sub {
## this routine will connect to a GForum database, from inside a GLinks template/global
## it will grab the newest posts, 10 of them, and return the ID, Subject and Time of the post.
## You need to loop through the returned value, using standard GT::Template tags, style, etc.

my $limit = shift;
$limit = 10 if (ref $limit); ## the template parser has a nasty habit of passing in a hash_ref of all tags if no
## value is supplied to the routines. So, we need to check a scalar was passed in.
## a scalar returns "undef" when checked as a reference, so if a ref value exists, it's not a salar
use lib '/path/to/gforum/admin';
my $DB_GFORUM = GT::SQL->new('/path/to/gforum/admin/defs'); ## force a table object from ANOTHER database
## the GForum must be on the same server/account/etc to work this way
my $posts_table = $DB_GFORUM->table('Post'); ## now, create a table object to that new $DB object

$posts_table->select_options("ORDER BY post_latest_reply", "LIMIT $limit"); ## set the select options to order the results to pick off the newest

my $sth = $posts_table->select('post_id', 'post_subject', 'post_time' => { ## remember, => is just a snooty comma
## forum_id_fk => 123, ## limit to a forum, if you want
post_root_id => 0 } ## don't find replies
);

## now, to generalize this routine, so it can be used in other areas, not just this particular one,
## we want to return a <%loop%>able variable, so we can pick out the datafields and format as we need to.
## to locate a post in GForum, all we need is it's ID, and then call it with .../gforum.cgi?post=$id
## real simple, and similar to using jump.cgi?ID=$id
## FYI: remember, you might need to $subject = GT::CGI::html_escape($subject); in some cases/situations.

use GT::Date qw/date_get/ ; ## qw/:all/; ## need to do a date transform

my @output;
while (my $post = $sth->fetchrow_hashref) {

$post->{post_time} = date_get($post->{post_time});

# if you have an active forum, you might want to put the time. I *know* there is a better way,
# and it should be possible to show the date for posts not made today, and time for posts made
# today, but that is up to you. This is just an example of where, and how you could do it.
# my ($sec,$min,$hour,$mday,$mon,$year,$wday,$yday,$isdst) = localtime $post->{post_time};
# $post->{post_time} = "$hour:$min:$sec";

push @output, $post;
}

return ({'GForum_loop' => \@output}); ## return the dereferenced array, the actual data as a tag called <%GForum_loop%>
## which you'd use as <%loop GForum_loop%>...<%endloop%>
## contains the hash_keys post_id, post_subject and post_time

## sample template output line:
## <li><a href="http://url/to/gforum.cgi?post=<%post_id%>"><%escape_html post_subject%></a> at <%post_time%></li>
## if you are using the search engine templates, you can do something like:
## <li><a href="/forum/Post_P<%post_id%>"><%escape_html post_subject%></a> at <%post_time%></li>
## the templates parse out the stuff BEFORE the _P(*\d) and all it looks at is the number after the _P
}