SSI to show the most popular topic from a specified board ?

[myaicons]

is it possible to have an SSI to show the most popular topic from a specified board?

either based on posts or views...

... i know there is the Top Topics SSI

Top Topics by View Function: <?php ssi_topTopicsViews(); ?>
which lists the links to the topics

but instead... something that shows the whole message... not just the message link...


thanks in advance! 


P.S. and a random topic from a specific board?

[myaicons]

so... is this question too easy to spend time answering? or too hard to answer?   

[jamesk]

Is it possible -- yes.  With the default SSI.php -- I don't think so.

Is it easy or hard?  Depends on who you ask... 

I haven't tried and/or verified but...
If you're not a MySQL person, the easy way is to use the existing ssi_topTopics() to get the $topics['id'] and once you have the topic IDs, you can retrieve the message body by following this thread (bottom half):

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=214231.msg1377171#msg1377171

If you ARE a MySQL and/or database person, then you can write a query from scratch...

[myaicons]

<br />Is it possible -- yes.  With the default SSI.php -- I don't think so.  Is it easy or hard?  Depends on who you ask...

ahhh... a brave one ! yay... so am i asking the right person? lol

nope... not a database person...
i prefer the easy route of modifying the ssi call...

i wouldnt imagine it wouldnt be too far from the ssi_topTopics()

[spottedhog]

I will take a stab at it....

This will require you to make 2 changes in the SSI.php file, however, it should not change any part of the original output of SSI.php functions. 

What you are wanting is for the ssi_topTopics(); function to add a request in the database query for the body field from the messages table.

In the original 1.1.4 SSI.php file, in the ssi_topTopics(); function,
find around line 536:

Code Select Expand

SELECT m.subject, m.ID_TOPIC, t.numViews, t.numReplies
replace with:

Code Select Expand

SELECT m.subject, m.ID_TOPIC, t.numViews, t.numReplies, m.body

OK... the body field should be available to get the data.  Now we need to put it in the $topics variable....

Around line 551 find:

Code Select Expand

'id' => $row['ID_TOPIC'],
replace with:

Code Select Expand


'id' => $row['ID_TOPIC'],
'body' => $row['body'],


Now you should be able to use $output_method = 'array' and call the body field.

[myaicons]

sounds like that would make sense... 

but i guess i didnt clarify from my previous post that i want the body from the top topics by view or by reply

<?php ssi_topTopicsViews(); ?>

or

<?php ssi_topTopicsReplies(); ?>


would it work the same way if i added your code to those functions?


the ssi would look like this:  ??

<?php ssi_topTopicsReplies($num_recent = 1, $exclude_boards = array(1,2,3), $output_method = 'm.body' ); ?>

(if i exluded a few boards)

[spottedhog]

please reread my post above....  you did not understand it very well....

To help you out a little....  there are only 2 ways to output....  by 'array' or by 'echo'

[myaicons]

actually... its because i literally do not  understand it... 

im very new and still learning to php and all this coding...


(im on chapter 2 of teach yourself php in 10 mins) lol

[spottedhog]

Here is a sample using the output method 'array' :

Code Select Expand

$array = ssi_boardNews($board = $newsboard, $limit = 5, $start = null, $length = 500, $output_method = 'array');

     

if (empty($array))

   echo _NOTOPICSPOSTED;



foreach ($array as $news)

{

echo '

<div style="width:100%" class="option">

        ', $news['icon'], '&nbsp;<strong>', $news['subject'], '</strong><br />

<span style="font-size:x-small">Posted On:&nbsp;&nbsp;', $news['time'], '</span><br />

<span class="option">', $news['body'],' <a href="', $news['href'], '">', _READMORE ,'</a></span></div><br />

<span style="font-size:smaller">', $news['link'], $news['locked'] ? '' : ' | ' . $news['comment_link'], ' |

<a href="forum/index.php?action=post;board=', $newsboard ,'">', _POSTNEWSARTICLE ,'</a></span><br /><br />';



if (!$news['is_last'])

echo '<hr style="width:50%;text-align:left; margin: 0 auto 0 auto" /><br />';



}

[myaicons]

yikes... completely lost now...


<?php ssi_topTopicsReplies($output_method= 'array'); ?>

[spottedhog]

yes....  then you can make something similar to the example I posted.  You will need to see what fields are available in the ssi_toptopics...

[myaicons]

i keep getting a database error 

[spottedhog]

keep testing.....

and when you post a reply, please copy/paste the error here.

[myaicons]

this is the error i get everytime:

Database Error
Please try again. If you come back to this error screen, report the error to an administrator. 

[spottedhog]

do you have:

require_once("path_to/SSI.php");

at the top of your page?

and if so, is the path correct?

[myaicons]

yup...
that i know i have right

<?php require('./forum/SSI.php'); ?>

its the rest that is not quite right i think

[spottedhog]

hmmmm....  can you post your page code here?

also, is your ssi function inside the <?  ?>   

[myaicons]

Code Select Expand



<?php

$array = ssi_topTopicsReplies($output_method = 'array');

     

if (empty($array))

   echo _NOTOPICSPOSTED;



foreach ($array as $topics)

{

echo '

<div style="width:100%" class="option">

        ', $topics['icon'], '&nbsp;<strong>', $topic['subject'], '</strong><br />

<span style="font-size:x-small">Posted On:&nbsp;&nbsp;',$topic['time'], '</span><br />

<span class="option">', $topic['body'],' <a href="', $topic['href'], '">', _READMORE ,'</a></span></div><br />

<span style="font-size:smaller">', $topics['link'], $topic['locked'] ? '' : ' | ' . $topic['comment_link'], ' | 


if (!$topic['is_last'])

echo '<hr style="width:50%;text-align:left; margin: 0 auto 0 auto" /><br />';



} ?>




[spottedhog]

you need to put this line immediately after <?php

Code Select Expand

require_once("path_to/SSI.php");

replace "path_to" with the actual path to your SSI.php file.

[myaicons]

i actually have this right above it


<?php require('./forum/SSI.php'); ?>

[spottedhog]

try this:

Code Select Expand


<?php
require('./forum/SSI.php');
$array = ssi_topTopicsReplies($output_method = 'array');

if (empty($array))

   echo 'No topic posted';

foreach ($array as $topics)

{
echo '

<div style="width:100%" class="option">

        ', $topics['icon'], '&nbsp;<strong>', $topics['subject'], '</strong><br />


<span style="font-size:x-small">Posted On:&nbsp;&nbsp;',$topics['time'], '</span><br />
<span class="option">', $topics['body'],' <a href="', $topics['href'], '">Read more...</a></span></div><br />


<span style="font-size:smaller">', $topics['link'], $topics['locked'] ? '' : ' | ' . $topics['comment_link'], ' | 


if (!$topics['is_last'])

echo '<hr style="width:50%;text-align:left; margin: 0 auto 0 auto" /><br />;

} ?>

and save it as a php file extention page, for example:  text.php

---you had some variables named $topic instead of $topics

[myaicons]

i got this error now:

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Parse error: parse error, unexpected T_STRING, expecting ',' or ';' in /home/content/html/toptopicpost.php on line 27

line 27:

Code Select Expand

if (!$topics['is_last'])

[spottedhog]

I guess I did not look at your code closely enough... sorry.

You need to replace this line:

Code Select Expand

<span style="font-size:smaller">', $topics['link'], $topics['locked'] ? '' : ' | ' . $topics['comment_link'], ' |

with maybe this:

Code Select Expand

<span style="font-size:smaller">', $topics['link'], $topics['locked'] ? '' : ' | ' . $topics['comment_link'], ' </span>';

[myaicons]

um... now this:

Code Select Expand


Parse error: parse error, unexpected $ in /home/content/html/toptopicpost.php on line 31


[spottedhog]

Can you please copy/paste the file here?

thanks

[myaicons]

Code Select Expand




<?php
require('./sforum/SSI.php');
$array = ssi_topTopicsReplies($output_method = 'array');

if (empty($array))

   echo 'No topic posted';

foreach ($array as $topics)

{
echo '

<div style="width:100%" class="option">

        ', $topics['icon'], '&nbsp;<strong>', $topics['subject'], '</strong><br />


<span style="font-size:x-small">Posted On:&nbsp;&nbsp;',$topics['time'], '</span><br />
<span class="option">', $topics['body'],' <a href="', $topics['href'], '">Read more...</a></span></div><br />


<span style="font-size:smaller">', $topics['link'], $topics['locked'] ? '' : ' | ' . $topics['comment_link'], ' </span>';


if (!$topics['is_last'])

echo '<hr style="width:50%;text-align:left; margin: 0 auto 0 auto" /><br />;

} ?>



i appreciate all the help 

[spottedhog]

see if this works:

Code Select Expand

<?php
require('./sforum/SSI.php');
$array = ssi_topTopicsReplies($output_method = 'array');
if (empty($array))
   echo 'No topic posted';
   echo '
<table class="ssi_table">';
foreach ($array as $topics)
echo '
<tr>
<td align="left">
', $topics['link'], '
</td>
<td>', $topics['body'], '</td>
</tr>';
echo '
</table>';

?>

[myaicons]

that just gave me another :

Database Error
Please try again. If you come back to this error screen, report the error to an administrator


i think the previous code was more on the right track

[spottedhog]

Firstly, let's get one that is working, then modify it from there.  I looked over the SSI.php file, and the $num_topics variable was left out before.

Try this one:

Code Select Expand

<?php
require('./sforum/SSI.php');
$array = ssi_topTopicsReplies($num_topics = 10, $output_method = 'array');
if (empty($array))
   echo 'No topic posted';
   echo '
<table class="ssi_table">';
foreach ($array as $topics)
echo '
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="top">
', $topics['link'], '
</td>
<td valign="top">', $topics['body'], '</td>
</tr>';
echo '
</table>';

?>
It works for my local install.

I just added the valign so both lines would start at the top of the table cell.

[myaicons]

woo hoo!

that did it!!!

but i tried to add

Code Select Expand

$exclude_boards = array(1,2,3,4,5)

to exclude some boards from the results but that didnt work

[spottedhog]

In the SSI.php file, around line 542 find:

Code Select Expand

AND b.ID_BOARD != $modSettings[recycle_board]" : '') . "

replace with:

Code Select Expand

AND b.ID_BOARD != $modSettings[recycle_board]" : ''
AND ID_BOARD != array(1,2,3,4,5)) . "

Try that....  I have not tested it, but it may work.

[myaicons]

nope... that didnt do anything...

i also tried modifying the actual ssi call (just in case i want to repeat it with different boards) but that didnt work for me either

Code Select Expand

<?php
require('./sforum/SSI.php');
$array = ssi_topTopicsReplies($num_topics = 1, $output_method = 'array', $exclude_boards = array(1,2,3,4,5,6));
if (empty($array))
   echo 'No topic posted';
   echo '
<table class="ssi_table">';
foreach ($array as $topics)
echo '
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="top">
', $topics['link'], '
<br>
<br>', $topics['body'], '</td>
</tr>';
echo '
</table>';

?>

either through exclusion or inclusion of boards?  whichever works....


secondly, the icon, date, poster, and comments wont work for it either.... im trying to make it look as close to the board news output as much as possible 

$topics['icon'], $topics['comment_link'], etc...

[spottedhog]

Ok... now you are asking more than that ssi function does.

If you are wanting these kinds of outputs, you will probably need to create your own MySQL query and write the outputs from that, thus bypassing SSI.php functions.

secondly, the icon, date, poster, and comments wont work for it either.... im trying to make it look as close to the board news output as much as possible

$topics['icon'], $topics['comment_link'], etc...

Those do not work because that ssi function does not "draw out" those variables or database inputs.

Determine what you are fully wanting, then create the query that will supply the needed variables.

[myaicons]

that is what i feared 

i guess those are not necessary... but thanks for all the help! 

...all except for the specified board(s) to pull the popular topic from...
would be nice to have...

[spottedhog]

don't fear it....  try things....

I would highly recommend downloading this software below.  You can make your own computer a webserver and test out code.  If you have Windoz, you can make a USB thumb drive a webserver, and then test out your code.

http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html

Personally, I have Kubuntu Linux installed on my dual-boot laptop, so I am able to start up my local webserver from the hard drive and test out all things related to html, php, and mysql.

All that you need to know to make the query you want is contained inside that SSI.php file.  It is just a matter of determining what you want, create the MySQL query for it, and then putting your output into an array.  I know it sounds a bit hard, but I know all you need to know for working examples are in the SSI.php file.

If/when you can write your own query and display the results, you then have a great working knowledge of SMF and other php/mysql applications.

Maybe someone will volunteer to write it for you....  who knows.

[myaicons]

thanks!

im slowly getting there lol