Geek Article System 3.52

IMPORTANT:
Please note that I can no longer support this project. Primarily as it is designed for vb3.0.x and I no longer use that version (im obviously on vb3.5x ). There is a version for vb3.5 however its a commercial script. This project is left here for the community.
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HowdA All.

The GAS3 system is a comprehensive article system that completely integrates into vB3.

News:

• Updated 3/08/05 to version 3.53 for compatability with vb3.08
• Updated 13/05/05 to version 3.52!!! Posts for 3.52 to integrate with GAL4.0 start here

History

Originally, I looked into other article systems to integrate with my forums but just got irritated over and over again as I found the other offering out there very limiting for my needs. I wanted to use my members usergroup permissions, the search facility (so when someone did a search for 'bob' both articles AND threads appeared on one page), I also wanted wysiwyg editing and vBs attachment system. Well, I accomplished 99% of my needs with the Geek Article System 2.0
Why 3.0? While the 2.0 was fine for my needs, many users began asking for a far more complex system that took the beauty of 2.0 and added popular features in the other article systems.

Here are the features in a nutshell:

• Integrates 100% into vB. No importing forums or creating special groups. Simply mark forum as an 'Article' forum and instantly all threads become articles. Dont like it anymore? Simply remove the ID and the therads and forums go back to normal.
• Whatever you can do in a thread or post, you can do with the GAS3 system (uploading attachments, smiles, BBcode, various editors, yadayadayada)
• Adding on the above point: all the differing vB editors (wysiwyg, etc..), usergroup permissions (heck - anything you can set for a forum you can set in this - AND MORE!) why> because it is totally integrated!
• Create multiple pages in your post by simply putting [BREAK] anywhere in your post.
• The first thumbnail in an article substitutes the posters avatar (switchable via admincp)
• Upload header images and have them auto resize
• Choose header images from a global (or forum specific) gallery
• Integrated article byline.
• Synopsis - allows users to give a summary that appears on the new forumdisplay
• New forumdisplay shows article header image and synopsis (if no synopsis then the first X amount of characters from the article is used)
• Synopisis allows BBCode
• Integrates with the Geek AutoLink system (optional)
• Allows you to post as other users
• Article sidebar that shows the article rating, your rating, the rating form, article tools, and article attachments (all toggable via admincp)
• An auto installer/upgrader/uninstaller that makes all file edits for you!
• A whole host of other tiddlybits that I wont bore you with

Special thanks goes to rlamego, peterska2, Snow, Gldtn, and Magic Spark for private Beta testing this for me. Couldnt of happened without them!

Change log
13.05.05 - updated to 3.52
All this does is update GAS for the GAL4.0 integration.
To update, simply replace your existing functions_geekarticles.php with the one in the latest package.

18.3.05 - updated to 3.51
This really just fixes a couple of mega minor bugs.
Added new default icon per forum functionality (see readme)
Wrote a real README.
Wrote a seperate 3.5x upgrade script. Users of 3.5x should run admincp/gas3_upgrade.php

16.3.05 - updated to 3.50
Loads of new features and a new installer that makes the file changes for you.
New forumdisplay
Uploading of images for your header
Synopsis box
yadayadayda

10.2.05 - updated to 3.02
Fixed typo in readme (step 2.6 referenced $articlebyline instead of $GAS_byline). This bug fixes the disappearing byline when editing an article.
To upgrade - edit your editpost template and search for $articlebyline then replace it with $GAS_byline

Importers
I have made an importer for v3articles. Technically speaking, you dont have to strictly have GAS3 installed to use the importer (though it is ideal). What it does is essentailly import v3articles, comments, ratings, and attachments into existing forums as new threads, replies, threadratings, and post attachments. The idea is that you install GAS3, create the forums to house your articles, and then import your existing v3articles into them (but as I said, you can simply import v3articles into normal forums without having GAS3 installed).
There is also a rollback feature in case you change your mind or experience a problem with the import. Your v3articles installation isnt touched. In fact, no v3articles are harmed in the process

Known issues:

• none that I am aware of.

Demos: (note that I have a custom skin, so your results will be ever so slightly different)
http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=11287
http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=8801 - pages with comments (click View Comments to see comments only)


Difficulty - EASY
Time - about 5 minutes
File modifications? a few but now all done automatically for you

Change log:

Updated to 3.01 Feb 7th
Fixed a couple template errors and minor readme instructions


Instructions

Click install. I have busted my butt over the past few weeks to do this and all I ask is that you click install if you use it

• Download the package and unzip.
• Follow the README!
• Ther installer does all the work for you
• When done, go into your admncp, and adjust your settings

Troubleshooting:

• No phrases after install? This happens a lot with many installers for some bizzare reason. All you have to do is do a phrase search for GAS_ , edit the phrase (dont change it), then save it. Bingo - all your phrases appear.

Also:

I would therefore backup your DB, your styles, and any of the files the README asks you to change.

nJoy

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by sv1cec

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, sorry for that.

What I want, is to change this:



to look like this:



But, I can't seem to find the template to do it. The GAS_article_pb, does not seem to include any code for that part of the page.

nordino - ill have to check into that.

sv1cec - It is in the GAS_article_pb. There is an if clause around the header. If its an article (firstpost), show the article header. If not, show the comment style header.



HTHs

[Slave]

Hi Geek ..

Great mod and installer! .. I'm having a play and have installed it (3.51) .. and I've come up with a couple of things ..

When I try to upload an image using your uploader I get the following error ..

Warning: move_uploaded_file(/var/www/html/gas/images/1/bob.gif): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /includes/functions_geekarticles_images.php on line 104

Warning: move_uploaded_file(): Unable to move '/tmp/php4VCvAJ' to '/var/www/html/gas/images/1/bob.gif' in /includes/functions_geekarticles_images.php on line 104

Also .. I've got it set not to show the comment buttons until the last page .. but it's still showing the quick reply box at the bottom of each page

Any ideas?

[sv1cec]

Thanks, I must be blind!!!!

Done, many thanks!

One more question, if you allow me. I just finished deploying your hack in my board, and I would like to clarify something. When you say "Comments Preview", do you mean that one gets to see only a handful of the comments that have been left for that article?

If yes, I think I found something to play with. I would prefer, if instead of showing the whole comment, one could see just the first 300 (for example) characters of each comment, and then have a "Read More" link, to see the rest. Since the focus of an article is the article itself, and not the comments, one does not need to have a list of 10 comments, in their entity, at the end of the last page.

I am not sure how I'll handle this eventually, but I would say 3-5 "synopsised" comments and then a button to see the rest, would be ideal.

Time for work!

Thanks The Geek, excellent hack. Someday, I'll need your expertise to come up with such a great installer, for my AWS hack, it's getting too complicated to install.

Kind regards

[Polo]

Originally Posted by The Geek

nordino - ill have to check into that.

sv1cec - It is in the GAS_article_pb. There is an if clause around the header. If its an article (firstpost), show the article header. If not, show the comment style header.



HTHs

so do we need to erase this line?

PHP Code:

    <if condition="$post['postid'] == $thread['firstpostid']"> 


:nervous:

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by Polo

so do we need to erase this line?

PHP Code:

    <if condition="$post['postid'] == $thread['firstpostid']"> 


:nervous:

well - you can do - but the problem will be that each reply header will look like the article header.
I would just replace the <else /> result with one nabbed from your postbit.

John - take it if you want. I was prototyping a new installer for GAB and GISH (they are really the same installer) but scrapped the development of it with the immenent release of vb3.1 - I suspect that will make installers obsolete (hurray!)

[sv1cec]

Originally Posted by The Geek

John - take it if you want. I was prototyping a new installer for GAB and GISH (they are really the same installer) but scrapped the development of it with the immenent release of vb3.1 - I suspect that will make installers obsolete (hurray!)

Hmm, do you have some inside info you could share? I mean why would installers be obsolete? Would it include a specific method for hacking the file etc?

Rgds

[KTBleeding]

Geek, one quick thing I noticed. If you have the GAL option set to yes and you edit an article, you can not put in GAL settings. They only appear when creating a new article. Is this intentional? I'd love to go back and edit some in if possible.

[The Geek]

Thats by design. Its a lot of work to rebuild the GAL store so I minimize it as much as possible.
It also prevents users from abusing the autolinking system. Once a GAL is in - you can only add/remove via the GAL admincp

[laeth]

Heya,

I tried installing this. But when I tried to upload the changed files, and view them all I was getting was a blank white page.

Any ideas?

[gldtn]

Originally Posted by laeth

Heya,

I tried installing this. But when I tried to upload the changed files, and view them all I was getting was a blank white page.

Any ideas?

Template problem maybe?