How does 'View New Content' work?

[Razasharp]

I remb looking at it yesterday and there was a bunch of new posts, then got distracted and came back and clicked on it again and they all disappeared - I'm quite sure I didn't read them all, hence wondered how it works.

[Wolfie]

New since your last active visit, if I understand it correctly. I actually don't use it myself, so I can only go based on what I have seen said about it before.

[CalendarOfUpdates]

You probably have it set to show new content since last visit. It is a setting at the bottom of this page http://community.invisionpower.com/index.php?app=core&module=usercp

Thread marking is a combo of database and cookies I do believe.

[bfarber]

As has been explained, you can individually opt to use "posts since my last visit" or "posts I have not yet read" from your user control panel.

[Razasharp]

Thanks all.

I like how members can select which method they want - as this is something we are talking about on one of my sites this very minute :thumbsup:

Is it also possible to provide a link to the other one despite what's selected in the userCP? For example say they set it to 'all posts', could I hard code a link in the template to let them see them 'since last visit' too?

Better still why not have an option on the page itself that sets and reloads so they can switch effortlessly between the two? I think it'd be better as it would carry thro the change to the other new elements too. (The link could go on the left hand side in the same row as '(Mark all items as read)') Little usability features like this add up and go a long way.

[A Walk in Faith]

While we're talking about the View New Content option, can I ask a question.

With a template change, can the View New Content option be set to view posts by time? Example:

• View New Content last 24 hours
• View New Content last 48 hours

Is this type of viewing of content possible? Is it as simple as editing a link or would this require a mod?

Thanks,

Jamie

[bfarber]

I'd recommend posting feature suggestions in the appropriate forum - we don't use this forum when we are looking through feedback topics when working on the next version, just as a heads up.

@Razasharp, that would not be possible in the current system, because the search routine itself checks the user selection (not anything in the input url, etc.). That would require changes to the search system itself.

@A Walk In Faith - view new content cannot do that, no, however Active Topics is essentially what you are after. It's not limited to what is considered "new", but IS limited to topics (or any content really) submitted within a specified time frame.

http://community.invisionpower.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=active

You will notice you can change the time period at the bottom right.

[A Walk in Faith]

Great thanks! Another one of those gems I missed. I had seen the View Active link before, but never looked at the bottom and saw where I could change the time.

Two last questions concerning this.

I am assuming that since there is a 24 hours time option that this could somehow be brought down to as little as 4 hours?

View Active Content last 4 hours?


Thanks again! You just helped answered one of my two things I have been looking for since I joined. :)

Jamie

[Razasharp]

Brandon - can you move this thread there please?

[bfarber]

Great thanks! Another one of those gems I missed. I had seen the View Active link before, but never looked at the bottom and saw where I could change the time.

Two last questions concerning this.

I am assuming that since there is a 24 hours time option that this could somehow be brought down to as little as 4 hours?

View Active Content last 4 hours?

Thanks again! You just helped answered one of my two things I have been looking for since I joined. :)

Jamie

Well, it is possible to code such a feature, yes, but it is not possible out of the box. The date periods are hardcoded into the search action controller, so you would need to modify both the skin template and the backend PHP code to do this.

Brandon - can you move this thread there please?

Re active topics - this looks more like what my users would want. Where is the link to it? Also, I asked in another thread and Charles said it's possible via template change, but just to clarify, it _is_ possible to make threads with unread posts in it bold right? So for example on the active topics page the threads with new replies in would be bold, and the ones without, not.

It is possible through template edits, yes.

[A Walk in Faith]

Well, it is possible to code such a feature, yes, but it is not possible out of the box. The date periods are hardcoded into the search action controller, so you would need to modify both the skin template and the backend PHP code to do this.

Thanks a lot for the help! One more question.. which PHP file(s) is this information coded in? Sorry for a simple question, but I am so new at IPB that this type of direction pointing helps.

Jamie

[bfarber]

When I looked, I think you'd only need to modify admin/applications/core/modules_public/search/search.php. There's a switch that handles the "periods" and converting those to time periods.

Then you'd need to edit the skin_search template for active content as well.

[A Walk in Faith]

When I looked, I think you'd only need to modify admin/applications/core/modules_public/search/search.php. There's a switch that handles the "periods" and converting those to time periods.

Then you'd need to edit the skin_search template for active content as well.

Thanks! Now let's see how much trouble I can get into! :)

Jamie

[7art]

I've experienced the same issue Razorsharp is seeing. One of my forums recently switched to invision, and there have been lots of complaints that if you start from a 'view new contents' page, and spend too much time responding to a message, when you click 'back' to get back to your 'view new contents' page, all the new contents are gone, as if this were a new visit.

Our admin has assured us that this is a 'feature', not a bug, and that the workaround is that you have to right click on messages in the 'view new content' pane.

Something, somehow, is updating, and making it look like this is a new visit, when it isn't.

Jamie's suggestion that having it display new content since my last visit which was minimum 4 hours ago would solve the issue. I'd get 3 hour old messages repeated, as if they were new, but that seems less evil than losing new content.

Art

[A Walk in Faith]

Jamie's suggestion that having it display new content since my last visit which was minimum 4 hours ago would solve the issue. I'd get 3 hour old messages repeated, as if they were new, but that seems less evil than losing new content.

I'll tell ya I am trying to get this figured out and if I can I will share what I learn.. I am no coder, I know just enough to be dangerous! If I can't figure it out, I will post in the Mod Request area and would be willing to pay for this Mod.

Setting it to search by the hour would fix a lot things and the View Active topic wouldn't have to be changed. They would just have to calculate it differently. 24hrs for 24 hours 168hrs for 1 week 336hrs for 2 weeks 4368hrs for 6 months and 8736hrs for 1 year.

The basic feel for Active topics would be the same, but the Admin would have more control over the defined times for pulling up "new content".

I have to tell you, it's a feature I have added to my vB site and I used it daily. My member fuss and complain when we upgraded and I hadn't updated the search.php file yet and lost that feature for a few days. They really love it.

I hope I can figure out a way to get it working here. ALL coders are free to PM your help with this! (w00t)

Jamie

[7art]

For me, the fix is for the system to correctly figure out when I have really left the site, so my return is a true 'new visit'. Clicking on a message or composing a response to a message should not constitute having left the site.

Pulling up new posts inthe last 4 hours would solve the issue, though the fundamental bug that is causing the incorrect time stamp for the last visit would still be in there.

Thing is, it didn't used to do this before we updated, and other forums don't do it, so I know there is a better way.

Art

[optrexnz]

As has been explained, you can individually opt to use "posts since my last visit" or "posts I have not yet read" from your user control panel.

I would really really like the admin to be able to set this across the forum. I have too many members missing topics due to the scenario in the first post.

As an aside when the setting "posts I have not yet read" has been selected, if there is an unread post in a forum, all the previous unread posts (that you have actually already viewed in that forum, remain in the search). Its actually a real PITA

[bfarber]

I've experienced the same issue Razorsharp is seeing. One of my forums recently switched to invision, and there have been lots of complaints that if you start from a 'view new contents' page, and spend too much time responding to a message, when you click 'back' to get back to your 'view new contents' page, all the new contents are gone, as if this were a new visit.

This is because you use the option to show content since your last visit. If the admin defines a 15 minute session timeout in the ACP, for instance, and you take longer than 15 minutes to reply to the topic (really, 15 minutes between any 2 clicks), then IPB starts a new session for you. The admin has full control over session timeouts in the ACP, so you need to talk to the site administrator and request that they increase this timeout.

This isn't an issue with IPB correctly tracking when you left the site - IPB is doing what it's configured to do by the admin of the site.

(For the record, opening messages in view new content in a new window won't have any bearing on this functionality, because the same thing will still ultimately happen).

Jamie's suggestion that having it display new content since my last visit which was minimum 4 hours ago would solve the issue. I'd get 3 hour old messages repeated, as if they were new, but that seems less evil than losing new content.

Art

That's not actually what Jamie is looking at. View new content and Active content are two entirely different pages. Jamie is working on active content, which is NOT based on your last visit timestamp at all.

[A Walk in Faith]

Hey Brandon or anyone.. :)

I am looking into changing the Active Search, but can't seem to find where the drop down list is populated from. What template/file is this found in?

You know the drop down with this list:

week 2 weeks month 6 months year

24 hours

Jamie

[Michael R]

Hey Brandon or anyone.. :)

I am looking into changing the Active Search, but can't seem to find where the drop down list is populated from. What template/file is this found in?

You know the drop down with this list:

week 2 weeks month 6 months year

24 hours

Jamie

I am interested in this as well.

[bfarber]

In the activePostsView skin template (in the search skin group) the dropdown is there

<option value='today'<if test="$this->request['period']=='today'"> selected='selected'</if>>{$this->lang->words['actperiod_today']}</option> ...

		<select name='period'>

If you need further help, I'd recommend posting in the peer to peer forums however.

[A Walk in Faith]

I am interested in this as well.

Hey kalel,

Check this mod out. I figured out a simple way to get this done with a couple of edits.

Of course, now Matt tells us he is working on Search, maybe we can petition this to be in the default install of 3.1.x (w00t)

http://community.inv...-active-topics/

Jamie

[T-ric]

Me also. I have users asking for this.

[T-ric]

Hey kalel,

Check this mod out. I figured out a simple way to get this done with a couple of edits.

Of course, now Matt tells us he is working on Search, maybe we can petition this to be in the default install of 3.1.x (w00t)

[url="http://community.invisionpower.com/files/file/3028-wf30-timed-active-topics/"]http://community.inv...-active-topics/[/url]

Jamie

Jamie, this mod appears to be for 2.x not 3.x

[A Walk in Faith]

Jamie, this mod appears to be for 2.x not 3.x

Well I created this mod in 3.0.5, I haven't looked yet to see if it needed to be updated for 3.1, but will be taking a look soon.

Jamie