sub getThreads {
        # main code section for comment display
        # here's where all the deep magic happens.
        # The algorithm is simple, but has a speed issue.
        # 1. select all comments from the db
        # 2. store the comment contents in  %text, keyed by ID
        # 3. Put the id of the parent posting of a given posting in %parent, keyed by ID
        # By nature of the way comments are entered, 
        # we know that a given reply to a comment will always 
        # have a larger ID than its parent,
        # 4. read %parent in reverse order
        #       take the current posting and append it to the parent
        #       since we're in reverse order, parent will always exist. and the 
        #       text will appear after the parent, with the newest replies first on the page
        #       if parent is this post, leave alone -> is a top level post
        #       reply comments are thus added to the top level post

        # 5. read %text in reverse order as well
        #       append the text to the output data
        #       this will give a reverse order thread, but with the rather
        #       cool side effect of putting the latest thread at the top.
        #       so the latest discussion comes first on the page.
        #       so less scrolling for most posters.
        #
        my ($table,$id,$mode,$dirc,$type,$path,$modmode) = @_;
        if($id !~ /^\d{1,10}$/) {
                return &readfile("$doc_root/templates/badvar.html");
        }
        my ($output,$comment,$thread, $indent, $full, $sort, $cursor);
        if($mode eq 'flat') {
                $indent = 0;
                $full = 1;
        } elsif($mode eq 'thread') {
                $indent = 1;
                $full = 0;
        } elsif($mode eq 'nested') {
                $indent = 1;
                $full = 1;
        } elsif($mode eq 'in-order') {
                $indent = 0;
                $full = 0;
                $sort = "ID $dirc";
        } elsif($mode eq 'indexed' || $mode eq '') {
                $indent = 1;
                $full = 1;
        }
        # select all from the table
        my ($c) = &sqlSelectMany("$table.ID,$table.USERNAME,$table.SUBJECT,$table.MESSAGE,$table.TIMESTAMP,$table.STATUS,$table.PARENT,$table.SUB_PARENT,$table.LEVEL,USERS.EMAIL as EMAIL",
                "$table,USERS",
                "ITEM='$id' && STATUS != 'dead' && USERS.USERNAME=$table.USERNAME",
                "order by ID");
        my %parent;
        my %text;
        if($c->rows >= 1) {
                while($cursor=$c->fetchrow_hashref) {
                        my $tid         = $cursor->{'ID'};
                        my $username    = $cursor->{'USERNAME'};
                        my $subject     = $cursor->{'SUBJECT'};
                        my $message     = $cursor->{'MESSAGE'};
                        $message =~ s/\n/<br>/g;
                        my $timestamp   = &post_date($cursor->{'TIMESTAMP'});
                        my $status      = $cursor->{'STATUS'};
                        my $parent      = $cursor->{'PARENT'};
                        my $sub_parent  = $cursor->{'SUB_PARENT'};
                        my $level       = $cursor->{'LEVEL'};
                        my $email       = $cursor->{'EMAIL'};
                        $parent{$tid}=$sub_parent;
                        if($status eq "active" || ($modmode eq 'yes' && $status ne 'kthread')) {
                                if($modmode eq 'yes' && $status ne 'active') {
                                        $subject .= "   &lt;MODERATED&gt;";
                                }
                                if(length($email) <= 4) { $email=""; }
                                # parent is hash containing the parent of this posting
                        }
                        elsif ($status eq 'dthread') {
                                $subject = "&lt;Deleted&gt;";
                                $message = "This message has been moderated down, score -1 :)";
                                $username = "&lt;Deleted&gt;";
                                $email = "";
                        }
                        elsif($status eq 'inactive' || $status eq 'kthread') {
                                my ($leafchk) = &sqlSelectMany("PARENT,ID", $table,
                                        "PARENT = $tid");
                                my $leafrows = $leafchk->rows;

                                my $lfr = $leafchk->fetchrow_hashref;
                                $leafchk->finish;

                                if($leafrows > 1 ||
                                        ($leafrows == 1 &&
                                         $lfr->{'PARENT'} == $lfr->{'ID'})) {
                                        $subject = "&lt;Deleted&gt;";
                                        $message = "This message has been moderated down, score -1";
                                        $username = "&lt;Deleted&gt;";
                                        $email = "";
                                }
                                else {
                                        next;
                                }
                        }
                        else {
                                $subject = "&lt;Error&gt;";
                                $message = "This is an Error and is being looked into.";
                                $username = "lt;Error&gt;";
                                $email = "";
                        }

                        $text{$tid}=&posting($indent,$full,$level,$mode,
                                $id,$tid,$level,$subject,$message,'Yes',
                                $email,$username,$timestamp,$type,$path);
                        # $message is the comment text of this posting
                }

                foreach $node (sort reverse_number (keys (%text)) ) {

                        # for every posting numbered $node
                        # start at the last posting
                        # and go backwards

                        if ( $node == $parent{$node}) {
                                # this is parented by itself. 
                                # leave it alone, because its a top level posting
                        }
                        else {
                                $text{$parent{$node}}.=$text{$node};
                                $text{$node}="";
                                # attach this text to its parent's text
                                # delete it from the text hash
                                # so that we can just run thru the hash to display
                                # the entire posting contents
                        }

                }
                foreach $node ( sort reverse_number (keys %text )) {

                        $output.=$text{$node};

                        # finally , add all the output reverse sequentially

                }

        } else {
                $output = qq| <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align=\"center\">
                        <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
                        <br><br> <b>No threads are currently available.</b><br><br>|;
        }
        $c->finish;
        $output .= qq|</font></td></tr>|;
        return($output);
}