Modifying functions_forumhome using a product file without hacking php

[tuaguild]

// ###################### Start construct_forum_columns #######################
function construct_forum_columns($parentid, $columncount)
{
	global $vbulletin, $stylevar, $vbphrase, $show;
	global $imodcache, $lastpostarray, $counters, $inforum;

	// this function takes the constant MAXFORUMDEPTH as its guide for how
	// deep to recurse down forum lists. if MAXFORUMDEPTH is not defined,
	// it will assume a depth of 2.

	if ($columncount == 0)
	{
		// 0 Columns means don't show subforums at all
		return '';
	}

	// call fetch_last_post_array() first to get last post info for forums
	if (!is_array($lastpostarray))
	{
		fetch_last_post_array();
	}

	if (empty($vbulletin->iforumcache["$parentid"]))
	{
		return;
	}

	if (!defined(MAXFORUMDEPTH))
	{
		define('MAXFORUMDEPTH', 1);
	}

	$forumbits = '';

	$counter = 0;
	foreach ($vbulletin->iforumcache["$parentid"] AS $forumid)
	{
		// grab the appropriate forum from the $vbulletin->forumcache
		$forum = $vbulletin->forumcache["$forumid"];
		$lastpostforum = $vbulletin->forumcache["$lastpostarray[$forumid]"];
		if (!$forum['displayorder'] OR !($forum['options'] & $vbulletin->bf_misc_forumoptions['active']))
		{
			continue;
		}

		$forumperms = $vbulletin->userinfo['forumpermissions']["$forumid"];
		$lastpostforumperms = $vbulletin->userinfo['forumpermissions']["$lastpostarray[$forumid]"];
		if (!($forumperms & $vbulletin->bf_ugp_forumpermissions['canview']) AND !$vbulletin->options['showprivateforums'])
		{ // no permission to view current forum
			continue;
		}

		if ($subsonly)
		{
			$childforumbits = construct_forum_bit($forum['forumid'], 1, $subsonly);
		}
		else if ($depth < MAXFORUMDEPTH)
		{
			$childforumbits = construct_forum_bit($forum['forumid'], $depth, $subsonly);
		}
		else
		{
			$childforumbits = '';
		}

		// do stuff if we are not doing subscriptions only, or if we ARE doing subscriptions,
		// and the forum has a subscribedforumid
		if (!$subsonly OR ($subsonly AND !empty($forum['subscribeforumid'])))
		{

			$GLOBALS['forumshown'] = true; // say that we have shown at least one forum

			if (($forum['options'] & $vbulletin->bf_misc_forumoptions['cancontainthreads']))
			{ // get appropriate suffix for template name
				$tempext = '_post';
			}
			else

			{
				$tempext = '_nopost';
			}

			if (!$vbulletin->options['showforumdescription'])
			{ // blank forum description if set to not show
				$forum['description'] = '';
			}

			// dates & thread title
			$lastpostinfo = $vbulletin->forumcache["$lastpostarray[$forumid]"];

			// compare last post time for this forum with the last post time specified by
			// the $lastpostarray, and if it's less, use the last post info from the forum
			// specified by $lastpostarray
			if ($vbulletin->forumcache["$lastpostarray[$forumid]"]['lastpost'] > 0)
			{
				if (!($lastpostforumperms & $vbulletin->bf_ugp_forumpermissions['canview']) OR (!($lastpostforumperms & $vbulletin->bf_ugp_forumpermissions['canviewothers']) AND $lastpostinfo['lastposter'] != $vbulletin->userinfo['username']))
				{
					$forum['lastpostinfo'] = $vbphrase['private'];
				}
				else
				{
					$lastpostinfo['lastpostdate'] = vbdate($vbulletin->options['dateformat'], $lastpostinfo['lastpost'], 1);
					$lastpostinfo['lastposttime'] = vbdate($vbulletin->options['timeformat'], $lastpostinfo['lastpost']);
					$lastpostinfo['trimthread'] = fetch_trimmed_title($lastpostinfo['lastthread']);

					if ($icon = fetch_iconinfo($lastpostinfo['lasticonid']))
					{
						$show['icon'] = true;
					}
					else
					{
						$show['icon'] = false;
					}

					$show['lastpostinfo'] = (!$lastpostforum['password'] OR verify_forum_password($lastpostforum['forumid'], $lastpostforum['password'], false));

					eval('$forum[\'lastpostinfo\'] = "' . fetch_template('forumhome_lastpostby') . '";');
				}
			}
			else if (!($forumperms & $vbulletin->bf_ugp_forumpermissions['canview']))
			{
				$forum['lastpostinfo'] = $vbphrase['private'];
			}
			else
			{
				$forum['lastpostinfo'] = $vbphrase['never'];
			}

			// do light bulb
			$forum['statusicon'] = fetch_forum_lightbulb($forumid, $lastpostinfo, $forum);

			// add lock to lightbulb if necessary
			if ((!($forumperms & $vbulletin->bf_ugp_forumpermissions['canpostnew']) OR !($forum['options'] & $vbulletin->bf_misc_forumoptions['allowposting'])) AND $vbulletin->options['showlocks'] AND !$forum['link'])
			{
				$forum['statusicon'] .= '_lock';
			}

			// get counters from the counters cache ( prepared by fetch_last_post_array() )
			$forum['threadcount'] = $counters["$forum[forumid]"]['threadcount'];
			$forum['replycount'] = $counters["$forum[forumid]"]['replycount'];

			// get moderators ( this is why we needed cache_moderators() )
			if ($vbulletin->options['showmoderatorcolumn'])
			{
				$showmods = array();
				$listexploded = explode(',', $forum['parentlist']);
				foreach ($listexploded AS $parentforumid)
				{
					if (!isset($imodcache["$parentforumid"]))
					{
						continue;
					}
					foreach($imodcache["$parentforumid"] AS $moderator)
					{
						if (isset($showmods["$moderator[userid]"]))
						{
							continue;
						}

						($hook = vBulletinHook::fetch_hook('forumbit_moderator')) ? eval($hook) : false;

						$showmods["$moderator[userid]"] = true;
						if (!isset($forum['moderators']))
						{
							eval('$forum[\'moderators\'] = "' . fetch_template('forumhome_moderator') . '";');
						}
						else
						{
							eval('$forum[\'moderators\'] .= ", ' . fetch_template('forumhome_moderator') . '";');
						}
					}
				}
				if (!isset($forum['moderators']))
				{
					$forum['moderators'] = '';
				}
			}

			if ($forum['link'])
			{
				$forum['replycount'] = '-';
				$forum['threadcount'] = '-';
				$forum['lastpostinfo'] = '-';
			}
			else
			{
				$forum['replycount'] = vb_number_format($forum['replycount']);
				$forum['threadcount'] = vb_number_format($forum['threadcount']);
			}

			if (($subsonly OR $depth == MAXFORUMDEPTH) AND $vbulletin->options['subforumdepth'] > 0)
			{
				$forum['subforums'] = construct_subforum_bit($forumid, ($forum['options'] & $vbulletin->bf_misc_forumoptions['cancontainthreads'] ) );
			}
			else
			{
				$forum['subforums'] = '';
			}

			$children = explode(',', $forum['childlist']);
			foreach($children AS $childid)
			{
				$forum['browsers'] += ($inforum["$childid"] ? $inforum["$childid"] : 0);
			}

			if ($depth == 1 AND $tempext == '_nopost')
			{
				global $vbcollapse;
				$collapseobj_forumid =& $vbcollapse["collapseobj_forumbit_$forumid"];
				$collapseimg_forumid =& $vbcollapse["collapseimg_forumbit_$forumid"];
				$show['collapsebutton'] = true;
			}
			else
			{
				$show['collapsebutton'] = false;
			}

			$show['forumsubscription'] = ($subsonly ? true : false);
			$show['forumdescription'] = ($forum['description'] != '' ? true : false);
			$show['subforums'] = ($forum['subforums'] != '' ? true : false);
			$show['browsers'] = ($vbulletin->options['displayloggedin'] AND !$forum['link'] AND $forum['browsers'] ? true : false);

			// build the template for the current forum
			$column_width = intval(100 / $columncount) . '%';
			eval('$column = "' . fetch_template("forumhome_forumbit_columncell") . '";');
			
			// do the columnstuff
			if ($counter % $columncount == 0)
			{
				// Begin a new row
				$forumbits .= "\t<tr>\n";
			}
			$forumbits .= $column;
			if ($counter % $columncount == $columncount - 1)
			{
				// End row
				$forumbits .= "\t</tr>\n";
			}
			$counter++;
		}
	}

	// prevent unclosed <tr> tags
	if ($counter % $columncount != 0)
	{
		$forumbits .= "\t</tr>\n";
	}
	
	return $forumbits;
}

I need to know how to make this code go into my functions_forumlist.php file without having to hack the actual file itself i know there is a way to do it with product files but i cant remember how

[Lynne]

If it will only be used in the forumdisplay.php pages, then use one of the hooks available on that page.

[Dismounted]

As Lynne suggested - find a hook that you can work around with. But if you really want to just edit the file without really editing it, it's called SVN - you use .diff files to patch your original files.