The Arcive of Official vBulletin Modifications Site.

Forum Sideblock - Recent Posts (with BBCodes parsed) · **Released**: 02-23-2016

Overview:

This product, upon installation, creates a new forum block that will display the most recent posts (the entire content in a scrollable block) with BBCodes parsed, and gives you settings to control several aspects of this new forum block. The settings are divided into 3 main groups:

Forum Block Settings:

Maximum Height Of Forum Block: This allows you to set a maximum height for the total inner block content containing all of the posts. A vertical scrollbars is added as needed. The default value is 450.

Block Title: This allows you to set the displayed title of the forum block, without having to edit the forum block itself. It is recommended that you do not edit the title of the forum block in the Forum Block Manager because the uninstall code depends on the title being its original value in order to remove it. You may include the number of posts shown and the value of a defined phrase to be in the block title. For example, if I want the title of the block to be "MHB's 5 Most Recent Posts" (and I have chosen to display all of the most recent posts) then I would enter in this setting:

MHB's [POSTS] [PHRASE]

where "[POSTS]" will be replaced by the number of posts being displayed, and [PHRASE] will be replaced by either $vbphrase['markfl_recentposts_title'], which is set to "Most Recent Posts" or $vbphrase['markfl_recentpostsperthread_title'], which is set to "Most Recent Posts/Thread".

The default is "[POSTS] [PHRASE]".

Block Title CSS: This setting allows you to apply additional CSS to the forum block title. For example, if you wish for the title to be 25% larger and in red, you would enter:

font-size: 125%; color red

The default is blank.

If you wish to change any other aspect of the forum block (other than the title), then use the "Forum Block Manager" to do so.

Posts Settings:

Posts To Display: This setting allows you to decide whether all of the most recent posts (the number of which you set) will be displayed, or only the most recent post per thread. The default is "Only Most Recent Post Per Thread". If you change this setting once you have the product running, then I recommend you clear the system cache each time you change it.

Number Of Posts To Display: This allows you to decide how many posts will be displayed in the forum block, chosen as per the setting above. The default is 5 posts.

Maximum Height Of Posts: This allows you to set the maximum height (in px) of the post content block before a vertical scrollbar is introduced. The default is 120 px.

Thread Title Settings:

Maximum Thread Title Length: This allows you to set the maximum number of characters from the thread title that will be displayed.

Display Thread Icons?: Allows you to set whether thread icons will be displayed.

Display Thread Prefixes?: Allows you to set whether thread prefixes will be displayed.

Thread Title CSS: Allows you to apply additional CSS to the thread titles.

Each post consists of a header containing the post author's avatar on the left (links to their profile), and a link to the post within its thread (with a tooltip stating which forum the thread is in) with the date/time of the post beneath the link. Both the tooltip and the timestamp use phrasing. Below this header is the block containing the entire post content, with BBCodes parsed.

Updates:

Version 1.01:

Attempt to address reported db error.

Version 1.02:

Fixed error where height of block was hard-coded.

Version 1.1:

Combined queries.
Custom templates used to render output.
All CSS stored in template.
Fixed error causing block not to be removed upon uninstall.

Note: To update to version 1.1, please uninstall any previous versions first and remove any forum blocks left behind, and then install version 1.1.

Version 1.2:

All templates cached.

Version 1.3:

Block PHP restored.

Compatibility:

Tested and working on VB 4.2.x and may work on all 4.x versions of vBulletin.

Backup/Warning:

This product does not alter your database, however it is always good practice to make regular backups and you should make a backup before installing ANY new mod.

As always, products are USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. I will provide support and do my best to help but no absolute guarantee is offered.

To Install:

Download and extract the attached .zip file.
Follow AdminCP -> Plugins & Products -> Manage Products -> Add/Import Product.
Click on "Choose File" and browse to the product .xml file that was packaged in the .zip file.
Click "Import."
Configure the settings to your liking. Each setting has a detailed explanation of its use.

Support for this product can be found here:

MarkFL · #22 02-25-2016, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

I don't see this Mod working on the site in your signature. Is that the site?

I have it working on our dev site, on the same server. I have brought this mod to the attention of my fellow staff there, and am waiting for a general consensus before going live with it.

Max Taxable · #23 02-25-2016, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkFL

There's only 1 query:

PHP Code:


			
$recent_posts = $vbulletin->db->query_read("

    SELECT post.*, thread.title, thread.forumid, thread.prefixid, thread.iconid

    FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "post AS post

    INNER JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "thread AS thread

    ON thread.threadid = post.threadid

    ORDER BY post.dateline DESC

");

Information about the posts as well as the threads they inhabit are needed. If anyone sees how to make that query more efficient, I'm all ears.

NOT the queries of the mod itself, the amount of queries the server has to do in order to create the executable file for the page source. For whatever reason, this mod greatly increases it.

Quote:

I have it working on our dev site, on the same server.

Would you mind sending me that link via PM?

Meanwhile, i can turn this back on at my live site, and you can go there and see what kind of "lag" you get, significant or not.

MarkFL · #24 02-25-2016, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

NOT the queries of the mod itself, the amount of queries the server has to do in order to create the executable file for the page source. For whatever reason, this mod greatly increases it.

Hmmm...okay, perhaps I should look into rendering the HTML via a custom template rather than storing it all in the returned value of the eval'd code. I thought about that, but decided against it since it seemed to work. I appreciate all of your feedback, and I will render the output via a custom block template instead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

Would you mind sending me that link via PM?

Sorry, we only allow senior staff on our site access to our dev site. If it were my decision alone, I would have no hesitation, but it's not solely up to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

Meanwhile, i can turn this back on at my live site, and you can go there and see what kind of "lag" you get, significant or not.

I will be glad to check, but I am hoping using a custom template will fix the FBT issue...I should be able to complete this within 24 hours.

And again, thank you for your testing and feedback, it is greatly appreciated and valuable! :up:

Max Taxable · #25 02-25-2016, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkFL

I will be glad to check, but I am hoping using a custom template will fix the FBT issue...I should be able to complete this within 24 hours.

And again, thank you for your testing and feedback, it is greatly appreciated and valuable! :up:

Okay check it right quick - your mod is the only forum block i have running.

http://dallascowboysuniverse.com

MarkFL · #26 02-25-2016, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

Okay check it right quick - your mod is the only forum block i have running.

http://dallascowboysuniverse.com

Yes, I counted a 16 second load time after the initial load and I refreshed the page.

It will be interesting to see if the custom template makes a positive difference.

Max Taxable · #27 02-25-2016, 03:35 AM

Okay I have set the default block active, yours back off.

Glad to be of help.

MarkFL · #28 02-25-2016, 07:08 AM

Update - Version 1.1:

Combined queries.
Custom templates used to render output.
All CSS stored in template.
Fixed error causing block not to be removed upon uninstall.

In Omnibus · #29 02-25-2016, 11:08 AM

The block is displaying twice with version 1.1.

Easily remedied by removing one of the blocks in the Forum Blocks Manager.

Page still loads excessively slowly.

MarkFL · #30 02-25-2016, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProSportsForums

The block is displaying twice with version 1.1.

Easily remedied by removing one of the blocks in the Forum Blocks Manager.

Page still loads excessively slowly.

I had an error in previous versions where the block wasn't removed from the db when you uninstall, so installing version 1.1 after uninstalling a previous version requires you to remove any remaining blocks that were installed. That's fixed now.

Please make sure you removed the old block instead of the new one.

Max Taxable · #31 02-25-2016, 03:13 PM

Okay to just upload the XML to overwrite?

X vBulletin 3.8.12 by vBS Debug Information
Page Generation 0.05849 seconds Memory Usage 2,360KB Queries Executed 27 (?)
More Information
Template Usage: (1)SHOWTHREAD (1)ad_footer_end (1)ad_footer_start (1)ad_header_end (1)ad_header_logo (1)ad_navbar_below (1)ad_showthread_beforeqr (1)bbcode_php (9)bbcode_quote (1)footer (1)forumjump (1)forumrules (1)gobutton (1)header (1)headinclude (1)modsystem_post (1)navbar (4)navbar_link (120)option (1)pagenav (1)pagenav_curpage (4)pagenav_pagelink (11)post_thanks_box (11)post_thanks_button (1)post_thanks_javascript (1)post_thanks_navbar_search (11)post_thanks_postbit_info (10)postbit (3)postbit_attachment (11)postbit_onlinestatus (11)postbit_wrapper (1)spacer_close (1)spacer_open (1)tagbit_wrapper Phrase Groups Available: global inlinemod postbit posting reputationlevel showthread	Included Files: ./showthread.php ./global.php ./includes/init.php ./includes/class_core.php ./includes/config.php ./includes/functions.php ./includes/class_hook.php ./includes/modsystem_functions.php ./includes/functions_bigthree.php ./includes/class_postbit.php ./includes/class_bbcode.php ./includes/functions_reputation.php ./includes/functions_post_thanks.php Hooks Called: init_startup init_startup_session_setup_start init_startup_session_setup_complete cache_permissions fetch_threadinfo_query fetch_threadinfo fetch_foruminfo style_fetch cache_templates global_start parse_templates global_setup_complete showthread_start showthread_getinfo forumjump showthread_post_start showthread_query_postids showthread_query bbcode_fetch_tags bbcode_create showthread_postbit_create postbit_factory postbit_display_start post_thanks_function_post_thanks_off_start post_thanks_function_post_thanks_off_end post_thanks_function_fetch_thanks_start post_thanks_function_fetch_thanks_end post_thanks_function_thanked_already_start post_thanks_function_thanked_already_end fetch_musername postbit_imicons bbcode_parse_start bbcode_parse_complete_precache bbcode_parse_complete postbit_attachment postbit_display_complete post_thanks_function_can_thank_this_post_start pagenav_page pagenav_complete tag_fetchbit_complete forumrules navbits navbits_complete showthread_complete
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