Messages Per Page

[RoyalRumble]

On vBulletin, users were able to select a preference on how many posts per page would be displayed per thread.

Since migration this is the only area my members have found disappointing - The standard is 20, as a compromise to my members I've set it to 30 but it's never going to please everyone.

I recall reading on here (I searched but couldn't find it again) an explanation as to why this was from a XF moderator and why any effort to provide user preference would not be good.

With that, I'm after some advice really. Why is it XenForo doesn't allow what would seem a basic feature?

 

[Paul B]

This was Mike's latest comment on it: http://xenforo.com/community/thread...r-page-on-a-per-user-basis.67345/#post-719785

 

[RoyalRumble]

This was Mike's latest comment on it: http://xenforo.com/community/thread...r-page-on-a-per-user-basis.67345/#post-719785

Ah there it is, thanks @Brogan

Any chance either you or @Mike could offer further comment on what;

It's unlikely to be available as it (potentially) breaks linking in various ways.

... means?

Just so I have that understanding/can pass it on to my community

 

[Paul B]

Well in its simplest form, this link would be different for everyone: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/welcome-to-xf-1-3-assorted-improvements.67121/page-5

This one might not even exist for some, as they may have the per page value set very high: http://xenforo.com/community/thread...ssorted-improvements.67121/page-7#post-730221

 

[Valhalla]

If it cannot be changed from a user's point of view, is it advisable to decide upon a value site-wide and then remain with it indefinitely?

(i.e. Would changing that value from Admin have any unexpected results for already-existing links? I think the answer is 'no', but maybe.)

 

[Paul B]

Yes, it would affect existing links posted for the same reasons I posted above.

 

[RoyalRumble]

Ah damn. I originally set it at 30 on install, not noticing the upgrade to 1.3 reverts it to 20. Hopefully the few days at 20 hasn't caused issue.

 

[Paul B]

Options shouldn't reset when upgrading.

Are you sure you were looking at the correct option?
There are two - one for threads per page and one for posts per page.

 

[feldon30]

I've commented about this before (and then been soundly railed against for my negativity) but it's one of the very few design flaws in XenForo -- linking requires a fixed number of posts per page, thus this can never be provided as a user or admin option. XenForo is the only forum software I know that operates this way.

 

[Valhalla]

I've commented about this before (and then been soundly railed against for my negativity) but it's one of the very few design flaws in XenForo -- linking requires a fixed number of posts per page, thus this can never be provided as a user or admin option. XenForo is the only forum software I know that operates this way.

I agree, but I'm unsure how it could be improved.

At least with this decision (providing posts per page is kept the same all of the time) any link you refer to would be the same for everyone, whereas, if it were somehow possible to adjust it as an individual it would still need to refer to 'page' in the URL.

 

[Jeremy]

I've commented about this before (and then been soundly railed against for my negativity) but it's one of the very few design flaws in XenForo -- linking requires a fixed number of posts per page, thus this can never be provided as a user or admin option. XenForo is the only forum software I know that operates this way.

ACP -> Options -> Threads, Discussions, and Conversations -> Messages Per Page.

It exists as an admin option; not a user option due to the reasons already stated.

 

[feldon30]

I agree, but I'm unsure how it could be improved.

We're pretty much locked in. Unless XenForo changed their page numbering from /page-1/ to /start/20/ in every thread link, I'm not sure there not really any way to allow it as a user option. It's not the end of the world or anything, but it's a design decision that Kier and Mike made early on that has sent us down a certain path. One of their few missteps IMO.

 

[Amaury]

How does other forum software, like vBulletin, that does allow the user to change it do it?

 

[Claudio]

How does other forum software, like vBulletin, that does allow the user to change it do it?

Trough user control panel

 

[Amaury]

Trough user control panel

No, I mean, regarding this comment.

it's one of the very few design flaws in XenForo -- linking requires a fixed number of posts per page, thus this can never be provided as a user or admin option. XenForo is the only forum software I know that operates this way.

 

[Daniel Hood]

How does other forum software, like vBulletin, that does allow the user to change it do it?

We're pretty much locked in. Unless XenForo changed their page numbering from /page-1/ to /start/20/ in every thread link, I'm not sure there not really any way to allow it as a user option. It's not the end of the world or anything, but it's a design decision that Kier and Mike made early on that has sent us down a certain path. One of their few missteps IMO.

https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=10385&start=1800

 

[Valhalla]

It does seem to make more sense to refer to post number, rather than the more superficial page number.

 

[Daniel Hood]

you can link to posts now, maybe this should be more commonly done:

http://xenforo.com/community/posts/736214

it then redirects to the more seo friendly version of the url which contains the page number.

 

[Valhalla]

you can link to posts now, maybe this should be more commonly done:

http://xenforo.com/community/posts/736214

it then redirects to the more seo friendly version of the url which contains the page number.

But how about the 'number' (#) of a post in a discussion? Is there a way to link to "the fifth post" in a discussion, for example?

(Maybe we can do that already?)

 

[TeflonDon]

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/threads-posts-and-conversations-per-page-in-preferences.2112/

I use this addon. Coming from vb3 this was a heavily requested feature by my users. @Nobita.Kun has been able to change most of the linking issues raised by Mike by changing them to the format @Daniel Hood pointed out. Still waiting on the post # permalink to get changed but other than that there's no problems with it.