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Posted October 18, 201014 yr Hello! I visited Xenforo forums today (had to check the software out) and I saw a really nice feature. When I hold my pointer over the topic title I can preview the post right away. With IPB we need to click preview each time. I just wonder, is this something you would consider for a future version, have it been discussed at all? If not, can someone redirect me to a mod that auto-display preview when you hold your pointer at the topic title (if such mod exist at all)? Thanks in advance!
October 19, 201014 yr There was a fuss that went both ways when the feature was requested. Those who wanted it easily seen and those who valued people viewing the thread...
October 19, 201014 yr There is a paid-for hook that achieved it. $7.50. I hope the feature will be built into v3.2 though.
October 19, 201014 yr Author Yeah true. I forgot to search, there's another thread up and it seems like some in the IPS staff is saying this will be in 3.2 but I guess it's a long time before we get to see 3.2 May I also suggest: 1. To have the option in topic preview to toggle between "last post" and "first post". (this Xenforo don't have, but would be massive!) 2. Option so that the "preview box" dont go away before you pointer is off the box, so that you might change between "last post" and "first post" + scroll if you want to read it all. 3. Option for how many secs you need to point at a title before preview to show / and for preview to "fade out"/close.
October 20, 201014 yr Community Expert I have written a free hook for this for 3.1.3 Obviously it will be an option, right ? The way it is today still will be the default feature ? That kind of thing using hover really sucks!
October 20, 201014 yr Author #1. IPB already have a splendid implementation of that. Making so that a hover-menu would have a button(or something) to toggle between first/last post would be very horrible because I want the preview box to disappear if I move the cursor away from the link(even if I move the cursor to the preview box it should disappear since I'm not hovering the link anymore). This is because the preview box might cover another topic which would make it difficult to "scroll" through topics. #2. Ugh, no thanks. Read #1. #3. Agreed. 1. I don't see why "last post/first post" tabs should be removed. It's already in the current "preview" IPB got... A solution would may be not to have the preview on the actual link, but have an icon instead to the right of the link (like it is now with the preview icon). I think people just want to avoid having to click the preview icon, because then they might as well just click the topic. It doesn't need to display on the link, it could also display when you hover the icon. Problem solved, no topics will be covered. @Adriano Faria: What if the the preview box showed only when you hover the icon, what do you think about that? This will not affect the topic links at all.
October 20, 201014 yr Community Expert @Adriano Faria: What if the the preview box showed only when you hover the icon, what do you think about that? This will not affect the topic links at all. I don't know... for me, it's only a waste of resource; someone will always hover 'by mistake' and this will load another query, etc...
October 20, 201014 yr The automatic topic preview when you hover over the board index was a major PITA in vBulletin and one of the first things I turned off. It's cool if people can turn it on if they like but I can't understand how it's preferable from a usability point of view. Making it easier for people to find content is more important than pushing it on them, IMHO.
October 20, 201014 yr Author OK. So it doesn't take more resources to load a whole topic? What would you prefer: 1. A person who visit topic and leave straight away. 2. A person who hover a preview icon/link but don't visit topic. What causes most resource?
October 20, 201014 yr Community Expert That's not the point! The discuss here is about to use HOVER or not! And clicking a link is better than use HOVER, which can be done by mistake by 100, 200, 300 users online in a forum view! Anyway, IPS should do both ways, SINCE it is setting in ACP for admin choose... OR a hook (disabled by default) as Matt said.
October 20, 201014 yr Author You brought the debate about resources not me. I don't see the issue, if people want to visit a topic they could click the link, I don't think people hold their pointer over the topic link for 3 secs by mistake. Just set the preview to show at 3 secs no issue, people that wanted to visit the topic would not use 1-2 secs or less to click it, no preview will be shown. Alternatively just make the preview show when people hover the icon (I think this is best idea), and not the link. This completely avoid the preview to show up when pointer stand at a topic link, and will only show a preview when you actually go to the icon and hold pointer on icon for the set amount of time in ACP. I think this is the best solution for 4 reasons: 1. People point at the icon because they just want a preview. 2. People who point at icon by mistake, no worries, no action will be made before you "hold" you pointer at the icon for a set amount of time in ACP for example 3 secs. 3. People that don't want preview to show on link, don't need to whine, it wont happen. 4. The preview that pops up from icon will not cover any topic link at all! Now that the resources debate was brought up, can anyone answer my last post above: 1. A person who visit topic and leave straight away. 2. A person who hover a preview icon/link but don't visit topic. What causes most resource? (edited)
October 20, 201014 yr Community Expert Well, your brilliant question doesn't need an answer, right ? Totally unnecessary since that's NOT the point of this discuss. Anyway, IPS is right in do it how it is today and Matt is right again in make it as ADDITIONAL, NOT A DEFAULT feature. IPS should not fall into that trap of have to do everything as is Xenforo. IPS should (and still do) make it better. That's how discuss works: you got your point; I got mine. Move on.
October 20, 201014 yr Author I don't know... for me, it's only a waste of resource; someone will always hover 'by mistake' and this will load another query, etc... I say no more. You brought it up. We totally agree that this should be an option if it's in IPB by default or not, it doesn't matter, as long as it's optional. We agree. Now let's move on :)
October 20, 201014 yr I love this feature as an option. I see both up sides and down sides to this. Actually, that can be said of most features, really. That's the absolute genius of the hook system. On a busy board with tons of posts, the hover can really help a user to sort through quickly. On a not so busy board, sorting too quickly can be a bad thing. On a side note, the hover feature is fairly ubiquitous, it's hardly a xenforo innovation. :whistle:
October 20, 201014 yr Author I have written a free hook for this for 3.1.3 Is it possible for you to make this work on the icon too? (option between icon and the link)
October 20, 201014 yr I am going to definitely implement the hover feature once it's available, thanks for providing it.
October 20, 201014 yr I'll add my voice to the chorus of those who prefer a hover on title over the current icon system.
October 21, 201014 yr I'll add my voice to the chorus of those who prefer the current system over the hover over title system. At least have an off setting or an easy way to remove it if changed.
October 21, 201014 yr Author The current system is OK but it would be awesome if you just pointed and hold on the icon instead of having to click the preview icon. Same resources are used whether you click on it or hover on it I guess. It's really just a matter of avoiding that single click.
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