Is there a Product XML DTD, Schema, or guidelines document?

[ckbcowboy]

So, I've created a mod by downloading an existing mod, cleaning out its XML data, and then adding in all my own data. Everything works wonderfully, and I expect to be uploading my mod very soon.

The thing is, I want to provide helpful documentation in that XML file. There are a lot of nodes, some of which look promising (helptopics for example) but I'm not sure how they're meant to work. And the few mods I've downloaded to look at don't have any help content.

Is there a Product XML DTD, Schema, or guidelines document? Perhaps a sample Product with simple "hello world" functionality and phrases, options, help topics, faq entries, etc?

I'e been searching these forums for maybe half an hour, with no success.. and this is something that I think should be one of the first things I see here, a prominent FAQ entry or announcement! Something along the lines of "Getting started: Creating your first mod"

I'd appreciate any help you can offer, thanks!

- Cowboy

[Adrian Schneider]

The XML files are generated by vBulletin; you don't have to write them yourself. There should be lots of information about this in the articles area of this website.

[ckbcowboy]

SirAdrian: I prefer to code in a text editor, when possible. All I'm really looking for though is a description of the XML format.

Besides, I've been looking through the vBulletin Plugin & Products system, and I only see options to Edit Product, Dependencies, Install/Uninstall Code, and manage Plugins. I don't see anything in there about creating any kind of inline help or documentation.

- Cowboy

[Taragon]

Hello ckbcowboy,

This might help you a bit https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost.php?p=1293628&postcount=3

[ckbcowboy]

Taragon: thanks. I read through all those threads, but didn't really learn much that I didn't already know. There seems to be plenty of help regarding the vB API, and how to hook and create templates, but I'm more specifically looking for documentation on how the other nodes in the Product XML file work.

Surely there's got to be some documentation out there that describes the Product XML format.. right?

- Cowboy

[MoT3rror]

Well it is meant to be download through the admin CP not to be created by editing a xml file.

[Dismounted]

Enable debug mode - it will reveal a lot of options.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Everything in the XML will be generated for you by vBulletin when you export your product. There is really no reason to edit the XML manually.

[Paul M]

Surely there's got to be some documentation out there that describes the Product XML format.. right?
Actually, no, I dont think there is (not public anyway).

[Opserty]

The from the XML file is all stored in the database anyway. You increase the risk of bugs and errors if you try and write the file yourself.

I don't see why you want to go and spend the time writing it out character by character, at the end of the day its just going to be fed straight back into vBulletin.

The XML file itself is used only once and probably not even see by the user, once you import a product you can edit everything through the AdminCP anyway.

[ckbcowboy]

Dismounted, I will try debug mode, and see if that helps. Thanks!

Opserty: the reason I want to edit my XML files manually is that I already use svn for version control, and I prefer to keep track of revisions to all of my files there, whether they are going to be imported into vBulletin or not (this minor vBulletin mod is just one of my projects).

vBulletin seems to lack the ability to export a product XML file to a path on the webserver, and I find the export-download/import-upload process rather cumbersome.

Besides, I've already looked at the source of the vBulletin .php files to see exactly how the hooks system works, and how I need to code my product. It's only a natural next step for me to understand how the product XML format works. Documentation on that XML format would definitely be helpful.. but if I can make the changes in debug mode, and then export my product to an .xml file, I should be able to analyze those results and learn more.

- Cowboy

[Adrian Schneider]

Cowboy,

What I have done in the past is created a tool that creates all product data as separate files, so each phrase, template, plugin, etc. is a file that is controlled through SVN. The system would also read and save these files to the DB at runtime on my development server. This avoids the need for XML for but exporting to production servers.

At first we used XML, but it was such a major PITA I came up with another solution for my team.

Really, this is something Jelsoft needs to address if they want to encourage any serious development from the community.