Modify the standard error vBulletin Message

[eJM]

I know you've seen it before: get redirected to the no permissions page when you try to post or do something in a forum you don't have permission to do. This as a great opportunity to turn it into a combination quick registration/login forms with some text that offers the visitor some great reasons to join.

It's already a mod that's been done in various forms by the folks at SEOvB. But their mod just doesn't work. I spent 2 days trying to code the page to make it golden. It actually works in a limited fashion. It fails in checking the permissions of unregistered visitors though.

I have several forums visitors are allowed to post in. The features are very limited, but people who just want to ask a quick question without registering can do so. But then they end up doing something else and land on the standard error page about no permissions.

I want to turn those visitors into members. It would work better than the modification by SEOvB (Guest Redirect System Professional). But I can't get the human verification thing to work on it, and a couple of the phrases don't show up (the confirm password and confirm email, for some strange reason). If I could get those issues resolved, it would boost registrations.

Any help would be appreciated.

R'gards,

Jim

[Super-six]

Would love to see this hack also. Just got the one you've referenced and it
leaves some to be desired. Doesnt cover all the bases.

[eJM]

I am actually amazed this hasn't been done before. What better way to turn a visitor into a registered member than to give them an opportunity right there on the standard error page? I've asked this question on several forums now and have gotten zero results.

I'm not smart enough to know what is required to allow registration code to display properly on the page generated by the STANDARD_ERROR template. I have coded it with valid code, but the verify password and verify email phrases don't show and the human verify (Q&A or reCaptcha) doesn't show up on the page. It would look like this on my website, if everything worked properly: http://www.thefloorpro.com/images/support/the-floor-pro-community-a-message-from-the-administrator1280w.jpg Seems like a much better use of the standard error page to me.

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this anyway. Now we just have to interest someone that knows how to make the registration code work on that template.

Jim

[Eric]

So if I'm understanding correctly, you basically just want to have the no_permission message customizable as far as text, and along with having the option to login... also have a quick register form?

[Super-six]

So if I'm understanding correctly, you basically just want to have the no_permission message customizable as far as text, and along with having the option to login... also have a quick register form?

That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell I think.
The post above by eJM gratiously provides a screenshot of exactly
what it should look like. He's using a a product that we both have
that doesnt work well and is full of bugs. Hope Im not breaking any rules
but its www.seovb.com.
I just installed it and its causing confirmations to go haywire and only
populates about half the locations its supposed to, etc.

[eJM]

So if I'm understanding correctly, you basically just want to have the no_permission message customizable as far as text, and along with having the option to login... also have a quick register form?

The STANDARD_ERROR template is easily modified, as you can see from the example shown in my image (previous post). To me, it's attractive and simple. It's also valid code. There is a conditional that allows the other error messages to appear when the error is not a no-permissions error.

The problem is, the "verify password" the "verify email" and the "humanverify" (either the Q&A or the reCaptcha) do not appear on the page. When using the login form, it asks for the user to fill in both password fields, so the script is failing there somehow.

I've seen where some people suggest that only the registration.php page can do what I want, but other pages work with the human verify script and a login form on the same page.

But what baffles me even more is how vBulletin and other coders have let this potential goldmine slip through their fingers. SEOvB tried to do it, but failed and then said they didn't have time to fix their mistakes - at least they refunded my money (except they still sell the broken product on their website). Unfortunately, although I can write valid x/HTML, I'm lousy with scripts and PHP.

Jim

[Eric]

Just messing around with HTML etc atm, but, here's what I have right now (very rough, but the register + human verify works)

This is a screenshot after trying to create a new thread as a guest (guest have no permissions).

[eJM]

Will it work on a forum you DO allow guest posting? And can the page be reduced to a simpler and quicker registration form - only name, password/password verify, email/email verify, additional required fields and human verify - and a login form.

My idea was to provide room for text that "sells" the visitor on the benefits of registration. It's a great place to put it, since the error page comes up every time a visitor (or a member who does not have proper permissions) tries to do anything on the forum they don't have permission to do. The regular error message is no kind of enticement and the long form registration is too daunting. I want to make is quick and easy to register, yet still give them the opportunity to use the long form if they want.

I appreciate you testing this out. I believe it could be a great asset to any forum that wants to turn visitors into members.

Best R'gards,

Jim

--------------- Added 1281681230 at 1281681230 ---------------

PS: Here's the code I put together for the STANDARD_ERROR template:

$stylevar[htmldoctype]
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" dir="$stylevar[textdirection]" lang="$stylevar[languagecode]">
<head>
<if condition="$show['search_noindex']"><meta name="robots" content="noindex,follow" /></if>
$headinclude
<title>$vboptions[bbtitle] - A Message From The Administrator</title>

<script type="text/javascript" src="$vboptions[bburl]/clientscript/vbulletin_md5.js"></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_md5.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
function verify_passwords(password1, password2)
{
// do various checks, this will save people noticing mistakes on next page
if (password1.value == '' || password2.value == '')
{
alert('$vbphrase[fill_out_both_password_fields]');
return false;
}
else if (password1.value != password2.value)
{
alert('$vbphrase[entered_passwords_do_not_match]');
return false;
}
else
{
<if condition="$show['coppa']">
pass_copy = password1.value;
passconfirm_copy = password2.value;
</if>

var junk_output;

md5hash(password1, document.forms.register.password_md5, junk_output, $show[nopasswordempty]);
md5hash(password2, document.forms.register.passwordconfirm_md5, junk_output, $show[nopasswordempty]);

<if condition="$show['coppa']">
document.forms.register.password.value = pass_copy;
document.forms.register.passwordconfirm.value = passconfirm_copy;
</if>

return true;
}
return false;
}
</script>

$headinsert
</head>
<body>
$header
<if condition="$navbar">
$navbar
<else />
<br /><br /><br />
</if>

<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
<td class="tcat" colspan="2">$vbphrase[vbulletin_message]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="panelsurround" align="left">
<div class="panel">
<div align="$stylevar[left]">
<if condition="$show['permission_error']">
<!-- Quick Login -->
<div style="float:right; width:320px; padding-top:40px;">
<div align="$stylevar[left]">
<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_md5.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script>
<form action="login.php?do=login" method="post" onsubmit="md5hash(vb_login_password, vb_login_md5password, vb_login_md5password_utf, $show[nopasswordempty])">
<input type="hidden" name="do" value="login" />
<input type="hidden" name="url" value="/community" />
<input type="hidden" name="vb_login_md5password" />
<input type="hidden" name="vb_login_md5password_utf" />
$postvars

<input type="hidden" name="s" value="$session[sessionhash]" />
<input type="hidden" name="securitytoken" value="$bbuserinfo[securitytoken]" />
<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>$vbphrase[log_in]</legend>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td>$vbphrase[username]:<br /><input type="text" class="bginput" name="vb_login_username" size="30" accesskey="u" tabindex="1" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>$vbphrase[password]:<br /><input type="password" class="bginput" name="vb_login_password" size="30" tabindex="1" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<span style="float:$stylevar[right]"><a href="login.php?$session[sessionurl]do=lostpw">Forgot Password?</a></span>
<label for="cb_cookieuser"><input type="checkbox" name="cookieuser" value="1" id="cb_cookieuser" tabindex="1" />Remember Me</label>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="$stylevar[right]">
<input type="submit" class="button" value="$vbphrase[log_in]" accesskey="s" tabindex="1" />
<input type="reset" class="button" value="Reset" accesskey="r" tabindex="1" />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</fieldset>
</form>
</div>
</div>
<!-- /Quick Login -->

<form action="register.php?do=addmember" name="register" method="post" onsubmit="return verify_passwords(password, passwordconfirm);">
<input type="hidden" name="s" value="$session[sessionhash]" />
<input type="hidden" name="securitytoken" value="$bbuserinfo[securitytoken]" />
<input type="hidden" name="do" value="addmember" />
<input type="hidden" name="url" value="$url" />
<input type="hidden" name="agree" value="$agree" />
<input type="hidden" name="password_md5" />
<input type="hidden" name="passwordconfirm_md5" />
<if condition="!$show['birthday']">
<input type="hidden" name="day" value="$day" />
<input type="hidden" name="month" value="$month" />
<input type="hidden" name="year" value="$year" />
</if>
<if condition="$show['coppa']">
<input type="hidden" name="coppauser" value="1" />
</if>

<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:$stylevar[formspacer]px;width:60%;">
<div>$vbphrase[custom_permission_error]</div>

<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:$stylevar[formspacer]px">
<strong>$vbphrase[username]</strong>:<br />
<input class="bginput" id="regusername" type="text" name="username" size="50" maxlength="$vboptions[maxuserlength]" value="$username" />
</div>

<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>Enter a Password For Your Account</legend>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0" width="400">
<tr>
<td>
$vbphrase[password]:<br />
<input type="password" class="bginput" name="password" size="25" maxlength="50" value="$password" />
</td>
<td>
$vbphrase[confirm_password]:<br />
<input type="password" class="bginput" name="passwordconfirm" size="25" maxlength="50" value="$passwordconfirm" />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</fieldset>

<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>A Real Email Address is Required</legend>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0" width="300">
<tr>
<td>
$vbphrase[email_address]:<br />
<input type="text" class="bginput" name="email" size="25" maxlength="50" value="$email" dir="ltr" />
</td>
<td>
$vbphrase[confirm_email_address]:<br />
<input type="text" class="bginput" name="emailconfirm" size="25" maxlength="50" value="$emailconfirm" dir="ltr" />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</fieldset>

<if condition="$show['customfields_profile']">
<fieldset class="fieldset">
<legend>Additional Required Information</legend>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0" width="300">
<tr>
<td>$customfields_profile</td>
</tr>
</table>
</fieldset>
</if>

$human_verify

<if condition="$show['birthday']">$birthdayfields</if>
<div style="margin:6px 0;" align="center">
$eznloptinbox
<input name="agree" id="cb_rules_agree" type="submit" class="button" value="Submit" accesskey="s" title="Please read the rules before clicking" />&nbsp;
<strong>Clicking Submit Means You Read and Agree to <a target="_blank" href="$vboptions[bburl]/faq.php">The Forum Rules</a>.</strong>&nbsp;
</div>

</div>
</form>

<else />
<!-- main error message -->


<div style="margin: 10px">$errormessage</div>


<!-- / main error message -->
</if>

</div>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

$footer
</body>
</html>

[kai_sey]

Ejm, just like you, I can't believe this mod hasn't been made. Actually, it should be a vbulletin standard. That tiny "register" button is so uninviting.

I'm wondering if anyone ever managed to get a fully working STANDARD_ERROR template as suggested above?

[doob]

I'm working on it right now and have everything except for the human verify working in 3.8.2.

So far my process was to edit the STANDARD_ERROR template and insert most of the register template into it.

I've been testing it for functionality against newpost.php, i.e. visiting the site as a non-logged-in-user and replying to a thread.

For testing I've inserted the require_once code from this thread: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=182435

Where I'm at is that everything works except the recaptcha doesn't display. Hopefully I'll figure this out soon, but if anyone has a solution as to what I might be missing I'd appreciate it.

[eJM]

I don't know how to help with the reCaptcha, but I wonder if the Q&A would be easier to implement. That's what I use during my registration process now and it'd be nice if that would work in this. I appreciate you working on this.

Best R'gards,

Jim

[doob]

It looks like Eric pretty much solved it, but I don't know what version he's on. We're on 3.8.2

I've got the standard error looking good, but inserting the $human_verify hook doesn't do a thing. Its like that hook needs to be activated for this template, but I would have figured it was global. At least I would have thought that even if the recaptcha widget itself doesn't display, then the rest of the human_verify template would, for example the rest of the fieldset's descriptive text.

Right now I'm trying to figure out where exactly the $human_verify plugin is defined so I can see why it might not be working for use with other templates.

[eJM]

As I mentioned in my post, #3 above (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost.php?p=2081569&postcount=3), I got everything working except the password verify, email verify and the reCaptcha/Q&A. Those 3 things killed it. And my code was 100% valid, no HTML or CSS errors.

So, are you saying you or Eric has password and email verifies working? Eric hasn't even replied to this thread for over 2 years. No one has supplied any actual code, except mine, which doesn't work. Unless I'm missing something. ;)

Thanks,

Jim

[doob]

I stripped the normal registration page (/register.php) down to just username, password, email and human verifcation and also removed the register rules page in favor of just doing what Facebook does which is has a line of text next to the submit button that states that by registering you have read and agree to the TOS.

I dumped out on email and password confirmation in favor of just a single field with no redundancy check so that's a null issue. I suppose some folks will enter a bogus email or password by accident, but again, looking at Facebooks registration model they only have a single field to make it quick to register.

With that done, the normal registration page works as intended. I've removed every other option from the page since that crap can all be set up later in the user control panel (don't get me started on redesigning that mess).

For the standard error, I'm basically inserting what's left of the register template, which isn't very much, and everything works, except the Human Verification cell isn't loading.

If I understand correctly, simply placing $human_verify should insert a fieldset into whatever template you place that hook into, yet its not.

At the moment I'm trying to find out where that plugin is defined or otherwise figure out why its not doing anything in the template. I'm guessing its not working because whatever php file is actually defining that plugin is not being included via the standard error template.

I have no idea about Eric or that code, but Eric's screenshot sure show's human verifcation working on a standard error page.

You might try removing the email/password checks and see if that solves your first problems. Hopefully Lynn or someone else can help education me/us on why $human_verify is doing nothing when used on the standard error page as that's the only stumbling block, at least for me, on finishing this up.

--------------- Added 1345875988 at 1345875988 ---------------

FYI, I also removed the login options from the Standard_Error template since users can login at the top of the page.

[eJM]

My screen shot (post 3 above) shows the Q&A working too, but it doesn't. I wish he would have graced us with the code he used to get the $human_verify working, if in fact he did.

Solving my problems is more than just removing the password/email verifications. The Q&A must work in order for this to be a viable mod. I don't understand PHP enough to do this on my own.

Jim

[doob]

What's interesting is that on my standard error page, as its coded right now with the non-working $human_verify, after clicking the submit button the page refreshes to the actual register.php page.

So with that setup the user then just has to re-enter the password and the recaptcha (where its working) and click submit again.

I think I'll figure out how to get recaptcha loading up, even if I need to just do my own plugin for it. I'll let you know when/if I get it sorted.

[eJM]

I appreciate you making an effort on this.

Jim

[doob]

Success!

Ok, got recaptcha (and also question/answer if that's your preference) working and displaying on the standard error template.

The trick was to create a new plugin using the code from the following thread. I put the plugin on the error_generic hook.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=182435


require_once(DIR . '/includes/class_humanverify.php');
$verify =& vB_HumanVerify::fetch_library($vbulletin);
$human_verify = $verify->output_token();

Also the sections of register.php that dealt with password and email confirmation (not the md5 check though) were commented out. In 3.8.2's register.php :
commented 297
//edited 304-306, commented 295, 310-314, line 587

---
EJM, I don't have the time to do an academic test to see if my hack would work with the password and emails confirmation fields, but what I'd say is try editing the register template, removing those redundancies, create the plugin as I've posted in this thread, paste the stripped down register template into the standard_error template and get that working. Once you've got that working, as I've done, then you can easily work backwords adding back in the redundancies to see if it works or not and go from there.