Understand Topic Dates, Status Pills, Message Counts, and Metadata
QCLF Topic rows combine durable Topic identity with live-state metadata. The row can show creation/start dates, Topic type, live status, activity counts, Unread/Pinned/Featured markers, and an opening-Message preview.
The Topic page adds its own Message/View/Locked metadata and increments the Topic view counter when the Topic is opened.
Topic Type and Dates
Each row identifies the Topic type: Traditional Topic, Live Chat, Watch Party, or Live Broadcast. QCLF shows Created using Joomla-aware date display; live Topic rows also show Starts when a scheduled start exists.
Live Status Pills
| State | Row status |
|---|---|
| Scheduled/lobby/starting | “Starting in …” based on scheduled start. |
| Live | “Live” while the session is active and more than 15 minutes remain. |
| Live near effective end | “Ending Soon” when 15 minutes or less remain. |
| Ending | “Ending Soon”. |
| Ended/archiving/archived/completed | “Ended”. |
Message and Live Activity Counts
For non-live rows, the activity count is reply_count + 1, because the opening Topic Message is part of the conversation. The Topic page likewise shows the opening Message plus approved permanent replies as the Message total.
For an actively-live standalone Live Chat, the row can show participants in Chat. Active Watch Party/Broadcast rows show viewer count as Watching and exclude the Host from that viewer count.
Other Topic Markers
- Unread reflects the signed-in user’s read state.
- Pinned and Featured reflect moderator/admin Topic flags.
- Locked appears in Topic-page metadata when the Topic is manually locked.
- The row can include a plain-text preview of the opening Topic Message.
Views and Status Are Operational Metadata
Opening a Topic increments its stored view count. Live status is derived from Topic/session lifecycle fields such as scheduled/effective/actual end rather than from a static label.
Counts and pills are useful orientation, but permissions still determine whether the user can open or interact with the Topic.
Community Discussion
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