Multi Quote for SMF 2.1

[Neo_TE]

Hi,

So I was browsing a test installation of SMF 2.1 and to my surprise there was no "multi-quote" feature. IMHO "muti-quote" feature should be included in SMF 2.1. Thanks.



PS: I searched for similar threads but couldn't find any threads asking for "multi-quote" feature in SMF 2.1, so kindly excuse me if this feature request is already accepted.

[Suki]

There are a few topics asking for this. I don't think this should be a default feature and currently there is no plans to add it either.

[shadow82x]

It's not the multi-quote functionality you were probably looking for... but on the reply page, you can easily insert multiple quotes from the topic by clicking "Insert Quote" from the Topic Summary.

[Neo_TE]

There are a few topics asking for this. I don't think this should be a default feature and currently there is no plans to add it either.

This is one of the most basic features which all other boards have by default and I (and lots of others as you have mentioned) miss too much. Could you please talk to the development team again to consider including this as a default feature. Thanks.

It's not the multi-quote functionality you were probably looking for... but on the reply page, you can easily insert multiple quotes from the topic by clicking "Insert Quote" from the Topic Summary.

Yes, thanks for the info. but it would be great to have multiquote on the post page itself, something like this mod in this link, http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2360.

[shadow82x]

Yes, thanks for the info. but it would be great to have multiquote on the post page itself, something like this mod in this link, http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=2360.

Yes, I do know what you were referring to. And honestly I wouldn't mind seeing it a default feature either. It's a hassle trying to copy, edit, and quote posts from other topics. Sadly it seems like a bigger implementation so I wouldn't expect to see it anytime soon with 2.1 approaching.

[Suki]

There are a few topics asking for this. I don't think this should be a default feature and currently there is no plans to add it either.

This is one of the most basic features which all other boards have by default and I (and lots of others as you have mentioned) miss too much. Could you please talk to the development team again to consider including this as a default feature. Thanks.

Since when "a few others" suddenly becomes "lots of others"? I don't see anyone else replying on this topic asking for such feature either.

The development team consists on 2 persons, neither of them have any interest of including this as a default feature. We have other priorities right now, however, anyone is free to contribute to 2.1's code.

[Irisado]

This is one of the most basic features which all other boards have by default and I (and lots of others as you have mentioned) miss too much. Could you please talk to the development team again to consider including this as a default feature. Thanks.

Having just checked on a non-SMF forum of which I am a member, it doesn't have this feature, so it's not the case that all other forums have this feature by default.

I like the insert quote system myself.  I find it easier to use than multi-quote.

[Neo_TE]

Since when "a few others" suddenly becomes "lots of others"? I don't see anyone else replying on this topic asking for such feature either.

The development team consists on 2 persons, neither of them have any interest of including this as a default feature. We have other priorities right now, however, anyone is free to contribute to 2.1's code.

Having just checked on a non-SMF forum of which I am a member, it doesn't have this feature, so it's not the case that all other forums have this feature by default.

I like the insert quote system myself.  I find it easier to use than multi-quote.

Thanks for the replies.

[ChatCap]

This feature is actually quite handy. If replies to posts aren't in order then this can help you follow the conversation.
I have seen it on other forums and it can be quite handy.

First post

[Kindred]

sure... it can be handy... but the number or requests for it do not indicate that it is in high demand.None of the forums that I am on (in a variety of systems) have it as a feature -- which disproves the statement that it is "one of the most basic features which all other boards have by default"

[Arantor]

It's funny then that XenForo has introduced this as a major feature in 1.3 (and done *extremely* well), IPB has it as default, fairly sure vB does. Can't vouch off hand for phpBB or MyBB.

Is it something 'all other systems' have? No. But a decent proportion of them do and the UI is far better in most of them than what we currently have for multiple quoting.

[Kindred]

unless it's new, the vB systems I am a user on do not have it.

[Arantor]

vB 3 had it. I find it amusing that vB might have removed it for 4 or 5, though it can be turned off.

[Kindred]

maybe they ahe it turned off...   it's possible... (and if we had it, I would certainly turn it off)

[Arantor]

Why? It's a good feature.

[Antes]

Why? It's a good feature.

Its a very good feature but I agree with Kindred, it may not have general usage , tbh I personally love using that feature (Even i find bit weird on XF).

[Irisado]

vB 3 had it. I find it amusing that vB might have removed it for 4 or 5, though it can be turned off.

Multi Quote is available on a site I frequent which uses vB4, so it's definitely still available for vB4.  I don't know about vB5 though.

[青山 素子]

I actually don't understand why multi-quote is such a demand. The insert quote feature in SMF does this quite handily. The way vB implements it makes it impossible to add quotes after the fact, while with SMF currently I can add a second post quote even if I didn't intend to have it when I started replying.

The whole "multi quote" thing seems to have mostly been developed for the tree view to track what posts are being replied to so the topic can be correctly inserted in the tree.

[Arantor]

Actually, there are three specific problems with the current implementation.

Firstly, after each quote, you have to scroll back to where it was to find it. This can be rather frustrating.

Secondly, 2.0 still ships with 'quick reply on but collapsed' as a default, meaning that the quote button by default out of the box takes you to the full reply page, unless admins change the default. 2.1 has addressed this part, however.

Thirdly, if you're coming into quoting a conversation over a page boundary and want to quote the last message of the previous page and the first message of the next page, you cannot do so without going to the full reply page and quoting from there, not that most people realise you can do that.


Additionally, you really should check out what XenForo does with multi-quote. It's very slick and easy to use.

[live627]

Thirdly, if you're coming into quoting a conversation over a page boundary and want to quote the last message of the previous page and the first message of the next page, you cannot do so without going to the full reply page and quoting from there, not that most people realise you can do that.

Which Multi-quote will fix. Same for cross-topic quotes.

Additionally, you really should check out what XenForo does with multi-quote. It's very slick and easy to use.

That requires shelling out ~$140 for a license.

[Arantor]

Or, actually, just watching the promo video on their site or using the main xenforo.com site Or asking me nicely seeing how I have a licence (I have a licence for IPB, vB and XenForo)

And, that's exactly my point. Multi-quote fixes the page crossover as well as cross-topic posts, which can't be done in the current approach without a lot of faff.

[Steve]

You're right, Arantor ... that's definitely the slickest multi-quote system I've seen. Awesome!

[FrizzleFried]

That multiquote system IS awesome...

...but since I am guessing that my upgrade path to 2.1 is obscured with the tons of mods I have running on 2.0.7.... well...

There you go.

[Arantor]

Would you believe there are people that have publicly called me narrow minded and claim I refuse to look beyond my own ideas?

[AllanD]

Additionally, you really should check out what XenForo does with multi-quote. It's very slick and easy to use.

You are correct about this, it is a very easy use. Having something like this for SMF would be great.

[Oldiesmann]

I'm not at all against adding this to 2.1. I am a member of several forums that have this, but I've never used it (I don't find myself quoting multiple posts all that often though). If someone wants to work on adding it, it's something we can consider. I imagine it wouldn't be that difficult to do with jQuery, though remembering which posts you want to quote across pages might be tricky.

[KensonPlays]

It's not the multi-quote functionality you were probably looking for... but on the reply page, you can easily insert multiple quotes from the topic by clicking "Insert Quote" from the Topic Summary.

What if you wanted to quote other threads too, not just the one you're viewing?

[Arantor]

-sigh- I see you still haven't learned to read more than a couple of posts up the thread or anything.

[zappaDPJ]

sure... it can be handy... but the number or requests for it do not indicate that it is in high demand.None of the forums that I am on (in a variety of systems) have it as a feature -- which disproves the statement that it is "one of the most basic features which all other boards have by default"

Here's another request to implement multi-quote. My experience is diametrically opposed to yours, virtually all the forums I am a member of have it as a feature and it is used extensively.

[Arantor]

(And again you'll notice the lead developer says he is not opposed to doing it, but the general sentiment is 'who is going to spend the time doing it'... there are only a few volunteers working on core dev, in their spare time, and the list could just go on and on and on and on...)

[zappaDPJ]

(And again you'll notice the lead developer says he is not opposed to doing it, but the general sentiment is 'who is going to spend the time doing it'... there are only a few volunteers working on core dev, in their spare time, and the list could just go on and on and on and on...)

I fully appreciate that SMF is a free to use product maintained by volunteers. I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm just trying to draw attention to areas that I feel would enhance SMF and bring it a little more in line with some of the competition, free or otherwise. I understand that there are constraints, I just find it a disappointing when one of those constraints appears to be based on the personal preferences of team members.

I should perhaps also say that some of the suggestions I've already made or bumped I've done so because I've been asked elsewhere to do just that by current team members. My forums provide my income, I'm also admin to some large and fairly influential forums so I like to think I have a reasonable grasp of what forum owners are currently looking for. I run a number of mid sized (1,000,000 post approx.) forums on SMF and I'd like those forums to remain on SMF but the software needs to evolve a little for me to do that, hence these suggestions

[Arantor]

I understand your disappointment but there really does need to be a sense of pragmatism; when there is a chronic shortage of dev time available, what gets worked on is really what the dev team is able to work on given time, motivation, energy etc.

The constraints are more serious than most people realise.

However I would also note that your concern is only too well understood. Probably better than you realise. There's a reason my badge is grey and not dev-team-orange...

[Oldiesmann]

The problem isn't that we don't think it's useful - it's that we currently don't have the resources necessary to implement this. I'm working 43 hours a week and am already spending most of my free time on SMF (I haven't properly kept up with my own forum in a few years now).