Hacks Database!

[Admin]

Well well well, here is it is, at last!
Finally our brand new hacks database is complete and open for the wide public! :pleased:
This is a feature that was requested by our members a numerous times before, and we as well felt that it's very important for the site to offer the users friendly methods of browsing hacks, which is our main goal.

Currently the database is far from being fully filled, although the moderators (thanks!) were adding some hacks to it in the past couple of days.
Over the next day or so I will go through the site and integrate the new database better with the forum, to improve its usability even more. The hack counts and links leading to thread-hacks will soon be changed to use the new database, so be sure to go through all your previous hacks and add them to the database! (see instructions below; we will do our best and add as many hacks as we can by ourself)
If you do find anything 'weird' going on with the forum / database, please don't be shy and let us know! :)

Thanks again to everyone who helped with this, special thanks go out to bira for helping with its development, as well as to Lesane for giving us the great profile layout! :)

Have fun and enjoy this new toy! (http://www.vbulletin.org/hacks) :D
Post all your comments in this thread. :)

Chen.

Read below for more information about the database and (almost ;)) all the new stuff!

[Admin]

How do we add hacks?


For current hacks:
As said above, we have already added some of the existing hacks in the Full Releases forum, however not all of them. To add your hack to the database, go to its thread, and click the "Add to DB" button at the top (only the user that released the hack can see that button). You will be taken to a new page - similar to the new posting pages - where you must select a category for your hack, enter its version (not vBulletin version), if available the path to the attached installer file and of course the hack descriptions (by default, when adding a hack, the hack descriptions will be filled with the first post from the thread). After you are done filling all that info, submit the form and voila - you will be taken to the newly created profile of your hack! :)

For new hacks:
The only difference between this and the above process is simple. After you post a new thread in the Full Releases forum (with a hack, of course), you will be able to click the "Add to DB" button and follow the procedure described above.
Note: This is planned to the be change in the very near future.


How do we update hacks?


For all hacks:
After you have released a hack and added it to the database, you can update its information at any time by going to the thread of the hack, and clicking the "Edit in DB" button (once again, only the user that released the hack can see that button). You will see a page - again, similar to the edit post screen - where you can edit all the information of the hack, including its category, version, installation file and description. After you are done editing, submit the form and you are done, the info has been updated. :)
Deleting a hack from the database is currrently impossible, and you must contact a moderator and ask him to remove the hack for you, if for some reason you want it to be removed. This may change in the future, but for the time being this would be the procedure if and when feel like deleting a hack of yours. :o


The Categories
In case you haven't figured out yet, the hacks in the database are separated into a number of differenet categories. This is done in order to improve usability of the system, of course. If, after skimming the list of categories, you have any idea of which categories we should add and which to remove, please PM me with the suggestion or post it in this thread - and I promise I will think about it. :)

Searching Hacks
A very special and sophisticated search engine was developed for the database, which you can use to find exactly the hacks you are looking for with extra ease. All the functions and operators of the search engine can be found here (www.vbulletin.org/hacks/index.php?s=&action=search). :)

Managing Your Installed Hacks (or: What are those checkboxes?!)
If you already took the database to a quick test drive, you have probably noticed there is a checkbox next to each hack listed. What is that you ask? That's a new way to mass install/uninstall hacks. If you give the list another look, you will notice that the boxes next to hacks you installed are checked, while the others are not. You can mass-update these signs by changing whatever boxes you wish to change, and press the "Update" button at the bottom of the list - and the list will be miraculously updated with the new selections! :)

[afterlab]

Wow!! I'm speechless.. Great job! vBulletin.org gets better every day. Keep up the good work! :D

[fonzerelli_79]

fantastic addition to the site

did not see it coming!!

[FWC]

All I can say is, WOW! This is very impressive. It's even cooler than I expected it to be! :D

[Sparkz]

I gotta hand it to you guys - this is just awesome!
Great job!

[Xenon]

Yeah, very use and helpful

great job

[Dolby]

Very very nice. Thank you!

At some point you might want to add the ability for the hacker to upload a picture. Some hacks can only be explained by a picture. I know you can simply do this in the support thread but it would be a nice thing to have a link to the picture or somthing on the database page... like under the decription table.

[MarkB]

Nice! Excellent work!

[nuno]

yeah
rated five
good job guys :kiss:

[zadi]

Sweet! Makes hunting for the right hack so much easier! Thank-you so much!

[Xelation]

Kicks some ass!

[Arsenik]

Wow! Great job! Thats what we needed :up:

ps: i am using the purple style and there are no "hack icon" at the top for that style :noid:

[LanciaStratos]

Awesome work, great job guys! :D :up: :up:

[RapCheck]

Nice addition.

Good work

[Michelle69]

Brilliant! :up:

[Lionel]

I am new with vbulletin. I noticed that 2.22 is out. What happens to the hacks that we installed when we upgrade? Do we have to start all over again?

[Lesane]

Fantastic! Very nice, well done. :up:

And... your welcome :)

[Admin]

Thanks all! :pleased:

Dolby: You can already add images to the hack decription (use the [img] tag), but we might add this at some point. :)

Arsenik: Sorry about that, I will add the button very soon.

Lionel: Yup, you have to re-apply all the hacks you installed after every upgrade.

[djr]

Originally posted by FireFly
Searching Hacks
A very special and sophisticated search engine was developed for the database, which you can use to find exactly the hacks you are looking for with extra ease. All the functions and operators of the search engine can be found here (../hacks/index.php?s=&action=search). :)


Firefly,

The search link is not working :D

And for users with older version of vb, maybe add an option to the search to differentiate between the vb versions. So you're able to search for hacks with 'avatar' for 'vb 2.03' (excluding all other versions). I know there are alot of hacks which are downwards compatible. It's just crossed my mind as being a nice bonus.

- djr

[GameCrash]

It's great :)

But there's something which has nerved me before with the forum and is nerving me with the database: Why can't I set the vBulletin version??? My Importer does not work 100% with vB 2.2.x but it is set as vB 2.2.1 hack...

[Admin]

Originally posted by GameCrash
But there's something which has nerved me before with the forum and is nerving me with the database: Why can't I set the vBulletin version??? My Importer does not work 100% with vB 2.2.x but it is set as vB 2.2.1 hack...
You can set that info by editing the first post in the hack's thread. :)

djr - oops about the link, and I'll try and add that searching thing later, ok? :)

[Admin]

Just a small update to let you know that:
a) I've added the 'hacks' button to the purple style as well. :)
b) I've added the functionality djr was asking for, so you can now also search by the vBulletin version of the hacks. :pleased:

Edit:
c) Also added an option to only search hacks titles or to search both hacks titles and descriptions. :)

[GameCrash]

okay, now I saw it. Sorry ;)

[Thomas P]

Very nice job!
cu,
-Tom

[Dark_Wizard]

Awesome job FireFly! Keep up the great work.....is this going to be released as a hack? :rolleyes:

[Jakeman]

jake approves.

jake say: the "add to whatever" button that shows up for hack authors in their hack's thread is missing the button image in the vb.com theme. this is unacceptable! ;)

[Floris]

This is really cool !!

One option I am missing though: (maybe future feature?)

Difference between template-only hacks and code-hacks.

[Admin]

Template mods may not be added to the database (they can't be actually).

[Dave-G]

Great Hack, just what was needed.

But the only hack I can't find is the "Hack Database" will you be posting it?

[Justice]

excellent job

[slideboxer]

Wonderful tool. I'd like to see an addition though. Perhaps a button this lists only the hacks that I've installed.

[Admin]

You mean this?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/member2.php?s=&action=viewsubscriptionhack
Been there for a while. :)

[slideboxer]

Originally posted by FireFly
You mean this?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/member2.php?s=&action=viewsubscriptionhack
Been there for a while. :)

Hrumph hrumph, yes, uh, that's it exactly... So that's what my user cp looks lke :rolleyes:

[Dade]

This is most awesome, no more searching for hacks :D

Are hacks automatically added to the database?

[Admin]

Not currently, but it's about to change real soon (as in today/tomorrow). :)

[Stretchr]

My only question is whether this can be nominated as Hack of the Month? Not that you need another sweep, FireFly, but seriously, for this addition in functionality, you deserve a SWEEP !
Thank you!

[Admin]

Thanks. :) *wonders what a sweep is :D*

[kahramand]

ok everything is nice but how do you download them... it doesn't let me....

[Steve Machol]

kahramand, you need to be a licensed customer to download hacks. Please go to this (http://www.vbulletin.com/members/vbulletin.org.php) page and enter your username, to show you are licensed. (you will need to use your customer number and password to access that page)
Thank you.

[Nam]

Wow, impressive, I was sick of looking for the hack I want through search function, it's confused and time consuming.

This is the best site add-on ever, great job, thanks a bunch to vbulletin.org team.

[Siggi]

Excellent work Firefly.

Very very nice.
Thank you.

[msu]

firfly ,

nice work