[HTL] & [Normal] Persistant Mark Forum Read

Here's the core of a Persistant Mark Forum Read routine.

What it does and How it works:
Clicking the Mark Forum Read link in a forum now adds a record to the database and marks that forum read as of the moment you click the link. New messages posted after you mark a forum read will remain "new" until you click Mark Forum Read again in that forum.

To view ONLY new messages, click on the lightbulb instead of on the forum name. You'll only see threads that have been active since you marked the forum read.

The mod requires 2 new tables. Displaying new messages simply hijacks the $ daysprune function by plugging in the time that the forum was last marked read.

The standard Active Topics (View New Posts) function is unaffected, except that the lightbulb is no longer connected to that routine(optional). The lightbulb now indicates if the forum has been marked read with this routine.

There's also a QuickScan feature which shows the unread topics in all forums (similar to the regular View New Posts routine, but the threads remain on display until you mark each forum (or all forums) read.

Quickscan can be turned on and off for each forum separately.

Don't install this in a production environment, try it on a test system first.

Feedback and help appreciated.

Ed

July 14, 2004: Updated package to v0.3. This version includes a new file that will Mark ALL Forums Read.

July 22, 2004: Updated package to v0.4. This version includes QuickScan.

July 25, 2004: The basic package is now complete with the addition of individual forum on/off control in the quickscan.

Aug 7, 2004: Added text to make navigation easier. Added additional support for subforums

Aug 9, 2004: Added HTL installer

[edschaum]

Originally Posted by snobbymom

Here is a question. Right now when you do a quickscan it shows new posts but forum by forum. Is there a way where it will show new posts across forums in the order they were posted instead of grouping them by forum? I hope my question makes sense.

Yes, it makes perfect sense, I changed the display order in the mod.

Go into the file quickscan.php and find this:

ORDER BY forumid ASC,lastpost DESC

Change it to:

ORDER BY lastpost DESC

That should return the threads in date/time order without regard to which forum they are in.

[weaver]

Is that what places them in the quicklinks area? I'm having fun looking around after installing.

[edschaum]

Originally Posted by snobbymom

Also - will it support subforums? I'd like to be able to mark subforums read individually. Because of the way my site's set up main forums are more like categories with subforums being the actual forums for posting.

Editted - Okay I think I've figured out how to mark subforums read. What I meant was the ability to click on the forum icon and view new posts. I'd like that for subforums as well. Is that possible?

I don't have any subforums set up, so I wasn't sure if it would work with subforums.

I'll set up a test board tonight with subforums and see what needs to be added. Chances are the hot link just has to be added to the forumbit that displays the subforums.

I don't know what happens when you add subforums, are there new level3 forumbits in the style editor? If so, just do the steps from 8 and 9 in the level 3 forumbits. If not, hang on and I'll look into it tonight.

[edschaum]

Originally Posted by snobbymom

Is that what places them in the quicklinks area? I'm having fun looking around after installing.

I don't understand what you're asking.

[weaver]

Originally Posted by edschaum

I don't understand what you're asking.

I was talking about the navbar edits. Asking if that edit is what places them in the quicklinks area. I like them there but I might move them so they are more noticeable to my members.

The main thing with the subforums is that clicking "mark forum read" through the forum tools option will not mark the forum read. So I'd need to be able to click on the icon to enter and then mark it read. At least that's what I think is supposed to happen from reading your explanation in the install instructions.

[weaver]

Originally Posted by edschaum

I don't have any subforums set up, so I wasn't sure if it would work with subforums.

I'll set up a test board tonight with subforums and see what needs to be added. Chances are the hot link just has to be added to the forumbit that displays the subforums.

I don't know what happens when you add subforums, are there new level3 forumbits in the style editor? If so, just do the steps from 8 and 9 in the level 3 forumbits. If not, hang on and I'll look into it tonight.

Just checked and there isn't a level 3 forumbits but there are some subforum templates. Here's one - forumhome_subforumbit_post.

[edschaum]

Originally Posted by snobbymom

I was talking about the navbar edits. Asking if that edit is what places them in the quicklinks area. I like them there but I might move them so they are more noticeable to my members.

Yes, the links in quicklinks are in the navbar.

The main thing with the subforums is that clicking "mark forum read" through the forum tools option will not mark the forum read. So I'd need to be able to click on the icon to enter and then mark it read. At least that's what I think is supposed to happen from reading your explanation in the install instructions.

That is correct. The item called "mark this forum read" acts differently depending on whether you go into the forum by clicking on the lightbulb or by clicking the forum name text.

When you go into the forum using the lightbulb link, Mark Forum Read will work with my mod.

When you go into the forum using the text link, Mark Forum Read will only mark the "Active Topics" as being read. I agree that this is a source of some confusion at this time. When you mouseover the selections in the drop down menu, check your status bar to see what the link looks like.

If the link has this in it: "forumdisplay.php?do=markread" , then it's marking Active Topics read.

If the link has this in it: "markforumread.php?do=markread", then it's marking it read for this mod.

One last thing - seems I've killed the navbar entirely when reading New. You can restore it by going into the template file called fdisplaynew.

Find this:
$header
$navbarX
$qsthisforum

Remove the X from the end of $navbar and your navbar will come back when viewing threads with new posts

[weaver]

Okay I made the change. Thanks. I hadn't noticed it not working but maybe I just missed it.

That is correct. The item called "mark this forum read" acts differently depending on whether you go into the forum by clicking on the lightbulb or by clicking the forum name text.

When you go into the forum using the lightbulb link, Mark Forum Read will work with my mod.

When you go into the forum using the text link, Mark Forum Read will only mark the "Active Topics" as being read. I agree that this is a source of some confusion at this time. When you mouseover the selections in the drop down menu, check your status bar to see what the link looks like.

If the link has this in it: "forumdisplay.php?do=markread" , then it's marking Active Topics read.

If the link has this in it: "markforumread.php?do=markread", then it's marking it read for this mod.

That explained it perfectly thanks. I just posted to my members about the new system so hopefully I'll get some feedback. I think they will love it because not many were able to get to all of the new posts within that 15 minute window before they'd time out and no longer show up as new posts. I was looking for a way to have more control over "being done" with a forum and this hack is it. Much appreciated.

[weaver]

Here's something else I'd like to see. When you click on Mark Forum Read on the results screen it directs you back to the main forum page. I'd like to see it redirect back to the results. Can that be made an option? Or can you help me make that change for my board?

[edschaum]

I've just uploaded v0.6.

This should clear up a lot of confusion about what is being marked while navigating.

If you installed this previously, you should go over the installation text carefully to make sure you don't miss any of the new phrases.

I've set up a test forum for myself with subforums. So far the mod seems to work with the subforums ok without any additional changes. I'll check further though.

Changing the final link shouldn't be a problem, I can probably set that up tomorrow.