End-User Options - Selective Forum Filter

I no longer support my hacks. Please feel free to update them and release new versions elsewhere as long as I get the credit for the original modification.

/*================================================= =====================*\
|| Selective Forum Filter
||
|| Author : Anton Kanevsky
|| Co-Author(s) : Andreas
|| Works on : vBulletin 3.5.x - 3.8.x
|| Released : May 31, 2009
||
|| Time required to install: 30 seconds
|| Difficulty: easy
\*================================================ ======================*/

DESCRIPTION

Ever came across large boards with a huge number of sub forums? Couldn't find your info? Wanted to run away from that huge load of stupid threads? This hack is intended to save your users from having such a horrible experience. It provides them with an opportunity to exclude any number of forums from the forums list (as well as from "get new"/"get daily" searches), which still letting them to access those forums directly and search within them, too.

STATISTICS

Products to Install: 1


INTRODUCTION

To enable "can be excluded" in all forums, run this query:
UPDATE PFXforum SET excludable = 1
To disable "can be excluded" in all forums, run this query:
UPDATE PFXforum SET excludable = 0
In both cases, PFX must be replaced with the actual table prefix that you have defined in config.php.
If you have not defined a prefix, remove PFX from the queries.
After you run either one of these queries, you must then open and save any one forum for the forum cache to be updated.

VERSION HISTORY

1.1.0
[+] The hack is now compatible with vBulletin 3.5.x - 3.8.x.
[+] Eliminated all template edits.

1.0.2
[+] The hack is now compatible with vBulletin 3.6.
[+] Corrected a couple of mistakes in the installation manual.

1.0.1
[+] Added option to set forums as excludable. By default, excludability of all forums is disabled.

1.0.0
First Public Release

The installation manual is contained within the attached file.

IF YOU LIKE MY HACK, PLEASE CLICK INSTALL

[akanevsky]

Originally Posted by RoughOcean

I am having the same problem with a conflict with vBSEO. I really like this mod and would rather not switch to the other one. vBSEO is a mod that makes search engine friendly URLs using mod rewrite.

I hope this is a minor conflict that can be resolved someday since it seems vBSEO is getting more popular.

Consdering that vBSEO is a commercial mod, there is no way I can make any of my modifications compatible with it if they are not already. vBSEO conflicts with a lot of hacks, so please ask the author of vBSEO to consider the existence of other hacks and maybe rework the inner structure of his product. Thanks.

[ccole]

Just an FYI who used the forum filtering hack (don't remember the exact name in 3.0.x):

I just installed this after upgrading to 3.6

I ran into the issue where the field you added to the usertextfield table, 'excludeforumids' happens to be the same field name as the old version, but the difference it that field was showing up in the user table.

So when i installed yours, and set the forums to be allowed to be excluded, i was surprised to find that the exclusions from my old version were still there.. However, I couldn't change them.

I fixed the probem be dropping that column from the user table.. Everything working great now.

[LeeCHeSSS]

Thanks for this hack.

I've noticed that when excluding categories, posts that were made in (sub)forums in those categories, the posts are still visible in get-new and get-daily searches. Is it possible to fix that?

[akanevsky]

I've noticed that when excluding categories, posts that were made in (sub)forums in those categories, the posts are still visible in get-new and get-daily searches. Is it possible to fix that?

In this version, you need to select all subforums that you want to make invisible individually.

[LeeCHeSSS]

Is there another version then?

[akanevsky]

Originally Posted by LeeCHeSSS

Is there another version then?

No, this is the latest version released...

[LeeCHeSSS]

Oh, you had me confused then by saying "In this version, [...]"

It's not a big problem anyway.

[sere]

i have a similar problem as described above. on 3.6.4 all i see is [Reset exclusion] without any list of forums. i have enabled excludability in all forums (set to 1) but that doesn't seem to help.

[akanevsky]

Originally Posted by sere

i have a similar problem as described above. on 3.6.4 all i see is [Reset exclusion] without any list of forums. i have enabled excludability in all forums (set to 1) but that doesn't seem to help.

Save at least one forum via admincp after you run the query.

[prophecydude]

Is there a way I can have it so all a user has to do is just select the parent forum and simply have all the associated sub forums hidden as well? I heard you say that there was a max number of forums that could be excluded, and it's tedious selecting new forums like that.