EXT: WEC Discussion Forum¶

Table of Contents¶

`Introduction <#1.Introduction|outline>`_ `3 <#1.Introduction|outline>`_

`About This Extension <#1.1.About%20This%20Extension|outline>`_ `3 <#1.1.About%20This%20Extension|outline>`_

What is the Web-Empowered Church? 3

`Features <#1.2.Features|outline>`_ `3 <#1.2.Features|outline>`_

Why Use This Extension? 4

`How to Use this Manual <#1.3.How%20to%20Use%20this%20Manual|outline>`_ `5 <#1.3.How%20to%20Use%20this%20Manual|outline>`_

`Screenshots <#1.4.Screenshots|outline>`_ `6 <#1.4.Screenshots|outline>`_

`Installation <#2.Installation|outline>`_ `8 <#2.Installation|outline>`_

`Install the Extension <#2.1.Install%20the%20Extension|outline>`_ `8 <#2.1.Install%20the%20Extension|outline>`_

`Create a Discussion Forum Page <#2.2.Create%20a%20Discussion%20Forum%20Page|outline>`_ `8 <#2.2.Create%20a%20Discussion%20Forum%20Page|outline>`_

`Create a Storage Folder <#2.3.Create%20a%20Storage%20Folder|outline>`_ `9 <#2.3.Create%20a%20Storage%20Folder|outline>`_

`Add the Discussion Forum Plugin <#2.4.Add%20the%20Discussion%20Forum%20Plugin|outline>`_ `9 <#2.4.Add%20the%20Discussion%20Forum%20Plugin|outline>`_

`Create an Extension Template Record <#2.5.Create%20an%20Extension%20Template%20Record|outline>`_ `9 <#2.5.Create%20an%20Extension%20Template%20Record|outline>`_

`Install the Static Template <#2.6.Install%20the%20Static%20Template|outline>`_ `9 <#2.6.Install%20the%20Static%20Template|outline>`_

`Set the Startingpoint <#2.7.Set%20the%20Startingpoint%20|outline>`_ `9 <#2.7.Set%20the%20Startingpoint%20|outline>`_

`Configuration <#4.Configuration|outline>`_ `11 <#4.Configuration|outline>`_

`Configuring the Plugin <#4.1.Configuring%20the%20Plugin|outline>`_ `11 <#4.1.Configuring%20the%20Plugin|outline>`_

Main Tab 12

Options Tab 13

Options: Discussion Type 13

Options: Blog Type 15

Options: Comments Type 16

Options: Custom Type 17

Options: Preview Type 18

Options: RSS Feed Type 18

Options: Archive Type 19

Control Tab 19

Spam Tab 21

Fields Tab 22

Administrator Tab 23

Text Tab 24

`F.A.Q. <#4.3.F.A.Q.|outline>`_ `25 <#4.3.F.A.Q.|outline>`_

`TypoScript Configuration <#5.TypoScript%20Configuration|outline>`_ `26 <#5.TypoScript%20Configuration|outline>`_

`Editing TypoScript <#5.1.Editing%20TypoScript|outline>`_ `26 <#5.1.Editing%20TypoScript|outline>`_

`TypoScript Constants Reference <#5.2.TypoScript%20Constants%20Reference|outline>`_ `26 <#5.2.TypoScript%20Constants%20Reference|outline>`_

`Change The Look <#6.Change%20The%20Look|outline>`_ `27 <#6.Change%20The%20Look|outline>`_

`Create the Look <#6.1.Create%20the%20Look%20|outline>`_ `27 <#6.1.Create%20the%20Look%20|outline>`_

`Modifying the Template File <#6.2.Modifying%20the%20Template%20File|outline>`_ `28 <#6.2.Modifying%20the%20Template%20File|outline>`_

`Advanced <#7.Advanced|outline>`_ `31 <#7.Advanced|outline>`_

`Using Version 2.0 Templates <#7.1.Using%20Version%202.0%20Templates|outline>`_ `31 <#7.1.Using%20Version%202.0%20Templates|outline>`_

Changes 31

Upgrading an Old Custom Template 31

Using the New Template System 31

Creating a Custom Template 32

`Administrator/Moderator Functions <#7.2.Administrator/Moderator%20Functions|outline>`_ `32 <#7.2.Administrator/Moderator%20Functions|outline>`_

Delete a message 32

Edit a message 32

Process moderated messages 32

`Spam Control <#7.3.Spam%20Control|outline>`_ `32 <#7.3.Spam%20Control|outline>`_

HTML Tags Allowed 32

Image Captcha 33

Text Captcha 33

Links Allowed 33

Word Filter 33

Login Only 33

Additional Methods 33

`RSS Support <#7.4.RSS%20Support|outline>`_ `34 <#7.4.RSS%20Support|outline>`_

Setup RSS Discussion Forum 34

Set Flexform Constants 35

Set Extension Template Constants 35

Add a Link to Your Page 36

Advanced Customizations 37

`Single View <#7.5.Single%20View|outline>`_ `37 <#7.5.Single%20View|outline>`_

`Archive Support <#7.6.Archive%20Support|outline>`_ `37 <#7.6.Archive%20Support|outline>`_

Separate Archive Display 38

`Frontend RTE Support <#7.7.Frontend%20RTE%20Support|outline>`_ `38 <#7.7.Frontend%20RTE%20Support|outline>`_

`Toggle Hiding/Showing Items <#7.8.Toggle%20Hiding/Showing%20Items|outline>`_ `38 <#7.8.Toggle%20Hiding/Showing%20Items|outline>`_

`Convert TimTab Blog to Discussion Forum <#7.9.Convert%20TimTab%20Blog%20to%20Discussion%20Forum|outline>`_ `39 <#7.9.Convert%20TimTab%20Blog%20to%20Discussion%20Forum|outline>`_

`Adding Hooks <#7.10.Adding%20Hooks|outline>`_ `40 <#7.10.Adding%20Hooks|outline>`_

1) Marker Array hook 40

2) Marker Array TypoScript hook 40

`Multi-language <#7.11.Multi-language|outline>`_ `40 <#7.11.Multi- language|outline>`_

`Administration <#8.Administration|outline>`_ `42 <#8.Administration|outline>`_

`Known problems <#8.1.Known%20problems|outline>`_ `42 <#8.1.Known%20problems|outline>`_

`To-Do list <#8.2.To-Do%20list|outline>`_ `42 <#8.2.To- Do%20list|outline>`_

`Changelog <#8.3.Changelog|outline>`_ `42 <#8.3.Changelog|outline>`_

About This Extension¶

T

Features¶

The features of this Discussion extension include:

• Easily customize colors, layout, and look.
• Rich Text Editor (RTE) to add posts.
• Support users to subscribe and receive new posts by email.

Filter messages for bad/obscene/spam words.

• Moderate the messages (optional).
• Support RSS feed so users can subscribe to the discussion.
• Spam protection of comments and posts by Image Captcha, Text Captcha, links removed, HTML tags, etc.
• The ability to hide an entry and comment form until a specified date/time.
• Search discussion messages.
• Preview/teaser of last #N messages posted. You can add this to any Typo3 page.
• Archive by month.
• Actionbar (top), sidebar, or both supported.

How to Use this Manual¶

✔ To help make sense of the material on the following pages, we’ve used a few icons in the margin to highlight certain information.

T |img-1| ip : Tips are bits of information that are good to know. They may offer shortcuts to save you time or even make your website better.

N |img-2| ote : These notes are similar to tips, but usually contain information you should pay attention to. It might be details about a step that a whole operation hinges on or it may highlight an essential sequence of tasks.

C |img-3| aution : These notes draw your attention to things that can interrupt your service or website if not done correctly. Some actions can be difficult to undo.

T |img-4| echnical Stuff : These notes will explain how stuff works. If you want to know why certain steps are necessary or are just looking for a fuller explanation, these notes should help answer your questions.

I |img-5| nternet Link : These links will guide you to a website page that will demonstrate How-To do something or link you to more advanced information on the :underline:``http://webempoweredchurch.org <http://webempoweredchurch.org/>`_` or :underline:``http://typo3.org <http://typo3.org/>`_` websites.

Screenshots¶

Illustration 1: The Discussion Forum with Sidebar Option (Menu On Right)

Illustration 2: The Discussion Forum with Actionbar Option (Menu On Top)

I |img-7| llustration 3: The Discussion Forum's Preview Mode

Install the Extension¶

Install the wec_discussion extension usingthe Extension Manager Module. You can get the extension file by clicking on the “Import extensions” in the Menu dropdown list, and then either do a Lookup for wec_discussion or click on Retrieve/Update to look for it in the whole list of extensions. If you have the most current WEC Starter Package, the wec_discussion extension is already installed.

Internet Link |img-5| : For details on how to install an extension, refer to the How-To at `http://webempoweredchurch.org/suppo rt/help/tutorial/import_and_install_an_extension/ <http://webempow eredchurch.org/support/help/tutorial/import_and_install_an_extension/> `_ .

When you install the wec_discussion extension, you will be given the option for: Forum Label in List-Module [label]

Which field is displayed in the title column in the web/list module. Can be subject, name(person who posted), post_datetime. The default is subject.

Alternative Label [label_alt]

Defines which field is displayed in the title column in lists if the field is empty, that is configured as label. If no alternative label is defined and the label field is empty the text [No title] will be shown. Default is none.

You can change these at anytime by going back to the Ext Manager->Install Extensions and select the “WEC Discussion Forum”. After you update, you may have to clear the cache.

Create a Discussion Forum Page¶

For most installations, you will want to create a new page dedicated to your new Discussion Forum. However, if you will be adding the Discussion Forum to an existing page, you may skip this step.

In order for the Discussion Forum to appear on your website, you must install its plugin on a page that is accessible by Frontend users. The location of the page in your page tree is entirely up to you, depending on your need.

Internet Link: Fo r instructions on how to create a new page, see the How-To at http://webempoweredchurch.org/support/help/tu torial/add_a_new_page/ .

Tip |img-1| : On many websites, particularly those created using the WEC Starter Package, any added pages will be immediately visible within the website's navigation links. To prevent this while you are working on your newly created page, ensure the page is “hidden” until you are ready for it to be displayed. For instructions on how to hide a page, see the How-To at http://webempoweredchurch.org/support/help /tutorial/hide_a_page_or_remove_a_page_from_the_menu/ .

Create a Storage Folder¶

Next, create a new Storage Folder to store the Discussion Forum records. We recommend placing the new storage folder as a subpage (“page inside”) of your Discussion Forum page.

Internet Link: See the How-To at http://webempoweredchurch.org/s upport/help/tutorial/create_a_system_folder/ c om/support/howtos/ single/create_a_system_folder for instruction on how to create a Discussion Forum Storage Folder.

N |img-2| ote: The Discussion extension can be configured so that the extension's records are stored in the global Storage Folder. However, for convenience sake, we recommend creating a new storage folder to keep your Discussion Forum records in one place.

Add the Discussion Forum Plugin¶

To enable the Discussion Forum extension, you must install its plugin on an existing page. If you have created a Discussion Forum page in the steps above, then select it from the page tree for the following step. If you are adding the Discussion Forum to another existing page, then select it from the page tree.

Interne |img-5| t Link: For step-by-step instructions on how to install a plugin, see the How-To at http://webempoweredchurch.org/support/help/tutorial/add_a_plugin/ .

Create an Extension Template Record¶

In general we recommend installing an extension template record to the Discussion Forum page. This extension template will store the Template constants.

Internet Link: T o install an extension template record, see the How-To at: http://webempoweredchurch.org/support/help/tutoria l/add_an_extension_template_record/

Install the Static Template¶

The static template contains the information used by the web browser to display the Discussion Forum. The Discussion Forum static template can be installed in your site's main Template Record. The name of the Static Templates required by the Discussion Forum extension is *WEC Discussion Forum template.* If you are setting up an RSS feed on the page then you must also add the *WEC Discussion RSS 2.0 Feed* template.

I |img-5| nternet Link: Instructions for adding the Static Templates can be found in the How-To at http://webempoweredchurch.org /support/help/tutorial/add_a_static_template/ .

Set the Startingpoint¶

By

Illustration 5: Setting the Startingpoint

setting the Startingpoint, you are telling TYPO3 where it should create, store, and look for your discussion or blog records. Begin, by accessing the WEC Discussion's Flexform (the plugin's configuration form – see Step 4 above). See Illustration 5: set the Startingpoint by clicking on the file icon ( 1 ) and select the storage folder you created in Step 3.Then save the Flexform.

Internet Link: T o access and edit the plugin's Flexform, see the How-To at http://webempoweredchurch.org/support/help/tutorial /edit_a_plugins_flexform/

Illustration 6: Basic Discussion Forum Screenshot

When you have completed these seven steps, your Discussion Forum will be ready to run. If you have hidden the page (see Tip for Step 2), you will need to unhide it. Then open the page in your Frontend to see your work. It should look similar to the image in Illustration 6.

The rest of this manual will walk you through the many options that are available for the WEC Discussion extension. Many of these options change the way the Discussion looks in the Frontend; others change the way the extension behaves.

Configuring the Plugin¶

The plugin's Flexform contains the most common and requested configuration options. The Plugin Options section of the Flexform contains seven tabs, each containing related options. Each of these options is explained in detail below.

Interne |img-5| t Link: To access and edit the plugin's Flexform, see the How-To at http://webempoweredchurch.org/support/help/tutorial /edit_a_plugins_flexform/ .

Be sure to save the Flexform when you have completed any changes.

page = PAGE
page {
 typeNum = 0
 config {
    disableAllHeaderCode = 1
    additionalHeaders = Content-type:application/xml
    xhtml_cleaning = 1
    admPanel = 0
    noPageTitle = 1
 }

 10 < plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1
 10.pid_list = ###STORAGE PID###
 10.type = 6
}

F.A.Q.¶

The following are questions that may help you better understand and use this extension:

Q: I am on v1.x and want to upgrade. How do I get new templates and styled looks for v2.x?

A: Please see the Advanced → Using New Templates section below. This should answer most of your questions.

Q: If I just want to keep on the old template, then what should I do?

A: If you just used the old original template, it should upgrade fine. If you had a custom old template, then you may need to alter it. See below in the Advanced → Using New Templates section below.

Q: I set certain options in the Flexform, like 'require login to post,' but it does not effect it – is this broken?

A: If you set the Type on the Options tab of the Flexform to anything but Custom, then those values may be overwritten. For example, if the Type=Discussion, then require login for posting/reply is cleared.

Q: Can I use this Discussion Form for my blog?

A: Yes, it should work fine. It all depends on what you want in a Blog and what features. See the question below for more info.

Q: Is this extension a better blog than TimTab?

A: This extension supports many features of a typical Blog, just like TimTab, but TimTab is only a blog and has additional blog features like pinging/callback and pre-built blog templates. This extension supports setting up for commenting or discussion forum as well as a blog. Plus it allows for front-end adding and editing of entries. The goal for this extension is easy-to-use and simple. Try this out and see if you like it.

Q: How can I add Subjects for the Replies/Comments?

A: To add this feature, all you need to do is edit the template and under ###REPLY_ENTRY### section, put the ###SUBJECT### above ###MESSAGE###. You can put the same code as ###POST_ENTRY### if you would like.

Q: I setup the preview, but it does not work – what did I do wrong?

A: Usually the problem is with not setting the Startingpoint on the Main tab or the Preview settings on the Options tab. Make sure those are set.

Q: I am wanting to improve (or change) the spam words, how can I do that?

A: You can do it in one of two ways:1) Add additional words in the FlexForm->Spam->Word Filter list. You could add *,spam,remove this , etc. to the Word filter list. Leaving the * will give you all the words already defined in the constants. If you want your own list, then do not use the *.

2) Add additional words in the spamWords and/or addSpamWords constants. You can do this by going to Template->Constant Editor->tx_wecdiscussion_pi1 when on the page. Scroll down near the bottom where you will find the spamWords and addSpamWords constants. The spamWords is a reverse order string, while the addSpamWords is not. To use these constants, you must have * set in the Word Filter List mentioned above.

Q: Some of the posts are getting blocked, how do I edit the spam words?

A: See above #2. You can edit the spamWords constant in the Constant Editor or you can edit the Word Filter list in the Flexform.

Editing TypoScript¶

To edit constants in the template, you simply edit the extension template and make additions or changes in the TypoScript Setup section of the template.

An example Constant to add would be:

page.templateFile = fileadmin/wec_discussion/my_wecdiscussion.tmpl

After you save the extension template, you can then preview your page and should see the changes if the constant(s) effect the visual / output.

TypoScript Constants Reference¶

The following constants are available to be changed in the extension template TypoScript (Setup or Constants field) and/or the Constant Editor (Template->Constant Editor). For RSS constants, please see the RSS section.

Create the Look¶

The Discussion extension allows you to create a new look for the overall page by changing the template and/or by setting the color, font, and CSS constants. The default template is called wecdiscussion.tmpl and is in the extensions folder under /template (typically typo3conf/ext/wec_discussion/template). You can edit and create your own template file, and then upload it using the Flexform configuration when you setup your page.

If you do edit the template file or create your own CSS file, we would recommend that you put it in a location outside the extension directory. You can edit it and then upload it using the Filelistutility. We would recommend to put it in a location like fileadmin/wec_discussion/ or fileadmin/templates/. Note that you have to create the wec_discussion folder in the Filelist utility. You can then upload the file(s) and put them there. To let the extension know about this new location, you need to set the templateFileor cssFile TypoScript constants.

In the template's TypoScriptConstants section, set which files you have setup:

plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1.templateFile = fileadmin/wec_discussion/my_wecdiscussion.tmpl

plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1.cssFile = fileadmin/wec_discussion/my_wecdiscussion.css

Modifying the Template File¶

The template file determines how the Discussion page will be displayed. It contains HTML code along with markers that show where the data should be inserted.

The following details the template tags:

Using Version 2.0 Templates¶

If you were using version v1.x and either used the default template or a custom template, please read the following steps necessary to upgrade or change to the new templates. If you are a new user (i.e., if this is a new install), refer to the above guide.

plugin_tx_wecdiscussion_pi1.templateFile = EXT:wec_discussion/template/wecdiscussion.tmpl

plugin_tx_wecdiscussion_pi1.baseCSSFile =  EXT:wec_discussion/template/pluginstyles.css
plugin_tx_wecdiscussion_pi1.cssFile =  EXT:wec_discussion/template/wecdiscussion.css

Administrator/Moderator Functions¶

Before you are set to go live, you should be aware of the FrontEnd administrator functions. If you do not set an administrator, then you will have to process messages in the TYPO3 Backend. If you do set one or more users as an administrator, then you can let them process and handle the support for the Discussion pages.

To set someone as administrator, you just add their TYPO3 Frontend User ID (or their User Name) to the Administrator field in the Flexform. You can have a list of administrators if you want – just separate their IDs or usernames with a comma.

The main functions an administrator can do in the FrontEnd are:

Spam Control¶

As of version1.3.0, the Discussion extension supports various ways to control spam on posts. These controls also enable you to customize the output. The following details these features:

<a name="typeYourMessage"></a>
<div style="text-align:center;display:none;">
 <div class="tx-wecdiscussion-form">
 <form name="forumReplyForm" method="post" action="###ACTION_URL###" enctype="multipart/form-data">
        ###INPUT_FAKE_FORM###

<form name="forumReplyForm" method="post" onclick="###ACTION_URL###" enctype="multipart/form-data">

<form name=”forumReplyForm” method=”post” onclick=”www.bogus.com” enctype="multipart/form-data">
<input name="ForumReply" type="submit" value="###SUBMIT_BTN###" onclick=”this.form.action='###ACTION_URL###'” />

RSS Support¶

The Discussion Forum supports RSS (Really Simple Syndication). RSS allows you to subscribe to a "feed" (display of new messages). Users can see new messages from a web browser or a software program (feed readers or aggregators) on their computer. Example feed readers include Bloglines, Google reader, NewsGator, My Yahoo, FireFox Live Bookmarks, IE7 Feed reader, etc. RSS feeds are mainly used for blogs although you can use them for a discussion forum or comments. Why users like to subscribe to RSS feeds is that they can get updates about a site without having to go to the site. You can see many blogs at once at a glance without having to visit the pages. If you see an article you want to read, you can then go to the site although many feed readers allow you to read articles without ever having to go to the website.

For RSS feeds, you can use a variety of formats (Atom, RSS 0.92, RSS 2.0, etc.) and for the Discussion Forum, we use RSS 2.0 format for the feed. Most RSS feeds are in the XML format which is a special structure that allows easy definition. If you would like to find out about the RSS 2.0 format, you can go here: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss .

The following will detail the constants, template, and Flexform setup to setup an RSS. While some of the RSS features are mentioned in previous documentation above, the following is a step-by-step guide to implement RSS for your site:

page = PAGE
page {
 typeNum = 0
 config {
 disableAllHeaderCode = 1
 additionalHeaders = Content-type:application/xml
 xhtml_cleaning = 1
 admPanel = 0
 noPageTitle = 1
 }

 10 < plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1
 10.pid_list = ###STORAGE PID###
 10.type = 6
}

tx_wecdiscussion_pi1 {
        xml.rss.channel_title = Your Title
        xml.rss.channel_description = Your Description
        xml.rss.channel_category = Find Category
        xml.rss.copyright = (c) Your Organization
        xml.rss.owner_email = youremail@email.com
        xml.rss.owner_name = your name
}

xml.rss.icon = EXT:wecdiscussion/res/feed-icon.gif

xml.rss.link = +type=224

xml.rss.link = http://www.feedburner.com/WebEmpoweredChurch.org

Single View¶

You can allow the user to view just a single discussion post with it's associated comments. With the archive, preview and search list results, when you click on a result, you will go to a single view. You can allow a single view from the normal list view too. The default is now so that if you click on the subject title, you will see the list view. You can enable a view button also that is by the Add Comment | Edit | Delete buttons which when clicked on, the user will see the single view.

You can set the TypoScript constant, singleViewLink, to one of the following values. It can be set in the extension template module directly or through the Constant Editor:

• subject -- only the subject is a link to the single view
• view_link -- a 'view' link is next to the Posted By... section
• subject_and_view -- both of the above are links
• none -- no single view link in the list view

The single view's template is based on the ###TEMPLATE_DISPLAYENTRY### template section. The listing view might include a message length if set, but for the single view the message length and any single view links are not included. The ###DISPLAY_VIEW_ALL_BUTTON### is only included in the single view and so if you do not want that or want to change it, you can.

Archive Support¶

The Discussion Forum allows you to show archive listing on a page. This is especially useful for a Blog or discussion that is maintained over any length of time. That way you can go back to previous posts easily. The archive is sectioned off by month and will list in Month- Year format all the previous months that have entries in them. To use the Archive display, you need to turn on the 'Show archive' in the Options tab of the Flexform or setup a separate archive display (see below). This will then put the archive in the sidebar and/or actionbar. In the sidebar, it is a list, whereas in the actionbar it is a dropdown menu. When a user clicks on a Month-Year link, the Discussion Forum will only show the entries for that month. If the user wants to see everything again, they can then click on the "Show All" link at the top of the Archive.

Frontend RTE Support¶

As of version 1.6.0, you can enable the RTE for posts in the Frontend. This comes enabled by default, and can be turned off. It only works for posts, not comments. Usually you do not want comments to be able to add HTML codes which could be spam. The RTE also works for editing, but you may need special configuration for complex editing (i.e., contains a variety of HTML references). Please refer to the rtehtmlarea manual for information on TypoScript settings for the Frontend (you can get manual at: http://code.typo3.org/v4/browser/TYP O3core/trunk/typo3/sysext/rtehtmlarea/doc/manual.sxw ).

Two things you can change in TypoScript constants is the RTE width and RTE height. The width can be speciifed in pixels (px) or percentage (i.e. 100% or 90%).

An example of setting up buttons for FrontEnd editing is by adding the following to the Page TypoScript (note this goes on the Page not in the extension template). You could also add this in the User TypoScript for the Backend user. Note to make any changes to RTE in TypoScript, you need to address the RTE.default.FE,

Here are some examples...

clear out buttons and add your own:

#clear out the buttons
RTE.default.FE.showButtons >
# then add new ones
RTE.default.FE.showButtons  = blockstyle,fontstyle,fontsize,formatblock,bold,italic,left,center,orderedlist,unorderedlist,outdent,indent,textcolor,link,image

add one button to the list:

RTE.default.FE.showButtons := addToList(line)

You can do other changes to the RTE for the Frontend including how to process the text, and to allow certain HTML tags or not. Please read the manual.

Toggle Hiding/Showing Items¶

If you want to support toggling of any parts of the Display entry, you can through adding the following template markers. Right now, the "View Comments" supports the hiding/showing, but we have added more generic elements so you can use it for whatever you would like. One use of this is by just having the titles displayed and you click on that to see the rest of the message.

###TOGGLE_HIDE_ONCLICK### - this is added to an <a href="" onclick>...</a> which will show or hide the item.

###TOGGLE_HIDE_START_OFF### -- put this at the start of the section you want to hide. The _OFF means that the initial state is OFF.

###TOGGLE_HIDE_START_ON### -- this is the same as above, but the initial state is ON.

###TOGGLE_HIDE_END### -- This is the ending section of where you want to hide.

Here is the example code for just seeing the title, and having to click on it to see the rest of the message:

<!-- ###POST_ENTRY### begin
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-->
<!-- ###SHOW_SUBJECT### begin -->
        <div class="tx-wecdiscussion-forumMessageSubject">
          <a href="#" onclick="###TOGGLE_HIDE_ONCLICK###">###SUBJECT###</a>
        </div>
<!-- ###SHOW_SUBJECT### end -->
        ###TOGGLE_HIDE_START_OFF###
        <div class="tx-wecdiscussion-forumMessage" ###MARGIN_LEFT###>
        ...
        </div>
        ###TOGGLE_HIDE_END###

<!-- ###POST_ENTRY### end-->

Convert TimTab Blog to Discussion Forum¶

We have found that some people like the simplicity of WEC Discussion Forum, and after using the TimTab they want to convert to the Discussion Forum. In order to facilitate this, we have added a converter from TimTab to WEC Discussion. This function does not delete any TimTab records, it just creates WEC Discussion records based on existing TimTab records. You will have to delete, move, or archive the old TimTab records yourself after the conversion. Note that this converts TimTab messages, categories, and comments.

The following method we have setup is not easy-to-use and must be followed exactly. Since this is a rarely used function, we have chosen to not incorporate it into an Admin interface although it does have error checking. The conversion script in the pi1 folder of the extension, class.tx_wecdiscussion_convert.php, could possibly be adapted to convert other blogs or database tables.

The steps to convert a TimTab blog to WEC Discussion Forum are:

1) In the Backend, create a WEC Discussion plugin wherever you would like to set it up. You can add this to a page where a TimTab blog exists or create a new page.

2) Create any Discussion Forum storage folder you would like. Again, you can re-use a TimTab storage folder if one exists. If you use the Global Storage folder, then make sure that if you have more than one Discussion Forum, you do not delete any messages.

3) In the pagetree in the Backend, mouse over - but do not click on -- the page where the TimTab Blog storage folder is and write the pageID number down. If you have created a new storage folder, then do the same for the new discussion storage folder.

4) Go to the page with the new WEC Discussion plugin. Open up this page in the Front-end.

5) In the URL of the Discussion page, add &ttconvert=997 to the URL. If there is no other arguments, then add?ttconvert=997 instead. Some examples:

http://www.mysite.com/forum/?ttconvert=997
     http://www.mysite.com/blog/?uid=105&ttconvert=997

Note that you can change the 997 to something more secure by setting the 'ttconvert' TypoScript variable in the extension template by adding this line to the SETUP section:

plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1.ttconvert = 345

6) You will see a simple form where you need to fill in the following values:Enter storage pageID to convert from: -- where the TimTab blog data isEnter storage pageID to convert to: -- where the new discussion page is (leave blank if on the same storage page)Delete all wec_discussion data on page? -- This will only delete existing wec_discussion data in the storage folder and is only useful if you have tried to convert and there were errors or problems and so you are retrying it.

7) If the conversion is successful, you will see how many messages, categories, and comments are converted. If it is not successful, you may see an error that will help you what went wrong.Please let us know if you run into any problems with using this conversion.Date Formats

You can customize the date formats that are shown. Currently they are supported by locallang.php file with customizations for each language. The English date format is Month Day, Year whereas the European format is along the lines of Day.Month.Year.

If you would like to customize the date format, you can easily by changing the following local language labels. You would set these in the Extension template Setup field (not Constants). The default settings are:

plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1._LOCAL_LANG.default {
        date_format = %b %d, %Y
     datetime_format = %b %d, %Y %I:%M%p
 archive_date_format = %B %Y
}

Note that if you want to change it for your given language. change it from .default above to your language (like .no would be Norwegian or .de would be German/Deutsch).

To set it up in the European format (with 24-hour clock) for German language, you could use:

plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1._LOCAL_LANG.de {
 date_format = %d %B %Y
 datetime_format = %d %B %Y, %H:%M
 archive_date_format = %B %Y
}

To understand what codes you can put in this field, please look at http://php.net/strftime which details all the codes possible and what these ones mean.

Adding Hooks¶

If you would like to change or add features to the WEC Discussion Forum, you can through programming. We have added what are called hooks in TYPO3 which allow you to build onto the extension. These may include adding fields to what is stored in a post, or adding extra functionality. Please refer to the TYPO3 documentation for further information on hooks. Please also let us know what hooks/functionality you would like to extend, and we will certainly consider adding them. Below are the current hooks we have supported:

$GLOBALS['TYPO3_CONF_VARS']['EXTCONF']['tx_wecdiscussion_pi1']['extraItemMarkerHook']

plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1.itemMarkerArrayFunc

plugin.tx_wecdiscussion_pi1.itemMarkerArrayFunc = user_myMarkers

function user_myMarkers($markerArray, $conf) {
        $markerArray['###NEW_MARKER###'] = 'My new marker';


        return $markerArray;
}

Multi-language¶

The text for this extension has been placed in the typo3conf/ext/wecdiscussion/ folder under pi1/locallang.php file and locallang_db.php file. You can extend to support different languages by adding translations to these files.

To configure a different language, you should refer to the TYPO3documentation and check out the one-page tree description in http://typo3.org/documentation/tips-tricks/multi-language-sites-in- typo3/ .

The Discussion Forum plugin now supports multiple languages for posts, comments, and category records.

As an overview to allow different languages, you would set the following in TypoScript in your Page template for your site:

# Set up the language variable "L" to be passed along with links
config.linkVars = L

# For German/Deutsch language, sys_language.uid = 2
config.sys_language_uid = 2
config.language = de
config.locale_all = de_DE

# For Dutch language,
config.sys_language_uid = 1
config.language = dk
config.locale_all = danish

Known problems¶

There are no known problems with this plugin at this time. Please report any bugs, suggestions, or comments to the team at devteam(at)webempoweredchurch.org . You can also go to http://www.webempoweredchurch.org/support/ for additional support.

To-Do list¶

Plans for this extension include:

• Add comment RSS feed
• Administrator functions to see posting & comment stats, cleanup deleted messages, etc.
• Allow to templates for posts

Changelog¶

0.9.0 -- First version.

Released on 11/2/2005

0.9.1 -- Fixed upload file bug and made form submission more secure. Fixed bug with deleting messages.

Released on 11/11/2005

0.9.2 -- Added Dutch translation (thanks Onno S!). Refined language file and template. Added date formattingoption in language file. Updated doco file – especially Configuration/Template File table.

Released on 11/17/2005

1.0.0 -- Removed tx_wecdiscussion_user table and code – not used. Fixed problem if have a discussionand a preview of a discussion on same page (esp. when used in conjunction with WEC_Devo).Redid template and CSS so better fits. Fixed process moderator bugs.

Released on 1/27/20061.0.1 – Fixed problem with show comments and not needing a subject. Also added a notify_email in Flexformso can get an email everytime a new post or reply is added to forum.

Released on 2/3/2006

1.1.0 – Fixed security issues with Postvars and SQL. Added startingPoint option for Flexform so can specifystorage page. Allow so can add as plugin type for pageContent “new content element”.

Released on 3/15/2006

1.1.1 – Made compatible with XHTML doctype.

Released on 3/24/2006

1.2.0 – Made template XHTML compliant. Made so Post Message button can be turned off (i.e., if Blog and nota user). Added German translation (thanks Franz) and Finnish translation (thanks Katja). Fixedproblems with two htmlspecialchars on post. Fixed issues with formatting of sending out emails. Handle better the images with messages.Released on 5/18/2006

1.2.1 – Fixed problem with previews so now they respect Display Amount (Weekly/Last 7 Days/Last 10/etc).Fixed bug with toggle comments -- now added separate option for that. Changed all locallang doublequotes to single.

Released on 6/23/2006

1.2.2 – Fixed preview so does not show moderated. Fixed bug with dropdown so showcat is appended correctly.Also extension was accidentally set to 'shy' – now it is outgoing!

Released on 9/27/2006

1.3.0 – Revised Flexform (will have to set options again on upgrade – save your options if customized). AddedSpam Control options like image and text captcha, and HTML & link control. Made dates use strftimeinstead of date() so can localize so any date format overrides must be updated. Improved default filterword list. Added search capability. Updated docs. Fixed several minor bugs. Upgraded code accordingto TYPO3 coding guidelines.

Released on 1/31/2007

1.3.1 – Fixed bug with category display and selecting. Fixed bug under certain configs with ReplyForm url.Fixed editing message with image bug. Added Spanish translation (thanks Diego L!). Put spam wordsin constants. Fixed several minor bugs.

Released on 2/23/2007

1.3.2 – Fixed bug with archive listing. Fixed bug with spam control & filtering.

Released on 3/2/2007

1.4.0 – Added RSS feed capability. Added single view of message (with comments) for search and preview.Archive link shows whole month. Can set length to display of posts (adds "more..." if too long). Canspam protect just comments (i.e. for blog). Updated template. Revised manual.

Released on 4/20/2007

1.4.1 -- Fixed subscribe feature -- now sends out emails correctly. Added title to RSS so "Subscribe to<TITLE>". Fixed preview back pid bug. Enhanced character length (More...) so respects div and p tags. Added 'name' to filter.Released on 5/3/2007

1.5.0 -- Added Archive view with template and fixed archive bugs. Updated template including setting for width.Can now restrict posts by usergroup. Records can now be hidden. Added converter from TIMTAB towec_discussion format. Added generic hide/show toggle for messages. Added French translation(thanks Steeve M). Fixed moderation bug, added locallang to moderation form (thanks Markus). Fixedissue so if require login to post, spam cannot get through. Auto-fill in user name & email fields inBackend records. Add image to preview. Content now goes through general_stdWrap.

Released on 6/15/20071.5.1 -- BUGFIX: message length, fixed RSS feeds with RTE content. ADDED: can now have link to single viewin listing. Added title to archive/category listing. Archive shows selected & can put 'subscribe to feed' atbottom. UPDATED: template & CSS. Made XHTML compatible. Updated doco on RSS feed.

Released on 7/4/2007

1.5.2 – UPDATED: changed templates so no inline CSS and more XHTML compliant. BUGFIX: usergroupdetection improved, message length with “more” fixed, text handling better supports HTML and RTEencoded text, and various minor issues.

Released on 9/7/2007

1.5.3 – FIXED: permissions for posting, restricted by usergroup error, better spam handling, post/comment bug,slowdowns on edit/add/delete, some cleanup. ADDED: Chinese language translation (thanks Rocky),updated German translation (thanks Harald).

Released on 10/8/2007

1.6.0 –Redid Flexform(must save & check values). Added Static Templates now (must add to +ext templateto work). Added Front-end RTE as option. Reply Form can now move to current post. Addedpagination. Keeps open comments if reply. Preview has more options and goes to given message.Updated manual. Many other fixes.

Released on 4/2/2008

1.6.1 –Add comments & reply works like most blog systems. Allow preview before post. Can create categories.Improved send email formatting & function.Several RTE/reply fixes. Fixed more tag handling.Fixed spam link checking. Cannot move replies from 1.6.0 (RTE did not support). Removed show_date parameter unless needed. Other minor fixes.

Released on 4/17/2008

1.6.2 – Can turn off “preview before post” or single view in Flexform, ssl/https supported,fix forHTML/RTE encoding, fix for preview cropping, fix for mailing, added customized BE labels,fix RSS feed plus only there when include static template,added single view page title,XHTML improvements, and other minor fixes.

Released on 5/22/2008

1.6.3 – Security fix for input forms – please update! Attached files & image files now follow denyFilePatterns,RSS feed includes charset, new category works if required field, and fixed More... problem.

Released on 6/30/2008

1.7.0 –Multi-language for posts & categories(must Update!), better XSS handling (no more <x> in posts),can send only posts to subscribers, admin can delete posts + all comments, can exclude frommoderation, starttime/endtime supported in BE and FE, locallang files are now XML, can lock inusername/email, UTF-8 supported better, auto cleanup of categories, added hooks, and severalbug fixes.

Released on 12/4/2008

1.7.1 – Fixed security issues. Fixed bug with locallang file and TemplaVoila.

Released on 12/20/2008

1.7.2 – Fixed URL bug with certain configurations. Fixed stripos problem with PHP 4. Minor CSS updates. Minorbug fixes and code updates.Released on 1/30/2009

1.8.0 – FIXED: RSS feed working with IE & Feedburner, sending out emails, login for comments, keepingsurname (namePrefill constant), monthly display, no-RTE posting, working with subdirectory installsagain. Added IP address for admin/moderate emails. Updated German(DE) translation.

Released on 6/19/2009

1.8.1 – Added Spanish and Swedish translations. Changed URL handling so more robust and fixes some issues.Fixed email settings if using different charset (i.e., UTF-8). Subscriber header text in Flexform is clearedand now uses locallang 'subscribeform_header' and 'subscribeform_instructions' as default.Other minor fixes and improvements.

Released on 10/7/2009

1.8.2 – Fixed closing </div> problem that could happen in posts with comments.

Released on 10/9/2009

1.9.0 – Changes:

• Posts and comments are now searchable by indexed_search (site-wide search).
• You can add a “report abuse” button for community to self-monitor discussions. Any messages reported will get sent to administrators.
• The author of a post can receive emails of anyone replying to their post (optional).
• You can embed HTML/Flash in posts for YouTube, Video, etc. – added TypoScript to pageTS.
• The archive shows only last twelve months and folds previous years in a tree (can click to see).
• Other minor fixes and updates.

Released on 1/16/2010

2.0.0 – Changes:

• Brand new templates and CSS. If you are upgrading, you can keep your old template or if you want to use the new templates, please see the Advanced Section for details.
• Supports three different looks to display a post for new templates – can be set in the Flexform.
• Removed all colors and most widths and fonts from TypoScript constants and put in CSS file.
• Refined Archive display even further.
• Refined “More...” link so can go to single or keep default as expand text.

Released on 3/15/2010

2.0.1 – Changes:

• added 'captcha' plugin support
• added sortComments so can set it to latest or earliest
• added categories in archive view
• allow RSS (xml.rss.link) to have link to URL (i.e. work with FeedBurner, etc.)
• fixed delete posts with comments, template issue, and edit post with image

Released on 4/7/2010

2.0.2 – Changes:

• fixed image attachment issue with saving and clearing an image
• fixed image height/width issue. Updated default width/height for large images.
• fixed issue with RSS feed link.

Released on 4/12/2010

2.0.3 – Changes:

• Can choose admin based on usergroup – see Administrator Flexform. Will email to usergroup too if set.
• Added ###SHOW_NOBAR### in template if you do not have actionbar or sidebar.
• Can choose None for Entry Look in Flexform so no entry-# CSS file is loaded.
• When click on moderate email link, notifies user if not logged in, and shows button to login if loginPID is set.
• Fixed some CSS issues.
• Fixed so save posts in right language.

Released on 8/2/2010

2.0.4 – Changes:

• fixed absRefPrefix issue with URLs
• fixed RTE width/height in constants (to get around bug in RTE in 4.4)
• Added German translation (thx Robert M); updated Spanish translation
• Printing works better – CSS change.
• Fixed author receive replies issue
• Fixed links in documentation

Released on 10/1/2010

2.1.0 – Changes:

• Works with caching framework
• RSS feed issues fixed
• Added IP Address display in reply form and list view
• Fixed subscribe/unsubscribe if multiple plugins on page
• Updated locallang files with umlauts(DE) for utf-8 format

Released on 3/3/2011

2.1.1 –Security fix

Released on 4/7/2011

2.1.2 –Security fix

Released on 2/5/2013

EXT: WEC Discussion Forum - 44