Compose External Javascript

vB Compose External v. 1.0.3 (Updated)

This hack provides an easy way to generate JS-Code for the Javascript syndication system on vB 3. It has been tested with VB 3.0.0 RC 1 and higher.

Features:

• Complete control of the HTML-code before, after and in between the links to the threads
• Possibility to enter a maximum-value for the count of threads to be displayed by the administrator
• Users can choose more than one forum to be displayed
• Users can choose how many threads to be displayed
• Users can choose how many characters in the thread title should appear (new in version 1.0.1)
• Users can choose from three pre-made styles (new in version 1.0.3)
• Integration into forumdisplay and navbar-templates (new in version 1.0.4)
• Complete integration in the look and feel of vB 3
• Phrase-compatibility

Plans for future versions:

• Option to choose the forums from a pulldown-men?
• Option to add it to the forum-tools (in order to be able to have the JS-Script created for this specific forum)
• Options for creating the URLs for XML- and RSS-feeds
• Adding new features when external.php will be updated with new features

These are the instructions how to install it:

• New templates: 1
• Templates to be changed: 2
• PHP-files to be added: 1
• Phrases to be added: 23

Step 1:
Insert the phrases using the XML-files. There are phrases for some languages. You can of course translate them to other languages using the phrase-system. If you do so, please send me the XML-files for these translations. I will add them to this ZIP. Right now there are:

• German
• English

Please be sure to save the language in the phrase system BEFORE you do so!

Step 2:
Upload the file composeexternal.php in the root of your forum.
Upload the files in the folder /images/composeexternal/ on the server.


Step 3:
Add a new template with the name "composeexternal" and add the content of composeexternal_template.txt (in this zip) to it.

Step 4:
Search for the following code on template forumdisplay:

 
 	    	<div><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/subscribe.gif" alt="$vbphrase[view_parent_forum]" vspace="1" /> <a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$foruminfo[parentid]">$vbphrase[view_parent_forum]</a></div>
 		</div>
 	</td>
 	<!-- / forum tools -->

Replace with the following code:

 
 	    	<div><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/subscribe.gif" alt="$vbphrase[view_parent_forum]" vspace="1" /> <a href="forumdisplay.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$foruminfo[parentid]">$vbphrase[view_parent_forum]</a></div>
 		</div>
 		    <div><img class="inlineimg" src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/subscribe.gif" alt="$vbphrase[composeexternal_categorystrip]" vspace="1" /> <a href="composeexternal.php?$session[sessionurl]do=composecode&amp;f=$foruminfo[forumid]">$vbphrase[composeexternal_categorystrip]</a></div>
 
 	</td>
 	<!-- / forum tools -->

Search for:

 
 	<if condition="$show['adminoptions']">

Add above:

 
 	<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="composeexternal.php?$session[sessionurl]do=composecode&amp;f=$foruminfo[forumid]">$vbphrase[composeexternal_categorystrip]</a></td></tr>

Step 5:

Search for the following code on template navbar:

   		<if condition="$show['wollink']"><tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="online.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[whos_online]</a></td></tr></if>

Add below:

 		<tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="composeexternal.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[composeexternal_categorystrip]</a></td></tr>

Credits go to Ypsfanpage.de - a user of our forum. He coded the initial php-file. I ported it to the VB-system and created the php-file and the template.

See the screen-shots below, how it works, or visit our testsite.

Version-History
v. 1.0.0 - Initial release
v. 1.0.1 - Added character-limitation
v. 1.0.2 - Got rid of a small bug, occuring in MSIE, happened when there where too less threads, genereal optimization of the code
v. 1.0.3 - Added three pre-made templates
v. 1.0.4 - Added support for forumdisplay-template and navbar-template

Please click on install, when you choose to use this hack

[eva2000]

Originally Posted by eva2000

for some reason i keep getting 'threads.. is undefinied' on first load of page but if i hit ctrl+F1 it loads the threads on external page ? i.e. at http://animeboards.com/showthread.php?t=55535 the 3 example sites i used all don't show threads on first load only on refresh

seems it's my browser as others can see if fine the first time ???

also would it be possible to make composexternal.php an admin only viewing page/function

[Bernd Glasstett]

Originally Posted by eva2000

for some reason i keep getting 'threads.. is undefinied' on first load of page but if i hit ctrl+F1 it loads the threads on external page ? i.e. at http://animeboards.com/showthread.php?t=55535 the 3 example sites i used all don't show threads on first load only on refresh

I checked the first site. It's loading perfectly. I checked the second site. It doesn't load. The third one loads too. But one thing is not that good: Placing the following described part of the code in the <head>-Tag. It might not get loaded right. Place it in the <body>-Tag.

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://animeboards.com/external.php?forumids=3&type=js">

Try it, if it still fails to load, I will take a closer look into the JS-script. But it should work...

[Bernd Glasstett]

Originally Posted by eva2000

also would it be possible to make composexternal.php an admin only viewing page/function

We don't plan this to do. It's designed to be used by the users in order to allow them to make the syndication as easy as possible.

If you would like to use it on your own, without adding it to the templates, then add a bookmark or favorite to your browser You don't have to add a link to composeexternal.php to your site.

[eva2000]

Originally Posted by Bernd Glasstett

We don't plan this to do. It's designed to be used by the users in order to allow them to make the syndication as easy as possible.

If you would like to use it on your own, without adding it to the templates, then add a bookmark or favorite to your browser You don't have to add a link to composeexternal.php to your site.

yeah i renamed and edited the admincp/index to include your script inside

i found via website code validator some of the close tags in the javascript aren't escaped... but fixing that doesn't solve my problem - it seems to be just me as others can see it

[Bernd Glasstett]

Have you tried to put the code into the body-tag, as I said?

[wacnstac]

Step 1:
Insert the phrases using the XML-files. There are phrases for some languages. You can of course translate them to other languages using the phrase-system. If you do so, please send me the XML-files for these translations. I will add them to this ZIP. Right now there are:

Can you explain in more detail how to do this?

[Erwin]

This is a very cool hack. Well done!

[eva2000]

Originally Posted by Bernd Glasstett

Have you tried to put the code into the body-tag, as I said?

tried both ways same result for me only not seeing threads on first click with javascript error 'threads is undefined' but other members on my site see it fine

[Bernd Glasstett]

Originally Posted by wacnstac

Can you explain in more detail how to do this?

What do you need to be explained? The insertion, the translation of the phrases, or how to export them? Or all of them Just want to be sure to explain the right thing

[Bernd Glasstett]

Originally Posted by eva2000

tried both ways same result for me only not seeing threads on first click with javascript error 'threads is undefined' but other members on my site see it fine

Strange thing. I tried alle examples again. This time the first two are working fine, the third produces the error. Then I tried again. This time the second one came up with the error.

So I looked into the code and found the first big problem: The code is never the same. It seems, that you have used different versions of the script. Can you please do the following:

- Use the latest version of the script on all three sites.
- And add all code produced by the script only to the body.

When you have done so, please tell it to me, and I will test all three of them again. And if the error still occurs - it doesn't do it on our testsite with the latest script - then I will try to find the error.