Persistent Mark Forum Read

Hack: Persistent Mark Forum Read
Version of VB: 2.2.5
Current version: 1.3
Description: This hack replaces the bahavior of vBulletin's "Mark Forum Read" and "Mark All Forums Read" with a system that uses a database to track when forums are set read. By eliminating the use of cookies for this feature, a user can come onto your boards, read a bit, mark forums read as they go through and logout. The next time they come into the forums, the status of which forums they've read and which they haven't, as well as new posts since the last time they read is preserved.

This functions a lot like EZBoard and Chatspace's Webboard.

Included in this hack are three search routines: searing the entire forum for new messages, an individual forum and a section of the hierarchy (parent + children)

Also: Mark All Forums Read, Mark Individual Forum Read and Mark Hierarchy Section (Parent + Children) Read

Note: The install is not all pretty yet and requires a degree of knowledge of MySQL (to add a table) and PHP (as it requires heavy modifications to core files). It is recommended that you backup everything before using this.

After installation, behavior might be a bit odd until a default "markread" record is created for users. This is created when they first login if one does not exist.

This hack has been tweaked to now not add more than two queries to your index page. It will add load on sub-forum pages currently if you have a lot of nested forums. This will be fixed in the next release.

Instructions:

Follow the instructions in the included text file TO THE LETTER. If you run into problems, post here so we can work through them and improve the instructions. Look for a better install utility soon.

I recommend doing the text editing using a DIFF utility to see where you made changes, it honestly helps.

Place the images in your vbulletin image folder. I included PSD files for them if you want to change colors.

[ethank]

I do not yet. I will be doing the upgrade next week once I get moved
into my apartment. I also did some fixes I have to update the
instructions with.

[Christine]

I got it working.

I am not using parent and children forums, so I used the same // do light bulb code for index.php as you are using in fourmdisplay.php and it all seems to be functioning correctly.

Thanks for staying on top of this one, Ethan. My members are thrilled with the functionality!

[Erwin]

Can't wait for the update, ethank. Good job all around!

[ethank]

I've settled into my new apartment now, so I'm getting back into the swing of things on my forum.....right as July 4th rolls around

But I'm making progress. Will do the 2.2.6 upgrade then modify the docs.

[Cynthia Blue]

I'm installing this hack to my newly upgraded board.. just got 2.2.6

Question, in forumdisplay.php where it says to find:

Find:
// display threads
$limitlower=($pagenumber-1)*$perpage+1;
$limitupper=($pagenumber)*$perpage;

My file doesn't say that. Instead it says:

// display threads
$limitothers="";
if (!$getperms[canviewothers]) {
$limitothers="AND postuserid='$bbuserinfo[userid]' AND '$bbuserinfo[userid]'<>0";
}

Since I'm a newb and not good at coding this stuff, what should I do?

Thanks.

[Cynthia Blue]

Ok nevermind that question I guessed and got it right. Hack seems to be working fine so far.

I do have a question, though. I had applied the Mark Forum Read redirection hack... so when you are inside a forum and you mark it read, it will redirect you to the main page, and not keep you in the same forum after it's read.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...mark+and+forum

Now, it seems, that hack leads to the member.php file instead of the forumdisplay.php file... and so that hack has been nulled. How would I go about applying that hack to the member.php file, or would that even be the right place?

Thanks.

[Cynthia Blue]

Ok.. actually, it's not quite working right, either. I don't have child forums, I have different categories. When you click one forum in a category as read, it marks all the forums in that category as read.

This is my site: http://www.ilsikhaucil.com

This is the code that is in the template next to each individual forum... in the forumhome_forumbit_level2_post template:

<a href="member.php?s=$session[sessionhash]&action=markforumread&forumid=$forum[forumid]"><img src="{imagesfolder}/mark_read.gif" border=0 title="[Mark This Forum Read]"></a>

help... thanks.

[Cynthia Blue]

I figured my problems out on my own... had to fiddle with some of the code, but it seems to be working okay now.

[FWC]

I put it on 2.2.6 today. It works great. It's worth the effort.

[ethank]

Originally posted by FWC
I put it on 2.2.6 today. It works great. It's worth the effort.

So did I I need to make better instructions for the optimized one.