Simple newsportal / thread overview to add to your board...

Okay, this isn't really a hack, since you don't have to modify any vb-files really, but I figured this was the best place to make it public anyhow. I found it rather useful myself, so I figured others might, too.

Last update: April 28th, 2003!
** Update summary: **
The bug that could occur due to MySQL stupidity has been fixed. Version 2 of the Newsportal script is now attached in this post, you can simply overwrite the newsportal.php on your site with the one from the attached zipfile to upgrade.
From now on, no more vB files need to be adjusted nor do you have to make any database changes. If you've already done all that due to the mysql-bug in a previous stage of this hack, you can just leave it like that, it won't do any harm. If you're intent on 'cleaning' your files again, let me know if you can't get it done yourself.


Q&A:
What does this 'hack' do?

http://www.kurafire.com/newsportal.php

That's a live example of the fully functional version of the Hack (version 2). I think it speaks for itself.

The amount of newsposts & threads on the right is set in a variable at the beginning.


Is this hack hard to install?
Absolutely not. You upload the newsportal.php, you add the new templates (see zipfile), and you place a link to newsportal.php wherever you want it on your site. That's it.
You don't have to modify any vB files, nor your database.


Does this hack include my style and everything?
Yes, the newsportal page will use your headinclude, header, footer and style-colors (pagebgcolor, tableouterwidth, linkcolor, etc.) and all these settings are easily configureable. You just edit the templates like you're (hopefully) used to with all the normal vB Templates.


Version 2:
The newsportal script now uses 2 queries to get the necessary information for your News posts. One for all thread info and the postid's of the starting posts, and one for the pagetext (ie. post contents) of all those postid's. You can use 2, 20 or 200 newsposts, that won't matter, it'll always be 2 queries (though I discourage using more than 20 newsposts ). ^_^

That's it, you're all done. Have fun with the newsportal! ^_^

[KuraFire]

Just did it!

^_^

</lame nike pun>

Anyhoo, see the first post, I released version 2 of the Newsportal hack, the new .php file is in the (new) attachment in the first post of this thread, you can just overwrite your online newsportal.php with that one (mind you, you'll have to check the variables at the start of the file for your personal forum id settings etc.

*sends out update*

[Genocide]

Invalid SQL: SELECT pagetext,postid FROM post WHERE postid IN () ORDER BY postid DESC
mysql error: You have an error in your SQL syntax. Check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ') ORDER BY postid DESC' at line 1

mysql error number: 1064

I got this message when i went to it.... so I know its somthing to do with running querys... but how and what querys?

[Genocide]

what are the two querys every keeps saying Im must run.
I have sombody on the side ready to run them so just post
what querys I must run. Ive uploaded my newsportal to the
server and Ive added the templets in the zip file... but I havent
ran any querys because I SEE NONE. but I see people in this
thread saying they ran querys and it works great. Sombody HELP!

[KuraFire]

Genocide, those queries are old and you no longer need to run them. So forget about all that.

You're getting an error because you've selected a Newsforum id which has no threads yet, that's why it can't find any post id's.

[Robink]

Okay, now for some reason, on the last active threads thing, people are able to see my private forums!!

This isnt supposed to happen, right???

[Robink]

Ofcourse, when they click on it they get a no-permission page, since the thread is in my moderator foum.

[Robink]

Ok, sorry for the triple post, but I can give you a more detailed idea of the problem now.

I made a test account and changed its usergroup to check what happens.
I have 3 private forums, One for moderators, one for supermoderators and one for the admins.

Now, when my test account is a Registered User, in the active threads thing, he can see threads from the Mod Forum, but not from Super Mod forum or the admin Forum. When I click on the thread, it gives me the no permission screen.

When he is a moderator, he can see Mod forum titles, and read them, but cannot see threads of the supermod or Admin Forum.

When I am super mod, I can see supermod threads but not admin threads.
and when I am admin, I can see everything ....

So, now do you have any idea what the problem is?
If you want a demo go here: www.anime-fanatics.com
And there should be an active thread somewhere called "Mods please read", if you click you'll get a no perms screen.

The rest of my forums can be read by unregistered users

[KuraFire]

do you use hostmasks or usergroups for making those forums private?

[KuraFire]

err, ignore the previous post, that was made before you made your 3rd one

erm... I have no idea, it works fine everywhere else... and the permissions section was supplied by PPN, so.... I dunno what goes wrong there, sorry

[Robink]

Ok ...

Thanks for the really really prompt reply !!!

OK, I realised since the problem is only with the one moderator forum being visible, can I edit the query in some way so that the mod forum with forumid = x, is visible only if usergroup id is either 5,6,7.

Or, is there any way to simply exclude teh modertor forum from the thread lists?

Thanks anyway

[KuraFire]

yeah, give me the forum id of that particular forum and I'll see what I can do tomorrow from work. I can't really do much right now. Kay?

[Robink]

Yeah... thanks...
the forumid is 39 ....

thanks a lot :-)

Or maybe I should make a new thread and ask other people??

[Tigga]

Double check that your forum permissions are set correctly for those forums and that users not in your admin or mod groups don't have permission to view threads in those forums. Also be sure that "Use custom settings" at the top of the forum permissions page is checked (that seems to be a very common thing that is overlooked. )

[KuraFire]

Hmm, Robink, lemme know if Tigga's tips worked or not, kay?

[Stu]

maybe a stupid comment, but I thought I had this problem too, but it was just that I hadn't refreshed my browser!!!!