Hacks Version Checker

[eXtremeTim]

The hacks for all hacks.

File edits: 1 (done by the installer all it is doing is adding 3 lines of hook code in a designated spot)
New Plugins: Yes

What this hack does:
This hack now gives all hack makers the ability to provide a convient way for their users to see if they are running the most uptodate version. How does it do this? It uses a js file the sites on the hack creators server with the hack information. This file is then called by my hack to determine if you are on the most recent version or not. If you are not on the most recent version then it tells you the hack name, your current version, the most uptodate version, and a link to find out more information about the new version (usualy going to be the hack thread I guess).


Please forgive the crude txt file. I have been working hard on this hack the last couple of hours and didnt feel like making a fancy install file yet. I will release a cleaner install file sooner or later. Right now the current one is pretty straight forward for the end user since it only has two steps. There is also a hacker reference at the bottom of the install file explaining how to utilize this hack in your hacks. Which again is pretty simple takes you creating a file and then creating one plugin for my hack.

Now what we have all been waiting for the screenshot and the install info.

Planned:
I will be making a form on my site to manage the js type stuff. You just fill in the form and it will generate the needed plugin file for you to use with your hack. This way all javascript calls are coming from one centralized location.

[eXtremeTim]

I will be making v1.0.1 later. It will contain a fix for if the hack creators site is down to prevent a javascript error from the variables not being defined.

[uae]

Great job Tim! I Love the idea, thanks for sharing.

[eXtremeTim]

I would love to start seeing a majority of hacks start using this system. Would make it easier on the end user and theirs not really much more work required on the hacking end.

[Forum-Style]

This is really a great idea, that coder should use, it make life so much easier for us end users, but also makes sure that the coder is keeping there members updated, Well done Tim, one of the most useful hacks around, i not installed yet, as not running 3.5 currently but it will be one i will be using when we more to 3.5

[eXtremeTim]

Thank you. :)

I worked hard making this hack hoping to make things easier on everybody.

[Revan]

I will most likely use this for the RPG, in one way or another. I would much rather prefer users clicking install and get their updates that way, though...

[Chris M]

Nice idea but I'm not sure I will use this...

Satan

[Allan]

yes, very noce idea ;)

[Forum-Style]

well i still think alot of coder should bring this into there systems and code, it would bring so much less work for users, plus its a good way to also bring people to the coders sites.

[nexialys]

cool idea, but will never use this... reason: if i install 25 hacks, from 25 different coders, that use this system from 25 different locations, each time i load the page, my server will look at these 25 locations and stuck a process for verification.

would be good only if all the hacks are located at the same server.

[Princeton]

cool idea, but will never use this... reason: if i install 25 hacks, from 25 different coders, that use this system from 25 different locations, each time i load the page, my server will look at these 25 locations and stuck a process for verification.

would be good only if all the hacks are located at the same server.
good point ... that's thinking ahead :up:

[eXtremeTim]

This inst much of a problem tho. Without comments I just dropped my hvc_versions.js file down to 150 bytes. So times that by 50 modifications using this system and your looking at fetching 6kb or so of info. Which really shouldnt be much of a problem.

Now if you leave the more info var set to null and leave it up to them to find the thread then I dropped it down to around 87bytes.

[nexialys]

the .js is not the only problem, accessing the website is the main point... not all the websites are always up... if i hit a closed website, the script will not load entirely, will lag or simply miss the information...

this system would be good to integrate here btw, on vb.org... a single place to see the newest releases... this is the goal of the site btw...

[eXtremeTim]

I might work on allowing it to run via my site. Right now I tested it without the file being there last night on my site
and it worked nicely.

[Andreas]

Generally I don't like Software that is "calling home" ...
Although vBulletin itself does that too, I think we should keep this to a minimum.
At least make it so that the Admin must click "Check for Update"

[eXtremeTim]

I was actualy just looking at moving this to a new page. That would stop most of the problems people are thinking of. Since you just run the check page every so often.

On the calling home I wouldnt really say this was calling come since I didnt put anything like vbulletin has where the server makes a connection to them. Its just a simple user end connection.

[eXtremeTim]

I wll be working on getting a new release out today with this on its own page. Along with the js error prevention for if one of the sites hosting a file is down. Its a simple check on if one of their variables is null.

[C.Birch]

this system would be good to integrate here btw, on vb.org... a single place to see the newest releases... this is the goal of the site btw...

thats my thinking with this, it should be plugged in to the install system here.

[Andreas]

Well, the Hack version is already there so the only thing needed would be a call somewhere that just outputs the Version Number (and the Last Update timestamp) for a given ThreadID.

[eXtremeTim]

I have already spent some time and looked at creating the form and I will be making one for doing just this soon since its not that difficult. I dont mind putting out the bandwith for this since my site after the next few days will not be going anywhere for quite some time.

[Xplorer4x4]

I love the theory of the hack but question is hwo many authors incorperate your string to check the updates? Guess I can try it to see but unfortunetley if the authors arent usign this it doesn;t do much good.

[robert_2004]

yeah, but you have to start somewhere xplorer.
i think it's a fantastic idea - but the author, Tim, needs to be speaking with teh coders to get them to incorporate it.
I'll be installing it soon on my board - here to help Tim - keep up the work - it is exaclty what vB needs.
Hell, if firefox has it, i think we need it too!

[Smiry Kin's]

just wondering how it works? how does it check if an hack has been updated?