Add-On Releases - Custom Tag Cloud in vbAdvanced, Forum Home & Related Pages

Download the latest version that supports social groups clouds here: 2.5 Version (VB 3.8 required)

Forum VBA Custom Tag Cloud
This mod adds 6 features to VB?s tag cloud:

1. It allows you to display the tag cloud in forum related pages in any location you want. You can display tag clouds in forumhome, forumdisplay, and showthread, and hook it to any $template_hook or HTML comment. Instead of installing 3 different mods to accomplish this, you can install this mod to do all 3. Plus you can specify if you want to not display the tag cloud in certain pages.

2. It allows you to show the tag cloud in your site?s home page in any location you want if you have vbAdvanced installed (optional).

3. When viewing forumdisplay or showthread (pages listing threads or posts), you can specify custom styles for tags that belong to the active forum or thread being viewed so that users will know which tags are relevant to that forum or thread.

4. It allows you to specify preferred tags that you want to have custom styles so that they will be noticed more. For example, if your site just started a forum about cars with tags like ?Lexus? ?Infinity?, you can specify those tags as preferred to draw attention to the new forum.

5. The tag cloud resides in a collapsible box and has a legend for the custom styles.

6. When viewing a thread (in showthread), this mod will move the thread?s tag box below the tag cloud. The tag box and tag cloud are different: the tag box shows tags specific to its thread, whereas the tag cloud shows tags from all threads. Currently, the tag box is shown at the very bottom of the thread, which can be easily ignored by readers. Moving it next to the tag cloud will make the tag box more visible.

Installation
1. Download the product xml file. Go to Manage Products > Add/Import Product, upload that xml file, set ?allow overwrite? to yes, and click Import.

2. Go to VB Options > Forum VBA Tag Clouds to set the locations of the tag cloud (default is below the navbar) and custom tag styles.

3. Optional: to display the tag cloud in vbAdvanced, go to VBA CMPS > Default Settings > Main Options > add to ?Portal Output Global Variables?:

tag_cloud

.
Update:
Reimport the new product xml file and allow overwrite.
See the 2nd post for a screenshot and template hook selection tips.

Versions:

  1.0.0/ 1.0.1 Initial Release.
  2.0.0 New Features:
  Auto templating ? allows setting the location of the tag cloud anywhere on the page.
  Tag cloud resides in a collapsible box and has a legend for the custom styles.
  Tags that belong to the active forum or thread being viewed can have custom styles.
  Added option to set preferred tags that will have custom styles to get them noticed more.
  2.0.2 Optimized memory usage.
  2.0.5 Optimized code to create tag links. Created preselected hooks for forumhome.
  2.1.0 Fixed a potential conflict with other mods.

Notes:
1. I read all posts for this mod so feel free to post any comments or suggestions.
2. You will be notified by e-mail for future updates if you click ?Marked as Installed.? If you find this mod useful, remember to click ?Nominate for MOTM.?

MAKE SURE TO CLICK INSTALL

[MTGDarkness]

I still really don't get the whole hook location system. Can you give me an example of how to set a new hook up in a theme and attach this MOD to it?

[KevinL]

you can find a hook in any template like -> $template_hook[forumhome_wgo_pos5]

[MTGDarkness]

I found a hook, and tried to enter it as an option. But then it wouldn't come up at all.

[vbboarder]

Originally Posted by MTGDarkness

I still really don't get the whole hook location system. Can you give me an example of how to set a new hook up in a theme and attach this MOD to it?

Make sure you read the 2nd post for hook selection tips & instructions. The first note says:

"You can find and place hooks in adv_portal, FORUMHOME, FORUMDISPLAY, & SHOWTHREAD templates. The hook must be $navbar, $template_hook, or a HTML comment (ie: $template_hook[place] or <!-- comment -->)."

This means that you go the VB Styles > Edit Templates > then review either the adv_portal (for vbAdvanced), FORUMHOME, FORUMDISPLAY (for pages listing threads), or SHOWTHREAD (for pages listing posts) for hooks that you can use.

As stated, the hook must be $navbar or something that starts with $template_hook or an html comment (which starts with <!-- and ends -->). Examples that were recently posted were: $template_hook[forumhome_wgo_pos5] and <!-- what's going on box --> These are FORUMHOME hooks so they won't work in the other pages (you must select different hooks for them).

The 2nd post give reasons to why a certain hook may not work (ie: if it occurs between <if> and </if> tags that evaluates to false). Hope these examples help.... don't know how else to clarify.

[vbboarder]

Originally Posted by alehawk

Hi!
2 Questions, I upgraded from tag cloud 1.0 and now I got the tag cloud over forum home even when its disabled (i disabled it to show only one tag cloud box), how can I fix that?
Second, how can I change the preffered and active clud color because it cand be read in my site color scheme (http://www.astrodestino.com.ar)
Thank you!

You can change the tag colors in VB Options > Custom Tag Clouds settings page using CSS styles syntax. For further help, you need to click "Marked as Installed" on this page.

[Sunka]

Is this MOD working on vBulletin v3.8.0?

[vbboarder]

Originally Posted by Sunka

Is this MOD working on vBulletin v3.8.0?

Yup, workin' fine without any problems

[MTGDarkness]

Does this work with 3.7.4PL1? Cuz one of my MODs is apparently giving my members token errors, and this is one of them. I'm going to disable it and hope for an update for now.

[vbboarder]

Originally Posted by MTGDarkness

Does this work with 3.7.4PL1? Cuz one of my MODs is apparently giving my members token errors, and this is one of them. I'm going to disable it and hope for an update for now.

Don't know how this mod is giving token errors, 'cause it uses VB's built-in tag cloud function to build the tag cloud (in other words, this mod calls a function that's written by VB). Also, I haven't received any other reports of token errors due to this mod.

[vbboarder]

NEW FEATURES: Social Group Tag Cloud (VB 3.8.0 or higher required)

1. A tag cloud for social group categories can be displayed anywhere in the site homepage (vbAdvanced) or forum homepage (forumhome). Similar to the forum tag cloud, the social group cloud resides in a collapsible box and the links can be custom styled to draw focus to specific groups (ie: if you have a new group that you want to promote).

2. Both the forum tag cloud and social group cloud can now be positioned in the left, right, or center blocks (download the VBA xml files). In earlier versions, the tag cloud could only be hooked to the adv_portal template.

To download, go to: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=201692