Integrating vB with my own CMS

[UnrealAnt]

I'm sure this is a question which has been asked a million times, so hopefully there'll be a fairly simple answer.

I'm in the process or programming my own Content Management system however I'd like to integrate it with vBulletin (since it seems pointless for my visitors to have to register to use certain features on the site, and then register again to use the forums). Obviously this means that I need to write a wrapper for many of the vBulletin functions, as well as try to reproduce sessions.php such that it works on the CMS.

However I'm not really sure where to start with this. Has anyone any experience with this kind of thing? To make it even more troublesome, I'm trying to integrate with vB3. I appreciate that hacking vB3 is currently not supported over here at vBorg so even if you can only give advice which related to vB2, I should be able to apply it to vB3 :)

Thanks all,

Ant

[insanctus]

If you are writing the cms yourself why not just start it from base using vb3.

Seems the most logical unless you plan to release it as a stand alone as well.

[Logician]

However I'm not really sure where to start with this. Has anyone any experience with this kind of thing?
Why don't you try to check source codes of already existing hacks to get an idea where to start? For instance check Webtemplates Hack.

[UnrealAnt]

Well, I took a quick look at Webtemplates and it seems that all it does is include the vBulletin global.php which means that it's not so much "integrated" with vBulletin as it is a "part" of it.

My problem is that I'm not simply trying to use the vBulletin "user" table, but also trying to generate a vBulletin session whenever someone views a page on my site. I'd prefer to be able to do this using one class without having to include a couple of thousand lines of vBulletin code.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks :)

[UnrealAnt]

I just found a good example of the kind of thing I'm looking to achieve however as I said, I'm looking to be able to create sessions as well has handling authentication.

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=45433&highlight=vbulletin

[Logician]

It is always the best practise to include "global.php" in a vb integration project as it will allow you use all vb class&functions/template system in your code as well as vb will be handling all of your concerns like user/session authentication etc. So I don't see the point of avoding such an inclusion considering the fact that you are after a vb integrated solution.

But if it is what you want, I guess your path is clear enough:
Create a form that will ask username/password via HTTP_POST, MD5 the password and check the entry inside user table by getting user's record. Assign him a cookie if he is a cookie user or sessionhash if he is a session user and if you like, insert a new record in session table.

Well global.php inclusion would do all of these for you automatically but you asked for it. ;)

[UnrealAnt]

It is always the best practise to include "global.php" in a vb integration project as it will allow you use all vb class&functions/template system in your code as well as vb will be handling all of your concerns like user/session authentication etc. So I don't see the point of avoding such an inclusion considering the fact that you are after a vb integrated solution.

Meh, I guess you're right really. For the moment I'll try including the vB3 global file and perhaps come up with something more elaborate at a later date.

Thanks.

[insanctus]

I do not see why (if only for vb site) not use global.

All the functions that are built in make it the best route to go. Look at most "intergrations" by pro's they mostly have cookie issues.

With the global that is solved.

[ConKien]

I do not see why (if only for vb site) not use global.

All the functions that are built in make it the best route to go. Look at most "intergrations" by pro's they mostly have cookie issues.

With the global that is solved.

I tried to included global.php file to phpnuke but it breaks the script! I guest nuke has its own data abstraction layout that conficted with vb functions.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

This thread is over 2 years old, no reason to reply to it anymore.