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

[Fungsten]

uploading the XML file, THEN running the SQL Query.

Originally Posted by Psionic Vision

If you have no table prefix (empty value for $config['Database']['tableprefix']) then please just remove PFX from the query.



Please make sure that you allow excludability on all parents forums of the one(s) you want to exclude.

[Tourmeister]

Originally Posted by Psionic Vision

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

I would suggest adding this to the instructions. I had to sit here and read through all the posts in this thread until I found your suggestion. Then it worked perfect!

Very nice mod. Thanks!

[Tourmeister]

It occurs to me that it would be nice if there were a list of currently filtered forums for the user to review. If it has been a while since they filtered forums, they may have forgotten which are ignored. Anyway to include an indicator next to each forum in the list in the window where you pick which to filter?

Also, anyway to reset the exclusions on individual forums without resetting all of them at once? It seems kind of inconvenient that if you want to remove one forum, you have to remove all and then re-exclude all the ones you still want.

[LeeCHeSSS]

I think you haven't followed the installation instructions properly. Because the plugin already allows you to see which forums are excluded (they are selected), and it is already possible to re-enable one specific forum by deselecting it (hold CTRL).

[Tourmeister]

Because the plugin already allows you to see which forums are excluded (they are selected), and it is already possible to re-enable one specific forum by deselecting it (hold CTRL).

Man... you would think that would have been brutally obvious...

Unfortunately, I am the master at missing the brutally obvious

Thank you for setting me straight :up:

[BulletNow]

I have NO table prefix. So how would I run that Query?

what do u mean by
If you have no table prefix (empty value for $config['Database']['tableprefix']) then please just remove PFX from the query.

[Holidazed]

Can this be modified to be able to turn this on and off globally?
Can it be modified to allow me to select certain usergroups that can and cannot use it?

BTW, instead of using the "reputation.gif" file to represent the ignore thread option, I modified the code to look for "ignore.gif" and then used this image. Feel free to use it yourself.

[subnet_rx]

I think this may be exactly what I've been looking for, thanks!

[akanevsky]

Can this be modified to be able to turn this on and off globally?
Can it be modified to allow me to select certain usergroups that can and cannot use it?

Yes. Anything is possible. Sorry, though, I am not going to provide exact instructions. If you do not want to wait for me to *maybe* implement it, please feel free to ask someone in the modifications forum to help you to modify this hack.

BTW, instead of using the "reputation.gif" file to represent the ignore thread option, I modified the code to look for "ignore.gif" and then used this image. Feel free to use it yourself.

What does "ignore thread" have to do with this hack?

[Holidazed]

Originally Posted by Psionic Vision

What does "ignore thread" have to do with this hack?

Oops. The "Ignore" image should have went to the other thread.