Simple Machines Community Forum

Hi!

I apologize if I'm posting a question about something that is clearly explained somewhere but a quick search through the forums and documentation didn't find anything useful, so I feel the best option is to just ask :)


I would like to know whether SMF 2 provides an option to show 'forum unread' marker based on presence of actual unread posts within (sub)forum rather than "new posts since last time you visited particular forum"?

I know that SMF 1.1 only had the latter functionality and I had to mod it to support displaying actual unread posts within forums, so I'm wondering if there are any changes in SMF 2? [I see that official forums still using the 1.1 model, but perhaps there's administrative option somewhere?]

Actually, the on2.gif graphic displays an notification for a forum where there are still unread posts. Depending on how your on2.gif is made, it may or may not look like the normal on.gif or the off.gif.

So, to answer your question, I think the current version supports this.

can you clarify your question a bit more? i'm having problems understanding just what you mean :)

Oops, sorry for being unclear.

Say, you go to the forum front page:
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php

Suppose since the last time you were there, new posts were added to the "SMF Feedback and Discussion" forum. You'll see "unread posts" marker icon near that forum:


So you enter that forum:
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=2.0

Do NOT read any posts there, so at least some of them will be showing unread markers:


Go back to the forum index page:
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php

Now "SMF Feedback and Discussion" forum displays that there are no new "unread posts" in it (despite the fact that there are posts inside that you haven't read):



For the purposes of forums that I run such functionality is undesirable (they are low-volume forums [guild forums] and typically members are expected/required to read each new post) -- I'd like a way for forum markers to indicate whether there are any unread messages inside, not whether new messages have been added since last visit to the forum.

With SMF 1.1 I had to mod it to achieve desired functionality. But I'm not looking forward to having to re-implement it with 2.0 so I'm wondering that perhaps it was implemented in 2.0 as an option or something.

Your problem is easily solved. You should have on.gif, on2.gif and off.gif.
This is the image you see at first, when there are new posts, just as you described.
This is what you see when you go to the board, but read only some or none of the new messages, and return to index.
This is what you should see when there are no new posts at all.

So, to remove your problem just copy on.gif to overwrite on2.gif.
That makes the first two look exactly the same, and you only have on / off. :)

Lainaus käyttäjältä: LexArma - huhtikuu 30, 2008, 07:16:43 AP
Your problem is easily solved. You should have on.gif, on2.gif and off.gif.
This is the image you see at first, when there are new posts, just as you described.
This is what you see when you go to the board, but read only some or none of the new messages, and return to index.
This is what you should see when there are no new posts at all.

So, to remove your problem just copy on.gif to overwrite on2.gif.
That makes the first two look exactly the same, and you only have on / off. :)

Erm, it appears that I linked the wrong 'off' icon in the original post by accident, I've amended it.

Anyways, in SMF 1.1 (and as far as I can tell on this board) 'washed out' blue icon indicates that there are sub-forums with "new unread messages". If there are no sub-forums simply visiting the forum turns its icon into off state (even if you don't actually read any posts there):


Is there an option somewhere to turn it into the behaviour you're describing?

Sorry, my mistake.. It really does turn it off... *think* I've never thought of that actually...
And it does seem to do it here as well....

Its not a bug.  THAT indicator isn't to indicate that there are unread posts in the board, simply that there are unread posts since the last time you were in the board.

whether its on or off, though, clicking that icon should bring up the unread posts.

Did I say that is a bug? :)

I know very well that it is an intended functionality of SMF 1.1 (and presumably 2.0). Even if I disagree completely with this being a better way to do things :)

I just want to know whether 2.0 provides some sort of an option to turn board markers into indicators of whether there are unread topics in the board -- regardless of when you visited the board?

not that i know of :)

But then, it is also a theme specific thing really

btw, i don't mean "its not a bug" in an accusatory manner :P  I don't play the "its not a bug, its a feature!" game lol

Lainaus käyttäjältä: metallica48423 - huhtikuu 30, 2008, 01:18:59 IP
But then, it is also a theme specific thing really

Is it?

When I modded 1.1 it definitely wasn't something that was possible to change using theme. It required changes in the internal functionality (what gets saved in the database).

i stand corrected (just took a quick look at it)

Sorry, but I don't know if I'm writing on the right place. Perhaps you could help me.
I have smf 1.1.4 and I think there's a little bug on this forum.
When i click on the "on.gif" image it doesn't show the new posts, but it show a page in wich it says that there aren't unread post, and then a link to show all the unread post!
the link on the on.gif is "http://www.mysite.com/smf/index.php?action=unread;board=4.0"
the link on the page that is comed out when i click on it is "http://www.mysite.com/smf/index.php?action=unread;all;board=4.0"
the difference is the "all;"... if I change something in the BoardIndex.template.php can I solve this?
thanks

I think that could be intentional...

The "Show unread posts since last visit. " link is http://www.mysite.com/smf/index.php?action=unread and contains another link to show ALL unread posts. Not just since the last visit. And this is the same case here. You click the on -icon, it shows you new posts since your last visit to that particular board, and a link to see all unread posts on that board.

Someone wiser can correct me if I'm wrong. :)

Lainaus käyttäjältä: LexArma - toukokuu 02, 2008, 08:44:07 AP
I think that could be intentional...

As far as I know it *is* intentional.

I personally just find it extremely inconvenient (same goes for workaround you suggested) for the boards that I run.

Considering the changes required in the code are rather isolated (at least for 1.1) I'm rather surprised it is not (apparently) being as an option in 2.0. [I'm fairly sure that feature was requested, so it's not for a lack of asking.]

To be fair, I've only ever seen about 5 people asking for it.

Lainaus käyttäjältä: Ben_S - toukokuu 02, 2008, 09:49:29 AP
To be fair, I've only ever seen about 5 people asking for it.

You're probably correct that there wasn't a lot of nagging about it.

I find it weird too :) The feature seems such a natural 'need' for me. I must be using boards differently from the vast majority -- on my modded board I know that I can leave posts unread and then I easily see where they are when I check the index page.

With i.e. it doesn't show any post, even if there are unread ones... (the icon is that one) and with firefox it works perfectly... what's wrong?
thanks.

Lainaus käyttäjältä: Solf - toukokuu 02, 2008, 11:18:18 AP
I find it weird too :) The feature seems such a natural 'need' for me. I must be using boards differently from the vast majority -- on my modded board I know that I can leave posts unread and then I easily see where they are when I check the index page.

I'd find it really anoying, whilst it may be ok for small boards that only get a few posts a day, it would be a pain to have to click mark as read every time you are done reading a board on larger boards. Most people don't read every single topic in a board.

Lainaus käyttäjältä: Ben_S - toukokuu 03, 2008, 12:43:43 IP
I'd find it really anoying, whilst it may be ok for small boards that only get a few posts a day, it would be a pain to have to click mark as read every time you are done reading a board on larger boards. Most people don't read every single topic in a board.

That's why I was talking about option :)

Also, as I mentioned, on the boards that I run people are expected to basically read every post, so your argument doesn't really apply.