Search Form Help mod

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Search Form Help Mod
Summary Provides a Help button on the 'Home', 'Search People' and 'Search Families' pages, that links to a new 'Search Help' file
Validation The mod is XHTML compliant.Valid-xhtml10.png
Mod Updated {{{mod_last_update}}}
Download link For
TNG 9.0
Search_form_help_V9.0.0.3a.zip
Search_form_help_V9.0.0.2a.zip
For
TNG 9.0

and

TNG 8.0
search_form_help_V9.0.0.1bb.zip
Download stats {{{download_stats}}}
Author(s) Graham Chamberlain
Config file by Graham Chamberlain
Homepage Search Form Help mod (This page)
Mod Support My Mod Support
Contact Developer
Latest Mod V9.0.0.2 or V9.0.0.3 for TNG9 / V9.0.0.1b for TNG8 or TNG9
Min TNG V 8.0.0 using integrated Mod Manager
TNG 7.1.0 requires manual installation of Mod Manager
Max TNG V 9.1.0
Files modified
searchform.php; famsearchform.php; index.php for templates 1-7, 9-11; topmenu.php for templates 2, 4, 7 and 8.
Related Mods
None
Notes
None


Purpose of Mod

The mod is provided in three forms:

  • A basic mod (v9.0.0.1b) adds a 'Help' button to the 'Search People' and 'Search Families' pages.
  • A separate version (v9.0.0.2a)of the mod also adds a Help button or text link to each [TNG v9] Template home page.
  • A version (v9.0.0.3a) that provides a separate cfg file for each [TNG v9] Template.

Clicking on the button or text link displays a pop-up Help window with information relevant to search functionality.

Mod Developer

The Mod was developed by Graham Chamberlain with help from William (Rick) Bisbee and Bryan Larson.

Mod Manager config file provided by Graham Chamberlain.

Automated Installation

  1. Download the appropriate file for your TNG version from the download links in the mod summary area in the upper right.
  2. Extract the downloaded zip file to your 'mods folder.
  3. Follow the normal automated installation for Mod Manager, as shown in the example Mod Manager - Installing Config Files to install the appropriate source_title_display.cfg file.

The Help file 'search.help.php' is installed by default to the languages/English folder.

Manual Installation

The Help file 'search.help.php' is provided only in English and will be copied to the languages/English folder. If you want to create a Help file in another language by modifying the default version, you will need to install the new file in the appropriate language folder where it will henceforth be automatically recognised when you are using its associated language.


Pre-install Edits

If you are using the WordPress plug-in, only v9.0.0.1b is suitable. You will need to go to your TNG file customconfig.php and add the following lines before the closing ?> tag:

// added for Search Help Button with WordPress<br />
// add the path to your TNG install - it MUST end with a trailing slash<br />
$helpfilepath = "http://PathToYourTNG/";%


If your installation has the capability of template switching but you use the 'plain' template, you can add the Help button to the Home page Search form by adding the following directive to the basic v9.0.0.1 configuration file:

%target:index.php%
%location:%      
<tr><td><input type="hidden" name="mybool" value="AND" /><input type="hidden" name="offset" value="0" /><input type="submit" name="search" value="<?php echo $text['mnusearch']; ?>" /></td></tr>
%end:%
%replace:%
<tr><td><input type="hidden" name="mybool" value="AND" /><input type="hidden" name="offset" value="0" /><input type="submit" name="search" value="<?php echo $text['mnusearch']; ?>" />
<?php
// the following says if the search.help.php file does not exist in the user's chosen language
// default to the one in the English folder
$helplink = file_exists("{$cms['tngpath']}$mylanguage/search.help.php")
?
"onclick=\"return openHelp('{$cms['tngpath']}$mylanguage/search.help.php');\""
:
"onclick=\"return openHelp('{$cms['tngpath']}languages/English/search.help.php');\""
?>
<?php
// display the Help button
echo "<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"{$cms['tngpath']}js/litbox.js\"></script>\n";
echo "<input type=\"button\" id=\"helpbtn\" class=\"small\" value=\"{$text['help']}\"   $helplink />";
?></tr></td>
%end:%


If you would like to monitor use of the Help file, add the following code to search.help.php immediately before the php closing tag, at the top of the file.

   $logfile = "search_help.log";
   $referer = empty( $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'] ) ? "" : " on {$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']} ";
   $newline = "Search Help accessed " . date("d M y H:i:s") . "$referer from {$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']}
   ";
   file_put_contents( "search_help.log", $newline, FILE_APPEND | LOCK_EX );

NOTE that the closing quote and semi-colon for $newline should be on a separate line to ensure that the details for each access of the Help file are stored on a separate line on the log file.

The log file (search_help.log) will be created and maintained in the same folder as the Help file.

Revision History

Version Date Description
V9.0.0.1b 18 Jan 2013
  • As v9.0.0.1a but with amendment of the Help file path to be compatible for WordPress users.
V9.0.0.3a 25 Jun 2012
  • As v9.0.0.2a but with separate cfg file for each Template.
V9.0.0.2a 25 June 2012
  • Also adds Help button or text link to each Template home page.
V9.0.0.1a 25 June 2012
  • Corrects error in %location for searchform.php in V8.1.0a.
V8.1.0a 30 November 2011
  • Same as V8.1.0 but has a revised Help file (search.help.php).
V8.1.0 26 November 2011
  • Introduction.

Visualization

To see the mod in action, go to

TNG User sites using this mod

Please add TNG sites that you have found that utilize this modification

URL User Note Mod-Version/TNG-Version User-language
Chamberlain & Eidenbenz Genealogy Graham Chamberlain Mod developer V9.0.0.1/9.1.0 EN, FR, DE, SP
Roger's Genealogy Online Roger Moffat V9.0.0.1/9.1.0 EN
Clan Moffat Genealogy Online Roger Moffat V9.0.0.1/9.1.0 EN
Our Roy and Boucher Family Ken Roy Template 4 V9.0.0.1/9.1.0 EN, FR
... ... ... ... ...