Topic: Goto first new post

Practically all other forums have a small icon to the left of the subject line that takes you to the first new post in that topic. PunBB 1.1 will have this feature as well. My problem is that I can't think of a good place for the link and I don't know if it should be a text link or a small icon. Do you have any suggestions on how it could be done? Screenshots are appreciated if you do have a suggestion.

I would definately prefer a text link to an image if it's possible.

Frank H has a mod for 1.0.1 that does something similar. He solved it by making the exclamation mark icon clickable. I'm not sure I would like that for 1.1 though.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

2

Re: Goto first new post

I think you should have it the same as any of forum does.

---------> PLEASE REMEMBER I GOT THE FIRST EVER POST OF PUNBB 1.1! <---------
---------> PLEASE REMEMBER I GOT THE FIRST EVER POST OF PUNBB 1.1! <---------

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Re: Goto first new post

You could just use a text link in the same place as the page numbers. I have just put a post in the test forum so you can see what I mean. Of course the page numbes and the "New" link could be styled differently to stand out from the subject.

The only problem with putting a text link before the subject line rather than a graphic is that it will al get a bit cluttered if the topic is sticky.

4

Re: Goto first new post

Did you mean something like this ps21?

Re: Goto first new post

I don't see why using the image (which represents that there is a new post) is a bad idea?

6

Re: Goto first new post

Not quite. Take a look at the first post in the test forum to see what I mean.

Actually, I think I agree with chacmool. I can't see any reason why using the existing image as a link is a problem. If somebody wants a graphic free board then then could just replace the image with a plus sign or something similar as a link.

Re: Goto first new post

JoeWesthead: I'm talking about viewforum.php, not index.php.

ps21: Yes, I like text links, but what should the link say and how should it look?

chacmool: Do you mean just adding a link to the image that is already there (like Frank H's mod) or do you mean using the image one more time, but this time right next to the subject? I'm not to fond of the way the mod works. Clicking that image isn't something that feels intuitive. It doesn't appear to be clickable.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

8 (edited by chacmool 2003-12-21 14:33)

Re: Goto first new post

I meant using the existing image, not a new one.

I can agree on that it's not a intuitive klickable button though... but making another one seems wrong too.

Edit: Yay! I'm a Senior Member! big_smile

9

Re: Goto first new post

Kennel wrote:
ps21: Yes, I like text links, but what should the link say and how should it look?

Something like this:

This is a very popular topic [1 2 3 Unread]

or

This is a newish topic [Unread]

or

This is another top [1 2 3] [Unread]

or

Another new topic [1 2] [New Posts]

All you  would be doing is adding an extra link after the page number links. This seems a logical approach since all the links which allow users to jump to particular posts in the topic will be together. You could put the page numbers and link to unread posts on a new line which I have seen on other boards like this

This is yet another topic
[1 2 3 4] [Unread Posts]

As an alternative, instead of putting the link on viewforum.php why not put it on viewtopic.php. What will happen is that when users click on a topic they will go to the first topic as usual. You would then include a "GoTo First Unread" link in the topic header where you currently dispaly the page numbers links like this

http://www.post21.co.uk/psfiles/newpost.gif

Re: Goto first new post

I kind of like suggestion number four. I'll try it out later tonight.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

11 (edited by ps21 2003-12-21 19:43)

Re: Goto first new post

A final thought. If I were modding a board to include this feature I would do one of the following

1. Scrap the new posts graphic alltogether and replace it with the number of unread posts in that topic. The number would be a link which would take you to the first unread post in that topic. The column would be headed "New". Not only does this give you the link you are looking for but it provides more information in that you also get the number of new posts. If you wanted to keep the graphic then you could align it left, align the number of new posts right and have both though you would have to widen the column to accomodate it in which case you could give it a more descriptive heading like "New Posts".

http://www.post21.co.uk/psfiles/newpost1.gif

2. Add an extra column between "Views" and "Last Post" headed "New". In that column would be the number of new unread posts. The number would be a link which could be clicked on to take you to the relevant post. In order to avoid taking too much width from other columns I would get rid of the seconds display from the time of last post so that column could be made narrower.

12

Re: Goto first new post

Not sure about that picture, why would it matter how many new posts there were? If you were going to click the link, wouldn't you do it regardless of how many new ones there were?

13

Re: Goto first new post

JoeWesthead wrote:

Not sure about that picture, why would it matter how many new posts there were? If you were going to click the link, wouldn't you do it regardless of how many new ones there were?

Maybe, but on that basis it is also irrelevant how many posts or views there are for a topic. Whilst you might click a link anyway a user might very well decide to look at the topic with most new posts first. In any case, if you are going to have a link then you might as well use it to convey information. Plus of course, the presence of a number does signify that the link does something important.

14

Re: Goto first new post

Yeh, I take your point on board. Hehe, I just had a mental image of someone reading the forum and going, "Oo, theres a number here. Click click."

I think using the graphic is the best idea. Just put the hover-over text in to say what clicking the link does.

15 (edited by ps21 2003-12-21 20:52)

Re: Goto first new post

JoeWesthead wrote:
I think using the graphic is the best idea. Just put the hover-over text in to say what clicking the link does.

Actually, I think I agree but for some reason our host and designer in chief doesn't so I was trying to come up with an alternative.

P.S. Joe, in anticipation of you replying to this, congratulations on achieving Senior Member status smile

16

Re: Goto first new post

Pfft, when the time comes, I think I will make the 100th post a worthwhile and informative one smile

17

Re: Goto first new post

Oh sad

Re: Goto first new post

Why not use both and let the forum owner decide which one to use?

Or maybe a mix of 1:st and 4:th?

Another new topic [1 2 - New Posts]

Re: Goto first new post

ps21: Displaying the number of new posts in each forum would involve running one extra query per forum (or maybe just one extra all together). I'm not sure such a feature warrants the performance hit it can incur.

chacmool: Maybe :)

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

20

Re: Goto first new post

Kennel wrote:

ps21: Displaying the number of new posts in each forum would involve running one extra query per forum (or maybe just one extra all together). I'm not sure such a feature warrants the performance hit it can incur.

Good point. I tend to look at design first and code second. This explains why I am always dissapointed with something I have designed on my local machine when I see it running on a remote server. Mind you I have seen plenty of commercial scripts where the designers fell into the same trap.

Re: Goto first new post

I've been fiddling with this tonight and right now it looks like this:

http://punbb.org/stuff/new_posts.png

I'm quite pleased. Maybe you'll also notice that I've replaced "Last page" with the actual page number. It's a bit more condensed like this and I kind of like the fact that you can see the number of pages directly.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

22

Re: Goto first new post

Looking good. Option 4 in reverse if I'm not mistaken. One question now you have it set up; does it wrap to the next line neatly?

Re: Goto first new post

It's kind of hard to explain how it wraps. First, "[ 1 2 3 ... 9]" jumps down to the next row. Then "[ New posts ]" jumps down and finally, the subject is wrapped. In other words, stuff in brackets is treated as one word.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

24

Re: Goto first new post

As long as the stuff in brackets stays together then it will look OK. I was worried you could end up with

Long post title going on here [New
posts ] [1 2 3]