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]

Shiva - check the chmod on gas/images and also gas/images/1. Maybe its something with how your sever uploads into the tmp folder. I can always add a chmod command during the move though so let me know.

The gas/images structure is gas/images/(userid split by '/') s o if your user id was 10 your folder would be gas/images/1/0

Fabz - Permissions like that are handled through the standard forum permissions. If they have permission to make threads in forum - they have permission to write articles. If they have permission to post replies - they can make comments.

The 3rd screenie is the Article Header Image Gallery/uploader. It displays all images found in gas/images and gas/images/forums/(forumid) so the user can just browse and click or upload their own image.
As far as managing images for insert - try the Geek Gallery Popup - its what I use (not sure if that was what you ar after though)

[fabz]

Originally Posted by The Geek

It displays all images found in gas/images and gas/images/forums/(forumid) so the user can just browse and click or upload their own image.

huh... in gas/images I cannot find any [forumid] directory...
instead I found gas/images/2 (which contains 1/2/2 directories) or
gas/images/7
but 2 or 7 is neither the forumid or threadid

I cannot understand what's wrong.
Images are well uploaded but in some directories GAS seems to ignore.
Geek popup shows only default.jpg image.

I checked paths in settings... nothing wrong.
I'm running now vb 3.0.7 and this is a fresh GAS install.

[shiva]

Yeah geek, it's all chmod 777. Tried it again, and any uploaded images to my folder from the gallery upload page is chmod 600. Since I am user 1, my root is:
/var/www/html/forums/gas/images/1

I guess you will have to add a chmod command then.

I'm wondering if my members would go to the trouble with making thumbnails, wouldn't it be better if instead of having all these seperate folders for stock images, we can instead just have a master folder containing all of them as a option? I have several categories that will use the same set of icons.

Also, I have made some standard images and noticed a couple things. I select a image already loaded in from my forum ID folder. This works great, but I also notice that it makes a copy of that image in my ID folder as well. Also, if I use the same image for another thread as a header image, it will make another copy of the same image, add a number in front of it, and place it in my ID folder. In other words, 3 articles use the same image, but use 3 seperate image files.

Here's a sample page: article page
If you notice, all 3 images are the same, but the system assigns a different file name to each of them, and this image is selectable directly from the gallery upload page

Wouldn't it be better to instead not even have it make a image at all and place it in the posters folder, just link to that forum ID file? That way the server wouldn't have to work to display 3 images that are the same, just has to do it once. Save a lot of space as well. (By the way, those 3 files were automatically chmod to 777)

[shiva]

fabz, I was confused about it as well, I think geek meant you have to create a folder, name it the forum ID number, chmod it to 777, and upload the thumbnail images that you want the members to select from.

[The Geek]

Hi Shiva - I guess a low down on how the image system works in GAS is needed for clarification.

There are 4 different ways to have an image appear at the top of the article.

1. The posters avatar. To get the posters avatar to appear in the article - the following settings must be - er, set:
   • Use first attachment thumbnail as avatar - no
   • Allow users to upload an image for the Article Display? - no
   I would also suggest setting Use the legacy forumdisplay template? - yes
2. Use the first attachment thumbnail. This way, the first thumbnail in the article will appear as the image at the top of the article instead of the users avatar. If choosing this option - I would STRONGLY advise that you use the Legacy Forumdisply. Why? Because in vB, each attachment is a dynamic image that requires a query to be run. In other words, if you have 30 threads diaplying in your forumdisplay - there will be 30 additional queries. Remember - this is how vB does attachments!
   
   To use this option, set the following:
   • Use first attachment thumbnail as avatar - yes
   • Allow users to upload an image for the Article Display? - no
   • STRONGLY urged: Use the legacy forumdisplay template? - yes
3. Allow users to upload their own Article header image. This option displays an 'image' button when creating/editing and article. Clicking it will pop open a global gallery window and an upload box (this is controlled by usergroup settings in GAS). This will allow users to upload an image from their computer and it will then be resized to the maximum dimensions that you sepcify in your settings. The system discards the original and keeps the thumbnailed image for the header. It places the thumbnail in gas/images/(userid split by '/'). If your userid is 357 than your images will be in gas/images/3/5/7.
   
   To use this option:
   • Use first attachment thumbnail as avatar - no
   • Allow users to upload an image for the Article Display - yes
   • Comma seperated list of usergroup id's that can upload image headers - put in comma seperated list of usergroupid's or 0 for all.
4. Use a gallery image. The gallery is a collection of images that are pre loaded by yourself that allows users to choose from a variety of images that you allow. This is a great option if you want to have some standard defaults that go with your style, or if you ONLY want a certain set to be chosen from (as you can turn off the upload feature and only let them choose from the gallery).
   
   The gallery appears when the user clicks the image button when creating or editing an article (as long as you have enabled it). The gallery displays all images from the gas/images folder combinded with all images (if any) from the gas/images/forums/(current forumid) folder.
   When a user selects a gallery image - it is then copies to their gas/images/(userid split by '/') folder. This is to allow you to remove or change gallery images without breaking existing links. I am looking at adding an option to link direct to the gallery image (primarily for those with safemode enabled) however this wont be for a little while longer.
   To use this option:
   • Use first attachment thumbnail as avatar - no

Hope this helps clear up some question about how the Image system works.

nJoy

[shiva]

Okay, that's cool. Don't forget to add those to the instructions, this thread is getting a bit long.

No questions or suggestions, happily making images in photoshop for the next version.

[shiva]

Oh yeah, BTW, that avatar thing killed everyone's custom avatars. Must have been a conflict with another hack somewhere, needless to say, got a few messages about it already.
Oh well, not as if they pay me to do the job...

[Snow]

Oh No! What have I done? I'm seeing double ..... I just updated to the latest release and now I've got two Gas Settings in my admincp.

[Lizard King]

Originally Posted by Snow

Oh No! What have I done? I'm seeing double ..... I just updated to the latest release and now I've got two Gas Settings in my admincp.

It happened to me also but just edited admincp/index.php and remove the second one

[Snow]

Originally Posted by Lizard King

It happened to me also but just edited admincp/index.php and remove the second one

Oh so it's not just me... phew.