Miscellaneous Hacks - Support Forums

Description
This little number will take any specified forums (subforums optional) and modify them to seperate "open issues" from "closed issues". It's great for tracking which support issues are actually resolved.

The key here is letting users close their own threads. Under forum permissions, make sure you let users do this or it loses most of its usefulness.

I suggest having a sticky thread letting users know they CAN close their own threads. However, this is mostly covered by a SHOWTHREAD edit which will tell one of three messages to the viewer:

Staff - "This issue has been resolved! The thread starter may re-open it if he wishes."

Thread Starter - "This issue has been resolved! You may re-open it if you are still having problems."

Other Users - "This issue has been resolved! If you have a similar issue, please create a new thread." (link)

Screenshot
-http://www.vblogetin.com/images/scre...ed_threads.jpg

Planned Updates
-Button to open/close thread
-$colspan option for modified threadbits
-Phrased
-Forum Chooser instead of using ForumIDs

[Adrian Schneider]

Try re-applying the template edit.

[mauro1947]

Hi!
Thanks for your answer.
How can i do that? (that you can see i'm totally newbie)
Thanks for your help!!!
Thanks!
Bye!

[Adrian Schneider]

In the instructions it outlines a template edit you need to make. Just do it again for any styles that aren't working.

[mauro1947]

Hi!
Thanks!!
When i can probe, i will tell you the results.
Thanks!!!
Bye!

[akanevsky]

Nice hack, and I'll probably install it at visionscripts, but I am concerned with the fact that some of the plugin code is referring to vBulletin options that do not exist. Also, variables are not properly initialized which causes notice errors at error_reporting(E_ALL) level...

[Adrian Schneider]

I usually make a strong mental note to init variables, but in this case it doesn't really matter as vBulletin generates around 20 notices per page, and unlike other scenarios - this wouldn't affect functionality. If you want to "fix" it, just edit the "Support Forum - Sort By Open" plugin: find

PHP Code:

if (in_array($foruminfo['forumid'], $checkForums) and strpos($sqlsortfield, 'lastpost') !== false)
{
    $sqlsortfield = "thread.open desc, $sqlsortfield";
    $hook_query_where .= ' and thread.open <> 10';
    $vbulletin->options['openAtTop'] = true;
} 


, below it add

PHP Code:

else
{
    $vbulletin->options['openAtTop'] = false;
}

$openThread = 0;
$closedThreads = 0;
$lastOpenStatus = 'zz'; 


[akanevsky]

Ok. Also, perhaps you should replace the vBulletin options with a list of IDs with a per-forum bitfield setting...

and where did $vbulletin->options['supportforum_subforums'] come from? It is not in vBulletin options..

also, what is the reason you check for:
strpos($sqlsortfield, 'lastpost') !== false

and for:
!$thread['sticky']

?

Also, perhaps the thread conditional logic is a bit wrong. Maybe it should be this:

			<if condition="can_moderate($foruminfo['forumid'], 'canopenclose')">
				<if condition="$thread['postuserid'] == $vbulletin->userinfo['userid']">
					<strong>Notice:</strong>:
					This issue has been resolved!  You may re-open it if you are still having problems.
				<else />
					<strong>Notice</strong>:
					This issue has been resolved!  The thread starter may re-open it if he wishes.
				</if>
			<else />
				<strong>Notice</strong>:
				This issue has been resolved!  If you have a similar issue, please create a <a href="newthread.php?$session[sessionurl]f=$foruminfo[forumid]">new thread</a>.
			</if>

[Adrian Schneider]

Wanted to start off simple, as I'm busy with 100 other things.

You're the lucky one to notice the option is missing, Ive been meaning to issue an update but nobody noticed yet lol.

I use strpos because between 3.5 and 3.6 (or something along those lines) they changed that value which broke it on some boards.

I use !$thread['sticky'] because the separator is dependent on the transitions between the different thread types. It should ignore sticky threads or else you'll get a "Closed Issues" header at the very top of your stickies.

My condition is correct. I tested yours and it doesn't work properly.

[akanevsky]

I use strpos because between 3.5 and 3.6 (or something along those lines) they changed that value which broke it on some boards.

Why check for the value? I removed the check and it seems to work correctly. Why does it matter what the sort is?

I use !$thread['sticky'] because the separator is dependent on the transitions between the different thread types. It should ignore sticky threads or else you'll get a "Closed Issues" header at the very top of your stickies.

That's right, didn't think about it.

My condition is correct. I tested yours and it doesn't work properly.

Yep, it doesn't. But I changed it to the following, and that's what I am using (and it does work properly):

<if condition="$show['supportforum_message']">
<center>
	<span class="smallfont">
		<strong>
		<if condition="$thread['postuserid'] == $vbulletin->userinfo['userid']">
			Notice: This issue has been resolved! If you are still experiencing problems, you may reopen the thread.
		<else />
			<if condition="can_moderate($foruminfo['forumid'], 'canopenclose')">
				Notice: This issue has been resolved! The thread may be reopened by the thread starter if he or she is continuing to experience problems.
			<else />
				Notice: This issue has been resolved! If you are experiencing a similar issue, please create another thread.
			</if>
		</if>
		</strong>
	</span>	
</center>
<br />
</if>

It is better because if you do not need to call a can_moderate function (and thus avoid an overhead), then why do?

[Adrian Schneider]

It changes the sort order so that it sorts by sticky, then closed/open, then last post time IF you have it set to last post time (default). They changed it to or from (trying to remember exact values) lastposttime to thread.lastposttime. So it's not required, but I don't want it affecting other sort orders.

That final template looks better.