User Icons

Current version: 1.2.1 (Last updated:4/30/03)
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New features/fixes since the last update:
- Optimized code so it uses much less queries on private.php.
- Added instructions I forgot for private.php.
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With this hack members have icons next to their name in posts, announcements, private messages, on the who's online and on the forumdisplay page. Users can use a public icon list or upload their own icon just like avatars. They can also choose to not display icons in the user cp. Administrators have various icon options exactly like with avatars.

This is based upon the mini avatars hack but I liked it more if it was exactly like how avatars are handled. A whole lot of the code is a copy from the avatar code except all variables are changed and only a few other changes/additions. But I wrote a full instruction for your convenience.

You can see it in action here: http://forums.thegaminguniverse.com.

Screenshots
Screenshot of icons on the who's online on index.php.
Screenshot of icons on the who's online on online.php.
Screenshot of icons in the posts on showthread.php (also in private messages and announcements).
Screenshot of icons on the thread list on forumdisplay.php.
Screenshot of the edit icon option in your user cp.
Screenshot of icon options in the admin cp under.

[Dark Jim]

O_o Uhm ok I'll change the default to 100 or something. Yeah I set it too that number because I want memebers to buy custom icons with points. I will release the store integrated version soon.

Edit: Updated the instructions with step 19 that says you need to create a folder avataricons in your images folder.

[Dark Jim]

I added the icons in the user profile (getinfo template) and memberlist (memberlist template). Instructions updated and in my first post you can see how to upgrade from 1.0 to this.

Also if you installed this and like it, please click the install button in this thread.

[007]

wow... i took one look at the install text file and this is definately the longest hack i have seen. before i go through all this work though, i have to know, has anyone had any problems with this in 2.2.9? also, hypothetically speaking.. IF i did have problems, would the fact that i just added all these queries to my db slow anything down or is there a way to undo them? thanks in advance. :beard:

[Dark Jim]

The database changes can be easily undone. You just need to delete the tables and rows that were added. And if you leave them it shouldn't matter either.

[Erwin]

Be aware that each icon.php image shown is 1 database query. It all adds up. On your forumhome, if you have 50 users with icons, that is 50 extra db queries (that won't show up in microstats by the way). I had a variation of this hack running for a while, but had to remove it because of the server strain.

[Dark Jim]

Hmm I didn't think of that. If it is really becoming a problem then you can either remove it from the forum index or set the post requirement high so only really postaholics get custom icons.

[Dark Jim]

This hack works on vBulletin 2.3.0. I also made a store integration which you can find here: http://www.vbulletin.org/hacks/index...ack&hackid=974.

[Dark Jim]

Can someone PLEASE help me with reducing the queries? I have no idea how. It needs optimising in forumdisplay.php, index.php, memberlist.php and online.php.

[007]

Just wondering, do NORMAL avitars also add one query each?? If not maybe you could try to copy how the avatar idea works, since this is basically the exact same thing only a smaller file, and inserted in a different place... That probably means avatars also add query's though huh.. I never really understood why it was so bad to have a lot of query's?? Does it use a lot more bandwith or something? What happens?

[Dark Jim]

Normal avatars do not add a query each but neither do the icons in showthread.php, announcement.php and private.php. The icons did add a query each on forumdisplay.php, index.php, memberlist.php and online.php.

However they do not anymore with the exception of online.php as I still haven't figured that one out. I just updated the hack to 1.2 which gets rid of all those extra queries. For example my memberlist.php had 39 queries on one page, after optimising it only 12.

So everyone who uses this, you should really update.