latest blogs problem

saltedm8 · October 11th, 2008, 12:22 PM

I have a script to show my latest blogs on my homepage, but I want to firstly limit the amount of text ( and be able to display it in the area I have without stretching the area any wider ) and I want to stop images being included.. could anyone help ?

here is the code

Code:


			
require_once(DIR . '/includes/class_bbcode.php');
$parser =& new vB_BbCodeParser($vbulletin, fetch_tag_list());

function truncate($text,$numb,$etc = "...") {
$text = html_entity_decode($text, ENT_QUOTES);
if (strlen($text) > $numb) {
$text = substr($text, 0, $numb);
$text = substr($text,0,strrpos($text," "));

$punctuation = ".!?:;,-"; //punctuation you want removed

$text = (strspn(strrev($text),  $punctuation)!=0)
        ?
        substr($text, 0, -strspn(strrev($text),  $punctuation))
        :
$text;

$text = $text.$etc;
}
return $text;
}

$latestblogs = $db->query(" 
    SELECT blog.blogid, blog.title, blog.username, blog.dateline, blog.userid, blog.views, blog.comments_visible, blog.lastcommenter, blog.lastblogtextid, blog_text.pagetext
    FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "blog INNER JOIN blog_text ON blog_text.blogtextid = blog.firstblogtextid
    WHERE blog.state = 'visible' 
    ORDER BY blog.dateline DESC 
    LIMIT 6 
"); 
while ($showblogs=$db->fetch_array($latestblogs)) 
{ 
    $counter++; 
    $blog_userid = $showblogs['userid'];
    $blogid = $showblogs['blogid'];
    $blog_title = $showblogs['title'];
    $blog_views = $showblogs['views'];
    $blog_username = $showblogs['username'];
    $blog_dateline = vbdate($vbulletin->options['dateformat'], $showblogs['dateline'],true);
    $blog_commentsvisible = $showblogs['comments_visible'];
    $blog_lastcommenter = $showblogs['lastcommenter'];
    $blog_lastblogtextid = $showblogs['lastblogtextid'];
    $blog_text = $showblogs['pagetext'];
    $blog_text = str_replace("[YOUTUBE]","",$blog_text);
    $blog_text = str_replace("[/YOUTUBE]","",$blog_text);
    $blog_text = str_replace("[youtube]","",$blog_text);
    $blog_text = str_replace("[/youtube]","",$blog_text);
   $blog_text = $parser->do_parse($blog_text, $vbulletin->options['eft_bbcode_html'], $vbulletin->options['eft_bbcode_smilies'], $vbulletin->options['eft_bbcode_bbcode'], $vbulletin->options['eft_bbcode_img'], 1, 0);
$blog_text = truncate($blog_text,100);

    $spitblogs_html .= "<tr><td class=\"alt1\">$blog_dateline</td></tr><tr><td class=\"alt2 bigfont\">";
    $spitblogs_html .= "<strong><a class=\"bigfont\" href=\"blog.php?b=$blogid\">$blog_title</a></strong>";
    $spitblogs_html .= "<div><em>$blog_text</em></div>";
    $spitblogs_html .= "<div style=\"float:right; text-align:right;\">posted by <a href=\"member.php?u=$blog_userid\">$blog_username</a><br />{$blog_commentsvisible} comments";
    if ($blog_commentsvisible > 0) {
         $spitblogs_html .= "<br />last comment: <a href=\"blog.php?b=$blogid#comment$blog_lastblogtextid\">$blog_lastcommenter</a>";
    }
    $spitblogs_html .= "</div></td></tr>";

    if ($counter < 5) 
    { 
        $spitblogs .= "<br /> "; 
    } 
}

thank you... if you want to see where this goes, please go to my homepage ( link in signature )

thank you

p.s.. with the one currently on my homepage, I have just commented out the part that would show the post, that is why it only shows the title and a couple of bits of info

longstand · October 12th, 2008, 05:40 PM

You can limit the amount of text that goes into each post by simply modifing the database field. Basically your post will have a 'title' i imagine, so simply allow only 120 characters for that field. Then i imagine each post has its own body, so allow up to 250 characters for that field. You can do this easily without writing any mysql code if your use Phpmyadmin.

As for your site streching when content over loads it, then i would advice using a CSS tableless div layout, becuase you can format the width & lengh so much easier. - Also it wont STRECH

..

If you need any help with the Layout let me no and i will post a empty 3 coloum layout up for you to loo at...

Good Look.

saltedm8 · October 12th, 2008, 09:23 PM

thanks for the help mate, but unfortunately, my php skills are very very limited... the reason for the tables is because that is what vbulletin happens to use ( check this forum ).. the reason why I was asking about the layout problem is because I don't know how to integrate the css with php ( my css skills are pretty good )

I did not write this script, it just happens to be part of a plugin that i use.. would you be able to give me examples of some of the stuff you explained please ( I can handle the css just not the integration )

longstand · October 13th, 2008, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltedm8

thanks for the help mate, but unfortunately, my php skills are very very limited... the reason for the tables is because that is what vbulletin happens to use ( check this forum ).. the reason why I was asking about the layout problem is because I don't know how to integrate the css with php ( my css skills are pretty good )

I did not write this script, it just happens to be part of a plugin that i use.. would you be able to give me examples of some of the stuff you explained please ( I can handle the css just not the integration )

Hi mate how are you this morning?

I have created a small table that could hold posts using mysql code. Inside you will notice i have capped or truncated the 'header' to 150 characters. I have truncated the 'body' of the post to 250 characters. Therefore no one will be able to post the bible in one post if u understand me

...

Code:


			
CREATE TABLE `posts` (
`id` int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
`header` varchar(150) NOT NULL,
`body` varchar(250) NOT NULL,
`date` datetime NOT NULL,
`usersid` int(11) NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=3 ;

Hope this helps you

longstand · October 13th, 2008, 05:41 AM

Only me again check out this web page if you prefer to validate the input using php & not mysql... http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-6078577.html

Marc · October 13th, 2008, 06:16 AM

Will substr() not work for you (for the number of characters you want to display,) Glynn? Have a look at the PHP Manual, also, using this method you wont need to muck up vBulletin's Database.

longstand · October 13th, 2008, 06:25 AM

Like the guy said he does not no much PHP therefore i have showed him the simplest method of solving his problem. I dont see how restricting the amount of characters will muck up vBulletin's Database

.. any database can be easily modified this way and truncating the string will not require any of his script to be changed...

Jack Franklin · October 13th, 2008, 04:30 PM

Personally I would use substr myself so you don't have to edit VB's tables. And then you could to a strreplace to remove images.

saltedm8 · October 13th, 2008, 05:31 PM

I would rather not mess with the tables if its not needed..
its ok you guys saying what to use, but i am clueless on how to integrate it into the script

in the past, most php files I have tried to edit or change in any way, always end up with errors

would anyone be prepared to integrate it into the script that I have posted ? ( the code to include the text is already there, it just needs to be fitted and cut - if you get my meaning )

thank you

Jack Franklin · October 13th, 2008, 06:21 PM

Would you not put $blog_text := substr($blog_text, 0, 20); I think, put it before:

Code:


			
   $blog_text = $parser->do_parse($blog_text, $vbulletin->options['eft_bbcode_html'], $vbulletin->options['eft_bbcode_smilies'], $vbulletin->options['eft_bbcode_bbcode'], $vbulletin->options['eft_bbcode_img'], 1, 0);
$blog_text = truncate($blog_text,100);

</span></span>

saltedm8 · October 13th, 2008, 07:13 PM

ok.. dont worry about limiting it, but i still need to remove the images so it takes the first so many words from the blog and displays it

the bit you gave me jack dont work - because its vbulletin, it gave me nothing.. the latest blog section just disapeared