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

[N!ck]

no, i'll just stick to my guns on the link UNDERNEATH the menu

[N!ck]

can i see this in action?

[Boofo]

What do you mean? You lost me there.

[N!ck]

could i get the url of one of your threads with an introduction?

[N!ck]

okay i fixed the problem with the blank page on my attempt at further integrating the link to the thread introduction editor (it was only on the move/copy option, btw)...i've tested the javascript and it works fine...see post#1 for the new template to use

[Boofo]

I see you took the "post = action" thing out at the top. I figured it had something to do with that. Just a hunch. Now, how about my idea of being able to have either the thread[title] or thread intro be different and be allowed to use either one?

[N!ck]

this is not difficult. find in showthread.php:

PHP Code:

} else {
 $threadintro = "";
} 


and replace with (make sure you take the spaces out of < normalfont > and < /normalfont >:

PHP Code:

} else {
 $threadintro = "<p><center>< normalfont ><font size=\"+5\">" . $thread[title] . "</font>< /normalfont ></center><p>";
} 


[N!ck]

so can i get your URL to view this?

[Boofo]

Sure, here you go.

My Thread Intro

But I ran into a problem. When I chnage the thread intro title now, it alos changes the thread title. Any ideas?

[Boofo]

Forget the last message. Problem solved and it works great! Now, all you have to do is have it maybe show the current title on the left of the edit box (or somewhere, just not inside it) incase we make a mistake editing it and don't want to have to start over from the beginning. Maybe even have a change and delete button, too. Just a couple of suggestions, that's all. Otherwise, it works great! Now I don't have to use muliple instances of thread title tags. I can be just like the big boys at vb.org! Great job, Nick!