vB3 Similar Threads

vB3 Similar Threads for 2.2.x
Clone version | by Velocd

This hack, as well all my other vB2 hacks, I no longer provide support for (being I run vB3 and it's too much hassel to debug vB2). When vB3 Release Candidate comes out, by request I might convert some of my hacks.

Install time: 6 minutes
File edits: 1 (showthread.php)
Template edits: 1 (showthread)
New templates: 2 (showthread_similarthreads, showthread_similarthreadbits)



What is it?
Basically this hack will check for other similar thread titles within the forum of the thread you are viewing, then it will display the most similar threads, based on a similar-priority setting you choose, at the bottom of that thread.

Why did I make it?
This hack instantly drew my attention when I first saw it at the Jupiter vB3 forums. I figured it couldn't be that bad to make, and why wait when it's such a simple feature to integrate as a standalone hack? So, I opened up my TextPad and started coding.

Personally, I HIGHLY doubt the method and coding I used in my hack is at all similar to the one at Jupiter vB3, but it seems to work just as fine. Even on my small forum the results on some threads look good, while for a large forum such as vB.org the results would look 3x as better.

Features:

• Displays everything that the vB3 similar threads does.
• Also gives a description of the thread, only if you have the thread-description hack installed. (source: here)

Bugs?
Depending on the priority level you pick, some threads that you are "dead sure" to have a similar result might not show. You might have to toggle the priority level at first, to get it set just right. Other than this, it's fairly clean.
See a demo at this thread, scroll to bottom:
http://beta.vbulletin.com/vb3/showth...p?threadid=990

Screenshots? Demo's?
See the next post for a screenshot. Want a demo? Visit the similar thread feature at the Jupiter vB3 forums


------------- Installation -------------

#1. In showthread.php, find:

PHP Code:

if ($noshutdownfunc) {
  $DB_site->query("UPDATE thread SET views=views+1 WHERE threadid='$threadid'");
} else {
  $shutdownqueries[]="UPDATE LOW_PRIORITY thread SET views=views+1 WHERE threadid='$threadid'";
}

if ($bbuserinfo[cookieuser]) {
  vbsetcookie("bbthreadview[$threadid]",time(),0);
} 


Above it place:

PHP Code:

//////////////////////////////////////////////////
// vBulletin3 Similar Threads "clone" by Velocd //
//////////////////////////////////////////////////

//////////////////////////// CONFIGURE ////////////////////////////////
$description_option = 0; //1 = on, 0 = off. (use only if you have THREAD descriptions installed)
if($description_option){ $desc = ",description"; }
$limit = 4; //Set the limit to the maximum amount of results to display
$priority = 60; //KEY: [less accurate, more results <0 --- 25 ---- 50 ---- 75 --- 100> more accurate, less results]
$previewcharacters = 150; //Amount of characters shown in the preview
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

$rthreads=$DB_site->query("SELECT threadid,title,postusername,replycount,lastpost,postuserid,dateline$desc
            FROM thread
            WHERE forumid='$thread[forumid]'
            ORDER BY dateline");

$validtitle = trim(strtolower($thread[title])," \t.");
$count = 0;

while ($rthread = $DB_site->fetch_array($rthreads)) {
    $validthread = trim(strtolower($rthread[title])," \t.");

    similar_text($validtitle, $validthread, &$similarity);

    if($similarity > $priority){
        $similar[title] = $rthread[title];
        $similar[threadid] = $rthread[threadid];
        $similar[postusername] = $rthread[postusername];
        $similar[postuserid] = $rthread[postuserid];
        $similar[replycount] = $rthread[replycount];
        $similar[date] = vbdate($dateformat,$rthread[lastpost]);
        $similar[description] = $rthread[description];


        if (strlen($similar[description]) > 150) {
            $similar[description] = substr($similar[description], 0, $previewcharacters) . "..."; } else {
            $similar[description] = $similar[description];
        }

        if($similar[threadid] != $thread[threadid] && $count < $limit){
        $count++;
        eval("\$similarthreadbits .= \"".gettemplate("showthread_similarthreadbits")."\";"); } 
    }
}

if($count != 0){
eval("\$similarthreads .= \"".gettemplate("showthread_similarthreads")."\";"); }

////////////////////////////
// End Similar Threads /////
//////////////////////////// 


Now look at this block of code from above:

PHP Code:

//////////////////////////// CONFIGURE ////////////////////////////////
$description_option = 0; //1 = on, 0 = off. (use only if you have THREAD descriptions installed)
if($description_option){ $desc = ",description"; }
$limit = 4; //Set the limit to the maximum amount of results to display
$priority = 60; //KEY: [less accurate, more results <0 --- 25 ---- 50 ---- 75 --- 100> more accurate, less results]
$previewcharacters = 150; //Amount of characters shown in the preview
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 


As detailed, those variables change how this hack works. The main thing you need to notice is $priority, which at default is set at 60, which I've found on my forums to be good. As said in the KEY in comments, a higher priority will get you more accurate similar threads, but less results. Ofcourse, a high priority is ideal for a large forum. Lower priority vice versa.


#2. Create a new template called
showthread_similarthreads, and place inside:

<table cellpadding="{_tableouterborderwidth}" cellspacing="0" border="0" bgcolor="{_tablebordercolor}" {_tableouterextra} width="{_contenttablewidth}" align="center">
<tr><td>
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="{_tableinnerborderwidth}" border="0" {_tableinnerextra} width="100%">
<tr>
	<td bgcolor="{_tableheadbgcolor}" width="{_tablewidth}" colspan="4" align="center">
<normalfont color="{_tableheadtextcolor}">
<b>Similar Threads</b></normalfont></td>
</tr>
<tr align="center" bgcolor="{_categorybackcolor}" background="https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/images/catagory_backing.gif">
	<td align="center" nowrap><span><smallfont><b>Thread</b></smallfont></span></td>
	<td nowrap><span><b><smallfont>Thread Starter</smallfont></b></span></td>
	<td nowrap><span><smallfont><b>Replies</b></smallfont></span></td>
	<td nowrap><span><smallfont><b>Last Post</b></smallfont></span></td>
</tr>
$similarthreadbits
</table>
</td></tr></table>
<br>

In the code above, take out all the underscores (ie. _) out of the replacement variables, such as {_tablewidth}, or else they will not work.

#3. Create a new template called showthread_similarthreadbits, and place inside:

<tr align="center">	
<td width="60%" align="left" bgcolor="{_firstaltcolor}"><normalfont>
<a href="showthread.php?s=$session[sessionhash]&forumid=$thread[forumid]&threadid=$similar[threadid]" 
title="$similar[description]">$similar[title]
</a></normalfont></td>
	<td width="20%" bgcolor="{_secondaltcolor}" nowrap="nowrap"><normalfont>
<a href="member.php?s=$session[sessionhash]&action=getinfo&userid=$similar[postuserid]">$similar[postusername]
</a></normalfont></td>
	<td bgcolor="{_firstaltcolor}"><normalfont>$similar[replycount]</normalfont></td>
	<td bgcolor="{_secondaltcolor}" width="20%"><normalfont>$similar[date]</normalfont>
</td>
</tr>

In the code above, take out all the underscores (ie. _) out of the replacement variables, such as {_secondaltcolor}, or else the colors wont show.

#4. In the template showthread, find:

<!-- thread options links -->
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" bgcolor="#0A293E"   align="center"><tr><td>

On the line above it place:

$similarthreads

------------- End -------------

That's it! Pretty easy and quick to install, which is the nicest part about it.

If you use this hack remember, please click install! Without it, you might have had to wait till vB3

[Kars10]

Thanx VeloCD!!
This Feature rules. install was very easy on 2.2.5, and works like a charm
/me klicks installed!!

[xug]

I have this hack installed and have seen it workings only once, I did refresh my browser and looked at another thread and this new hacks doesn't show up anymore.

Very strange.

Please does somebody knows what happen or what I did wrong?

[kenny@ecn]

Alright, I screwed up big time somewhere along the lines when I installed this... When I try to view a thread now- its shows this:

<see next post>

Yeah, I don't know what to do... Where did I go wrong? How can I fix this? Can someone help me!?!?

Thanks...

-Kenny

[kenny@ecn]

hmmmm... Now I get:

Parse error: parse error in /home/virtual/site57/fst/var/www/html/showthread.php on line 96

[kenny@ecn]

Here is my showthread.php BTW:

<Do not post entire files. -Mike>

[kenny@ecn]

Now I get :

Fatal error: Call to a member function on a non-object in /home/virtual/site57/fst/var/www/html/showthread.php on line 91

[Gamingforce]

Good to see you releasing more hacks Velocd . I won't release this mainly because of the performance hit it generates on our board of a bit more than 850k posts. Great job! I never knew there even was a similar_text(); function LOL.

[Velocd]

Originally posted by xware
Good hack.
But a problem is this hack use a whole thread table sql ....slowly.
I have 10000+ threads in thread table.
Before installed this hack ,my showthread page generated in 0.06433198 seconds ,after installed it this same Page generated in 1.26433198 seconds .
Would there be a better way to do this?

Originally posted by Gamingforce
Good to see you releasing more hacks Velocd . I won't release this mainly because of the performance hit it generates on our board of a bit more than 850k posts. Great job! I never knew there even was a similar_text(); function LOL.

Yea, I know the only problem is the performance issue for larger forums. Since this hack does check all threads within that particular forum. I'm going to look into the hack, to possible see if there is a fix for this. I wonder what vB3 does

Originally posted by xiphoid
Please put the code etc in a .txt file, so unlicenced members can't view it?

Unlicensed members can't even view the "full releases" forum anyway, so it shouldn't matter too much. I usually only put things in text files if the hack is very long.

Originally posted by xug
I have this hack installed and have seen it workings only once, I did refresh my browser and looked at another thread and this new hacks doesn't show up anymore.

Very strange.

Please does somebody knows what happen or what I did wrong?

Depending if you have a small forum or not will determine how many results you get from similar threads. Ofcourse if you set the priority level to very low, like 20, more results will show, although they might not be all that related to the thread.

I'm not too sure what you mean by refreshing and the hack disappearing...maybe you accidentally set the priority level to very high.

Originally posted by kenny@ecn
hmmmm... Now I get:

Uninstall the hack, and reinstall it again carefully. I'm not sure what your error is because I'm sure our files are different. If you are getting a parse error, you may have not copied my code exactly, or may have modified it and dropped something out.

[kenny@ecn]

Uninstall the hack, and reinstall it again carefully. I'm not sure what your error is because I'm sure our files are different. If you are getting a parse error, you may have not copied my code exactly, or may have modified it and dropped something out.

I did do this, and I still have no idea... help me!!! Any ideas?

[kenny@ecn]

Alright, found a backup showthread.php... Starting ALL over again (Will keep you updated about whether it works or not...)