[vB3 RC3] Welcome Hack v1.2

Hack Author:
Name: Hwulex
E-Mail: vbhacks[at]hwulex[dot]com
Forums: http://forums.xaprief.com


History:
I'm sure most of us are aware of trilOByte's popular Welcome Hack that was available for vBulletin 2.
I myself had it installed on my vB2 forums, and after upgrading to vBulletin 3 missed it, so, seeing as nobody else had, I decided to make my own version.


Description:
This hack does two things:
1. It alters the look of your forum's index page by reducing the size of the "What's Going On" box to just one line (more if birthdays / calendar events present). This box is also shifted up to the top of the page, beneath the navbar.
2. The information that it strips out of that box is not lost though as it is moved up in to the navbar box at the top of the page. The general statistics are only displayed on the forum homepage, as well as your avatar, and the number of new-posts and active-threads since your last visit. On all other pages, the navbar remains as it was.


Zip Contents:
welcome_hack_vb3_v1_2.zip
|- instructions.html :: Instruction on how to install this hack.
|- forumhome_loggedin.gif :: Shows what your ForumHome will look like after installation with a logged in user.
|- others_in_and_out.gif :: Shows screenshots of the hack in various states, plus a screenie of the vB2 version.
|- noavatar.gif :: Placeholder for those users who don't have an avatar set.
`- guestavatar.gif :: Placeholder avatar for guest viewers.

Testing:
Tested on vBulletin 3 RC 2


Files to Modify:
forumroot/index.php


Templates to Modify:
forumhome
navbar


Phrases to Add:
active_threads
info_forum
info_user
info_visitor
online_now


Phrases to Edit:
$vbphrase[welcome_to_our_newest_member_x]
$vbphrase[last_visited_x_at_y]
$vbphrase[forum_contains_new_posts]
$vbphrase[forum_contains_no_new_posts]
$vbphrase[forum_is_closed_for_posting]
$vbphrase[most_users_ever_online_was_x_y_at_z]
$vbphrase[private_messages]


Images to Upload:
noavatar.gif
guestavatar.gif


Notes:
If you do install this hack, please click on the INSTALL button.
You will receive updates in your e-mail whenever I add new features to it.
Please also post a reply with your comments, they are appreciated.


Updates:
1.1
- Fixed 'X' problem for NewPosts and ActiveThreads.
- Added noavatar.gif, and accompanying instructions, to the package.
1.2
- Made NewPosts and ActiveThreads display on forumhome only.
- Moved queries to index.php reducing per-page queries by two.
- Added guestavatar feature for indexpage.

[Hwulex]

To do that, you'd simply have to edit the HTML.

Easy enough to do yourself. Unfortunately I don't have the time, or will, to do such things atm.

[misterfade]

Yes, I know it's only a matter of playing with the HTML but I have been but I'm confused because of the whole if/else coding! Every time I try, I end up with the guest avatar along with my avatar displayed at the same time, then the navbar goes missing, lol. I had the VB2 welcome panel hacked nicely, but with the new coding I have to get used to it. So if anyone is willing to provide the same look as the VB2 welcome panel, I will be forever grateful!

[Hwulex]

Originally Posted by heynurse

I got the same issue with my Pms not showing up as a link? In the authors screen shot it shows a link to the PMs?

Does anyone have any idea, why us two users would have this problem? see my image

As for the problems with no PM links; by the looks of it, your templates/phrases are different from mine. If you see, mine has "PMs: Unread 1, Total 35" where unread is the link.

[SmasherMaster]

Sweet hack, it's perfect! Great job!

[Preds]

very nice hack, even fairly easy to install for a newbie like myself.

One question however, like a few others, I do not get a link for the PMs, what step did I miss or is their a code fix for it?

Thanks.

[Preds]

Originally Posted by Hwulex

As for the problems with no PM links; by the looks of it, your templates/phrases are different from mine. If you see, mine has "PMs: Unread 1, Total 35" where unread is the link.

I'm not so sure you have the code for Unread in your downloaded data as I'm the 3rd user who the PM link hasn't worked for. Either that or the 3 of us aren't too bright LOL. In any case it's a great hack and many thanks... if you can help us fix the PM part that'll just be icing on the cake!

Thanks again!

[Onjisan]

excellent hack, worked perfectly the 1st time, thanks alot, install clicked

[Hazzo]

Anyone know how to correct this?

Online now: 2
  `- 1 members and 1 guests

Trying to get rid of the ' - part

[Preds]

Originally Posted by Hwulex

As for the problems with no PM links; by the looks of it, your templates/phrases are different from mine. If you see, mine has "PMs: Unread 1, Total 35" where unread is the link.

OK I figured out the PM Unread link issue... your instructions don't include the vBPhrase addition for "unread"

I added a global vBphrase Varname: "unread" with the Text: "Unread" and now the link works perfectly. You may want to add this to your instruction set, other than that GREAT job!

[Preds]

Originally Posted by Hazzo

Anyone know how to correct this?

Online now: 2
`- 1 members and 1 guests

Trying to get rid of the ' - part

You need to go to the Nav Bar template and edit it out of the HTML. It's pretty simple, just find the ` and delete it. You can customize that text any way you want.

For example, I moved all of that text up onto the same line as the Online Now line and placed it in parentheses. Then I added code for the current time on the bottom line in the free space I had freed up.