Board Optimization - Super Speedy UserCP

TIME TO INSTALL: 10 seconds (requires editing of one file in one place)

This simple code modification increases my usercp.php loading speed by 6x. I think it will be most useful in cases where there are many subscribed forums.

It is listed as a modification for version 3.8.3 (which I am currently working with), but this mod works as far back as 3.0.1 (the 'find' text might be slightly different, but the function name and the text you replace is the same).
EDIT: Tested up to 3.8.4.

It works because the php function is_array() is excruciatingly slow, and an empty array gives the same return value as an empty variable.

This code would likely break if someone introduced a location in the code where the $lastpostarray variable was set to something (i.e. not nothing) that was not an array.

There are lots of these checks in the vBulletin code. It's likely that further speed increases could be achieved by changing more of them -- just remember that there is an unlikely circumstance (see previous paragraph) where it would cause problems. If you find other locations with significant effects, please post them in a reply!

##### IN FILE

functions_forumlist.php

##### FIND

function construct_forum_bit($parentid, $depth = 0, $subsonly = 0)
{
global $vbulletin, $stylevar, $vbphrase, $show;
global $imodcache, $lastpostarray, $counters, $inforum;

// this function takes the constant MAXFORUMDEPTH as its guide for how
// deep to recurse down forum lists. if MAXFORUMDEPTH is not defined,
// it will assume a depth of 2.

// call fetch_last_post_array() first to get last post info for forums
if (!is_array($lastpostarray))

##### REPLACE

if (!is_array($lastpostarray))

##### WITH

if (!$lastpostarray)

#####

And that's it! Enjoy, and I hope it helps!

[merkaz]

Amazing .

good job . thanks

[NLP-er]

Rated, installed

Small things can make big difference

[GhoHan]

Nice idea ... good installed

[testebr]

You already reported this 'issue' on vb.com board?

[nomoreturn]

Thanks works great on 3.8.4

[Birched]

Originally Posted by testebr

You already reported this 'issue' on vb.com board?

The problem has been mentioned previously both there (vbulletin.com) and here (vbulletin.org) (earlier by others, more recently by myself). The vbulletin coders would have to make a "substance over style" decision to implement this change in the core code, at least in the specific manner in which I've implemented it. I don't think that's very likely, but who knows? The issue has been around for a long time....

[WebkinzCoast]

Originally Posted by TWTCommish

I assume this only speeds up the UserCP if the user has subscribed to forums? I ask because very few of my users use that feature.

Actually, it sped up mine by a good five seconds and I have no subscribed forums.

[WebkinzCoast]

Working great over here!

[mahz]

Cool. I have a large forum with a lot of heavy subscribed-threads usage. I already marked Installed and rated (I love simple code optimizations), but I like numbers/metrics and would like to see if it changes anything and by what margin.

What's a good way to see page load times? I'm a total noob.

How do I turn off caching, too, so I can get more realistic numbers?

Thanks!

[New Joe]

Works fine and fast.