Convert comments to nodes

I decided to post the code here, just in case someone else wanted to see the code. I decided against hacking the comment module, since the changes were fairly extensive, which would cause issues when upgrading. Besides, the same effect can be achieved having a stand alone module and adding three lines to the appropriate function (discussed later in this post). I might submit this as a new feature patch to the comments module, but I don't know if it is something desired for core. *shrug*

Copy and paste the following code into a file named comment_split.module. Enable it, and it will work for both stories and forums (Drupal 4.6).

function comment_split_help($section) {
  switch ($section) {
    case 'admin/modules#description':
      // This description is shown in the listing at admin/modules.
      return t('This module gives the added ability to split a comment in a forum into a separate forum topic, moving the appropriate child comments to follow.');
      break;
  }
}

function comment_split_perm() {
  return array('split forum comments', 'split story comments');
}

function comment_split_menu($maycache) {
  $items = array();
  if ($maycache) {
      $items[] = array('path' => ('comment/convert'), 'title' => t('convert'),
      'callback' => 'comment_split_convert', 'access' => user_access('administer nodes'),
      'type' => MENU_CALLBACK);
  }
  return $items;
}

function comment_split_link($type, $node = NULL, $teaser = FALSE){
  $links = array();
  if ($type == 'comment'){
    if (arg(0) == 'node' && is_numeric(arg(1))) {
      $cid = $node->cid;
      $comment = $node->comment;
      $node = node_load(array('nid' => arg(1)));
      if (( ($node->type == 'forum' && user_access('split forum comments')) ||
            ($node->type == 'story' && user_access('split story comments'))
           ) && !(strpos($comment, '<!-- MOVED -->') !== false)) {
        $links[] = l(t('convert to node'), "comment/convert/$cid");
      }
    }
  }
  return $links;
}

function _comment_split_convert_recursive($cid, $nid, $thread, $parentthread, $clearparent = false){
  // $cid = the comment ID to change
  // $nid = the new node id
  // $thread = the comment's current thread string
  // $parentthread = the portion of the thread that should be discarded under the new node
  // $clearparent = whether or not to set the pid to 0 (only "true" first time)
  $thread = substr($thread, strlen($parentthread));
  $query = 'UPDATE {comments} SET nid=' . $nid;
  $query .= ($clearparent ? ', pid=0' : '');
  $query .= ', thread="' . $thread . '" WHERE cid=' . $cid;
  db_query ($query);
  $query = "SELECT cid, thread from {comments} WHERE pid=$cid";
  $resource = db_query($query);
  while ($result = db_fetch_array($resource)) {
    _comment_split_convert_recursive($result['cid'], $nid, $result['thread'], $parentthread);
  }
}

function comment_split_convert($cid) {
  $op = $_POST['op'] ? $_POST['op'] : 0;
  $edit = $_POST['edit'];
  $content = '';
  $cid = (int)$cid;
  $query = 'SELECT * FROM {comments} c WHERE c.cid=' . $cid . ' LIMIT 1';
  if ($node = db_fetch_object(db_query($query))){
    if (!(strpos($node->comment, '<!-- MOVED -->') !== false)) {
      if ($edit['convert']) {
        // action confirmed, begin conversion...
        $savenodeforlater = $node;
        $parentnid = $node->nid;

        // convert the comment into a node
        $node2 = node_load(array('nid' => $node->nid));
        $node->tid = $node2->tid;
        $node->type = $node2->type;
        $node->title = $node->subject;
        $node->body = $node->comment;
        $node->created = $node->timestamp;
        $node->changed = $node->timestamp;
        $node->status = $node2->status;
        $node->comment = $node2->comment;
        $node->promote = $node2->promote;
        unset ($node->nid);
        $newnid = node_submit($node);
        if (function_exists('taxonomy_node_save')){
          taxonomy_node_save($newnid, array($node->tid));
        }

        // transfer child comments to the new node
        $query = "SELECT cid, thread from {comments} WHERE pid=$cid";
        $resource = db_query($query);
        while ($result = db_fetch_array($resource)) {
          _comment_split_convert_recursive($result['cid'], $newnid, $result['thread'], $node->thread, true);
        }

        // change old comment to let the user know that it has been moved
        $edit = object2array($savenodeforlater);
        $edit['subject'] = t('Comment Moved');
        $edit['comment'] = '<!-- MOVED -->' . t('This comment has been moved to a new location %s.', array('%s' => l(t('here'), 'node/' . $newnid)));
        $edit['status'] = 0;
        comment_save($cid, $edit);

        // clean-up
        _comment_update_node_statistics($parentnid);
        _comment_update_node_statistics($newnid);
        cache_clear_all();

        // job's done, let's go!
        $node = node_load(array('nid' => $newnid));
        if (node_access('view', $node)) {
          drupal_goto('node/'. $newnid);
        }
        else if (db_result(db_query('SELECT nid FROM {node} WHERE nid = %d', $newnid))) {
          drupal_access_denied();
        }
        else {
          drupal_goto();
        }
      }
      else {
        // confirm request
        $node2 = node_load(array('nid' => $node->nid));
        $content = theme('confirm',
          t('Are you sure you want to convert this Comment into a new Node (%s)?', array('%s' => t($node2->type))),
          'node/'. $node->nid,
          t('This action cannot be undone.'),
          t('Convert'),
          t('Cancel'),
          NULL,
          'convert');
        print theme('page', $content);
      }
    }
    else {
      // double request
      drupal_set_message(t('The comment has already been converted.'));
    }
  }
  else {
    drupal_set_message(t('The comment no longer exists.'));
  }
  print theme('page', $content);
}

function comment_split_links_cleanup($links){
  foreach ($links AS $key => $val){
    if (strpos($val, 'comment/edit/') !== false) {
      unset($links[$key]);
    }
    if (strpos($val, 'comment/reply/') !== false) {
      unset($links[$key]);
    }
  }
  return $links;
}

(Believe it or not, but I did put blank lines between the functions and sections of code, but the <php> tags remove them all.)

If you want to hide the "edit" and "reply" links for when a comment has been moved, then add the following around line 704 of comment.module, in the comment_links() function, just before the return $links; statement:

  if (function_exists('comment_split_links_cleanup') && strpos($comment->comment, '<!-- MOVED -->') !== false) {
    $links = comment_split_links_cleanup($links);
  }

Using function_exists keeps this from breaking the module should you deactivate the comment_split module.

This module makes use of user roles so that you can allow moderators to split comments, if desired.

Sorry it took a few days to get this out... things got hectic at work.

Let me know if there are any problems!