Miscellaneous Hacks - Search For Unanswered Threads By Forum

Hack Support

This hack is now discontinued - this means that while it will remain available for download and use, there will be no further updates, nor will support be provided as the thread is no longer monitored. You can now check out the 3.8.x version of this hack, as it also works with v3.7.5, v3.6.12 (and maybe even earlier versions).

Please click Mark as Installed if you are using this hack.


vBulletin Version Compatibility

This hack can be used with v3.6.10 and v3.7.x. This has not been tested with earlier versions of v3.6.x, but should work.


What Does This Hack Do?

This is an update of my v3.6.x hack available here.

This is an hack adds an extra option to the Search this Forum drop down list in forum display, that additionally allows you to search for unanswered threads by forum (including child forums if enabled). This can be useful for example, if you have some of your forums dedicated to support issues and want to filter by unanswered support threads, just in that forum (and child forums if enabled).

There have been a few threads that mentioned template edits for allowing to view all unanswered threads in all forums (not like this hack which is by forum, not the entire site), vb.org uses a variation of that template edit. This hack is different, but based on the idea, and allows more control over the results.

There are no file or template changes at all, and is phrased.

AdminCP settings for this hack available in vBulletin Options > Search For Unanswered Threads By Forum.
Settings that can be changed are:

1. Usergroup permissions - which groups will be able to use Search For Unanswered Threads By Forum
2. Search child forums - enable/disable
3. Turn off cached results - enable/disable
4. Auto Template Injection - this is enabled by default. But if you need to manually edit the FORUMDISPLAY template because the auto template injection does not work, you will need to turn off the auto template injection option, and in the FORUMDISPLAY template you will need to paste $sfutbf_template around where $vbphrase[advanced_search] (don't ask me where, because if you need to make the edit manually, then you have a custom template, and you are on your own with the edit).

Installation Instructions

1. Import ms_unanswered_threads.xml into vB using the AdminCP Product Manager. If upgrading then set Allow Overwrite to Yes.
2. Alter the settings in the Admin CP to your liking.

Uninstall Instructions

1. Uninstall the product in vB using the AdminCP Product Manager.

Version History

v3.7.006 - Friday 29th August 2008
-- Final Release
-- Fixed: Usergroup permission checkboxes not working with vBulletin v 3.6.x

v3.7.005 - Thursday 28th August 2008
-- Changed: Check boxes now for usergroup selection, instead of needing comma separated numbers
-- Added: New plugin, for processing usergroup permissions
-- Removed: AdminCP Options input validation (no longer needed)

v3.7.004 - Wednesday 25th June 2008
-- Added: AdminCP option to display to all usergroups

v3.7.003 - Sunday 11th May 2008
-- Changed: Version numbering
-- Changed: Variable for template edit now (instead of pasting in template)
-- Added: AdminCP Options input validation

v2.1.0 - Friday 15th February 2008
-- Fixed: Cached Template
-- Removed: Version Dependency

v2.0.0 - Thursday 7th February 2008
-- Initial Release


Thanks

Thanks go out to Paul M who gave me permission to use some of his install code.


Show Your Appreciation

Although not required, if you have enjoyed the benefits of this hack, and would like show your appreciation for my efforts, then please feel free to click on the Support Developer link and donate any amount you feel is appropriate.

[dilbert]

This looks nice. How do I select which forums I want it to be allowed in? It looks like I can only configure by usergroup.

[Boofo]

Is there a way to add a link in the navbar for the whole site too to go along with this?

Installed and thank you.

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by dilbert

This looks nice. How do I select which forums I want it to be allowed in? It looks like I can only configure by usergroup.

No, you can not select forums allowed at the moment. I would have to rewrite part of the hack to add that, and at this point it does what I want it to, but may consider adding that functionality down the road at some point.

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by Boofo

Is there a way to add a link in the navbar for the whole site too to go along with this?

Installed and thank you.

Bob, just for you - Forum-wide Search For Unanswered Threads

[Boofo]

I just saw that, thank you. Guess it would have been a bear to add it to this one.

Sucking up really does work with me, by the way.

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by Boofo

I just saw that, thank you. Guess it would have been a bear to add it to this one.

Sucking up really does work with me, by the way.

Yep, would of been a pain, so created a seperate hack.

I will be using this one myself, and who said I was sucking up

[Boofo]

Thanks again as I am getting lazy in my old age with editing templates.

You were scoring more points when I thought you were sucking up.

[jilly]

Okay I'm confused - so for this one, you can search by forum only, and the other one lets you serach forum wide - can I install both or would that cause problems? I like the idea of searching either forumwide or by individual boards..

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by jilly

Okay I'm confused - so for this one, you can search by forum only, and the other one lets you serach forum wide - can I install both or would that cause problems? I like the idea of searching either forumwide or by individual boards..

Yes, I had seen template edits for forum-wide searches and wondered to myself if anyone had done something similar for individual forums and no one had, so I wrote this hack for myself and then decided to release it here.

It was only after I ported this hack to v 3.7.x that Boofo asked for a forum-wide one in this thread, so as there were only various examples of template edits, I decided to do a product for the forum-wide hack. So, I wrote this hack first for v3.6.x and ported it to v3.7.x, then I wrote the forum-wide one.

Both can be in used in conjunction with each other with no problems at all, with this one showing un-answered theads in a specific forum when selected, and the other one doing a forum-wide selection.

So, the other one shows all un-answered threads, apart from excluded forums as set in the admincp. This one just shows from a single forum, and child forums if set in the admincp.