TOTW: Thread of the Week Poll - Version 1.16

Thread of the Week Poll - Version 1.16

Description
With this hack it is possible to setup an automated system for electing a "Thread of the Week". Based on 1 or more rules you define it will select a number of threads from your board and will post a poll to let your members select their favourite thread.

This hack was written based on a requestion made here previously: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=63969

Tested on
- vB 3.0.7
- vB 3.0.6
- vB 3.0.5
- vB 3.0.3 (Will probably also work on earlier versions)

Install Information
Installation using HIS installer included (HIS by Link14716 https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...staller+system)
Uninstaller included
Install time: 2 minutes, easy
File edits: 0
Template edits: 0
Database modifications: 2 new tables

Features

• Can run 1 or more Rules for selecting threads to include in Poll
• Forums to be scanned for candidate threads can be selected.
• Selection of candidate threads is done based on views and replies. The 'weight' of these selection criteria is settable for every rule.
• Poll's are fully configurable (Posted as user, Thread title, Poll question, number of options)
• Polls are automatic closed when a new poll is started
• Polls can be generated on a settable interval. Interval can be given in days or weeks. Alternativle a new poll can also be generated on a fixed day every month.
• uCash Integration. Activate in ACP Settings if you have uCash installed
• Setable uCash price money for place 1, 2 and 3.
• Date selection based on Thread Start Date or Last Reply Date. Selection can be made for every Rule.
• Optional result post on closing of Poll, user configurable text.
• Thread title with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
• Poll title with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
• Result post with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
• Help added to the Admin screen.
• .......

To be included in future releases
If enough request i am think of the following to add in a future release. More suggestions are welcome
- Integration with more existing Award system, already rewards possible using uCash
- More selection criteria

Support
Support will be given in this thread.

If you have problems, please first check the following:
- Did you set the uCash/uShop correct in ACP->vB Options->Thread of the Week (On/Off)
- Turn on logging in the Scheduled Taks for Thread of the Week. Check the Scheduled Task Log for any messages.

If you still have problems, please post the following information, so i can quickly try to help you:
- vBulletin version
- PHP and MySQL Version
- Version of this hack
- The schedule options you have set in the Rule Manager
- Selection Options
- When is it scheduled to run in the Scheduled Task Manager
- Any other relevant information

Thanks to
A big thanks to link14716 for the installer and to trafix for letting me use a script as a starting point for the admin settings, saved me a lot of time.

Also a huge thanks to sabret00th for testing (now i got someone to blame if there are still any errors left ).


Donations
I will not charge for this hack. But if you like it and are looking for a way to spend your money, paypal donations are always welcome (marcoh64@msn.com)

Please click Install if you are using this hack

Change log:
Version 1.16:
- Fixed bugs in updating Username/Userid/Thread Title in posted thread and forum info
- Removed 2 unneeded queries
- Added replacement variables for Thread Title:
- {date} - Current date formatted according to vB settings
- {beginofweek} - Date (formatted) of the start of the current week (sunday is start)
- {endofweek} - Date (formatted) of the end of the current week (saturday is end)
- {beginofweekmon} - Date (formatted) of the start of the current week (monday is start)
- {endofweekmon} - Date (formatted) of the end of the current week (sunday is end)
- Added {date} replacement variable to Poll Title
- Made all replacement variables case-insensitive
- Admin Help pages updated accordingly

Version 1.15:
- Add the option to override the default calculation for the cutoff date when selecting candidates. Now possible to enter a number of days to go back when selecting candidates.

Version 1.14:
- Bug that would make the cronjob crash if the current poll thread was deleted.
- Fixed version number in Manager script

Version 1.13:
- uCash Integration. Activate in ACP Settings to show them.
- Setable uCash price money for place 1, 2 and 3.
- Date selection can now be based on Thread Start Date or Last Reply Date. Selection can be made for every Rule.
- Optional result post on closing of Poll, user configurable text.
- Thread title with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
- Poll title with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
- Result post with replacement variables. See Admin help!!
- Help added to the Admin screen.
- Some minor modifications and bug fixes
- Removed debugging lines
- Scheduled task will now log information on the processing of the Rules in the Scheduled Task Log
- INSTALLER WILL ALSO UPGRADE FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS, SEE UPGRADE NOTES.

Version 1.12:
- Fixed bug where threadoftheweek.php would not run correct (or even generate a database error) when running through the scheduler (as oppsed to running it with "Run Now")
- Added loads of debug information. To activate debugging, change includes/cron/threadoftheweek.php and uncomment the line "// $TOTW_DEBUG = TRUE;". Debug lines will go to the Scheduler log.
- Forum counters will now be updated when a new poll is posted.
- Fixed bug where "Run on day x of month" didn't work.
- Some minor changes
- The first time the rule is run, only threads with a last postdate in the time interval which is set for the rule will be selected as Candidates. In the older versions all threads where considered on the first run.

[KevinL]

I want to install as it sounds like an awesome hack, but first was wondering if something is possible.

Could it be possible to say have a button in the first post to nominate that thread? So users can nominate threads instead of it picking based on views/replies?

Then after a month it will make a poll thread on the first of every month based on those threads clicked and close after say five days?

Any thoughts on this?

[Marco van Herwaarden]

That would have to be an addon to this hack. I don't know if i would have time for that right now, maybe in a few weeks.

[KevinL]

Originally Posted by MarcoH64

That would have to be an addon to this hack. I don't know if i would have time for that right now, maybe in a few weeks.

That would be great! Thanks

A donation might be in order when thats done

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Originally Posted by KevinL

That would be great! Thanks

A donation might be in order when thats done

Kevin

You would really need to specify a bit more how you want this. Should nomination votes get reset after selection? It would not be possible to have more then 1 Poll running at the same time i think.

[dsboyce8624]

Originally Posted by MarcoH64

Kevin

You would really need to specify a bit more how you want this. Should nomination votes get reset after selection? It would not be possible to have more then 1 Poll running at the same time i think.

Sounds like a whole new hack to me. And I do like the idea.

Users vote during the week, at the end of the week, the votes are used to create a poll, then the votes are reset and a new vote begins. The winners from the the last X number of weeks are ineligable and X is defined in ACP.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Ok, i might be better off telling what i have in mind.

First of all i already made some changes to TOTW:
- New option to close a Poll after X-days instead of when a new Poll is started.
- Created basic support for alternative way of Candidate selection.
- Moved current Poll from Rules table to a new Polls table.
- Added a Poll Manager (not much, just a place to see the current ongoing Polls).
- Created to possiblility to End a Poll, the next time the cronjob is run. This means you can end it earlier then normal.

What i was thinking of is creating a function (maybe an addon, depending on the fact if vBfiles/tables must be edited or not, since the current TOTW is more a "plugin") that can do the following:
- Create a way of allowing external votes to be made to Candidate a thread for a predefined Rule. You would only need to add a link to that function with the ruleid as parameter somewhere in a template.
- Make it impossible to vote more then once for a user.
- Empty the new Candidate voting after a new Poll is created?


(I know this doesn't make sense, but i just slowly start to figure out how to solve this)

PS Not sure if i would make this addon for free.

[dsboyce8624]

Most of what you said, sounds like what I said.

If it ends up being what I said, I have no problems shelling out a few clams.

[KevinL]

Excellent

[yahoooh]

when i try to install i get this error :
[11-Aug-2005 02:36:40] PHP Warning: chdir(): No such file or directory (errno 2) in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/install/his_files/hack_install_b3.php on line 30
[11-Aug-2005 02:36:40] PHP Warning: main(./global.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/install/his_files/hack_install_b3.php on line 31
[11-Aug-2005 02:36:40] PHP Fatal error: main(): Failed opening required './global.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/install/his_files/hack_install_b3.php on line 31

[Marco van Herwaarden]

If you have renamed your admincp directory, then please have a look at the config file in install/his_files. This file must be renamed and edited to reflect your directory names.

[yahoooh]

installed ,

i have q :
how to exclude specific forums from the thread of the week
i need to exlude about 5 forums from 30 forums
is there away to do this?

[Marco van Herwaarden]

No, then you will just have to select them all, and while holding down the Ctrl, de-select the ones you don't want.

[yahoooh]

thanks, it works

[Logician]

This is a beautifulhack in which a lot of efforts are put so it is unfortunate it is not very active. Hope my bump will get some more attention.

While I'm on it, here is a small suggestion : :glasses:

Wouldn't you consider adding "open<>10 and visible=1" to the query of select_candidates function? (when it is added $selectforumssql also need to be prefixed with " AND "). This would make sure redirected and disabled threads won't get pulled. Or maybe "open=1 and visible=1" to exclude closed ones too?

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Thx for the bump.

That change sounds like a very good suggestion. Will put it in the next version i hope.