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

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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

[transparent]

I have this installed and working on my live board but I'm not seeing any changes in popular tags. Anyone else having this issue?

I have specifically searched and clicked tags over and over trying to get specific ones to grow in size and they wont change. The display seems to change on the default VB location for the tag cloud but doesn't seem to change on the cloud produced by this hack.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[vbboarder]

Originally Posted by transparent

I have this installed and working on my live board but I'm not seeing any changes in popular tags. Anyone else having this issue?

I have specifically searched and clicked tags over and over trying to get specific ones to grow in size and they wont change. The display seems to change on the default VB location for the tag cloud but doesn't seem to change on the cloud produced by this hack.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

What are the custom styles and custom hooks that you specified in the settings for this mod?
Have you tried changing back to the default mod settings or reinstalling this mod (with allow overwrite)?

[transparent]

Hi vbboarder!

I specified my hook in this post. And I am using the latest version of your hack.

[vbboarder]

Originally Posted by transparent

Hi vbboarder!

I specified my hook in this post. And I am using the latest version of your hack.

The hook you're using is a html comment in the forumhome template. It works fine for me.

If you want the tag cloud to go into the "what's going on" stats section, you need to specify this hook:

$template_hook[forumhome_wgo_stats]

.
If that doesn't work, then I need to know the custom style that you specified in this mod's settings page.

Important Note: If the syntax is invalid/ incorrect for the tags' custom styles, then the tags will not be styled correctly (ie: different sizes/ colors for popularity).

[motowebmaster]

Does this mod create it's own template? I'd like to modify the look of the Tag Cloud a bit, if possible.

[lenzo]

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.

I just don't get it. I did every step, but nothing shows. I just don't understand what you mean by option 1. Can you make a specific example to explain what we do for step 1?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revised: So freakin' weird. I disable every piece of the tag cloud, then suddenly it starts to appear. So, I guess it's working now, but I don't understand how...

[vbboarder]

Originally Posted by motowebmaster

Does this mod create it's own template? I'd like to modify the look of the Tag Cloud a bit, if possible.

If you want to custom style the tag links, then enter the CSS styles in the VB Options page for the Forum VBA Tag Cloud settings.

If you want to custom style the box in which the tags are located, then edit the template 'tag_cloud_collapsedbox'. It's essentially the same as the VB template 'tag_cloud_box' but the tags are contained in a collapsible box.

If you want to change the words "Active Tags" & "Preferred Tags", you can use VB Phrase Manager to change them to whatever you want.

[vbboarder]

Originally Posted by lenzo

I just don't get it. I did every step, but nothing shows. I just don't understand what you mean by option 1. Can you make a specific example to explain what we do for step 1?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revised: So freakin' weird. I disable every piece of the tag cloud, then suddenly it starts to appear. So, I guess it's working now, but I don't understand how...

.
If you want the tag cloud to appear in a specific location, make sure you read my 2nd post for detailed instructions.

[lenzo]

Originally Posted by vbboarder

.
If you want the tag cloud to appear in a specific location, make sure you read my 2nd post for detailed instructions.

Actually, I read your instructions, read every post, and still was confused at first. Honestly, in order for people to understand right away, you should make a specific example. I can understand why even a programmer would be confused at first.

Putting that aside, thank you for making this mod. It adds a little something. And thank you for answering the posts.

[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!