End-User Options - Default Postbit Selectable By Members

Hack Support

This hack is now discontinued - this means that while it will remain available for download and use, there will be no further updates, nor will support be provided as the thread is no longer monitored. You can now check out the 3.8.x version of this hack, as it also works with v3.7.5, v3.6.12 (and maybe even earlier versions).

Please click Mark as Installed if you are using this hack.


vBulletin Version Compatibility

This hack can be used with v3.6.10 and v3.7.x. This has not been tested with earlier versions of v3.6.x, but should work.


What Does This Hack Do?

This is a hack that lets your members select the type of postbit they want displayed for themselves, just like here at vBulletin.org.

vBulletin now uses a horizontal postbit as default, but it used to display the postbit vertically in two columns (see screenshots) and some long time members prefer the old school postbit over the new one, and this hack gives them the option. You can leave the forum wide setting as the new postbit, and members can choose themselves if they want this or the old one.

Show single posts will also be affected by this setting.

Now, as an added bonus, you can choose to display the member's default postbit in posts or threads.

DEMO: You can see how this works by testing the function out right here at vBulletin.org, all you need to do is tick the Yes, I prefer old-style postbit checkbox in the Thread Display Options of User CP -> Edit Options. Then check a few threads to see what it does.


IMPORTANT NOTE: This hack will only work if you use the horizontal postbit display site-wide.
I have no plans in making it work with the postbit legacy site-wide. I have looked into it, and it would require code changes to vBulletin's core files to make it work.

So, under the Style & Language Settings section of vBulletin Options in the AdminCP:

• Ensure Use Legacy (Vertical) Postbit Template is set to No.

IMPORTANT NOTE 2: When using Quick Reply when you are in legacy layout with your postbits, posts the QR are displayed in postbit layout when submitted. This quirk is rectified with a refresh of the page (see post #46 for more info). But there is a fix in the v3.8.x version of this hack (which will work with 3.7.x).


Installation Instructions

The Default Postbit Installation Instructions 3.7.xxx.pdf instructions file is included in attached .zip (includes visual instructions).
NOTE: If upgrading then just do Step 2 and Step 3 again.

Uninstall Instructions

1. In the AdminCP, go to User Profile Fields -> User Profile Field Manager.
   • Delete the Default Postbit profile field.
2. Uninstall the product using the AdminCP Product Manager.

Version History

v3.7.002 - Thursday 4th September 2008
-- Final Release
-- Fixed: Bug where keywords being searched for were not being highlighted in the results
-- Changed: Total code rewrite
-- Changed: Instructions
-- Changed: Screenshots
-- Changed: No more editing of plugins
-- Added: AdminCP Options for user profile field ID and displaying members default postbit in post/thread
-- Added: 2 new phrases

v3.7.001 - Tuesday 8th July 2008
-- Initial Release


Show Your Appreciation

Although not required, if you have enjoyed the benefits of this hack, and would like show your appreciation for my efforts, then please feel free to click on the Support Developer link and donate any amount you feel is appropriate.

[RedWingFan]

Originally Posted by Mosh

It still does not get around guests viewing the board in legacy view (forum-wide legacy view), as far as I can see, which is what people have been asking for, and that does not seem achievable without edits to the core files.

True. I figure newer members won't notice the difference, but the existing members are already set to stay at the old view. For now that's good enough for me. I think this should have been a user-selectable option in vB itself, as I know a lot of users (including myself) prefer the postbit over on the side (either left, or on the right like phpBB3 does) as it makes reading posts much easier. I prefer signatures off as well, but being an admin means I have to monitor those, as does my staff.

I may hit the database in a few weeks to see who is using the horizontal vs. the vertical postbit layout.

The only other swap I can think of, would be to copy the contents of the postbit_legacy template to postbit, and vice versa. That would mess up future upgrades (you'd have to revert templates, redo the swap, then re-insert any custom template edits by hand), but it may be another quick and dirty way to handle it. If there are hooks in both that are specific to postbit and/or postbit_legacy, those would have to be renamed as well. Untested, of course...and I'm not brave enough to try it even on my test forum.

[RedWingFan]

Has anyone else had a problem where you lose the search results highlighting when this plugin is enabled? One of my admins pointed this out, and members noticed it as well. Not sure if it's a conflict with other plugins, or if it's this one in particular, but when I disable it, the search highlighting begins working again. (Search highlighting is when you do a forum search, and your search word is highlighted in the text of the post.) What happens is, the < span class="highlight" > code around the search word is missing.

I'll experiment more to see if this is indeed the case or not.

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by RedWingFan

Has anyone else had a problem where you lose the search results highlighting when this plugin is enabled? One of my admins pointed this out, and members noticed it as well. Not sure if it's a conflict with other plugins, or if it's this one in particular, but when I disable it, the search highlighting begins working again. (Search highlighting is when you do a forum search, and your search word is highlighted in the text of the post.) What happens is, the < span class="highlight" > code around the search word is missing.

I'll experiment more to see if this is indeed the case or not.

I have just replicated this too.... did not test for it originally, but thought I had it covered when I created it.... oh well

It is just when the legacy postbit is selected when this hack is enabled.

I have to hand 3 assignments in for university tomorrow, but I will be looking at this at the weekend and see if I can fix it.

[RedWingFan]

Originally Posted by Mosh

I have just replicated this too.... did not test for it originally, but thought I had it covered when I created it.... oh well

I don't see how they could affect each other, but they do. I'm glad that you could replicate it though--I was thinking it might be incompatible with another plugin I had installed. I even uninstalled a couple of old ones, but still, no highlights came back.

The only manual change I made to both postbits was adding a display for the iTrader ratings. If you want to compare notes on which plugins we might have installed, let me know.

Originally Posted by Mosh

I have to hand 3 assignments in for university tomorrow, but I will be looking at this at the weekend and see if I can fix it.

No problem--school comes first! :up:

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by RedWingFan

I don't see how they could affect each other, but they do. I'm glad that you could replicate it though--I was thinking it might be incompatible with another plugin I had installed. I even uninstalled a couple of old ones, but still, no highlights came back.

The only manual change I made to both postbits was adding a display for the iTrader ratings. If you want to compare notes on which plugins we might have installed, let me know.



No problem--school comes first! :up:

I am definitely going to have to dig deeper, as I can not for the life of understand why this is happening, the words should be highlighted by they are not, and I am really hoping that the solution does not include core file edits.

This may take a while, but I will get back to you.

[GrendelKhan{TSU]

omg been waiting for this. admin and me just had a fight over which postbit to use. this solves that problem.

thoughI too would love if legacy were default

[RedWingFan]

I wish the legacy postbit were the default also. The horizontal is just clutter--posts interrupted by avatars, usernames, locations, etc. I wouldn't even mind a right-hand postbit, as long as it's off to one side and out of my way. Imaging reading an interview in the newspaper where, every couple of sentences, a strip of information were placed above each reply. *sigh*

One of my online buddies who runs a vB forum found a template modification that will show a user's signature only once within a thread (or page within a thread). Another way of reducing the clutter.

[Jaxel]

I found a bug with this mod while using TfSEO...

If a user is using the legacy postbit, they get uncached templates:

Uncached templates: pagenav (1)
Uncached templates: pagenav_pagelink (1)

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by Jaxel

I found a bug with this mod while using TfSEO...

If a user is using the legacy postbit, they get uncached templates:

Uncached templates: pagenav (1)
Uncached templates: pagenav_pagelink (1)

Well, they are cached for me, so I am pretty sure it is not a bug. There is only one confirmed bug in this hack at the moment, and that is when searching the key words are not highlighted, and I am currently looking into that.

I have debug mode enabled on my testbed and those are not un-cached when this hack is enabled and in postbit_legacy mode.

I also have over 20 hacks enabled as well (I always like to test my hacks in a mixed environment, just in case there is a problem with other hacks I write).

This hack does not have anything to do with pagination at all, so I am pretty sure it is another hack that is doing this.

[Silencer Groans]

thank you