content that is causing havoc.
It has been fixed for the next release.

The length of the article does make a difference. I myself have the same problem, where large articles simply disappear.

[cinq]

Discontinuing this hack.

assassingod is doing something similiar, you can get it here

[dontpanic]

cing, sorry to see it come to an end. Thanks for all your hard work on this hack. I will most likely continue to run it until I make the move to vB 3.0 using CPublish.

Thanks again!

[ITPMenace]

I'm disappointed to see this one end...I hate switching midstream to something else. I'm sure you'll still have people wanting to use your hack if you contine to develop it.

[FleaBag]

Ditto. Shame to see this one die as it was going well. Oh well I guess it's copy and paste time to the new system.

[Giveit2u43]

Have looked at the other hack and find it`s current functionality not upto what seemed to be coming with the next version of this hack, not to mention having to change the data over to that hack.. if your determined to discontinue it could I have the code you already have done for v0.5 and your permission to continue it for those that would prefer to use this hack?

[obsidian]

I agree....I think this hack shows much more promise than the other one. This hack also has an existing userbase. I would be willing to help someone get .5 up and running