A non-hack Simple News Digest

[memobug]

This is not a real hack, but I have found it useful, so I will pass it along.

I have another news system I am using, so I had no real use for the News block - I think the standard news block looks a bit large to me.

Still, I thought I could reuse the news block for some basic forum announcements. I prefer a simple listing of message titles, much like the existing News archive. So I came up with the idea of using only the archive portion of the module. Here's how to do it:

A. From vBa CMPS admin panel Default Settings

1. Pick your news forum ID
2. Set New Posts Maximum to -1 (That's minus one. Zero won't work cause that is the default for "All")
3. Set your Number of Archived Posts to the number you want to see in your digest.
4. Other settings per your preference
5. Save the settings

B. Now select Edit Modules

1. Turn News module Off
2. Turn News Archive module On, and position it where you want

Now you can rename your News Archive, either in the phrase manager, or in the template itself. The point is to get rid of the word "Archive" in the title, 'cause that's your new news/announcements block, and word "Archive" doesn't really apply.

C. Styles and Templates->Style Manager->Edit Templates
1. Expand vBadvanced CMPS Templates
2. Open adv_portal_news_archive
3. Modify the $vbphrase[news_archive]

or

change the phrase in your Languages & Phrases.


For example, I called mine, "Forum Announcements."

That's it.

Showing you a picture really wouldn't make sense: Your new block looks just like your existing news archive, only with a different title.

Regards,

Matt

[hani]

Thanx
But you told us about switching the news off, so what is the replacement?
you have one, but we (I) dont, so do you mind sharing please

Thanx again

Hani

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[tomshawk]

The replacement is the News Achive, but renamed per his instructions.

Thats it.

It's a descent enough idea, interesting anyway ;)

Thanks memobug ;)

[hani]

Oh, ok, now I get it :(

Thanx again, implemented here at friendsoflight.com

regards

Hani

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[hani]

BTW, if you want to list 5 news in the archive, you have to state 6 in the archive section, as the -1 will always deduct one

regards