"In reply to" Hack (threaded info for linear users)

vB3.0/hack version "frozen"; vB3.5/plugin version released
You can get the plugin for vb3.5 here. There will be no more releases for the vB3.0 version.

Description
This hack allows the display of the title and author of the post that each post is in response to. (See screenshot if clarification is needed)

The purpose of this hack is to provide missing information to linear view mode users. I got the idea from a board I visit that used to be UBB Threads, though my choice of presentation is a bit different.

See the attached screenshot for an example of how this can look. The hack itself only provides the additional items in $post, so it is up to the templates exactly how it looks. (The changes I used are included as an example in the hack instructions)

Complexity
This hack changes one file, requires no queries, and requires changes to one template.

Technical
This hack has been tested on vB3.0.3,vB3.0.0RC4 and vB3.0.0RC2.
It adds 1 query to showthread in linear mode, and adds 1 additional query in linear mode for each consecutive layer of deleted parents of posts displayed on a page. (If a displayed post is a reply to a deleted reply to an undeleted reply to a deleted reply to an undeleted post, 2 total queries are added to showthread, but if a displayed post is a reply to a deleted reply to a deleted reply to a deleted reply to an undeleted post, 4 total queries are added to showthread. If both examples are displayed in the same page, only 4 total queries are added to showthread.)

Update (v1.10 2004-03-01)
Version 1.10 released, which uses the beginning of a post as a title if the post does not have a title, and also trims long titles down to a decent size. Minor optimizations. regardinghackupdate.txt added for existing users, regardinghack.txt updated for new users.

Support
Please click the install button above if you install this hack.

The hack version of this modification will have no further updates, but I will still answer questions in this thread.

[sabret00the]

not a bad hack at all

[Koutaru]

I think it's very useful too .. nice work.

[WetWired]

Changed to version 1.01 (updated the hack file in the original post). There was a missing field in two querys. Surprised it worked at all.

[Acido]

This is what i wanted !
BIG THANX !

Acido clicks Install

[LeeCHeSSS]

Originally Posted by WetWired

The purpose of this hack is to provide missing information to linear view mode users and to help your linear mode users and your threaded mode users to get allong better. What this hack does is display the title and author of the post that each post is in response to. I got the idea from a board I visit that used to be UBB Threads, though my choice of presentation is a bit different.

See the attached screenshot for an example of how this can look. The hack itself only provides the additional items in $post, so it is up to the templates exactly how it looks. (The changes I used are included as an example in the hack instructions)

This hack has been tested on vB3.0.0RC4 and vB3.0.0RC2.
It adds 1 query to showthread in linear mode, and adds 1 additional query in linear mode for each consecutive layer of deleted parents of posts displayed on a page. (If a displayed post is a reply to a deleted reply to an undeleted reply to a deleted reply to an undeleted post, 2 total queries are added to showthread, but if a displayed post is a reply to a deleted reply to a deleted reply to a deleted reply to an undeleted post, 4 total queries are added to showthread. If both examples are displayed in the same page, only 4 total queries are added to showthread.)

This hack changes one file, requires no queries, and requires changes to one template.

Please click the install button above if you install this hack.

Please leave any questions about the hack in this thread, I will answer them whenever I get the chance (probably about once a week after the first week).

Instead of referring to "Untitled post", try referring to post numbers?

[WetWired]

Originally Posted by LeeCHeSSS

Instead of referring to "Untitled post", try referring to post numbers?

Hmm, I guess I could do that... I'll look into it.
The main style on my forum doesn't have post numbers currently, (I don't like them 'cause they change whenever a post is deleted and so are pretty much useless) so I didn't think of that.

[edit]Okay, this is great: The post numbering behavior varies from display mode to display mode, too. Since the numbers used for the display by the hack would be regenerated every view, I guess it can work for that, but I seriously question why the post numbers were added in the first place.[/edit]

[gmarik]

Short description?!

[WetWired]

Originally Posted by gmarik

Short description?!

What exactly are you asking? Are you saying my description is too short, or that you'd like it shorter?

The simplest explanation is to simply look at the example screenshot.

Besides that, the second sentence in my post:

Originally Posted by WetWired

What this hack does is display the title and author of the post that each post is in response to.

If you want a longer description, I'm not sure what I left out.

[Logikos]

Nice. "Waits for activity hack to be released"

[high]* Logikos Clicks install.[/high]