vBulletin Blog - Blog Comments vBAdvanced CMPS (formatted)

Add blog comments to your portal !

One of the main problems with the vB blog module is its poor integration with the main forum. This module allows you to show the last 5 blog comments (number is configurable) in a module on your vba portal page. It displays a short version of the comment, the blog title, and the person who commented, with built in links to the commment, user profile and the blog post itself.

This was the first and is still the only blog comments module for vBAdvanced

Features

• Comments will not display if they have not been approved.
• Configurable number of comments
• Includes smilies
• Includes URL formatting
• Allows for text format such as bold
• Configurable word count in comments

Instructions
Click install
Download the attached zip file
Edit blog_comments.php and change the variables to allow connection to your database.
Upload blog_comments.php to your modules directory.


From your admincp - vba cmps
Add new module
PHP file
Title - call it what you want
Active - yes
File to include - blog_comments.php
Identifier - call it what you want
Initialize BB Code Parser - YES
Select clean file output
Link - choose either blog home or comments page as you wish
Save and add to the page of your choice, the module has been designed to be a center block on the basis that long URL titles will push the margins. You can however place it where you want.

28th Feb 2009 - VERSION 2
Version 2 has been completely re-coded to make install land confiuration simpler. Rather than 2 files, there is now only one. This must be installed in the modules folder.
Allows blog titles
Allows configurable word count to be displayed
Links to user profile, blog and comment included.
Made variable changes easier in file.


22nd Feb 2009
Version upgrade from https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=173381
Allows smilies
Allows URL's
Allows formatting [BBCODE] Bold etc

[BWJ]

Originally Posted by optrex

Q1 - That's something I've tried to do before. I think it is possible, because vb does something similar in the "all blogs comments" pages. But as yet, I can't work it out with my basic php knowledge as the blog text table displays a blank title field for comments.

Okay... I thought there was a reason...

Originally Posted by optrex

Q2 I will look into, but it may have to be a manual edit based on category id rather than name. I take it you are also thinking admin categories rather than user ones - or both?

Admin categories will be fine. I don't mind a manual edit. Optrex - thank you for looking into this... :up: It would really be great if you are able to do it.

[optrex]

Well it took me a while, But I have integrated the suggestions made above.

We now have word limits (better than character limits) for the number of words displayed and we also have the blog entry titles etc as requested. I have also re-written the code to be one file rather than the 2 previously. The variables are also clearer and easier to change. Install time is now less than 5 mins for a noobie

[yotsume]

You have a typo here:

$limit = 5; //replace 5 with the umber of comments

Should say: number

I will have to update again and give this new version a try.

Thanks for the much needed great work!

[miloheckport]

We are just getting our blog going and comments are not frequent. Can you code a version that displays Recent Blog Entries vs. Recent Comments. and if there is a recent comment display the comment

[optrex]

I have a mod that picks up new blog entries and puts them into your "new posts". See my signature. Otherwise I need to take a look and put something fresh together, I have some ideas in mind.

[inciarco]

Great Improvements, Congratulations. :up:

Thank You For Sharing Them. :up:

My Best Regards.

[optrex]

Originally Posted by BWJ

Admin categories will be fine. I don't mind a manual edit. Optrex - thank you for looking into this... :up: It would really be great if you are able to do it.

Here is the edit to list by a category

in the variables add the line

$category = x; //where x is the category id number found in your AdminCP

in line 35, find:

$query = "SELECT {$prefix}blog.blogid,

and AFTER add:

{$prefix}blog.categories,

then in line 38 find

AND {$prefix}blog_text.state = 'visible'

and REPLACE with:

AND {$prefix}blog_text.state = 'visible' AND {$prefix}blog.categories = '{$category}'

This should result in only comments from the category selected being displayed. Please let me know how you get on.

[BWJ]

Originally Posted by optrex

This should result in only comments from the category selected being displayed. Please let me know how you get on.

Thank you for your hard work! With the default solution (all categories) it works very fine.

But if I try with the changes for a specific category:

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare shorten_string() in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/modules/blog_comments.php on line 18

[optrex]

Originally Posted by BWJ

Thank you for your hard work! With the default solution (all categories) it works very fine.

But if I try with the changes for a specific category:

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare shorten_string() in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/modules/blog_comments.php on line 18

I've changed the code in the above post. I had a stray , and category should have been categories. Tested and working 100%. Om the additional variable, don't forget the ;

[BWJ]

Sorry doesn't work for me. I have tried for 1? hour now:

Now I get this error:

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'nobody'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in [path]/modules/blog_comments_cars.php on line 31
I cannot connect to the database

I am 100% sure the password is correct - as I use it with success with e.g. your default version. This is the code I use with your changes:

PHP Code:

<?php
// I spent a while on this please leave the next couple of lines intact
// Coded by Optrex @ www.midlandsweather.org.uk
// Please do not put this onto any other site for download unless permision 

has been granted by myself (Optrex)
// This script is copyright www.midlandsweather.org.uk 

//variables to change below
$database = database; //replace xxx with the name of your 

database$username = username; //replace xxx with your database 

username$password = password; //replace xxx with your database 

password$wordcount = 50; //replace 50 with the number of words you want to 

have in your comments until cut off with ....
$website = "http://xxx.com/forum/blog.php"; //full website URL to your 

blog .php file including http
$prefix = forum; //table prefix - IF YOU DONT  HAVE ONE USE '' INSTEAD OF vb
$category = 16; //where x is the category id number found in your AdminCP
$limit = 5; //replace 5 with the umber of comments you want to show
//end of variables

function shorten_string($string, $wordsreturned)
{
        $retval = $string;      //      Just in case of a problem
        $array = explode(" ", $string);
        if (count($array)<=$wordsreturned)
        {
                $retval = $string;
        }
        else
        {
                array_splice($array, $wordsreturned);
                $retval = implode(" ", $array)."....read more";
        }
        return $retval;
}

$link = mysql_connect ("localhost", "{$username}", "{$password}") or die("I 

cannot connect to the database");
mysql_select_db ("{$database}");
$query = "SELECT {$prefix}blog.blogid, {$prefix}blog.categories, 

{$prefix}blog_text.title, {$prefix}blog_text.blogtextid, 

{$prefix}blog_text.userid, {$prefix}blog_text.username, 

{$prefix}blog_text.state, {$prefix}blog_text.pagetext, {$prefix}blog.title AS 

title2  ".
 "FROM {$prefix}blog, {$prefix}blog_text ".
    "WHERE {$prefix}blog.blogid = {$prefix}blog_text.blogid AND 
{$prefix}blog_text.title = '' AND {$prefix}blog_text.state = 'visible' AND 
{$prefix}blog.categories = '{$category}'
ORDER BY {$prefix}blog_text.dateline desc
LIMIT {$limit}";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)){
$longcomment= shorten_string($row['pagetext'],$wordcount);
$comment= $bbcode_parser->do_parse($longcomment, 1,1,1,1);
    echo "<tr><td class=\"$bgclass\" align=\"left\"><span 

class=\"{$Style['small']}\"><a 

href=\"{$website}/member.php?u={$row['userid']}\">{$row['username']}</a>";
    echo " Made a ";
    echo "<a 

href=\"{$website}/blog.php?bt={$row['blogtextid']}\">comment</a>";
    echo " in " ; 
    echo "<a 

href=\"{$website}/blog.php?b={$row['blogid']}\">{$row['title2']}</a><br />";
    echo $comment. " in " ; 
    echo "<a 

href=\"{$website}/blog.php?b={$row['blogid']}\">{$row['title2']}</a>";
    echo "<br /></td></tr>";
}

?>