Thread Introductions

About
This little hack will allow you to have introductions at the top of your threads that only admins can edit. Screenshots follow in the next posts.

I was inspired by my ignorance, really. I was over at http://www.bikeforums.net/ to gawk at his contest thing at the top of each thread, and I didn't realize it was on EVERY thread - I thought he had created some kind of hack! scsa20 pointed out that it was merely a template edit.

I had already fallen in love with this idea, though. So here it is.

Notes:
1. If you install this, please click the "install" button or post the URL of a thread with an introduction in your forums in this thread so I can see this in action. I'd consider it a personal favor.
2. I was unable to get one screenshot working, but I can just tell you that the thread introduction editing page looks like the post editing page. If someone could post this screenshot, I'd appreciate it.

Latest Version: 1.1.5
The latest version integrates the "Thread Introduction" link INTO the admin options menu, adds an option to show the thread title when no intro is present, and allows you to update the introductions of ALL threads in EVERY forum at once (Thanks Boofo for the idea). If you are upgrading, read through install.txt, but the only necessary things to do are to change the "threadintro" template and to overwrite the old threadintro.php file with the new one!
Download: here

Old Versions / Change Log
v1.1.0 - added formatting & introduction box
v1.0.0 - first release

[cessna140]

This looks interesting. Could this be used as a Forum Introduction?

If I understand correctly, this could be used as a "Welcome to xxx forum" that would be displayed at the top of any particular forum?

This would be better(?) than posting a "Welcome..." thread or Announcement:, where visitors might or might not view it. This would be automaticallly displayed & viewed by all that visited the forum where it was posted. Correct?

I assume the admin has the option to post it in any forum?

Thanks...

[N!ck]

No, these introductions are in THREADS...see the screenshot.

[cessna140]

Originally posted by nicksaunders
No, these introductions are in THREADS...see the screenshot.

Oh well, I was hoping this could have been used for Forum intro's. Thanks anyway.

[N!ck]

i might get to that sometime

[Boofo]

Is this the same thing that Firefly is using here in the big letters? And how do you get it to automatically do it in the big letters whenever a new thread is started? I tried to run the install php but got errors from the global.php on all 4 line twice. Did I miss something?

[Boofo]

Another great hack, Nick! Is there a way that we can have it automatically add the threadintro to the db whenever a new thread is started so we don't have to do it manually for each thread? The editor is a great idea, but can it be made to edit the threadintro in the navbar too? It's best to have them match, if possible.

[N!ck]

Well, one COULD, but it would take extensive modifications to the showthread_adminoptions template. I'll take a look and post the new contents of that template here if I get it working.

[N!ck]

And BTW, the automatic thread intro thing can be done, but would use lots of space...

[N!ck]

Okay, to link to the thread introduction changer actually IN the admin options menu, first back up your showthread_adminoptions template in case this doesn't work, then replace it with the following:

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<form action="postings.php" method="get"><tr><td>
	<smallfont>
	<input type="hidden" name="s" value="$session[dbsessionhash]">
	<input type="hidden" name="threadid" value="$threadid">
	<b>Admin Options:</b><br>
	<select name="action"
	onchange="window.location=('this.options[this.selectedIndex].value+'&s=$session[dbsessionhash]&threadid=$threadid')">
		<option value="postings.php?action=editthread" selected>-- Thread Options --</option>
		<option value="postings.php?action=openclosethread">Open / Close Thread</option>
		<option value="postings.php?action=movecopythread">Move / Copy Thread</option>
		<option value="postings.php?action=editthread">Edit Thread</option>
		<option value="postings.php?action=deletethread">Delete Thread / Posts</option>
		<option value="postings.php?action=merge">Merge Threads</option>
		<option value="postings.php?action=split">Split Thread</option>
		<option value="postings.php?action=stick">Stick / Unstick Thread</option>
		<option value="threadintro.php?">Thread Introduction</option>
	</select>$gobutton
	</smallfont>
</td></tr></form>
</table>

[N!ck]

did you get that, boofo?