Boardtalk.org

SmartPreview Extension Development Log

Welcome to the development thread for the SmartPreview phpBB extension. This topic will serve as the home for progress updates, feature outlines, and download links for each stage of development. Feel free to follow along, provide feedback, and test each release.

1. Purpose

• Modern Landing Page – Replace phpBB’s default forum index with a scrollable “Recent” feed.
• Clean Previews – Show a truncated preview (~30 words) of the first post alongside the latest reply in each topic.
• Unread Indicators – Highlight topics or replies unread since your last visit, matching your board’s theme colors.
• Live AJAX Updates – Automatically fetch and display new replies in real time without a full page reload.
• Inline Reply Navigation – Click on a preview to jump directly to that post in the topic.

2. Current Features (Stage 1)

• Extension scaffold & registration (boardtalk\smartpreview)
• ACP enable/disable toggle To Do
• Custom controller to render “Recent” page at root To Do
• Template events for injecting preview markup (first post + most recent reply) To Do
• Basic truncation logic (first 30 words)
• Unread highlighting via core session tracking To Do

Download SmartPreview v1.0: 3. Roadmap

• v1.1 – AJAX live feed integration
   • Poll new replies every 30 seconds
   • Smooth “New reply” indicator and auto-insert into feed
• v1.2 – Toggleable full-preview dropdown
   • Click to expand/collapse the full first post above each reply preview
   • Configurable preview length in ACP settings
• v1.3 – Responsive enhancements
   • Swipe gestures on mobile
   • Optional “compact” vs. “expanded” view modes
• v1.4 – Compatibility layer
   • Detect and gracefully integrate with RecentTopics, AJAX Quick Reply, etc.

4. Future Add-ons & Plugins

• External Link Previews (blog posts, news articles)
   • Fetch Open Graph/Meta tags for thumbnails and descriptions
   • Display link cards inline with post content
• Admin Notices & Blog Feed
   • New “Notices” table in database, managed via ACP
   • Display admin announcements or external blog items alongside forum topics
• Plugin Framework
   • Allow third-party devs to hook into SmartPreview’s feed
   • Custom preview renderers, analytics, social integrations

5. Testing & Feedback
Please test each release against your themes and report:

• Layout or style issues
• JavaScript / AJAX errors in console
• Performance concerns on large forums
• Feature requests or compatibility suggestions

Your feedback will directly shape upcoming milestones. Thanks for helping build a sleek, modern preview experience for phpBB!

Image preview

With working no-avatar

now with BB Codes working

With working Unread/Read replies (uncolored)

Now with unread replies coloured to highlight them.

Display admin announcements or external blog items alongside forum topics
Plugin Framework
 • Allow third-party devs to hook into SmartPreview’s feed
 • Custom preview renderers, analytics, social integrations
5. Testing & Feedback

serve as the home for progress updates, feature outlines, and download links for each stage of development. Feel free to follow along, provide feedback, and test each release.

1. Purpose
Modern Landing Page – Replace phpBB’s default forum index with a scrollable “Recent” feed.
Clean Previews – Show a truncated preview (~30 words) of the first post alongside the latest reply in

now with stats, read/unread icons and unread replies numbered, colored red with icon

Fixed issue with smilies as best as we can