End-User Options - Selective Forum Filter

I no longer support my hacks. Please feel free to update them and release new versions elsewhere as long as I get the credit for the original modification.

/*================================================= =====================*\
|| Selective Forum Filter
||
|| Author : Anton Kanevsky
|| Co-Author(s) : Andreas
|| Works on : vBulletin 3.5.x - 3.8.x
|| Released : May 31, 2009
||
|| Time required to install: 30 seconds
|| Difficulty: easy
\*================================================ ======================*/

DESCRIPTION

Ever came across large boards with a huge number of sub forums? Couldn't find your info? Wanted to run away from that huge load of stupid threads? This hack is intended to save your users from having such a horrible experience. It provides them with an opportunity to exclude any number of forums from the forums list (as well as from "get new"/"get daily" searches), which still letting them to access those forums directly and search within them, too.

STATISTICS

Products to Install: 1


INTRODUCTION

To enable "can be excluded" in all forums, run this query:
UPDATE PFXforum SET excludable = 1
To disable "can be excluded" in all forums, run this query:
UPDATE PFXforum SET excludable = 0
In both cases, PFX must be replaced with the actual table prefix that you have defined in config.php.
If you have not defined a prefix, remove PFX from the queries.
After you run either one of these queries, you must then open and save any one forum for the forum cache to be updated.

VERSION HISTORY

1.1.0
[+] The hack is now compatible with vBulletin 3.5.x - 3.8.x.
[+] Eliminated all template edits.

1.0.2
[+] The hack is now compatible with vBulletin 3.6.
[+] Corrected a couple of mistakes in the installation manual.

1.0.1
[+] Added option to set forums as excludable. By default, excludability of all forums is disabled.

1.0.0
First Public Release

The installation manual is contained within the attached file.

IF YOU LIKE MY HACK, PLEASE CLICK INSTALL

[Trek]

I'd been tossing around this idea in my head for a while now and just happened upon this today. Excellent work, installed and rated!

One thing that I'd like to see is support for VBA on this. The Recent Threads module that I use on my front page still shows all threads that are new (of course). I'd like to make it so that this module also used the settings the users have selected using your mod. Probably not very hard if I pick apart your mod and grab the correct SQL query, but... you probably know how to best go about it. Any chance you'd modify the VBA recent threads module to support this?

[Trek]

Another suggestion. As already mentioned, the usergroup perm allowing someone to exclude forums would be awesome.

At the very least though, a way to edit the forum exclusions the way you have them now. I just edited the database directly right now, but in the future a menu that will quickly allow you to edit which you can exclude or not at once would be awesome.

[EagleNick]

Do I have to upgrade if using the 3.6.x version (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=132279)? Or are there no major changes?

[akanevsky]

If everything is working properly, you don't need to upgrade. However, if you want to get rid of template edits, you may still consider it.

[TalkVirginia]

Thanks for bringing this one back! I've been waiting for this one.

[Raug]

While I like the idea of this, would it be possible to make it that only some forums can't be excluded instead of all or nothing?

[Trek]

Originally Posted by Raug

While I like the idea of this, would it be possible to make it that only some forums can't be excluded instead of all or nothing?

Edit the database manually is what I did.

[Trek]

Would it be possible to add a checkbox in the user CP for "Do not display forums in forum list"?

Basically, I'd like to still be able to see the forums in the forum list, but only report new posts in the forums I've selected. Would be nice if it was a global setting and then allowed users to change it to what they would like to see for each person.

[akanevsky]

Originally Posted by Raug

While I like the idea of this, would it be possible to make it that only some forums can't be excluded instead of all or nothing?

There is a forum setting to do that.

[Walter]

Thank you for the hack!

A small bug occured: the settings in the user control panel work only in IE and Firefox, in Opera the list of the forums is scrollable but the forums actually don't scroll so the feature is not usable in Opera....