New Posting Features - [Ajax] Check for similar thread before posting a new one

You love the 'similar threads' function and you are sick of duplicate threads just because your users don't use the search function?

Why not just combine them?

This Add-on will grab the thread title the user typed in and it will load a small box (using Ajax magic ) with 5 similar threads just like the 'similar threads' function that you can normally find under an already posted thread.

The box also tells the user to search through the similar threads first BEFORE starting a new one.


Features:
- no edits whatsoever needed, just import the product file, enable the Add-on and it works (well, it should )
- you can turn it off for certain forums or
- you can turn it off completely without leaving any code that messes your templates/files
- it can be translated
- don't like it anymore? Remove the product and you'll never see that Add-on again


Known issues:
- none


Things to consider:
It uses jQuery to get the information from ajax.php. jQuery is great and you can do many great things with it and unlike the vBulletin method it's quite easy to understand.
The jQuery file is compressed and only 20kb large.
To download the file, visit the homepage at http://jquery.com/
The link to download the file is on the right hand side.

Here's the version I use: http://code.google.com/p/jqueryjs/do....1.3.1.pack.js

Just download it and put it into the 'clientscript' folder without renaming the file.


Installation:
Download jQuery as described above.
Import the attached file using the Product Manager. Go to your vBulletin settings and search for 'Check for similar threads?'. Enable it.


Important:
It adds 2 new templates, it changes 1 template and it edits 2 files. I highly doubt that it will break you vBulletin but do a back-up and be on the safe side.



Version history:
1. initial release
2. current release
*** fixed some browser issues. The attached file is up to date.





How to fix the Opera problems in the first release:
The first release of this Add-on didn't work on Opera. To fix the problems, please follow these steps:
Open the template 'mrnasesimilarthreadcheck_header' and REPLACE the content with this code:

    <script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/jquery-1.1.3.1.pack.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript">
        $(function(){
            $("#inputthreadtitle").bind("blur", function(){
                var value =$(this).val(); 
                $('td#similarthreadcheckcontent').html('<img src="$stylevar[imgdir_misc]/13x13progress.gif" />');
                $.ajax({
                    type: "GET",
                    url: "ajax.php",
                    data: "do=getsimilarthreads&title="+value,
                    success: function(msg){
                        $('td#similarthreadcheckcontent').html(msg);
                         }
                });
            });
        });
    </script>

The attached file is up to date.


Support will only given to those who have clicked 'install'.

[vithorius]

This hack RULES!!!

Ok, but I have this question: How do I disable it only on SELECTED forums?

I have a forum where members must introduce themselves, and there is no point that this hack should be suggesting similar threads there... (sorry my poor english)

So, how do we enable it only on selected forums?

Thank you so very much!

[jschvili]

That would be a feature I would love, to enable and disable certan forums.

[TROLL]

just adding a +1 for interest in using this in vb4... any luck there with this mod or another like it?

[Nilsd]

adding also a+=1 for interest in using this in vb4

[washingtonboise]

(I've read 200+ comments, ~20 pages.)

A lot of yes, a lot of no, a lot of forehead smacking:

If it is at all possible, I highly recommend that someone take an early post (like in the top three) then edit that post to bundle the solutions together where the solutions are needed most for efficiency.

Possible solutions to "It don't work right!" My findings:

• http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showt...imilar-Threads
• https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=295
• https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=328
• https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=308
• Be sure to uninstall autotagger
• If you installed an updated version of jquery-1.1.3.1.pack.js, then you need to edit the product .xml file and update it because it's going to be looking for "jquery-1.1.3.1.pack.js" to make things run.
• This addon is reported to conflict with other addons, which ones, unknown. (the high number of reports about conflicts, hooks, etc. suggests it might be worthwhile to find a different way to integrate with vbulletin.)

(BTW I'm in the not working crowd.)



If someone could develop a mod that allowed for a 'solutions' bag to hover right where post #2 hovers, or tag a post as a solution and 'float' it, that would certainly be Mod of the Month (MOTM) material. It would fix the issue of digging through long threads with 200+ replies.


Update


The author has an updated version of this but nobody linked to the new version: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=201651

Initially, Google and on-site search were kind enough to make this appear to be the only (and most up to date) version.

So here we go, follow that link and don't even think of posting in this thread... unless you're actually running 3.6

[ludachris]

I've got two suggestions for this modification:

1. Gray out the message box in the New Thread form for an Admin-specified amount of time (maybe 10 seconds), which will give the user time to browse the links that are automatically populated by this feature. In the grayed-out message box, add text that tells the user to click the links above to ensure their question hasn't been answered before. This feature should likely have the option to be disabled on a per-forum basis.

2. Allow the admin to enter a hard-coded link below all of the threads - this would be helpful for sites that have an FAQ thread or forum where common questions are cataloged/linked.

I think the above two features would force more people to use the features.

Another thought, and I don't know if this is possible, would be to have a cookie track whether or not the similar threads that show up have been read or not - this way, the user cannot click on the message box to type their question until they've clicked on all the links in the similar thread box. That would be even better than the first suggestion above.

[jschvili]

So I guess this mod does work with vB 4.0 ?

[adeel80]

I'm getting this error. Please help me out.

Warning: fetch_template() calls should be replaced by the vB_Template class. Template name: mrnasesimilarthreadcheck_header in [path]/includes/functions.php on line 3932

Warning: fetch_template() calls should be replaced by the vB_Template class. Template name: mrnasesimilarthreadcheck_main in [path]/includes/functions.php on line 3932

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/siasat/public_html/forum/includes/class_core.php(4010) : eval()'d code on line 15

[salafmisr.net]

adding also a+=1 for interest in using this in vb4

[yotsume]

I installed this and it seems to have broke the ajax post thank you hack. It now gives an error when a member clicks the thank you button:

Warning: array_merge() [function.array-merge]: Argument #2 is not an array in /post_thanks.php on line 52

There must be some kind of ajax conflict?