Thread Category / Prefix Hack

Thread Category / Prefix Hack

Version: 1.3.7
vBulletin Version: 3.0.7
Developer: Mystics (www.vbulletin-germany.com)
Hack-Language: English & German & French (thanks to ReadWrite)
Install-difficulty: Medium
File-edits: 19
Template-edits: 16


Brief Description of the Hack

With this hack it is possible to assign a category/prefix to a thread. To do this you are able to select an appropriate category from a list beside the title while posting a new thread - for example 'Help', 'Problem', 'Search' etc.

The categories displayed in this list may be defined by a moderator for each of his moderated forums (Forum Tools -> Manage Categories); of course an administrator is allowed to do this for every forum.


Features

• Moderators are able to create own categories for each of their moderated forums
  (Forum -> Forum Tools -> Manage Categories -> threadcategory.php)
• Display of the categories on forum display, search results, subscribed threads and within the thread itself
• It is possible to change the category with editing the first post of a thread or with the thread tools available for moderators at any time

Settings in the Admin CP

• Maximum categories per forum
• Thread Category required: Users have to select a thread category for their threads
• Default Thread Categories: You may set default categories which will either be shown only in forums without own categories or be shown in addition to existing categories
• Show Thread Categories in extra column or in front of the thread title in the same column
• Alignment of the categories (if 'Show in extra column' is enabled): Align left, align right, center
• Show Category in 'Last Post' column
• Category HTML Markup: Specify an HTML tag with which to display the categories (bold, italic, red etc.)
• Allow Thread Category search: If enabled, the categories of all forums the user has access to will be grouped in a list and displayed in the search engine.
• Per Forum: Allow categories in this forum.

Screenshots

See attachments.


Version-History

1.3.7 (02-22-2005 - 09:00 pm)

• Modified instructions for vBulletin 3.0.7
  (3 more changes within the search_results template)

1.3.6 (01-15-2005 - 06:10 pm)

• Modified instructions for vBulletin 3.0.5
  (only the third modification of the template FORUMDISPLAY has changed)

1.3.5 (11-02-2004 - 11:00 pm)

• Bugfix: File: newthread.php
  Preview error with categories containing "&" fixed

1.3.4 (09-25-2004 - 04:00 pm)

• Update: Template SUBSCRIBE (colspan have to be increased since vB 3.0.2)
• Bugfix: File: includes/functions_forumlist.php
  Include category length in length of the shown last thread title

1.3.3 (04-08-2004 - 08:55 pm)

• Bugfix: File: forumdisplay.php
  Selected category got lost when browsing through forum pages

1.3.2 (03-27-2004 - 05:45 pm)

• Bugfix: File: clientscript/vbulletin_quickreply.js
  Javascript error when using Quick Reply
• New: Added modification for postbit_legacy template (same as postbit modification)
• Modified instructions for vBulletin 3.0.0 'Gold' (only the first modification of postings.php has changed)

1.3.1 (03-06-2004 - 00:20 am)

• Bugfix: Template: threadbit_deleted
  Incorrect display of category column in this template

1.3 (02-23-2004 - 08:40 pm)

• Bugfix: Don't display a category in a thread if categories are not allowed in the forum
• Bugfix: Critical bug in threadcategory.php related to the option 'Update existing threads with changed categories' fixed

Upload the new threadcategory.php as soon as possible!

1.2.1 (02-14-2004 - 02:15 pm)

• Bugfix: Template: forumdisplay_announcement
  Wrong 'colspan' value used, if categories are displayed in an extra
  column and forum contains announements in addition

1.2 (02-11-2004 - 11:30 pm)

• New: Display category in notify mail next to the thread title
• Bugfix: Improved display of the categories in "Who's Online"

1.1 (02-10-2004 - 11:55 pm)

• New: Display of last category in the 'Last Post' column (may be disabled in the admin cp)
• New: Display of hack version in the admin cp at the vBulletin options (for example 'Thread-Category Hack v1.1')
• Bugfix: Show link to 'Manage Categories, if DHTML menus are disabled
• Bugfix: Don't show categories from forums where categories are not (longer) allowed
• Bugfix: Convert HTML code within categories

1.0.1 (02-08-2004 - 11:30 pm)

• Bugfix: Correct display in "Who's Online" while managing categories

1.0.0 (02-08-2004 - 4:49 pm)

• First version

Installation

1. Upload the files categoryinstall.php and categoryinstall_text.php to the admincp directory of your forum
2. Open this file with your browser:
   http://www.yourdomain.de/forum/admin...oryinstall.php
3. Log in and follow the instructions
4. You may delete the two files after the installation of the hack

Time needed for installation: approx. 30-60 min.
Tested for version: 3.0.0 RC 3 (and above).

Note: If you have already used the vBulletin 2 version of this hack (only available in german) and the categories are still stored in the vB3 database, you may convert them for the vB3 version. You will see a note to that in step 2 of the hack installation.


Update hack

1. Upload the files categoryinstall.php and categoryinstall_text.php to the admincp directory of your forum
2. Open this file with your browser:
   http://www.yourdomain.de/forum/admin...oryinstall.php
3. Log in, select the version you want to update from (at Step 2 -> 'Update Hack') and follow the instructions

Short overview of the needed modifications

1. Files that need to be edited:

• editpost.php
• forumdisplay.php
• moderator.php
• newthread.php
• postings.php
• search.php
• showthread.php
• subscription.php
• admincp/forum.php
• clientscript/vbulletin_global.js
• clientscript/vbulletin_quickreply.js
• clientscript/vbulletin_stdedit.js
• clientscript/vbulletin_wysiwyg.js
• includes/functions.php
• includes/functions_databuild.php
• includes/functions_forumlist.php
• includes/functions_newpost.php
• includes/functions_online.php
• includes/functions_search.php

2. New files:

• threadcategory.php

3. Templates that need to be edited:

• editor_clientscript
• editpost
• FORUMDISPLAY
• forumdisplay_announcement
• forumhome_lastpostby
• newthread
• postbit
• postbit_legacy
• search_forums
• search_results
• search_results_postbit
• SHOWTHREAD
• SUBSCRIBE
• threadadmin_editthread
• threadbit
• threadbit_deleted

4. New templates:

• threadcategory_listbit
• threadcategory_modify

5. New phrases:

• Too many to list them all - they will be created automatically by the install script

Final words

If the hack doesn't work correct after installation, please verify all modifications you have made within the files and the templates. Be sure you have uploaded all edited and new files.

The hack was tested extensive and will function properly if installed correct.

Thanks to ReadWrite for his french translation.

Have fun with the hack.

Please click Install if you have installed it

[Kaishi]

does anyone know how to fix that?

[vktechnology]

very cool hack..

[vktechnology]

does Anyone know how to fix this?
what file or template should i go to edit to fix this ?

[Mystics]

Originally Posted by vktechnology

does Anyone know how to fix this?
what file or template should i go to edit to fix this ?

Revert the threadbit template and do the changes carefully again.

[StarBuG]

Hi Mystics

Do you plan to make a hook based version of your hack for the 3.5?

I realy would like to have it because it is a great hack

StarBuG

[vktechnology]

Originally Posted by Mystics

Revert the threadbit template and do the changes carefully again.

Thank Mystics
It's working now

[sensimilla]

would it need alot of coding to use images for each category ,instead of descriptions?
thanks in advance

[paul41598]

mystics: Is it possible in this hack, to define in each forum, whether or not you want to have a seperate category cell for all the threads or just put the prefix in front of the thread title?

Cuz now, in the options(Show Thread Categories in Extra Column / Alignment) you can only choose yes, or no. WHich changes all your forums. However for instance, I want one of my forums to use a category cell, and the other forum to just prefix the thread title (i.e FS: xbox $120.00)

[Mystics]

Originally Posted by paul41598

mystics: Is it possible in this hack, to define in each forum, whether or not you want to have a seperate category cell for all the threads or just put the prefix in front of the thread title?

No, not by default. Feel free to implement it.

[paul41598]

Originally Posted by Mystics

No, not by default. Feel free to implement it.

dunno if Im capable, but I guess I could try, lol. Not sure if it would be hard or not

[sarahsboy18]

Just had to say great job Mystics... After spending a few minutes digging through the code trying to force it not to show the category in 'last post' column I decided to check the control panel... and sure enough you had already thought of that. Thanks! Brilliant work.

[Jorim]

Hey Mystics, great hack, very very useful!

I've got a question. I'm using the option to force my users to select a category and that works fine, but I'd like to force them to select even if they don't want to have a category. So I want them to have the possibility to choose 'none' with value="". I've tried to find the spot where I can add an empty standard, but I can't find the place.

Do you understand what I mean and can you help me with this?

Thanks already!

Jorim

[thalamus]

Just thought I'd say hi and thanks for a wonderful mod. Certain forums on my board need to have a status on the threads, and this has worked perfectly for me with no adjustments on the install on my vB3.0.9 (apart from some minor mods to allow for co-existing hacks). I've clicked the 'install' on here of course

One thing I'd love to know, is where I can look to add the ability to allow the category text to be different colors i.e. Help = Red, Checked = Blue, Resolved = Green etc. I would imagine this means a major modification of the way the details are both stored and retrieved from mySQL which is fine, but I'm just asking to save me reinventing the wheel

[Omega Prime]

Any chance of a 3.5 version of this (product/plug-in or otherwise) ?

[Odysseus]

Originally Posted by Omega Prime

Any chance of a 3.5 version of this (product/plug-in or otherwise) ?

I would appreciate this also.
Can't understand why Jelsoft did not include this in 3.5 by default ... :ermm: