Geek Article System 3.52

IMPORTANT:
Please note that I can no longer support this project. Primarily as it is designed for vb3.0.x and I no longer use that version (im obviously on vb3.5x ). There is a version for vb3.5 however its a commercial script. This project is left here for the community.
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HowdA All.

The GAS3 system is a comprehensive article system that completely integrates into vB3.

News:

• Updated 3/08/05 to version 3.53 for compatability with vb3.08
• Updated 13/05/05 to version 3.52!!! Posts for 3.52 to integrate with GAL4.0 start here

History

Originally, I looked into other article systems to integrate with my forums but just got irritated over and over again as I found the other offering out there very limiting for my needs. I wanted to use my members usergroup permissions, the search facility (so when someone did a search for 'bob' both articles AND threads appeared on one page), I also wanted wysiwyg editing and vBs attachment system. Well, I accomplished 99% of my needs with the Geek Article System 2.0
Why 3.0? While the 2.0 was fine for my needs, many users began asking for a far more complex system that took the beauty of 2.0 and added popular features in the other article systems.

Here are the features in a nutshell:

• Integrates 100% into vB. No importing forums or creating special groups. Simply mark forum as an 'Article' forum and instantly all threads become articles. Dont like it anymore? Simply remove the ID and the therads and forums go back to normal.
• Whatever you can do in a thread or post, you can do with the GAS3 system (uploading attachments, smiles, BBcode, various editors, yadayadayada)
• Adding on the above point: all the differing vB editors (wysiwyg, etc..), usergroup permissions (heck - anything you can set for a forum you can set in this - AND MORE!) why> because it is totally integrated!
• Create multiple pages in your post by simply putting [BREAK] anywhere in your post.
• The first thumbnail in an article substitutes the posters avatar (switchable via admincp)
• Upload header images and have them auto resize
• Choose header images from a global (or forum specific) gallery
• Integrated article byline.
• Synopsis - allows users to give a summary that appears on the new forumdisplay
• New forumdisplay shows article header image and synopsis (if no synopsis then the first X amount of characters from the article is used)
• Synopisis allows BBCode
• Integrates with the Geek AutoLink system (optional)
• Allows you to post as other users
• Article sidebar that shows the article rating, your rating, the rating form, article tools, and article attachments (all toggable via admincp)
• An auto installer/upgrader/uninstaller that makes all file edits for you!
• A whole host of other tiddlybits that I wont bore you with

Special thanks goes to rlamego, peterska2, Snow, Gldtn, and Magic Spark for private Beta testing this for me. Couldnt of happened without them!

Change log
13.05.05 - updated to 3.52
All this does is update GAS for the GAL4.0 integration.
To update, simply replace your existing functions_geekarticles.php with the one in the latest package.

18.3.05 - updated to 3.51
This really just fixes a couple of mega minor bugs.
Added new default icon per forum functionality (see readme)
Wrote a real README.
Wrote a seperate 3.5x upgrade script. Users of 3.5x should run admincp/gas3_upgrade.php

16.3.05 - updated to 3.50
Loads of new features and a new installer that makes the file changes for you.
New forumdisplay
Uploading of images for your header
Synopsis box
yadayadayda

10.2.05 - updated to 3.02
Fixed typo in readme (step 2.6 referenced $articlebyline instead of $GAS_byline). This bug fixes the disappearing byline when editing an article.
To upgrade - edit your editpost template and search for $articlebyline then replace it with $GAS_byline

Importers
I have made an importer for v3articles. Technically speaking, you dont have to strictly have GAS3 installed to use the importer (though it is ideal). What it does is essentailly import v3articles, comments, ratings, and attachments into existing forums as new threads, replies, threadratings, and post attachments. The idea is that you install GAS3, create the forums to house your articles, and then import your existing v3articles into them (but as I said, you can simply import v3articles into normal forums without having GAS3 installed).
There is also a rollback feature in case you change your mind or experience a problem with the import. Your v3articles installation isnt touched. In fact, no v3articles are harmed in the process

Known issues:

• none that I am aware of.

Demos: (note that I have a custom skin, so your results will be ever so slightly different)
http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=11287
http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=8801 - pages with comments (click View Comments to see comments only)


Difficulty - EASY
Time - about 5 minutes
File modifications? a few but now all done automatically for you

Change log:

Updated to 3.01 Feb 7th
Fixed a couple template errors and minor readme instructions


Instructions

Click install. I have busted my butt over the past few weeks to do this and all I ask is that you click install if you use it

• Download the package and unzip.
• Follow the README!
• Ther installer does all the work for you
• When done, go into your admncp, and adjust your settings

Troubleshooting:

• No phrases after install? This happens a lot with many installers for some bizzare reason. All you have to do is do a phrase search for GAS_ , edit the phrase (dont change it), then save it. Bingo - all your phrases appear.

Also:

I would therefore backup your DB, your styles, and any of the files the README asks you to change.

nJoy

[djroketboy]

ok thanks.. i manually added all the directorys from the "Copy Files to Change" step, they all moved find, except for:
Warning: copy(gas/changes/includes/functions_showthread.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /admincp/gas3_install.php on line 3004
moving functions_showthread to gas/changes/backupincludes/
moving index to gas/changesadmincp/

Warning: copy(gas/changes/admincp/index.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /admincp/gas3_install.php on line 3004
moving index to gas/changes/backupadmincp/

should i just go back and do a manual install?

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by djroketboy

ok thanks.. i manually added all the directorys from the "Copy Files to Change" step, they all moved find, except for:
Warning: copy(gas/changes/includes/functions_showthread.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /admincp/gas3_install.php on line 3004
moving functions_showthread to gas/changes/backupincludes/
moving index to gas/changesadmincp/

Warning: copy(gas/changes/admincp/index.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /admincp/gas3_install.php on line 3004
moving index to gas/changes/backupadmincp/

should i just go back and do a manual install?

make sure the gas/changed folder structure looks like this:

admincp/index.php
includes/functions_showthread.php
editpost.php
forumdisplay.php
newthread.php
printthread.php
showthread.php

And make sure they are chmod 0777 and then continue with the install
The functions that are failing copy your existing files into the above locations (it also copies backup files in the same structure)
not sure why its failing - but it isnt really too much of a big deal as long as the file changes can take place

HTHs

[djroketboy]

ok, i missed manually adding 2 folders in the changes folder. admincp and includes; once i added those it's working perfectly

just out of curiosity, why won't it create folders for me, that seems to be the only real issue i'm seeing.

[djroketboy]

mmm, you kick butt man

is it possible to add or change the default "sort by" to title instead of last post?

(which ofcourse the users can change, but it would be nice to sort by title automatically)

[gldtn]

Geek, is the uninstaller suppose to remove the added GAS_* templates and revert the edited ones?

[Lizard King]

Installation is pretty easy and i also believe your installer should be the hack of the year. working like a charm and making modification installation really easy. I did it even i have a terrible hangover from last night

[Omega Prime]

Not sure if it's a bug or not, but when installing this, I have one of 2 problems:

-Whenever someone clicks the latest reply within a forum, it comes up with "invalid thread specified"

-I had edited 3 templates from GAS 3.0, so from the looks of it, it didn't change to the new templates, right? What I mean is that the template edits still remain, and I don't see the sidebar within article threads (everything else, such as editing/making a thread and showing the options to add a byline, etc. work). Not sure if it's related or not, but when enabling the new look for the forumdisplay, it appears as if the tables are messed up, as what's shown in the following attachment.

Thanks in advance for your help

[Lizard King]

While i was testing this on my board i figured out there may be 2 problems.
First one is if you have a soft deleted message as a comment to the article and you are using a fixed style then it messes your style. (Check screenshot1)
Second one is the sidebar allignment. I believe sidebar supposed to be alligned right. As you can see in the attached screenshot2 there is a allignment problem.

[The Geek]

gldtn - it should do however I dont think I mastered the removal of the $GAS_article_options from 2 of the file edits. However I didt see it as much of a problem as they will always be empty variables.

djroketboy - you can do this via the forum manager (just as you would do with any forum). Dont know why it didnt create the folders for you - but at least its worked

Omega - was yours an upgrade? Ill look into that. I think I know what the problem might be (when you click the button look at the link... is thepostid or threadid blank?). You will have to revert your templates to get the new look im afraid.

Lizard - Ill tweak the templates but the reason for the alignment is because the article is about 6 characters long
I think I know the problem with the threadbit_deleted... I just added another columnspan to forumdisplay but not to gas_threadbit_deleted.

Thanks for everything guys - hope your digging it.

[shiva]

Boy, bad upgrade. Had to remove it, and try again
I just got fed up, and deleted the entire thing, and did a fresh install.

Seems to work fine now, but the moral of this story is always make a backup before you add new stuff.

Anyway, pretty cool, major thumbs up. That installer is just the cream of the crop, and the system looks real good now.