Existing Topics Check

This hack will allow you and your members to check for existing topics, or similar ones, of the thread you plan to create when at newthread.php.

This should help to prevent double topics that often appear from newbish members who neglect to use the search feature.

It uses the exact functions as the "similar threads" feature, therefore has the same accuracy.

Tested to work on:

• vBulletin 3 RC2
• Internet Explorer 6 (with Javascript enabled)
• Mozilla Firebird 0.7 / Mozilla 1.5 (with Javascript enabled)

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Tweak #1

If you would like the find icon to show upon typing in the input box, and then disappear if the input box is empty upon change, please do the following:


In the template newthread, find:

function showFind(object)
{
  if(object.value != '')
  {
    document.findicon.src = "$stylevar[imgdir_button]/findicon_on.gif";
    document.findicon.style.cursor = "pointer";
  }
  else
  {
    document.findicon.src = "$stylevar[imgdir_button]/findicon_off.gif";
    document.findicon.style.cursor = "default";
  }
}

Replace it with:

function showFind()
{
    document.findicon.src = "$stylevar[imgdir_button]/findicon_on.gif";
    document.findicon.style.cursor = "pointer";
}

function hideFind(object)
{
  if(object.value == '')
  {
    document.findicon.src = "$stylevar[imgdir_button]/findicon_off.gif";
    document.findicon.style.cursor = "default";
  }
}

In the same template, find:

<td><input type="text" class="bginput" name="subject" onChange="showFind(this)" value="$subject" size="40" maxlength="85" tabindex="1" /></td>

Replace it with:

<td><input type="text" class="bginput" name="subject" onchange="hideFind(object)" onkeypress="showFind()" value="$subject" size="40" maxlength="85" tabindex="1" /></td>

------------------------------------------------

Attached is a screenshot.

Inside the zip are English, German, and French installation instructions. Please be aware I used a software translator for the German and French docs.

Enjoy.

[MrNase]

Hey very cool

[albibak]

Thx Velocd for this hack.
I do the translation in french for vbulletin-fr.com and I join it on this post, because I see that you put in the zip file a speed translation by a software translator

[FleaBag]

Excellent idea and wonderfully executed. I think my users will appreciate this as much as I shall.

[sabret00the]

great hack

[NuclioN]

--edit-- forgot a template Works fine

[Koutaru]

Thanks Velocd!

[high]* Koutaru installs[/high]

[Boofo]

I ran into a small problem with this. I have a thread titled:

Nesting conditional statements in templates

It did not find it when I tested for the exact same phrase or conditional statements, either one. And that thread was in the same forum.

Also, the button is off before you click it the first time. Shouldn't it be on so you know it is available to click (or am I missing something here)?

[Velocd]

It did not find it when I tested for the exact same phrase or conditional statements, either one. And that thread was in the same forum.

It uses the same functions as the smiilar threads feature, so if it's not finding it I'm not sure what to say.

Create two threads called "Nesting conditional statements in templates", go into one of them, and scroll to the bottom and see if the other thread shows up in the "similar threads" feature.

Also, the button is off before you click it the first time. Shouldn't it be on so you know it is available to click (or am I missing something here)?

There is an onchange Javascript behavior on the subject field, and when the subject field changes that icon becomes active. Otherwise, you don't want somebody clicking the button when the subject field is empty (although it would just give a Javascript alert box).

[Boofo]

Shouldn't the icon become active when you type soemthing in there? It only becomes active here after I click it.

And yes the title shows up in the similar threads when there are 2 of them.

I never changed any of the default settings for the similar threads in the Admin CP. Do those need to be changed, too?