Miscellaneous Hacks - Global Tag Cloud in Side Bar or Anywhere

What this plugin does

This plugin lets you call the tag cloud on any page. We wanted a tag cloud in a side column on our forum, and also the freedom to call it from within any template.

Live Demo

You can view the plugin in action on AdminFusion

Installation Instructions

1. Login in to the AdminCP -> Plugins and Products -> Manage Products
2. Click the Add/Import Product link at the bottom of the page and browse to the plugin's xml file.
3. Add the following variable where ever you want the tag cloud to appear:

$vbcloud

4. If you want to display just the cloud (i.e. without the category) open up the tag_cloud_search template and replace everything with the code below:

 
<if condition="THIS_SCRIPT != tags">
$cloud[links]
<else />
<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
	<td class="tcat">
		<div class="smallfont" style="float:$stylevar[right]"><phrase 1="$cloud[count]">$vbphrase[these_are_the_x_most_used_thread_tags]</phrase></div>
		$vbphrase[tag_cloud]
	</td>
</tr>
<tr>
	<td class="alt1" style="text-align:justify">$cloud[links]</td>
</tr>
</table>
</if>

Version Information:
1.01 -- Updated to make compatible with Vbulletin Blog
1.02 -- Script rewrite. Fixed time stamp issue, blog issue and other minor problems.
1.03

Now returns the most popular tags as opposed to the most searched for tags.
Some minor optimizations made.
Instructions revised (uses tag_cloud_box template instead of tag_cloud_search)

[TechGuy]

Just above the download link for the new version it says: "1.02 -- Script rewrite. Fixed time stamp issue, blog issue and other minor problems."

I haven't tried it yet, though.

[peterska2]

Tip: If you want to show the most used tags, not the most searched for tags, make this change in the "Create Cloud" plugin.

Find

    $vbcloud = fetch_tagcloud('search');

Replace With

    $vbcloud = fetch_tagcloud('usage');

Example: www.superclickers.co.uk

[kara kule]

how can I tags.php?tag to /url-.html?

[Jase2]

I've now got it working!

[Jase2]

Anyway to limit the number of tags it uses? Since I have a quite a few tags, it seems to use nearly all and make the sidebar look long...

EDIT: Just seen the option within the vB options -- silly me hehe.

[Mecho]

Originally Posted by Kerry-Anne

Example: www.superclickers.co.uk

nice , thanks for tip.

2 question :

1 - how u use it in ur vbadvanced . when i's using tags has not /forum in the links . so not found error page would shows u p.

2 - is there anyway to show a Different number of tags compare the original tags.php page ?

Thanks in advance.

[peterska2]

1. Edit the tag_cloud_link template and replace the contents with

<a href="$vboptions[bburl]/tags.php?$session[sessionurl]tag=$thistag[tagtext_url]" class="tagcloudlink level$thistag[level]">$thistag[tagtext]</a>

2. It shows the same number of tags as it just hooks into the main tags system.

[Jase2]

Is it the more they're searched, the bigger the words get? None of mine seem to be getting bigger, although some have been used a few times.

Also, any ideas how I can change the link colours in the tag cloud? : www.techsupportteam.org

[peterska2]

Jase,

It is the more they are searched, unless you use the edit I posted somewhere in this thread which makes it the more they are used.

Color-wise, they use the alt1 link colors be default. You'd need to edit the tag_cloud_link template to change the colors of the tags in the tag cloud.

[Jase2]

Thanks! Hmm... but the "Latest Thread" block I have uses the same font colour. I tried changing the alt1 link font colour -- but that changed the forum descriptions, instead. And the tag words are blue on my tags.php page

And using the usage, how would I remove the category border it uses -- and just display the tags: currently it says; "These are the most used tags". ?