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

[oceanart]

I read through the end of the README ... and tested the solution various ways .. finally got the header to how I want it.

For the different ways to upload and display the image for the header the README file really helped me figure it out. What I am after is the actual article - how do I get the images in the actual article? How do you guys do it?, I mean in a simple way. The step by step process I wrote was my only solution so far .... can anyone share their system?

I found on few webistes directory path like this: /www.mysite.com/images/articles/(article ID)/ ...

running out of ideas ...
Paul

[Clayton]

Paul

upload the images you want to use to the /gas/images folder

this then makes those images available for the articles

when you create a new article click on image and the images in that folder will be displayed

when the image is placed in the article it gets saved automatically to the ID [folder] of the user, you do not have to create it .. it is automated .. this process is also explained

make sure your settings in the AdminCP of the GAS articles allows for images to show in the header

in the settings it says

Use the legacy forumdisplay template? Choosing no will show the article header images

Hope this helps

G

[ccplim]

I just tried using the auto install on my local machine and I am getting all sorts of permission denied message.

What should I do? I am working this on my own PC and thus will not be able to CHMOD the folders to 0777. Nevertheless, I am logging in as administrator which should already have full access to which ever folders I have.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here is an example of what I received (and it happen to every file being edited)

Modifying file: forumdisplay.php
Completed step 200
Completed step 201
Completed step 202
Completed step 203
Completed step 204
Completed step 205
Completed step 205b
Completed step 206
Completed step 207
Completed step 208
Completed step 209
Saving changes to gas/changes/forumdisplay.php


Warning: fopen(gas/changes/forumdisplay.php): failed to open stream: Permission denied in \admincp\gas3_install.php on line 3151

Warning: fputs(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in \admincp\gas3_install.php on line 3152

Warning: fclose(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in \admincp\gas3_install.php on line 3153

[oceanart]

Hi everyone,

I have a real burning question, for which no matter how many times I read the README I just can't figure it out. This is the quesiton of "images" in the actual article, NOT the images I want in my header (I figured it out with help of Clayton - thanks!!!)

How do you guys manage them? Where do you put the image that are included in the actual article? To be more specific:

Quesiton: For the actual in-line or embedded images within the artcile text within the post.
1. Where do you place them? What directory? Where do you place them
- I have seen few people create /www.mysite.com/images/articles/(article ID)/
- I thought that I should place them in /www.mysite.com/forum/gas/images/articles/(article ID)
2. How do you embedd inline images within article (this might be a very stupid question) is this the only way?
- add this line to the post without the dashes [-img]http://www.mysite.com/forum/gas/images/articles/46/image.jpg[/img-]
- is there a way to just define a default directory of images per post? then just say [-img]/46/image.jpg[/img-]
- I am assuming that the upload must be manual to this directory because the "image upload" will resize the images".
- I am almost looking for a semi-automated image management for each post, so customers can easily create text and upload their images per post. So, if the post is deleted, so are the images.
- or is the /gas/images/(user ID) intended for this purpose, meaning a customer or I upload all images into user ID's directory and all in-line images will live there? (than just reference them?) If a user is deleted, so are the images.
- am I asking for a new feature?

For Header images
Place standard images in /gas/images OR /gas/images/forums/(forum ID) OR upload your own that will be resized and placed in /gas/images/(user ID) - this is simple and it works and it is welll explained (well for a newbee like me it took few tries with Clayton's help :-) However I did have one final question:

Question: What is the "/gas/images/forum" directory intended for? I found a reference to this directory only here:
" To include images that are specific to a particular forum, place them in a gas/images/forum/{forumid} folder.What happens is that when the popup loads, it gets all images from gas/images/ and gas/images/forums/(forumid) and displays them for selection. "
- I did not understand the difference btw the /forum and /forums directory usage.

Any help would be appriciated .. this is my favorite add-on because my site will provide a lot of good articles :-)

Thank you,
Paul

[FleaBag]

Originally Posted by The Geek

Flea - doesnt make sense to me. I see no error off hand with that SQL. Do you get the same error running that SQL through phpmyadmin? You can try to change any instance of ga. to geek_articles.

I'm not sure I follow. That's the error I get when going to forum.php?f=223 [the articles forum id]. You want me to run that directly in phpmyadmin? Would it make a difference that there are no threads in the forum? And with regard to changing the references to 'ga', do you mean just in forum.php, or in every file edit?

Thanks.

[Clayton]

Originally Posted by oceanart

Hi everyone,

Paul .. the one thing I do differently is have a group of contributors who provide articles, the rest of the members/users who want to provide articles then send the article to a contributor or admin

if you provide the setting, these people can post the article in that persons username, thus cutting down on the amount of people who can cause chaos

to start with try to make everything as simple as possible

I hope this helps, even though not answering all your questions at all

G

[Clayton]

Originally Posted by oceanart

Hi everyone,

1. Where do you place them? What directory? Where do you place them

2. How do you embedd inline images within article (this might be a very stupid question) is this the only way?

Paul

let me try answer this now .. not sure whether I will get it right

1. if you see where your default.jpg is .. upload the images you want others to use to there. when they click on image, a popup should show with a selection of images they can choose from ... when they inturn add that image to there article it gets saved in their folder automatically. So, that if an image is deleted from the 'default', the image is still available for the article in their ID folder [boy this may make things worse ]

2. the embedding of the images would occur in your normal way you upload images in the forum, in the WYSIWYG you click on the picture for the IMAGE

the only problem with this is I can't get the text to wrap around the image, so it leaves a gap, will find a solution later

Hope this helps ...

I have added the Featured/Random Geek article and the Latest articles mods too ... and have achieved this by doing the simple things first. Don't focus on the folders etc to start with do 1 simple step at a time. I am very new to this stuff [total toal noobie] and I am just doing it by the numbers. I did find that on occasions it was like a cache of the server had to click over before things worked. Patience is the key, something I am learning.

Good luck

G

[oceanart]

HI Clayton and others,

... here is an I idea I have been using for wraparound text - :-) What I did was enable for the forum "html". Basically I create the page in Dreamweaver and use tables, where I leave space for text and for images. Than just copy and paste the html code into your post and there you are - tables, colors everything is working.

Try it - it's really nice - the only thing you need to be careful is not to create bad tables otherwise it will mess up your article.

The one defect I found (I need to report it to the geek :-)) is when I post an article, than I edit it .... if you change the title, it does not change (everything else does) must be the database. Have anyone else encountered that? I usually just delete the entire post and change the title (now I have been really careful about the titles).

I love the fact that it is ALL searchable - this was a great strategic direction that made my decision over vbarticles, including the fact of "synopsis" with the "more" at the end. That little 'more' is so important to have - I think users will know right away where to click if they want more - that's also the part that I really liked - now if I just finalize the structure of images I am ready to release the site.

Paul

[The Geek]

Hey guys - still out of town but popped in to see how things are going. If I miss anything or anyone - let me know!

Oceanart - After installed - the gas folder should still be chmodded to 0777 if you are allowing users to upload header images. If not, you can change it back

Wired - I guess yours doesnt count as a Three Letter Acronym :lol:

Oceanart - for images within the article - Personally I use vbGallery with my popup hack. Makes images a snap to enter into articles (will also happily work with Photopost). For me - its an essential tool for article creation.
Personally I would keep those images out of gas (just for sanity sake) however do as you think the easiest.

ccplim - sounds lie your php/apache precess is lacking permission to overwirte the files. That means the files themselves do not have write permissions enabled. Cant really help you there but Im sure if look at them again you may see how to set them.

Oceanart - Not sure how else to really explain the gas/images/forum folder feature any better than I have in the readme.
Lets say that I had 3 article forums:
fourm #53 Cooking recipes
forum #22 Film reviews
fourm #29 Music reviews
Then lets say that in my gas/images folder I have a couple of images for users to use when they create articles that are pretty generic (like the one that comes with the mod and maybe your web logo too). Then I could also create a recipee book image, a film reel image, and a stereo image. Name each of those default.jpg and then save them in:
gas/images/forums/53/default.jpg (for cooking)
gas/images/forums/22/default.jpg (for films)
gas/images/forums/29/default.jpg (for music)
*note - I cant remember if the folder is called forum or forums - and since Im on the road I cant really look it up. Just use whatever it is by default.
*Also note that you dont really have to call it default.jpg - but I would as if it exists it will become the default image for articles in that forum that have no header images set.
Anyhooo - hope all that makes sense.

Flea- yea, try to run that as is in phpmyadmin. Shouldnt matter that there are no articles in the forum as long as the gas table exists.

Hope I caught everything - sorry to have to run.

nJoy

[Clayton]

excellent stuff The Geek

learning more on each turn