[BETA] Merge On Split Mod 0.9.3

[bpetersen]

MOD Title: Merge On Split Mod
MOD Description: Merging post to another topic from the "Split Topic Control Panel".
MOD Version: 0.9.3

MOD Download: merge_on_split_mod_0_9_3.zip

Installation Level: Easy (file copy and three one-line-changes)
Installation Time: 5 Minutes

If this mod is installed, you can enter or paste an existing topic URL instead of a new topic title in the "Split Topic Control Panel". If the URL is valid, the selected posts are merged with the given topic then, "Split from selected post" also works. Moreover, if no posts are selected, all posts are moved to the destination topic one and the original topic is removed.



Note that the destination topic starting date must be older than the date of any post to move to there. However, the program checks this point and prints an error in this case.

I decided not to add an additional control for this function, as the function is normally seldomly used and so no templates must be changed for this little mod.

This mod is based on the Split posts and merge in one step mod by Alan Sinsheimer, but the original mod does not allow to move complete topics, requires to change the template and makes more changes to modcp.php. In some way, this mod also replaces the Simply Merge Threads mod. However, this mod is not "better" than the original ones, I just developed it to fit my needs and posted it here as it may be useful for someone elses.

I have already tested the mod on some forums, eg. on http://www.silverjuke.net/forum/, but I cannot offer an testing account with moderator right there - so please have a look at the screenshot provided above. The homepage of this mod is here.

[*=Matt=*]

Nice mod.

I'll have to test it out and get back to ya

[coreissue]

I installed it and seems to work fine on a topic move with checking anything.

Only thing I noticed was if you move the whole topic and the old is deleted it will try to return you to the old, thus a 404.

[phantomk]

Instead of haveing it copy/paste the whole url, why not have another box below the name and forum box for ppl to enter the topic id.

[bpetersen]

I installed it and seems to work fine on a topic move with checking anything.

Only thing I noticed was if you move the whole topic and the old is deleted it will try to return you to the old, thus a 404.

I've just checked this out, and the described behaviour is not true for me (I tested this by checking no posts, so that the whole topic is be moved, after that the refresh goes correctly to the destination topic). Maybe you have done something else?

[bpetersen]

Instead of haveing it copy/paste the whole url, why not have another box below the name and forum box for ppl to enter the topic id.

I prefer using the same input control as this does not require any larger modifications in the templates, however, maybe we can use a separate control as an optional feature (if present in the template, it is just used).

Regarding the second point: In the first (unreleased) version of this mod, we did exactly this - and the result was, that many people used the post ID instead of the topic ID, which lead to undesired results. So I decided to use the topic or post URLs instead, so that there is no need to look to the exact ID type.

[coreissue]

I installed it and seems to work fine on a topic move with checking anything.

Only thing I noticed was if you move the whole topic and the old is deleted it will try to return you to the old, thus a 404.

I've just checked this out, and the described behaviour is not true for me (I tested this by checking no posts, so that the whole topic is be moved, after that the refresh goes correctly to the destination topic). Maybe you have done something else?

it is no big deal to us it does that.

I moved one full topic into an older topic by putting the full URL in the box without checking any posts.

It moved it, but it gave a 404 URL. In fact not ever the correct url. My forum is in a folder off the domain url. It showed only the domain, not the domain/forum address.

If that means anything to you for the mod, hope it helps.

It did move it successful. It was the redirect after the move that showed the wrong address.

[bpetersen]

I installed it and seems to work fine on a topic move with checking anything.

Only thing I noticed was if you move the whole topic and the old is deleted it will try to return you to the old, thus a 404.

I've just checked this out, and the described behaviour is not true for me [...]

it is no big deal to us it does that. [...]

It moved it, but it gave a 404 URL. In fact not ever the correct url. [...]

Got it, fixed it. Above is a new version 0.9.3 The reason was, that we renamed some of the .php files some time ago for security resons (google etc.) and forgot to re-rename them for this mod.

For an update, you have only to replace the file includes/merge_on_split_mod.php

Thanks for your help.

[coreissue]

You are welcome and thanks for the fix.

[martin_uy]

Great mod! .
I prefer the same field for new topic/destination topic, it makes things easier.

REQUESTS:
1. I would like posts moved to be added as new (below everything and not in the middle), not in chonological order. Is this posible? Because if not people is not going to notice that new information in the thread.

2. Why can't I move posts to a newer thread??? I find this really useful

Thanks

[bpetersen]

[...] REQUESTS:
1. I would like posts moved to be added as new (below everything and not in the middle), not in chonological order. Is this posible? Because if not people is not going to notice that new information in the thread.

2. Why can't I move posts to a newer thread??? I find this really useful [...]

Well, the problem for both requests is the fact that phpBB sorts post (at least sometimes in viewforum.php) by the post_id and not by post_time. And the post_id is not easy to change to other values as they're normally all used (if anyone knows more about this, please correct me).

So, as I see it now, both requests would mean a lot of changes to different parts of phpBB and/or to change the topic date which may be confusing as well. Apart from update problems with an heavily modded phpBB such changes may also result in incompatibilities with other modules which rely on the post_id/post_time ordering.

I've created this mod for the following situation: There is a new post which should go to another existing (and of course older) thread. However, I understand that there may be other situations where moving a post would be find, but, again, this is not that easy as the current implementation.