Improved Thread Preview Hack

The idea for this hack was originally that of Parker Clack, a regular here on vBulletin.org.

What this hack does:
Basically, this hack pops up a little box/window when the mouse is run over a thread title that shows the first three hundred characters of the first post in the thread (that is, the post that started the thread).

Improvements to Parker Clack's hack:

• Far, far less code...
• Easier installation (one file edit, one template edit)...
• Less space usage...the beginning of the first post in each thread is not stored twice - only once now!...

Versions:
3.0: Overgrow's search page thread preview instructions.
2.1: Added some necessary instructions.
2.0 Reduced MySQL queries significantly.
1.0 Initial release.

Comments appreciated...

A version for vbHacker is available here - note: some files may need fixing afterward if they present parse errors!

How to Censor Previews (by nakkid)
See page seven of this thread.

A very important security fix is available here - I have not updated the ZIP, so install it after you install the hack

[inetd]

Originally posted by inetd
Don't show preview for some threads...

nakkid, please help me with this bug.

[TECK]

hmmm... i didnt actually look at the search file made by nick, only at the the code i inserted in forumdispaly.php first.
i tested the code listed below in search.php and it worked perfectly for me. here it is what i did...

Find:

    $sql="
    SELECT $dotuserid $distinct
      thread.threadid,thread.threadid AS postid,thread.title AS threadtitle,thread.iconid AS threadiconid,thread.replycount,
      thread.views,thread.pollid,thread.open,thread.lastpost AS postdateline,thread.lastpost,thread.lastposter,
      forum.forumid,forum.title AS forumtitle,forum.allowicons,attach,
      thread.postusername AS usrname,
      user.userid AS postuserid,
      threadicon.iconpath AS threadiconpath,threadicon.title AS threadicontitle
    FROM
      thread,forum".iif(strpos($search[query],"searchindex")>0,",searchindex","")."
    LEFT JOIN user ON user.username=thread.postusername
    LEFT JOIN icon AS threadicon ON thread.iconid=threadicon.iconid
    $dotjoin

REPLACE it with:

    $sql="
    SELECT $dotuserid $distinct
      thread.threadid,thread.threadid AS postid,thread.title AS threadtitle,thread.iconid AS threadiconid,thread.replycount,
      thread.views,thread.pollid,thread.open,thread.lastpost AS postdateline,thread.lastpost,thread.lastposter,
      forum.forumid,forum.title AS forumtitle,forum.allowicons,attach,
      thread.postusername AS usrname,
      user.userid AS postuserid,
      threadicon.iconpath AS threadiconpath,threadicon.title AS threadicontitle,
      post2.pagetext as pagetext
    FROM
      thread,forum".iif(strpos($search[query],"searchindex")>0,",searchindex","")."
    LEFT JOIN user ON user.username=thread.postusername
    LEFT JOIN icon AS threadicon ON thread.iconid=threadicon.iconid
    LEFT JOIN post AS post2 ON thread.firstpostid=post2.postid
    $dotjoin

Find:

        // get first 30 chars of post title
        if (trim($searchresult[posttitle])=="") {
          $searchresult[posttitle]=substr($searchresult[pagetext],0,50);
          if (strlen($searchresult[posttitle])>50) {
            $spacepos=strpos($searchresult[posttitle]." "," ",50);
            if ($spacepos!=0) {
              $searchresult[posttitle]=substr($searchresult[posttitle],0,$spacepos)."...";
            }
          }
        }

BELOW this, add:

        // get first 100 chars of post message
        if (strlen($searchresult[pagetext])>100) {
          $searchresult[message]=censortext(substr($searchresult[pagetext],0,97).'...');
        } else {
          $searchresult[message]=censortext(searchresult[pagetext]);
        }
        $searchresult[message]=preg_replace("/\[[^\]]\]/","",$searchresult[message]); 
        $searchresult[message]=str_replace("\"","",$searchresult[message]);

In 'searchresultbit_threadonly' template, find:

<a href="showthread.php?s=$session[sessionhash]&threadid=$searchresult[threadid]$highlightwords">$searchresult[threadtitle]</a>

REPLACE it with:

<a href="showthread.php?s=$session[sessionhash]&threadid=$searchresult[threadid]$highlightwords" title="$searchresult[message]">$searchresult[threadtitle]</a>

i personally didnt like the fact that the preview text is not censored, so i added also the censor function. let me know if it worked.

[TECK]

this was tested in VB225.
i think where most of the people make the mistake is the query change. thare are 2 queries that look almost identical there, in search.php...
btw, there is nothing wrong with nick's file.

[N!ck]

Originally posted by nakkid
nick, i think you forgot one little detail.. if the thread is deleted, the previewpostid will still be there. you could do this:

open functions.php and go to [high]deletethread()[/high] function.
find:

    $DB_site->query("DELETE FROM thread WHERE threadid='$threadid'");

BELOW this, add:

    $DB_site->query("DELETE FROM thread WHERE firstpostid='$firstpostid'");

let me know what you think.

i'm not sure exactly what more doing this would accomplish...? the first query will delete the whole row, including firstpostid...

[TECK]

you are correct. sorry, i didnt realised.
in other order, you think was a good idea that i added the censortext function?
thanks for the input.

[N!ck]

it's definitely something i didn't think of

[TECK]

i'm glad you like it.

[N!ck]

i'll put this information on post #1

[inetd]

when i inserted

        // get first 100 chars of post message
        if (strlen($searchresult[pagetext])>100) {
          $searchresult[message]=censortext(substr($searchresult[pagetext],0,97).'...');
        } else {
          $searchresult[message]=censortext(searchresult[pagetext]);
        }
        $searchresult[message]=preg_replace("/\[[^\]]\]/","",$searchresult[message]); 
        $searchresult[message]=str_replace("\"","",$searchresult[message]);

in search.php, i see blank page

[N!ck]

yeah?