Autoclose Thread After X Days Inactivity (Works from date of last post in thread!)

Old Thread Autoclosing Hack
by Rob Woelich of www.teenhelp.org

Update - 10/29/06:
Threads that have been autoclosed have the closed icon in the forum display (thanks to Kall for the code/suggestion). Also, the "New Reply" button still shows for admins and supermods who have permission to post in the thread.

This seems to work fine on 3.6.0+, but I'm not going to bother releasing it just for that version because it's such a simple hack. If something isn't working right, verify your template edits... if you use a custom skin/style, they could be different.


DESCRIPTION:
This is a relatively simple hack that makes a thread appear "closed" after a specified amount of time. The amount of time is calculated from the last post in the thread, not from the start of the thread, making this a very effective way to keep old topics from being brought up without locking them out while they're still being discussed.

This installation consists of:
1 Product XML Upload for 3.5.0+ (should work on all versions above)
3 Template Edits in the SHOWTHREAD template
1 Image Upload (Optional, really... looks better with image though)

Into more detail:

This hack installs plugins on your showthread and newreply pages. When a user views a thread, the plugin will check the date of the last post in the thread and if the post was made more than a predetermined amount of time ago (one month by default), the thread will appear closed to the user. The thread isn't actually set as closed in the database. If a user clicks on the "Closed" button, they'll be given a No Permission message, keeping them from replying, and the Quick Reply box at the bottom of the thread will be hidden from the user as well. Administrators and super moderators by default are still able to reply to autoclosed threads and will still see the Quick Reply box.

As mentioned, the expiration time is calculated from the last post in the thread, so if a thread is autoclosed and an admin or supermod makes a post in the thread, the thread will be reopened. Since the thread isn't actually set as closed in the database, it's important to note that using the "Open Thread" option from the thread administration menu won't reopen the thread to other users. The only thing that will keep the thread open is a post existing in the thread that's dated as to deter the expiration time.

INSTALLATION:
Complete installation and template editing instructions are included in the ZIP file.

CUSTOMIZATION:
This hack was designed for a specific purpose, to keep those old annoying topics from being brought back up after two months by that one annoying newb.

However, there are a few customizations available, including the usergroups that can reply in the autoclosed threads, the amount of time until a thread is autoclosed, and the message displayed at the top of the thread when the thread has been autoclosed. Customization instructions are included in the ZIP file and are extensive enough for anybody to understand.

OTHER:
Two screenshots of an autoclosed thread have been included. One shows the Quick Reply still visible for administrators. Please click Install if you used and liked this...

[cunder]

is there already someone to no or this script become to ubdate to Vbulletin 3.6.2
please :tired:

[cunder]

Originally Posted by cunder

is there already someone to no or this script become to ubdate to Vbulletin 3.6.2
please :tired:

help please

[cunder]

Originally Posted by cunder

is there already someone to no or this script become to ubdate to Vbulletin 3.6.2
please :tired:

Bumb :cross-eyed:

[rwoelich]

I've updated the hack to include Kall's modification of the thread status icons in the forum display to show up as closed (thanks ) and have made one or two other tweaks.

Also, this works fine on 3.6.0+ but I'm not going to bother re-releasing it in the other category because it's such a simple hack.

When I get more time (I'm putting 60 hour weeks in at work :chinese I'll add some more features to this.

[jyajay]

There is a minor bug in this hack. We have a forum were trash threads are moved and this forum is closed for new postings. But the hack allows to show the quickreply to group 5 and 6 anyway which causes a pretty ugly quickreply box

I fixxed this by removing these two usergroups from the template edit:

before:

PHP Code:

<if condition="($show['quickreply'] AND !$expiredthread) OR $bbuserinfo[usergroupid]==6 OR $bbuserinfo[usergroupid]==5"> 


after:

PHP Code:

<if condition="($show['quickreply'] AND !$expiredthread)"> 


[str8bourbon]

Originally Posted by rwoelich

I've updated the hack to include Kall's modification of the thread status icons in the forum display to show up as closed (thanks ) and have made one or two other tweaks.

Also, this works fine on 3.6.0+ but I'm not going to bother re-releasing it in the other category because it's such a simple hack.

When I get more time (I'm putting 60 hour weeks in at work :chinese I'll add some more features to this.

Simple for us because you did all the work! Thanks so much for making this publicly available. So many users were rooting up ancient threads on my forums and it was making quite a mess. Your work put a stop to that.

I have a small suggestion. The message says something to the effect of "received no new no posts for a year." Perhaps it would be better worded as "in over a year" or "in a year or more" or something to that effect. Pretty trivial point in any event, and I realize I can make it say whatever I want.

Anyway, too cool! Thanks again!

[str8bourbon]

Originally Posted by str8bourbon

Simple for us because you did all the work! Thanks so much for making this publicly available. So many users were rooting up ancient threads on my forums and it was making quite a mess. Your work put a stop to that.

I have a small suggestion. The message says something to the effect of "received no new no posts for a year." Perhaps it would be better worded as "in over a year" or "in a year or more" or something to that effect. Pretty trivial point in any event, and I realize I can make it say whatever I want.

Anyway, too cool! Thanks again!

An addendum.

I just found something that you might want to add to this hack. It looks like even though a thread is closed by this hack, polls can still be voted on. And of course voting makes the post current and opens it back up again.

Would modifying the hack to keep people from voting in polls be difficult? I'd be happy to help if needed.

[ForeverForums]

im getting this SQL error when i try to install this hack

Invalid SQL:

### INSERT QUERY GENERATED BY fetch_query_sql() ###
INSERT INTO plugin
(`active`, `executionorder`, `title`, `hookname`, `phpcode`, `product`)
VALUES
('1', '5', 'No Replies After 1 Month Inactive', 'newreply_start', 'if (($threadinfo[\'lastpost\'] < (TIMENOW - 2592000)) AND ($vbulletin->userinfo[usergroupid]!=6 AND $vbulletin->userinfo[usergroupid]!=5))\r\n{\r\n print_no_permission();\r\n}', 'autocl');

[Burley]

great mod, really!!! usefull

is it possible to set the mod so that it makes an exception for specific threads? Sticky ones for instance?

[Domenico]

Originally Posted by rwoelich

Sure! Give me two seconds and I'll give you a modified code sample.

Ok, here it is... to apply this hack to only certain forums:

Open the plugin for the showthread_getinfo hook and find:

PHP Code:

if ($thread['lastpost'] < (TIMENOW - 2592000)) 


And replace it with:

PHP Code:

if ($thread['lastpost'] < (TIMENOW - 2592000) AND (in_array($thread['forumid'], array(1,2,3)))) 


...changing 1,2,3 to the forum ids you want to apply the hack to (you can add more or less as you please). Then in the newreply_start plugin, find:

PHP Code:

if (($threadinfo['lastpost'] < (TIMENOW - 2592000)) AND ($vbulletin->userinfo[usergroupid]!=6 AND $vbulletin->userinfo[usergroupid]!=5)) 


And replace with:

PHP Code:

if (($threadinfo['lastpost'] < (TIMENOW - 2592000)) AND ($vbulletin->userinfo[usergroupid]!=6 AND $vbulletin->userinfo[usergroupid]!=5) AND (in_array($thread['forumid'], array(1,2,3)))) 


On the other side, if you want to exclude only a few forums from using this hack, use the same procedure, but add an ! in front of the in_array (to look like !in_array) and then the forum id numbers you use would be the forums that you don't want to apply the hack to. Depending on whether you're excluding or including more forums, you may use either method. Use the one that you'll have to type the least forum ids.

Well I did this but your hack still closes posts from all the forums instead of the forums I ant using your code. How come?