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

[xmitchx]

can you help me out? I'd like to make it so that when viewing an article, the quickreply isn't shown. I dont know what variable to use with an if conditional.

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by xmitchx

can you help me out? I'd like to make it so that when viewing an article, the quickreply isn't shown. I dont know what variable to use with an if conditional.

edit your GAS_showthread template and remove $quickreply for a quick fix

[KTBleeding]

Okay, I finally got some time and installed this hack. This is such a wonderful idea.. haha.

I wanted to do something similar to this, but the way I saw it happening was with template conditionals.. which this hack obviously makes things much easier.

I did change every aspect of "article" to "content" though. This way I can run multiple sections off this one hack. So it says "Thanks for submitting this content" rather than "this article".. Just an easy way around things, I suppose.

nail geek, great job.

EDIT: I really like how this hack also implements the "Similar Threads" option. That is seriously awesome.

EDIT 2:
[high]* KTBleeding clicks install[/high]

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by KTBleeding

Okay, I finally got some time and installed this hack. This is such a wonderful idea.. haha.

I wanted to do something similar to this, but the way I saw it happening was with template conditionals.. which this hack obviously makes things much easier.

I did change every aspect of "article" to "content" though. This way I can run multiple sections off this one hack. So it says "Thanks for submitting this content" rather than "this article".. Just an easy way around things, I suppose.

nail geek, great job.

EDIT: I really like how this hack also implements the "Similar Threads" option. That is seriously awesome.

EDIT 2:
[high]* KTBleeding clicks install[/high]

Hey KT - thats what GAS2 was (and still is). Its a much lighter version of GAS3 for people who dont need pagebreaks, sidebars, replaced avatars, etc... still a great option for many.

Anyhoo... glad you dig it. Thanks for the kudos.

[The Geek]

Just released an importer for those that wanted to import their articles from the v3articles system. The importer is so much damn fun to run that its a shame for those of you that dont have to import

Anyway... thought I would make it official as it has been tested on a few various imports without any problems.

Here is the scoop for those that dont re-read the first post
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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 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

nJoy

[Razz]

Noticed a small bug when editing articles, the byline seems to get lost on the edit page and when you save your changes the byline is removed altogether.

Is this a known problem or did I mess up an edit somewhere?

[The Geek]

Originally Posted by Razz

Noticed a small bug when editing articles, the byline seems to get lost on the edit page and when you save your changes the byline is removed altogether.

Is this a known problem or did I mess up an edit somewhere?

Not to my knowledge. Its working cool here.
It sounds like the changes to your editpost template might be incorrect? If so, then it WOULD dump the byline there, but no inputbox would be there to display it. That meant that when it was saved, it would save the result of the nonexistent byline box (thereby deleting it). DOuble check the template change (make sure you do it to your various styles as that could cause the problem.

HTH's

[Razz]

I've checked both editpost.php and the template and they seem fine.

<if condition="$GAS_is_article">
                <!-- byline field -->
                <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" class="fieldset">
                <tr>
                <td class="smallfont" >$vbphrase[GAS_byline]:</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                <td><input type="text" class="bginput" name="articlebyline" value="$articlebyline" size="40" maxlength="85" tabindex="1" /></td></tr>
                </table>
                <!-- / byline field -->
                </if>

That is what I have in the template for the byline field.

Where in particular in editpost.php should I be checking?

[Razz]

Here is what I found for the byline in editpost.php:

		if ($getpost['postid'] == $postid AND $GAS_is_article)
		{
		$edit['articlebyline'] = htmlspecialchars_uni(fetch_censored_text($_POST['articlebyline']));
		insert_new_article($threadinfo['threadid'],$edit['articlebyline']);
		}

[latum]

My forums were not displaying and I got an error:

[Thu Feb 10 08:39:56 2005] [error] PHP Warning: Call-time pass-by-reference has been deprecated - argument passed by value; If you would like to pass it by reference, modify the declaration of prep_for_breaks(). If you would like to enable call-time pass-by-reference, you can set allow_call_time_pass_reference to true in your INI file. However, future versions may not support this any longer. in /private/var/www/portal/forums/includes/functions_geekarticles.php on line 25

Which I fixed by changing line 25 of this file from:

$text=str_replace($GAS_page_break_code,"",prep_for _breaks(&$text));

to

$text=str_replace($GAS_page_break_code,"",prep_for _breaks($text));

I'm running php 4.3.2, should be close to the latest.

At least my forums now display again

Thanks for the very useful hack!