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

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by shiva

Ah, okay Geek, that's how it works.

Yeah, I also had that problem with the php files not updating (older beta version as well) but removing everything and doing a fresh install fixed that.

Any idea about the avatars? I ended up with a text link instead of a avatar, I have no avatar hacks, and it happened after I installed this.

I need the first thumbnail though, being a game site and all, but is there a way we could add a condition in the script, that forces only certain boards to display the first attachment thumbnail, while the rest are standard?

Hey Shiva - not really. Next version (when I get around to it) will allow you to have the GAS settings on a per forum basis - but until then its all or nothing

If you got a text link its most likely that the attachment is a link as well.
Just so my cat gets killed via my curiosity - if you can upload a pic for a thumbnail (as in an attachment) then why dont you just upload it as the article header image?

[Lizard King]

For the next version can we use something like Geek gallery popup for attachment browser ?

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by Lizard King

For the next version can we use something like Geek gallery popup for attachment browser ?

huh. Thats a pretty groovy idea. Dont think ill wait till the next version... maybe a couple more iterations though.

[fabz]

You have also to redirect automatically to the amazon's new 6 series BMW page in your next version... they may have good articles engine too lol

Hope you won't build so many versions as vbulletin team does....

[intrigue]

well i tried to install this but i got a whole load of file not found errors apparently it was looking for a file in GSA/changes/ and there was no changes folder included in the zip
did i miss something?
.matt

[shiva]

Originally Posted by The Geek

Hey Shiva - not really. Next version (when I get around to it) will allow you to have the GAS settings on a per forum basis - but until then its all or nothing

If you got a text link its most likely that the attachment is a link as well.
Just so my cat gets killed via my curiosity - if you can upload a pic for a thumbnail (as in an attachment) then why dont you just upload it as the article header image?

cool.

Because though I could do it quite easy, it doesn't mean that my members would do it. One of the things I have found, especially with my community, is not only do my members get confused quite easily, they also demand a system as simple and as easy to use as possible. In other words, having a second step to do something they already can do before means they just won't use it then.

If the next version is to include separate settings per forum, then that's cool, as I only need attachments to view on certain boards where a screenshot of a game table is needed, the rest can be default/gallery images. Save the queries.

Another suggestion (well, you do keep asking for them)

In that new version, maybe the ability to set the amount of posts displayed for each forum? My default is 25, but that's a lot of work for the server to display, and some boards could be less, while others could stay the same.

I know this one is possible, VBA CMPS does it for pages, and I use it for my RSS feeds as well.

I'm dieing to get to work on adding some extra stuff to this, but you keep adding more versions to it.

I will switch to the gallery system for my board, and see how that works. Undoubtably, I will have a few more ideas afterwards.

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by intrigue

well i tried to install this but i got a whole load of file not found errors apparently it was looking for a file in GSA/changes/ and there was no changes folder included in the zip
did i miss something?
.matt

You sure you chmodded the gas folder?
It makes the changes folder for you during install.

You can do this though:

Manually create the following folder structure:
-gas
|__changes
|___admincp
|___backup
|___includes

Then try rerunning the autoinstall portion of the installer.

Do you have safemode on?

[The Geek]

thats cool Shiva - I just dont see the extra steps between uploading an avatar and uploading a header image

Ill look into adding an override #for the number of threadbits to show.

[shiva]

Okay, found a problem on my end.

Uploaded images are working fine, but are not displaying. Looking at my ftp, I see they are being chmod to 600 when they are uploaded.

My "Comma seperated list of usergroup id's that can upload image headers (leave 0 or blank for all)" is set to 0

Just the actual images, the folder it creates is 777.

Edit: Adding a bit more here... The script created a folder called 1 in my images folder, and that's where all files are being uploaded to, but of course, they don't show up in the gallery and are chmod to 600.

The forum id though shows 56, and loading in my images through ftp displays them fine in the gallery, and chmod to my ftp default 644

[fabz]

hi,
I havn't a problem but something I don't understand...

Giving the right to someone to write article :
- do we need to write an upload tool to insert images into the article ?
- or does it exist a simple way to insert image into ?

Also, I don't understand your 3rd screenshot ( https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/attachmen...&stc=1&thumb=1 ) which shows few images....
I tryed to upload more images... nothing changes : it shows one image, the last uploaded. (and each article have its own right image)

It would be great if the script could help writers to manages images to insert into articles (like SPIP does for example, or any other CMS)