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Function like Ikonboard's "Ultimate News"?

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BinkyM:
Hi, SMF peeps:

I've tried searching everywhere for this, and I just can't find it, but perhaps it's been tackled already and called something else and I don't know it? Or maybe it exists already and I just don't know the nomenclature? (That'd be great!) If not, I'd really appreciate someone helping me with it.

In Ikonboard, you can output text files with all sortsa handy tags, but I like to just output the URLs and titles of the five most recent posts in each forum. Then I use an SSI include to stick it on my home page (which isn't the forum) with a heading like "Latest Posts in the Science & Technology Forum," or "New in the Current Events Forum," and so on. IOW, it's like a sampling of what's going on in the forums and it's up-to-the-minute. Very spiderable.

Does this exist in the software already? If not, is there a mod for this? If not, would someone be so kind as to help me create it? I'd be really grateful, and I'll bet the folks reading the "Tips & Tricks" section would think it's neat!

Thanks very much,

Binky

K@:
If I've got this right, I believe that Simple Portal has a pre-configured block that does that.

Any use?

BinkyM:
Hi, Puss:


--- Quote ---I believe that Simple Portal has a pre-configured block that does that.

Any use?
--- End quote ---

Wow; I'm sure not sure. It *looks* as if that mod's dedicated to creating shoutboxes *only* (I think; it's not really easy to figger out what the heck it does with all the upgrades, bug fixes, and features mixed in together).

I'm gonna try asking in its support thread whether it'll do what I need.

Lemme splain a different way what the "Ultimate News" does: it creates text files that contain pretty much whatever I want 'em to, in HTML format. Or text format. Or a combination like I use. This is what I like to have 'em contain:


--- Code: ---» <a href="http://snarkish.com/forum/science/latest-post-here">Scientists discover prehistoric laptop</a>
--- End code ---

So I use an SSI include to make a little list of the five most recent posts for four of my most active forums and put 'em on my home page along with links to the About page, bios, the individual forums, and so on. I could, if I wanted to, include the text of those posts, and the date, and the member name of the poster, and so on and so forth, but this is nice and compact and fits nicely on a home page.

Is this clearer? This is sorta RSS-ish, but I examined the SMF RSS dox and didn't see anything that resembled what I'm looking for.

Rawr,

Binky

K@:
Bloody Nora...

What SP does, is pull the most recent posts from the forum and displays them in a block.

Yeah, it has a shoutbox and loads of other stuff. None of which you HAVE to use, of course.

BinkyM:

--- Quote ---Bloody Nora
--- End quote ---

You made me look that one up. I *woulda* thought that trying to decipher all the bells, whistles, bug fixes, upgrade notes, and so on had I known the term at the time. It's a kitchen-sink kinda mod.

Hokay; will try it out (then no doubt get discomboobulated by all the features and get a headache (wry grin)). Thanks for the pointer, one and the other.

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