TOTW: Thread of the Week Poll - Version 1.16

Thread of the Week Poll - Version 1.16

Description
With this hack it is possible to setup an automated system for electing a "Thread of the Week". Based on 1 or more rules you define it will select a number of threads from your board and will post a poll to let your members select their favourite thread.

This hack was written based on a requestion made here previously: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=63969

Tested on
- vB 3.0.7
- vB 3.0.6
- vB 3.0.5
- vB 3.0.3 (Will probably also work on earlier versions)

Install Information
Installation using HIS installer included (HIS by Link14716 https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...staller+system)
Uninstaller included
Install time: 2 minutes, easy
File edits: 0
Template edits: 0
Database modifications: 2 new tables

Features

• Can run 1 or more Rules for selecting threads to include in Poll
• Forums to be scanned for candidate threads can be selected.
• Selection of candidate threads is done based on views and replies. The 'weight' of these selection criteria is settable for every rule.
• Poll's are fully configurable (Posted as user, Thread title, Poll question, number of options)
• Polls are automatic closed when a new poll is started
• Polls can be generated on a settable interval. Interval can be given in days or weeks. Alternativle a new poll can also be generated on a fixed day every month.
• uCash Integration. Activate in ACP Settings if you have uCash installed
• Setable uCash price money for place 1, 2 and 3.
• Date selection based on Thread Start Date or Last Reply Date. Selection can be made for every Rule.
• Optional result post on closing of Poll, user configurable text.
• Thread title with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
• Poll title with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
• Result post with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
• Help added to the Admin screen.
• .......

To be included in future releases
If enough request i am think of the following to add in a future release. More suggestions are welcome
- Integration with more existing Award system, already rewards possible using uCash
- More selection criteria

Support
Support will be given in this thread.

If you have problems, please first check the following:
- Did you set the uCash/uShop correct in ACP->vB Options->Thread of the Week (On/Off)
- Turn on logging in the Scheduled Taks for Thread of the Week. Check the Scheduled Task Log for any messages.

If you still have problems, please post the following information, so i can quickly try to help you:
- vBulletin version
- PHP and MySQL Version
- Version of this hack
- The schedule options you have set in the Rule Manager
- Selection Options
- When is it scheduled to run in the Scheduled Task Manager
- Any other relevant information

Thanks to
A big thanks to link14716 for the installer and to trafix for letting me use a script as a starting point for the admin settings, saved me a lot of time.

Also a huge thanks to sabret00th for testing (now i got someone to blame if there are still any errors left ).


Donations
I will not charge for this hack. But if you like it and are looking for a way to spend your money, paypal donations are always welcome (marcoh64@msn.com)

Please click Install if you are using this hack

Change log:
Version 1.16:
- Fixed bugs in updating Username/Userid/Thread Title in posted thread and forum info
- Removed 2 unneeded queries
- Added replacement variables for Thread Title:
- {date} - Current date formatted according to vB settings
- {beginofweek} - Date (formatted) of the start of the current week (sunday is start)
- {endofweek} - Date (formatted) of the end of the current week (saturday is end)
- {beginofweekmon} - Date (formatted) of the start of the current week (monday is start)
- {endofweekmon} - Date (formatted) of the end of the current week (sunday is end)
- Added {date} replacement variable to Poll Title
- Made all replacement variables case-insensitive
- Admin Help pages updated accordingly

Version 1.15:
- Add the option to override the default calculation for the cutoff date when selecting candidates. Now possible to enter a number of days to go back when selecting candidates.

Version 1.14:
- Bug that would make the cronjob crash if the current poll thread was deleted.
- Fixed version number in Manager script

Version 1.13:
- uCash Integration. Activate in ACP Settings to show them.
- Setable uCash price money for place 1, 2 and 3.
- Date selection can now be based on Thread Start Date or Last Reply Date. Selection can be made for every Rule.
- Optional result post on closing of Poll, user configurable text.
- Thread title with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
- Poll title with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
- Result post with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
- Help added to the Admin screen.
- Some minor modifications and bug fixes
- Removed debugging lines
- Scheduled task will now log information on the processing of the Rules in the Scheduled Task Log
- INSTALLER WILL ALSO UPGRADE FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS, SEE UPGRADE NOTES.

Version 1.12:
- Fixed bug where threadoftheweek.php would not run correct (or even generate a database error) when running through the scheduler (as oppsed to running it with "Run Now")
- Added loads of debug information. To activate debugging, change includes/cron/threadoftheweek.php and uncomment the line "// $TOTW_DEBUG = TRUE;". Debug lines will go to the Scheduler log.
- Forum counters will now be updated when a new poll is posted.
- Fixed bug where "Run on day x of month" didn't work.
- Some minor changes
- The first time the rule is run, only threads with a last postdate in the time interval which is set for the rule will be selected as Candidates. In the older versions all threads where considered on the first run.

[Kru]

Originally Posted by MarcoH64

Edit your includes/cron/threadoftheweek.php.

Find:

PHP Code:

if ($pollid) 


Add above:

PHP Code:

        $svotes = array(); 


Please report back if this is solving anything.

1 Question, did the current poll maybe never get any votes?

Made the change but still same error message.

I installed the hack last week. Told it that the poll should happen every 1 week.

Because I wanted to start with the poll directly after I installed the hack I run it in the Scheduled Task Manager but nothing happened. It still said poll never run.

Because I was busy with other stuff I didn't check any longer at it but then on saturday the poll started automatically but instead to show 3 poll options it just showed 2. I thought I made something wrong and deleted the thread. I reset date last run and reset previous polled threads.

Again I tried to run it in the Scheduled Task Manager but this time I got the error message mentioned above.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Originally Posted by Kru

Made the change but still same error message.

I installed the hack last week. Told it that the poll should happen every 1 week.

Because I wanted to start with the poll directly after I installed the hack I run it in the Scheduled Task Manager but nothing happened. It still said poll never run.

Because I was busy with other stuff I didn't check any longer at it but then on saturday the poll started automatically but instead to show 3 poll options it just showed 2. I thought I made something wrong and deleted the thread. I reset date last run and reset previous polled threads.

Again I tried to run it in the Scheduled Task Manager but this time I got the error message mentioned above.

Thank you very much for this description. Think i finally got an old bug out now. The reason for the error is that the cron job is trying to close a thread that don't exist anymore (you deleted it).

I will post an update in an hour.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Originally Posted by Kru

Made the change but still same error message.

I installed the hack last week. Told it that the poll should happen every 1 week.

Because I wanted to start with the poll directly after I installed the hack I run it in the Scheduled Task Manager but nothing happened. It still said poll never run.

Because I was busy with other stuff I didn't check any longer at it but then on saturday the poll started automatically but instead to show 3 poll options it just showed 2. I thought I made something wrong and deleted the thread. I reset date last run and reset previous polled threads.

Again I tried to run it in the Scheduled Task Manager but this time I got the error message mentioned above.

Updated version posted. Just upload all files, no upgrade scripts to be run.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

About only selecting 2 options, maybe there where not enough posts to select from based on the criteria.

Please test again, if your problems continue send me a PM and we will look at it.

[Kru]

Originally Posted by MarcoH64

About only selecting 2 options, maybe there where not enough posts to select from based on the criteria.

Please test again, if your problems continue send me a PM and we will look at it.

The error message is gone. Thank you.

But if I run the Scheduled Task Manager manually nothing is happening. Well it says DONE but in the Thread of the Weeks option it says that the poll is never run and it doesn't make any new poll at the forum.

[SnowBot]

is their a way to uninstall this?

[Lionel]

I have none of the problems described in this thread. The second poll ran itself as scheduled in cron while closing the first one.

2 minor details:

1-The closed thread says below are the winners and is empty
2-on forumdisplay.php the "Last Post" by has no username.

I keep on manually adjusting the thread title to say Week Ending {today} instead of the plain Thread of the Week Poll.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

@lionel

Thanks, i will look inti that second issue. Can you PM me the config for the winners post, so i can look at your first problem.

@snowbot
Run the installer again, choose to uninstall and follow instructions. If you added the Manager to your ACP menu, you will have to manually remove that edit. The scheduled task also needs to be removed manually.

[Lionel]

Originally Posted by Lionel

I have none of the problems described in this thread. The second poll ran itself as scheduled in cron while closing the first one.

2 minor details:

1-The closed thread says below are the winners and is empty
2-on forumdisplay.php the "Last Post" by has no username.

I keep on manually adjusting the thread title to say Week Ending {today} instead of the plain Thread of the Week Poll.

OK, I did not realize that there were more options about variables in the question mark help to be included with #1

[fiber1]

Here is the biggest problem with this hack. One cannot exclude certain forums not to choose from for the Thread of the week. Besides this it would be a great hack!