Implemented Custom Thread Fields

[vbresults]

I have received a number of requests from clients to create a custom thread field modification. Much like custom profile fields are useful, custom thread fields would be a fantastic feature. Why? Modifications can use thread-specific data without having to add to or alter the database tables, and this cuts down on a lot of potential headaches. Threads do not just have to be threads any more, they can be whatever you can code them into. Also, things like thread tags and prefixes could be modularized into this single unit.

 

[Grover]

Custom Content Fields

I totally 100% support this. EVERY website will have one or two forums that can make use of this feature. I use the extra thread fields hack and some template edits to bring some more bespoke functionality to some forum areas.

I cant image being able to switch software without this feature, or at least a plugin. However, no forum software does this out of the box even though every website can (should?) be using it to tailor forum areas more to the purpose they are intended. Many plugins exist to achieve this on other software but nothing exists as yet (that I have seen) that acheives this in an uncomplicated way.... if it could be added, and with XF pazzaz then I think the big boards will love you (like they aint gonna anyway)

Exactly. For half a decade I wished this to be in vBulletin: after all this time I still believe that Custom Thread Fields will make a forum product undeniably more flexible and powerful. Obviously there are much more other uses (as expressed here by Cezz), but I definitely want to use it primarily on my platform to make managing content on XenForo more efficient and effective. Maybe a description like 'Custom Content Fields' is more appropriate by now, because I believe more areas in XenForo could use Custom Fields really. Examples:

• Custom profile fields (see: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/suggestion-custom-profile-fields.3806 - more then 100 likes!),
• Custom post fields (see: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/task-manager.10479, where I need a custom post field (well not exactly a field, but more a link with attached functionality) to be able to handle tasks better),
• Custom conversation fields (see: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/conversations-functionality-to-organize-the-inbox.10698, where I could use labels or any other extra flag-fields on conversations to -again- being able to handle/manage them much better),
• And obviously Custom thread fields (see the above discussion) for mainly the same management-purposes (in my case) and additional benefits like this.

-
And another related one where I need the ability to 'mark/flag' content as well for better management of that same content: http://xenforo.com/community/thread...ts-for-future-reference-bookmark-center.1472/

I truly hope that XenForo can become the first forum product on the market that can offer it's customers more mature/sophisticated ways to handle/manage the different kind of content-areas that are available.

 

[vbresults]

Been quite a while, but BUMP.

 

[ankurs]

bump, can someone from xenforo team comment on this ? will this be added in any 1.x version

 

[RobParker]

Just to add would love this and allow us to add some great functionality to our site.

 

[Ryan Kent]

I am presently shopping for a CMS solely because of my needs related to this feature. I realize 1.1 is a step in this direction. If 1.2 could offer this feature, xF will clearly have many more happy customers.

 

[faeronsayn]

+1 from me....

I definitely need a functionality like this one, if it could be put into the core, that would be awesome, if not, at least an addon made for it.

 

[Grover]

I have a question concerning the product suggestion above. If something like Custom Thread Fields will not see the light of day in Xenforo, I was wondering if there are other ways to achieve what I showed in the quoted example in this post:

http://xenforo.com/community/threads/custom-thread-fields.1267/page-2#post-141041

In that example I am in need of Custom Thread Fields to be able to (let the script) indentify certain threads and colour them automatically. Since we now have Thread Prefixes, I (as a non-programmer, so I might be talking impossible things) I was wondering if it possible to:

Use a Thread Prefix called [Ad] for advertisement threads and that the script can identify those threads with the [Ad] Prefix and colour them automatically? That way I do not have to manually put in all threadID's (see the example for this) in the script everytime a thread changes or when I add a new advertisement thread.

Is using Thread Prefixes a good alternative for the lack of Custom Thread Fields for the purpose that I want to use it for?

 

[Neutral Singh]

I think add-on comes quite close to what OP wanna achieve... http://xenforo.com/community/resources/custom-post-fields-by-waindigo.2970/

 

[vbresults]

I occasionally get likes from this 5+ year thread and I'd like to point out that this functionality has been implemented for the resource manager. I don't know if it will ever come to threads.

 

[Fred.]

I like the idea of Custom Thread Fields but I only need it in certain nodes.
So it would be nice if we could enable / disable it for each node.

 

[erich37]

I think "Custom Thread Fields" which can be displayed in the very first post of a thread would provide extreme flexibility and a lot of benefits.

Having "Custom Thread Fields" in the "first post of a thread" would bring Forums to another level and would give Forums the ability to be much more than just a "Forum".


This simple implementation could turn a Forum into "Classifieds" or a "Product Catalog" or any kind of "Directory".
Just display "Custom Fields" (different fields per Category and Sub-Category) to the user when creating a new Thread.


I think the benefits of this are underestimated.


Definitely should be implemented in order to bring "Forums" to the next level.

 

[Digital Doctor]

Definitely should be implemented in order to bring "Forums" Communities to the next level .....

..... If the goal was to great good content in "forum"-based Communities.

So far Xenforo is a forum only threaded chit chat tool.
It was in 2010 and is in 2016.
There is no indication Xenforo plans to move away from chit chat discussion threads to other more robust data structures.
In 2010 Xenforo was sooooo good and came out so fast with such energy I thought it was finally going to be the one. It's 2016 now. Xenforo is the undisputed king of forums (easily predicted). vBulletin is dead (a surprise considering the extent of the deadness). IPS is limping. WBB is WBB. Xenforo has not innovated away from plain jane threaded discussion. (Queue Xenforo staff saying .... "But we are just a forum").
Oh well ... let's see what the future holds. .

/end belly-aching/whining.

As for this idea ... it has merits ... but with no Concrete examples (the devil is in the details) I'm not sure the idea that a few custom fields for a thread will make threads into good review, classifieds, <insert beyond threads data need here> is realistic. I think it could be quite useful and seems almost like an obvious foot forward from plain jane threads.

Five years ago I thought Xenforo would show how they planned to "Move beyond threads" ... and display their vision of the future. But half a decade later that has yet to come. In fact we are waiting an increasing time for a ?feature parity release XF 2.x. The quasi-lengthy time to get 2.0 the door seems weird to me ... I do take solace in the obvious fact that Xenforo is the best forum today.

 

[Chris D]

I occasionally get likes from this 5+ year thread and I'd like to point out that this functionality has been implemented for the resource manager. I don't know if it will ever come to threads.

It's still a valid suggestion. Any suggestions which aren't valid for technical reasons are often marked as Not Planned rather quickly. Suggestions that don't get many replies or likes are considered to have a lack of interest.

With that in mind, it might come to threads one day.

 

[erich37]

..... If the goal was to great good content in "forum"-based Communities.

So far Xenforo is a forum only threaded chit chat tool.
It was in 2010 and is in 2016.
There is no indication Xenforo plans to move away from chit chat discussion threads to other more robust data structures.
In 2010 Xenforo was sooooo good and came out so fast with such energy I thought it was finally going to be the one. It's 2016 now. Xenforo is the undisputed king of forums (easily predicted). vBulletin is dead (a surprise considering the extent of the deadness). IPS is limping. WBB is WBB. Xenforo has not innovated away from plain jane threaded discussion. (Queue Xenforo staff saying .... "But we are just a forum").
Oh well ... let's see what the future holds. .

/end belly-aching/whining.

As for this idea ... it has merits ... but with no Concrete examples (the devil is in the details) I'm not sure the idea that a few custom fields for a thread will make threads into good review, classifieds, <insert beyond threads data need here> is realistic. I think it could be quite useful and seems almost like an obvious foot forward from plain jane threads.

Five years ago I thought Xenforo would show how they planned to "Move beyond threads" ... and display their vision of the future. But half a decade later that has yet to come. In fact we are waiting an increasing time for a ?feature parity release XF 2.x. The quasi-lengthy time to get 2.0 the door seems weird to me ... I do take solace in the obvious fact that Xenforo is the best forum today.

Kier and Mike are definitely among the very best coders in the world.


Should not be a big deal for them to put some "Custom Fields" in the first post of a thread with "filterability" of these "Custom Fields".
I think with this, the possibilities are literally endless.


I do know of a very nice example implemented in XenForo.
I can provide the Link via PM.

 

[vbresults]

@Chris D Development time is better spent and significantly less allowing inline discussions and multiple instances in the RM. Why waste time developing something totally new and throw away the work put into the RM by making something in the core to compete with it and eat into it's sales.

If there were a really good reason, it's a different story, but with the RM there is not. When we migrate clients from vBulletin to XenForo, we routinely replace 80% of their big plugins with the RM, of course lightly extended, sometimes unmodified. The RM's power is largely under-appreciated IMO.

Splitting into a separate suggestion thread.

 

[Chris D]

Points taken but I feel that admins could benefit from custom fields on both threads and resources and possibly other content types too (we support them in the gallery already). I was just making the point that we would still consider this, in case people were wondering.

 

[Digital Doctor]

replace 80% of their big plugins with the RM, of course lightly extended, sometimes unmodified.

The RM's power is largely under-appreciated IMO.

Would love to see some examples.

Before the RM was released, everyone had a planned extension of it. The ideas were endless.
And not one of them happened.

 

[erich37]

Would love to see some examples.

Before the RM was released, everyone had a planned extension of it. The ideas were endless.
And not one of them happened.

When talking about the "filter-ability" of Custom-Fields, I mean something like this:

1)
see the "filters" at the left Sidebar here:
https://xenforo.com/community/threads/wanted-thread-list-sidebar-filter-search.91381/

(I do have a live example based on XF, but it is an Adult-site which is not allowed to link here)


2)
Another example is this one:
https://xenforo.com/community/threads/rm-advanced-filter-options-tags-custom-fields.96740/


3)
Another example - see the left Sidebar which is "filterable" by Custom-Fields:
http://selection.alibaba.com/catalogs/products/CID100004734

 

[PrettyPixels]

I would absolutely find this useful. +1

 

[Alpha1]

This is implemented, except for replies. Here is a new suggestion:
https://xenforo.com/community/threads/custom-fields-for-replies.131790/