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

[ITPMenace]

Interesting...I just posted an article with 1 word in the "content". Then, in the "Validate" box, I pasted in the actual text I wanted (complete with basic vBCode formatting). It accepted the text, but hosed the format. Check it out here:

http://forums.itpdiesel.com/articles...rticle&artid=5

[lasto]

LOL is well weird that

is one way of getting your text in though m8

[ITPMenace]

I tested all of the vBCode formatting types I used in that article and they work fine when entered manually. I'm attempting to manually retype this article to see if it will take it with all of the formatting.

For some reason, it's treating "Pasted" text differently than "Typed" text?????

[ITPMenace]

This is getting more frustrating by the minute. I just completely retyped that article, with all of the formatting, and it still won't appear in "Validate"...$%#* that was a lot of typing!!!

[ITPMenace]

I just went through and removed ALL of the vBCode formatting and it still won't appear in "Validate"...this still has me wondering if there is a "Message Length" limitation or something that is screwing me up???

[obsidian]

I think that I am having the same basic problem that you are having. When I go to the vbarticles category page and click submit new article it gives me the box to put in all the info. I put my article in there and click submit and it pops up saying:

The article you submitted will be reviewed and added to the database

Here is where I am a tad confused. It will not show up under the articles list. I am also confused when you guys say it wont appear in validate. Where is this because I have not seen a block or list that shows articles waiting to be validated. I have managed to get a couple other articles in there by putting test in the block and then going into the control panel and clicking edit. I can then paste all of my HTML and it will show up. Part of this might be that I am running VBPortal too. Everything seems to be working for the most part though...just a few hiccups.

[ITPMenace]

In the Admin Control Panel, you will find a vB Articles section. Here you will find the ability to add/delete articles and categories, and validate and edit articles.

My problem is that these articles are not showing up in the Admin CP???

Dennis

[obsidian]

Ya I have the VB Ariticles section but I do not have anything to do with validation. I have checked to make sure that the validation is turned on under vBulletin Options too. I have

View/Edit/Add Article
Add Category
View All articles

There is nothing regarding validation under any of those links.

The only way I have been able to get articles in is by going to the admin CP and adding a new article. I fill out all the information and then under the article content block I just put test. I submit it and then go back in and edit that article. I can then paste the HTML into the block and everythign works.

[obsidian]

Well I fixed the validation block...it shows up in the Admin cp.

I am trying to figure out how to put thumbnail images infront of the reviews. Like the categories currently have. Any tips would be welcome. As it is right now I am going through duplicating the caticon information in a first attempt.

[BUZZKILLER]

anyone have a working solution to the apostrophe problem?

I tried the one posted previously, and it didn't work.