Mini-Hack - How to Customize Your "New Posts" Search By Forum

[Just Jeff]

Sometimes on forum software like this, there are subforums that you're not interested in...but you really like the "New Posts" function. Here's a way to use the "New Posts" search and exclude the forums you're not interested in.

For those not familiar, when you're logged into the forum, you can click the "New Posts" link in the middle of the lower toolbar under the Hammock Forums logo at the top of the page. That will perform a search that displays all threads with an unread post since the last time you logged a visit to HF.

That search code looks like this:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/search.php?do=getnew

So if you bookmark HF, you could open the bookmark's properties and copy/paste that address into the URL box, and your bookmark will automatically take you to the New Posts display.

Now...let's say you want all the forum's new posts, EXCEPT for the Paddling section, because you're not a paddler. Simple - just add an "exclude" tag onto your bookmark's URL. You can find each subforum's assigned number by hovering your pointer over it and reading it from the URL on displayed at the bottom of your browser. (Or just click on the forum title and read the URL from the address bar.)

So, to exclude the Paddling subforum, your bookmark will look like this:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...new&exclude=76

Now your "New Posts" search will display all new posts since your last visit, except for anything in the Paddling subforum. You can add additional subforums if you wish...just add a comma between the numbers. Excluding Paddling and Cutlery would look like this:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...&exclude=76,99

Maybe you like Dutchware, but you're scared that someone will post a picture of Dutch's beard and its awesome power might fry your computer before you can purchase any gear. Excluding Paddling, Cutlery and Dutchware would look like this.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...lude=76,99,107

Just customize this link to display only the forums you want to see, and paste that location into your bookmark. It's saved only on your computer (or wherever you save your personal bookmarks) and has no effect on the forum itself.

Hope this helps!

[angrysparrow]

That's one way to do it for new posts.

If you just want to search for something, another way would be to simply go to the Advanced Search page, and simply highlight (ctrl+click, or command+click) all the forums you want to be included in the search. You can also give it restrictions by username, dates, tags, etc there.

[born2roam]

Just Jeff: you made my day.......

I try to read as much as possible of the unread posts but I like to save up on Trip Reports ... Reading/Watching them take a bit more time and I love to dream on with that....

Thanks for posting... gonna try this one!

Grtz Johan

[Running Feather]

Thanks JJ & AS for the info.

A question on the advanced search engine. What is the syntax (Boolean?) needed to search for something such as: "Cutlery" and "Knives" but not "Mora"

Thanks