Blog Comments vBAdvanced CMPS (formatted)

[optrex]

Add blog comments to your portal !

One of the main problems with the vB blog module is its poor integration with the main forum. This module allows you to show the last 5 blog comments (number is configurable) in a module on your vba portal page. It displays a short version of the comment, the blog title, and the person who commented, with built in links to the commment, user profile and the blog post itself.

This was the first and is still the only blog comments module for vBAdvanced

Features

Comments will not display if they have not been approved.
Configurable number of comments
Includes smilies
Includes URL formatting
Allows for text format such as bold
Configurable word count in comments

Instructions
Click install
Download the attached zip file
Edit blog_comments.php and change the variables to allow connection to your database.
Upload blog_comments.php to your modules directory.


From your admincp - vba cmps
Add new module
PHP file
Title - call it what you want
Active - yes
File to include - blog_comments.php
Identifier - call it what you want
Initialize BB Code Parser - YES
Select clean file output
Link - choose either blog home or comments page as you wish
Save and add to the page of your choice, the module has been designed to be a center block on the basis that long URL titles will push the margins. You can however place it where you want.

28th Feb 2009 - VERSION 2
Version 2 has been completely re-coded to make install land confiuration simpler. Rather than 2 files, there is now only one. This must be installed in the modules folder.
Allows blog titles
Allows configurable word count to be displayed
Links to user profile, blog and comment included.
Made variable changes easier in file.


22nd Feb 2009
Version upgrade from https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=173381
Allows smilies
Allows URL's
Allows formatting [BBCODE] Bold etc

[optrex]

Working example at Midlands Weather Forum (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk)

Version 2: Upgrade path
Delete the 2 files previously used and start again with this new single file install.

Now added
Configurable word limit in latest comments
Blog titles and links to blog areas - profile, blog post, comment etc.


Instructions to display comments from specific category: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost.php?p=1756704&postcount=17

Instructions to display avatars if using vbseo: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost.php?p=1763847&postcount=25


enjoy :D

[yotsume]

I updated to this new fixed version and it works perfectly!

THANK YOU!!!!

Suggestion: You should change your description to say:

This module allows you to show the last 5 blog comments (the amount is configurable)

Now all we need is a updated Latest Blogs module for vba to match the recent threads vba module and the blogs will be truly finally pimped!

[macc]

hello!

tried but works not ... what must change in comments.php (mean table prefix)?

my database have no table prefix - "FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "blog_text.." - what make here?

get comments in top of my cmps page .... ??

must be center block?

regards

macc

[optrex]

Hey Macc,

If its appearing at the top of the page, you need to select the clean output from within vba (as per vba instructions with any php module). This also means it must be working, so no need to change " . TABLE_PREFIX . " however you can remove it if you want (exactly what I put in bold)

You can place the block where you like, but long URL titles (not the length of the URL themselves) will push the margins, hence its been "designed" for center placement.

**Updated** to those who have already installed this version, there is no need to update, I just re-uploaded the file with some typo corrections in the comments.

[BWJ]

Thank you for this mod!... :)

1) Question/suggestion:

How about including the title and author of the blog entry? To make it easier for the viewer to see what the comment is all about.

Example from your homepage:

If we take the latest comment in this latest blog comment module

Comment (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/blog.php?bt=980) by Stourbridge Weather (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/member-stourbridge-weather.html)
Thanks. The Snow was quite bad near you Dolly.

Suggestion 1A:

SW's Ski Trip to Italy (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/blog.php?bt=980) by Stourbridge Weather (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/member-stourbridge-weather.html)
Comment (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/blog.php?bt=980) by Stourbridge Weather (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/member-stourbridge-weather.html)
Thanks. The Snow was quite bad near you Dolly.

or like this - Suggestion 1B:

Comment (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/blog.php?bt=980) by Stourbridge Weather (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/member-stourbridge-weather.html) in SW's Ski Trip to Italy (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/blog.php?bt=980) by Stourbridge Weather (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/member-stourbridge-weather.html)
Thanks. The Snow was quite bad near you Dolly.

2) Question:

Is it possible to take advantage of the blog categories and only retrieve the information from entries from only one specific blog category (instead of all the categories as it is now)?

[ArnyVee]

BWJ, I agree with your suggestion about adding the title of the blog post. :D

Great job optrex! I'll be watching this one ;)

[inciarco]

Ideas: Can You Add 2 Options? :confused:

1. Option to Limit the Number of Characters Displayed on the Comment. (Imagine a Comment of 1,000 or more Characters to be Displayed on CMPS :eek:)

2. Option to Limit the Length of Words in the Comments. Very Big Words or Words that are not Separated would Break the CMPS Layout, so it'd be Good to be able to Limit that.

Good Improvements, Thank You For Sharing Them. :up:

:)

[optrex]

Thank you for this mod!... :)

1) Question/suggestion:

How about including the title and author of the blog entry? To make it easier for the viewer to see what the comment is all about.

Example from your homepage:

If we take the latest comment in this latest blog comment module

Comment (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/blog.php?bt=980) by Stourbridge Weather (http://www.midlandsweather.org.uk/member-stourbridge-weather.html)
Thanks. The Snow was quite bad near you Dolly.

Suggestion 1A:

or like this - Suggestion 1B:

2) Question:

Is it possible to take advantage of the blog categories and only retrieve the information from entries from only one specific blog category (instead of all the categories as it is now)?

Q1 - That's something I've tried to do before. I think it is possible, because vb does something similar in the "all blogs comments" pages. But as yet, I can't work it out with my basic php knowledge as the blog text table displays a blank title field for comments.

Q2 I will look into, but it may have to be a manual edit based on category id rather than name. I take it you are also thinking admin categories rather than user ones - or both?

[optrex]

1. Option to Limit the Number of Characters Displayed on the Comment. (Imagine a Comment of 1,000 or more Characters to be Displayed on CMPS :eek:)

2. Option to Limit the Length of Words in the Comments. Very Big Words or Words that are not Separated would Break the CMPS Layout, so it'd be Good to be able to Limit that.


1) Good suggestion, I'll have a look.
2) This one I think is more difficult. Can you give a legit example that would break a center column positioning?

[BWJ]

Q1 - That's something I've tried to do before. I think it is possible, because vb does something similar in the "all blogs comments" pages. But as yet, I can't work it out with my basic php knowledge as the blog text table displays a blank title field for comments.

Okay... I thought there was a reason... :)


Q2 I will look into, but it may have to be a manual edit based on category id rather than name. I take it you are also thinking admin categories rather than user ones - or both?

Admin categories will be fine. I don't mind a manual edit. Optrex - thank you for looking into this... :up: It would really be great if you are able to do it.

[optrex]

Well it took me a while, But I have integrated the suggestions made above.

We now have word limits (better than character limits) for the number of words displayed and we also have the blog entry titles etc as requested. I have also re-written the code to be one file rather than the 2 previously. The variables are also clearer and easier to change. Install time is now less than 5 mins for a noobie :)

[yotsume]

You have a typo here:

$limit = 5; //replace 5 with the umber of comments

Should say: number

I will have to update again and give this new version a try.

Thanks for the much needed great work!

[miloheckport]

We are just getting our blog going and comments are not frequent. Can you code a version that displays Recent Blog Entries vs. Recent Comments. and if there is a recent comment display the comment

[optrex]

I have a mod that picks up new blog entries and puts them into your "new posts". See my signature. Otherwise I need to take a look and put something fresh together, I have some ideas in mind.

[inciarco]

Great Improvements, Congratulations. :up:

Thank You For Sharing Them. :up:

My Best Regards.

:)

[optrex]

Admin categories will be fine. I don't mind a manual edit. Optrex - thank you for looking into this... :up: It would really be great if you are able to do it.

Here is the edit to list by a category

in the variables add the line

$category = x; //where x is the category id number found in your AdminCP

in line 35, find:
$query = "SELECT {$prefix}blog.blogid,

and AFTER add:
{$prefix}blog.categories,

then in line 38 find
AND {$prefix}blog_text.state = 'visible'

and REPLACE with:
AND {$prefix}blog_text.state = 'visible' AND {$prefix}blog.categories = '{$category}'

This should result in only comments from the category selected being displayed. Please let me know how you get on.

[BWJ]

This should result in only comments from the category selected being displayed. Please let me know how you get on.

Thank you for your hard work! With the default solution (all categories) it works very fine.

But if I try with the changes for a specific category:

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare shorten_string() in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/modules/blog_comments.php on line 18

[optrex]

Thank you for your hard work! With the default solution (all categories) it works very fine.

But if I try with the changes for a specific category:

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare shorten_string() in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/modules/blog_comments.php on line 18

I've changed the code in the above post. I had a stray , and category should have been categories. Tested and working 100%. Om the additional variable, don't forget the ;

[BWJ]

Sorry doesn't work for me. I have tried for 1? hour now:

Now I get this error:

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'nobody'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in [path]/modules/blog_comments_cars.php on line 31
I cannot connect to the database

I am 100% sure the password is correct - as I use it with success with e.g. your default version. This is the code I use with your changes:

<?php
// I spent a while on this please leave the next couple of lines intact
// Coded by Optrex @ www.midlandsweather.org.uk
// Please do not put this onto any other site for download unless permision

has been granted by myself (Optrex)
// This script is copyright www.midlandsweather.org.uk

//variables to change below
$database = database; //replace xxx with the name of your

database$username = username; //replace xxx with your database

username$password = password; //replace xxx with your database

password$wordcount = 50; //replace 50 with the number of words you want to

have in your comments until cut off with ....
$website = "http://xxx.com/forum/blog.php"; //full website URL to your

blog .php file including http
$prefix = forum; //table prefix - IF YOU DONT HAVE ONE USE '' INSTEAD OF vb
$category = 16; //where x is the category id number found in your AdminCP
$limit = 5; //replace 5 with the umber of comments you want to show
//end of variables

function shorten_string($string, $wordsreturned)
{
$retval = $string; // Just in case of a problem
$array = explode(" ", $string);
if (count($array)<=$wordsreturned)
{
$retval = $string;
}
else
{
array_splice($array, $wordsreturned);
$retval = implode(" ", $array)."....read more";
}
return $retval;
}

$link = mysql_connect ("localhost", "{$username}", "{$password}") or die("I

cannot connect to the database");
mysql_select_db ("{$database}");
$query = "SELECT {$prefix}blog.blogid, {$prefix}blog.categories,

{$prefix}blog_text.title, {$prefix}blog_text.blogtextid,

{$prefix}blog_text.userid, {$prefix}blog_text.username,

{$prefix}blog_text.state, {$prefix}blog_text.pagetext, {$prefix}blog.title AS

title2 ".
"FROM {$prefix}blog, {$prefix}blog_text ".
"WHERE {$prefix}blog.blogid = {$prefix}blog_text.blogid AND
{$prefix}blog_text.title = '' AND {$prefix}blog_text.state = 'visible' AND
{$prefix}blog.categories = '{$category}'
ORDER BY {$prefix}blog_text.dateline desc
LIMIT {$limit}";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)){
$longcomment= shorten_string($row['pagetext'],$wordcount);
$comment= $bbcode_parser->do_parse($longcomment, 1,1,1,1);
echo "<tr><td class=\"$bgclass\" align=\"left\"><span

class=\"{$Style['small']}\"><a

href=\"{$website}/member.php?u={$row['userid']}\">{$row['username']}</a>";
echo " Made a ";
echo "<a

href=\"{$website}/blog.php?bt={$row['blogtextid']}\">comment</a>";
echo " in " ;
echo "<a

href=\"{$website}/blog.php?b={$row['blogid']}\">{$row['title2']}</a><br />";
echo $comment. " in " ;
echo "<a

href=\"{$website}/blog.php?b={$row['blogid']}\">{$row['title2']}</a>";
echo "<br /></td></tr>";
}

?>

[optrex]

I'll PM you the code/file with the parts inserted. Make sure you use notepad, not word or wordpad for editing as it looks like you have returns and extra spaces all over, that or there is a wordwrap issue or something.

The only other notes I can see that are worth mentioning is that the website url should stop as follows

$website = "http://xxx.com/forum";

and is your database table prefix really forum?
$prefix = forum;

[BWJ]

Thank you very much for your superb support!

First of all the code you sent me works!

One interesting note is that the initial error message I received after implementing your original specific category code (before the code from you pm) was:

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare shorten_string() in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/modules/blog_comments.php on line 17

Then I think I messed with things too much (as you said it works 100%) Then I suddenly got the new error message I wrote about:

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Access denied for user 'nobody'@'localhost' (using password: NO) in [path]/modules/blog_comments_cars.php on line 31
I cannot connect to the database

Probably due to the messing around.
Okay, then I used the code you sent me by pm and then I receive the same error as initially:

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare shorten_string() in /home/xxx/public_html/forum/modules/blog_comments.php on line 17

Then I found out I had two instances of your mod on the same cmps page - one with blog_comments.php and one new file for the specific category blog_comments_cars.php

Then I removed the "get all blog comments" file: blog_comments.php

And then it worked! :D

Thank you again! I am sure other people will find this mod interesting.

PS: yes it is forum :-)

[optrex]

Excellent, glad you are all sorted.

PS if anyone has vbseo, then it makes adding the avatars easy ;)

[goxy63]

How to disable shown images in this module !?
And pls few words about user avatars infront of comment

Thanks

[optrex]

To remove images you would need to change
$comment= $bbcode_parser->do_parse($longcomment, 1,1,1,1);
to
$comment= $bbcode_parser->do_parse($longcomment, 0,1,1,0);

I've not tested this but basically the first 0 turns off html and the last 0 turns off image code. Please try it and feedback.

VBSEO for avatars:

My avatars are in the format url/avatars/username.gif?datelinestamp
I can use this method, due to the fact that usernames are unique.

The code I use on the hack is
<img align=\"absmiddle\" src=\"{$website}/avatars/{$row['username']}.gif\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\"></img>
place is where you want the avatar to show

[goxy63]

Just changed code regarding to images, works like charm

But I think with avatars I dont have much luck, its on my side for shure as Iam noobish to all this

I have installed VBSEO for my forums, free version...I guess I should install addon for CMPS in order that this avatr thing work out for me

Thank you very much for this mod

[optrex]

AFAIK there is not a free version for VBSEO, unless you are on about the sitemaps generator, which is not the same thing.

[goxy63]

:)
Yes my mistake .... was thinking about sitemap generator

Thanks again for great mod

[joerns]

I've followed the installation instructions but get a blank page at the moment. I've checked my variables, and they seem to correspond with those in the config.php file. Any ideas?

[optrex]

You need to click install for support
but to point you in the right direction
http://www.theshebeen.org/blogs/ has no blog comments displaying either :p

[goxy63]

Hi
I got probem when comment link is clicked from CMPS homepage, user is redirected to blogs but they got '...forums/blog.php/blog.php'
Note that it says two times 'blog.php'....than I got trouble with images navbar and stuff

Any suggestions

Thanks for this nice hack, very usefull for my homepage

Regards
Goran

[optrex]

Line 7, your website should be in the format

$website = "http://www.domain.net"; //full website URL including http
not
$website = "http://www.domain.net/forum/blog.php"; //full website URL including http

[goxy63]

Thanx that resolved my problem

Cheers

[dpnow]

I have installed this and it's at the bottom of our forum portal page here:

http://dpnow.com/forum2/cmps_index.php

But I have to say the formatting is not very inspiring - can anyone point me in the right direction for making it present itself more like the Recent Threads module output above on that page?

How would you improve it if it was your site?

Ian

[yotsume]

I have the latest version of the blog installed and I am trying to get this single file version of the blog comments installed. However, I get the following error message:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /homepages/xx/xxxxxx/htdocs/xxxx/modules/blog_comments.php on line 10

Line 10 of your code is asking for the database password.

What I notice in this single file is there is no database option for inputing the "Server Name". My host doesn't use "Localhost" for this.

Anyway how can I fix this error?

THANKS!

[yotsume]

I was able tofix your module by making manual edits to include my database info.

Also, you have the default table prefix as vb and it is usually always vb_. So people will get an error with the prefix set as vb only.

I fixed your file this way:

1. I had to comment out
//$database
//$username
//$password

2. I had to manually edit and input my database info like this:

$link = mysql_connect ("xxxx.perfora.net", "dbxxxxxxxx", "pwxxxxx") or die("I cannot connect to the database");
mysql_select_db ("dbxxxxxxx");

Now that I manually edited your file it works fine. I believe you have a number of errors in your current zip file.

[Chimpie]

The only thing I would like to see added to this (unless I'm missing it here) is a way to add Entries to the list, not just comments.

[peleh]

i'm running wordpress + vbulletin + vbridge, does this mod work on wordpress?

[Dstephan]

The only thing I would like to see added to this (unless I'm missing it here) is a way to add Entries to the list, not just comments.

I'd like this too - I don't really want comments on my front page, but having links to actual blogs would be great.

[yotsume]

There is a separate cmps mod for showing blogs entries.

So far no blog mods are properly formatted.

We need blog mods formated to match how nice vba recent threads block looks!

Its shocking that no one has created a proper blog mod yet for vba. :(

[Chimpie]

There is a separate cmps mod for showing blogs entries.

Can you link to that? Cause I looked and I couldn't find anything.

Thanks

[yotsume]

Can you link to that? Cause I looked and I couldn't find anything.

Thanks

Thats because its over at the VBA forum. Lost is a mess of poorly designed mods. I will hunt it down and post the link here...

[Chimpie]

Thats because its over at the VBA forum. Lost is a mess of poorly designed mods. I will hunt it down and post the link here...

Thanks!

[ZiG]

why isn't there a version of this just to display the latest blog submissions instead of the latest comments?

[yotsume]

Latest Blog Entry Mod on vBa Website
There is actually a working "Latest Blog Entry" mod but its lost on the vBa forum here:

http://www.vbadvanced.com/forum/showthread.php?p=170189#post170123

Attached is a screen shot of it in action. You will need to read through the thread if you experience any problems getting it to work on your site. When it was first released it had many bugs which have been worked out now. However, It works best as a side block only.

I have had this installed on my site with no problems. IMHO blog mods to date are stillpoor at best when it comes to matching the full functions of the recent threads default block built into vBa.

HELLO! vbBlog is a major add-on and highly over looked when it comes to mods. Maybe we need a combined mod for both blog entries and comments with proper center and side block formating that auto adjusts and has proper columns in it's layout. I may design this myself and offer it... Might not be free though...

[ZiG]

yea but its ugly

[JohnBee]

Table 'xxxxl_xx138x.blog' doesn't exist :confused:
The table prefix was formatted as $prefix = '';

Update...

It would of been helpful if the instructions mentioned the . after the prefix...
Okay so now I get a nice blank white homepage through vbadvanced. Could it be because I don't have a blog or is it something else?

I'm running vbavanced at the root of my site rather that in the forum dir if that's any help