/**
    * @return List of DiscussionForumBean
    */
   public List getForums()
   {
     LOG.debug("getForums()");
 
     if (forums != null && forums.size() > 0) {
       return forums;
     }
 
     // query the database for all of the forums that are associated with the current site
     List<DiscussionForum> tempForums = forumManager.getForumsForMainPage();
     if (tempForums == null || tempForums.size() < 1) {
       return null;
     }
 
     // establish some values that we will check multiple times to shave a few processing cycles
     boolean readFullDescription = "true".equalsIgnoreCase(ServerConfigurationService.getString("mc.defaultLongDescription"));
 
     // run through the topics once to get their parent forums, create the decorated topics that will be used later, and
     // possibly set the message count
     SortedSet<DiscussionForum> tempSortedForums = new TreeSet<DiscussionForum>(new ForumBySortIndexAscAndCreatedDateDesc());
     Map<Long, DiscussionTopicBean> topicBeans = new HashMap<Long, DiscussionTopicBean>();
     Set<Long> topicIdsForCounts = new HashSet<Long>();
     for (DiscussionForum forum: tempForums) {
       if (!forum.getDraft()
           || SecurityService.isSuperUser()
           || isInstructor()
           || forum.getCreatedBy().equals(getUserId()))
       { // this is the start of the big forum if
 
         tempSortedForums.add(forum);
 
         for (Iterator itor = forum.getTopicsSet().iterator(); itor.hasNext(); ) {
           DiscussionTopic currTopic = (DiscussionTopic)itor.next();
 
           if (currTopic.getDraft().equals(Boolean.FALSE)
               || isInstructor()
               || SecurityService.isSuperUser()
               || currTopic.getCreatedBy().equals(getUserId()))
           { // this is the start of the big topic if
             DiscussionTopicBean decoTopic = new DiscussionTopicBean(currTopic, (DiscussionForum)currTopic.getOpenForum(), uiPermissionsManager, forumManager);
             if (readFullDescription) decoTopic.setReadFullDesciption(true);
 
             // set the message count for moderated topics, otherwise it will be set later
             if (currTopic.getModerated() && !uiPermissionsManager.isModeratePostings(currTopic, (DiscussionForum)currTopic.getOpenForum())) {
               decoTopic.setTotalNoMessages(forumManager.getTotalViewableMessagesWhenMod(currTopic));
               decoTopic.setUnreadNoMessages(forumManager.getNumUnreadViewableMessagesWhenMod(currTopic));
             } else {
               topicIdsForCounts.add(currTopic.getId());
             }
 
             topicBeans.put(currTopic.getId(), decoTopic);
           } // end the big topic if
         }
       } // end the big forum if
     }
 
     // get the total message count of non-moderated topics and add them to the discussion topic bean and
     // initialize the unread number of messages to all of them.
     List<Object[]> topicMessageCounts = forumManager.getMessageCountsForMainPage(topicIdsForCounts);
     for (Object[] counts: topicMessageCounts) {
       DiscussionTopicBean decoTopic = topicBeans.get(counts[0]);
       decoTopic.setTotalNoMessages((Integer)counts[1]);
       decoTopic.setUnreadNoMessages((Integer)counts[1]);
     }
 
     // get the total read message count for the current user of non-moderated and add them to the discussion
     // topic bean as the number of unread messages.  I could've combined this with the previous query but
     // stupid Hibernate (3.x) won't let us properly outer join mapped entitys that do not have a direct
     // association.  BLURG!  Any topic not in the returned list means the user hasn't read any of the messages
     // in that topic which is why I set the default unread message count to all the messages in the previous
     // loop.
     topicMessageCounts = forumManager.getReadMessageCountsForMainPage(topicIdsForCounts);
     for (Object[] counts: topicMessageCounts) {
       DiscussionTopicBean decoTopic = topicBeans.get(counts[0]);
       decoTopic.setUnreadNoMessages(decoTopic.getTotalNoMessages() - (Integer)counts[1]);
     }
 
     // get the assignments for use later
     try {
       assignments = new ArrayList<SelectItem>();
       assignments.add(new SelectItem(DEFAULT_GB_ITEM, getResourceBundleString(SELECT_ASSIGN)));
 
       GradebookService gradebookService = (org.sakaiproject.service.gradebook.shared.GradebookService)
       ComponentManager.get("org.sakaiproject.service.gradebook.GradebookService");
       if(getGradebookExist()) {
         List gradeAssignmentsBeforeFilter = gradebookService.getAssignments(ToolManager.getCurrentPlacement().getContext());
         for(int i=0; i<gradeAssignmentsBeforeFilter.size(); i++) {
           Assignment thisAssign = (Assignment) gradeAssignmentsBeforeFilter.get(i);
           if(!thisAssign.isExternallyMaintained()) {
             try {
               assignments.add(new SelectItem(Integer.toString(assignments.size()), thisAssign.getName()));
             } catch(Exception e) {
               LOG.error("DiscussionForumTool - processDfMsgGrd:" + e);
               e.printStackTrace();
             }
           }
         }
       }
     } catch(SecurityException se) {
       LOG.debug("SecurityException caught while getting assignments.", se);
     } catch(Exception e1) {
       LOG.error("DiscussionForumTool&processDfMsgGrad:" + e1);
       e1.printStackTrace();
     }
 
     // now loop through the forums that we found earlier and turn them into forums ready to be displayed to the end user
     forums = new ArrayList<DiscussionForumBean>();
     int sortIndex = 1;
     for (DiscussionForum forum: tempSortedForums) {
       // manually set the sort index now that the list is sorted
       forum.setSortIndex(new Integer(sortIndex));
       sortIndex++;
 
       DiscussionForumBean decoForum = new DiscussionForumBean(forum, uiPermissionsManager, forumManager);
       if (readFullDescription) decoForum.setReadFullDesciption(true);
 
       if (forum.getTopics() != null) {
         for (Iterator itor = forum.getTopics().iterator(); itor.hasNext(); ) {
           DiscussionTopic topic = (DiscussionTopic) itor.next();
           DiscussionTopicBean decoTopic = topicBeans.get(topic.getId());
           if (decoTopic != null) decoForum.addTopic(decoTopic);
         }
       }
 
       decoForum.setGradeAssign(DEFAULT_GB_ITEM);
       for(int i=0; i<assignments.size(); i++) {
         if (assignments.get(i).getLabel().equals(forum.getDefaultAssignName())) {
           decoForum.setGradeAssign(new Integer(i).toString());
           break;
         }
       }
 
       forums.add(decoForum);
     }
 
     return forums;
   }