Forum system - how to track already read vs new messages, per user

[eluser]xwero[/eluser]
The CI forum gives you the choice if you want to see the topic or the last post on the time the overview is requested. If you want to make a forum that only shows the last post, the most relevant link IMO, you don't need the thread.

I was thinking of checking the posts id with the latest post ids in the overview is easier than checking the thread id + the read date. in pseudo code this would be

Code:

foreach($page_threads as $thread)
{
     $status_image = 'read_image';
     if($thead->latest_post_date > $user->all_read_date && ! in_array($thread->latest_post_id,$read_post_ids))
     {
        $status_image = 'unread_image';
     }
}

If a new post is added between the time the member checks the page and the thread/post link is clicked that post id should be registered and not the post id of the link.

It's not the idea that the member has to click on every post to mark a thread as read.