Blinking notifier in welcome bar when receiving a new pm

Don't you just hate it sending a pm to someone and he/she never reads it untill some weeks later? Using the build in pop-up bar from vB that problem is easily solved, but has to be turned on by the user since it is not a default setting.

VB.org offered me two sollutions, but were both (sound on pm, or that ugly blinking red message that is used by this forum) a bit over the top. I then found JohnBee's cleaner version which did the trick in Internet Explorer, but didnt function when using Firefox. Plus there was a lot of code that needed to be added, so even though I had zero experience in Javascript, i started crafting one myself.

Now this version works both in Internet Explorer as in Firefox, they look exactly the same (as in speeds) plus only 17 lines of code are added to one single template style. You can change the blink color to any color you like and also change the speed of the blinking. (setInterval("doBlink()",500, where 500 is the speed in milliseconds)

installation
In AdminCP, in your navbar template, find

ht = document.getElementsByTagName("html");
	ht[0].style.filter = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.BasicImage(grayscale=1)";
	if (confirm('$vbphrase[sure_you_want_to_log_out]'))
	{
		return true;
	}
	else
	{
		ht[0].style.filter = "";
		return false;
	}
}
//-->

After add

<!-- [Fusion's `ing PM mod :: http://ut2004.titaninternet.co.uk] -->
function doBlink() {
  var blink = document.all.tags("blink")
  for (var i=0; i<blink.length; i++)
    blink[i].style.visibility = blink[i].style.visibility == "" ? "hidden" : ""
}

//fix by Piglet
function startBlink() {
	window.preblinkonload();
	setInterval("doBlink()",500)
}

if (document.all && ! window.preblinkonload){
	window.preblinkonload = window.onload;
	window.onload = startBlink;
}

//-->

In the same template, find

<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><br /><phrase 1="$vbphrase[unread_x_nav_compiled]" 2="$vbphrase[total_x_nav_compiled]" 3="$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages_nav]</phrase></if>

Replace with

<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><br />
			<if condition="$bbuserinfo['pmunread']">
			<phrase 1="<blink><font color=#ff0000>$vbphrase[unread_x_nav_compiled]</font></blink>" 2="$vbphrase[total_x_nav_compiled]" 3="$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages_nav]</phrase>
			<br />
			<else />
			<phrase 1="$vbphrase[unread_x_nav_compiled]" 2="$vbphrase[total_x_nav_compiled]" 3="$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages_nav]</phrase><br /></if></if>

This gives you a red (#ff0000) blinking message when having a pm in your box, after which you are done.

---------------------------optional---------------------------

Alternatively, if you just want blinking text (so text with default font color blinking on and off) simply skip the last step and do this one in stead.

In the same template, find

<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><br /><phrase 1="$vbphrase[unread_x_nav_compiled]" 2="$vbphrase[total_x_nav_compiled]" 3="$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages_nav]</phrase></if>

Replace with

<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><br />
			<if condition="$bbuserinfo['pmunread']">
			<phrase 1="<blink>$vbphrase[unread_x_nav_compiled]</blink>" 2="$vbphrase[total_x_nav_compiled]" 3="$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages_nav]</phrase>
			<br />
			<else />
			<phrase 1="$vbphrase[unread_x_nav_compiled]" 2="$vbphrase[total_x_nav_compiled]" 3="$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages_nav]</phrase><br /></if></if>

The end result should look like this, in your own board colors ofcourse.

Dont forget to press install if you like this little mod.

Update (26-5-2005): This mod had a conflict in IE with an other mod, namely a 2nd breadcrumb we've added at the bottom for easy scrolling, which caused us to have an overflow error in Internet Explorer. So basicly, this mod should have worked for other forums, it just gave us specificly a slight hickup cause of the nature of our board. Still, the code has been updated so that it works now for both us and other forums that may have messed with the onload command.

[brvheart]

3.0.7

[MRGTB]

well if you using vb 3.0.7 your Navbar template is here.

Go into your: AdminCP

1: Styles & Templates -> Style Manager
2: Then double click he "<< >>" arrows in the right window to expand your templates
3: Then double click "Navigation/Breadcrumbs Templates
4: Now you will see the Navbar template there.

I was running on 3.0.7 before I upgraded to 3.0.8, so I know for a fact it's there.

[brvheart]

I never said it was not there, I said the code within the navbar template is not as it should be with the style I am using, I gave the code that is there, and asked if anyone could help me get it to work in that style. I got it working in 1 of my 2 styles, but the code is not as it reads for the hack.

Please read all my post before saying something like this:

by: Gary Bolton I was running on 3.0.7 before I upgraded to 3.0.8, so I know for a fact it's there.

[MRGTB]

OK, so your using a new style. Well that totally different then. God knows then, you gonna have to ask the person who created the style for advice I sugest then.

[brvheart]

Originally Posted by Gary Bolton

OK, so your using a new style. Well that totally different then. God knows then, you gonna have to ask the person who created the style for advice I sugest then.

ok, thanks, I appreciate you trying to help me. guess I will have to find a more complete style to use

[stan111]

can't find this code in navbar

<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><br /><phrase 1="$vbphrase[unread_x_nav_compiled]" 2="$vbphrase[total_x_nav_compiled]" 3="$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages_nav]</phrase></if>

here is wat i found in my navbar of 3.0.7

<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><br /><a href="private.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages]</a>: $vbphrase[unread_nav] <if condition="$bbuserinfo['pmunread']"><strong>$bbuserinfo[pmunread]</strong><else />$bbuserinfo[pmunread]</if>, $vbphrase[total] $bbuserinfo[pmtotal].</if>

and this is the second one that i found in mine that had ['pmstats']

<if condition="$show['pmstats']"><tr><td class="vbmenu_option"><a href="private.php?$session[sessionurl]">$vbphrase[private_messages]</a></td></tr></if>

[stan111]

anyone know wat happen ?

[XJeepguy]

Excellent , thx :nervous:

XJ

[PJSkiboy]

great addition.

[MRGTB]

yeh, this is a good hack because it works fine both in IE and Firefox