Using Products in RC1?

[Colin F]

Hi Coders,

RC1 was released yesterday with the new product management system. If you're thinking of using it, make sure to read the following:

Product ids should contain only lowercase characters and underscores please.

This was always supposed to be the case, but we forgot to put enforcement code into RC1 (it's in RC2 though).

Basically, a product ID is invalid if the following returns false:
if (preg_match('#^[a-z0-9_]+$#s', $productid))
{
// product id is valid
}

Please make sure to take this into account when using the product system.

Additionally, Jelsoft is reserving productnames prefixed with vb for official products. Once again, please take this into account.

Thanks :)

[Paul M]

Yes, so I discovered ........ :(

(and reported) :)

[amykhar]

Also, note that product id's must be 15 characters or less at this point.

[Colin F]

Jelsoft is reserving the prefix vb for official products, so please take that into account.
I've updated the first post to include that.

Thanks :)

[Chris M]

May I suggest that you use your vB.org username and a small shorthand name for your products that you release?

For my Attachments Per Forum Mod, I used hellsatan_apf (hellsatan_attachmentsperforum) ;)

Satan

[Andreas]

Hmm, why should the ID contain the Nickname?
Don't see a point for that ...

[amykhar]

cause we want people to remember how we suffered for them while coding these mods, Kirby :D

[Marco van Herwaarden]

And to avoid 2 coders choosing the same name. Personally i always use 'mh' followed by an abreviation of the hack. I also do this for phrases, new tablenames or columns i add to existing tables. Not to forget function names etc.

[Chris M]

Exactly - Nobody else (I hope:p) will release a modification under my name, therefore I'm almost sure that hellsatan_ will be unique to me ;)

Satan

[Link14716]

hellsatan sig hack maybe? ;)

[Marco van Herwaarden]

It only leaves you not so much room for the hackname anymore. And if you do like i do, prefix everything with it, then it is a hell ;) of a lot to type.

[Chris M]

hellsatan sig hack maybe? ;)
There are exceptions to every rule :p
It only leaves you not so much room for the hackname anymore. And if you do like i do, prefix everything with it, then it is a hell ;) of a lot to type.
Indeed - They need to increase the length of the field more though - 15 is far too short - It should be up to 30 at least :)

Another way we could do it is via vB.org userid :)

So mine would be 4197_apf? :)

Satan

[Link14716]

I don't need no vBorg id. :p

14716 would work for me and leave 9 characters for hack name. ;)

Can I file a userid change request? :p

[Chris M]

I don't need no vBorg id. :p

14716 would work for me and leave 9 characters for hack name. ;)

Can I file a userid change request? :p

I'd like to be userid 1337 please ;):D

Anywho - I cannot see any other way of ensuring uniqueness unless we either use your vB.org username or vB.org userid...

Satan

[tamarian]

Don't forget that you have a description field, which could include any info you want to pass along

Description: vB Coffee Maker
Author: Mr. Beans
Support thread: http://www.vbulletin.org/showthread
What it does: Makes you coffee

It's limited to 250 chars though. I was hoping for more space to add more description, tips, etc.

[Andreas]

Anywho - I cannot see any other way of ensuring uniqueness unless we either use your vB.org username or vB.org userid...

It's not such a big problem, as plugin.php makes sure that productids are unique :)

So if there are 2 Hacks using the same ID the User can't install both, so it would be easily discovered.

[Chris M]

Don't forget that you have a description field, which could include any info you want to pass along



It's limited to 250 chars though. I was hoping for more space to add more description, tips, etc.

Ideally, the hackname field needs to be longer, the description field needs to be longer and optionally some "hack thread" url field should be able to be added:)

On a slightly side-note: Can someone add a "Uses Product Manager?" option when creating a new modification? Seems only fair to warn users that they will have to upload a plugin file via the product manager... ;)

It's not such a big problem, as plugin.php makes sure that productids are unique :)

So if there are 2 Hacks using the same ID the User can't install both, so it would be easily discovered.
While, yes, that is easy enough for us to rectify, a complete n00b who barely can figure out how to upload it via the Product Manager will probably reply several times to your thread because you don't get back to them explaining how to rename the id within the sufficient time, i.e. 5 seconds after posting their reply...

Satan

[Paul M]

The product id will be 25 chars in RC2, not 15.

I will probably prefix all mine with paulm_ - after that I will most likely just use the date/time I create it (like paulm_200507271126) as it's not really that relevant - the pid is not really used or displayed anywhere.

The Description field is criminally small at the moment, it would also be handy to be able to have a support url field (which could be the hack thread after you have released it - but obviously you would have to update it after first release).

[Chris M]

The product id will be 25 chars in RC2, not 15.

I will probably prefix all mine with paulm_ - after that I will most likely just use the date/time I create it (like paulm_200507271126) as it's not really that relevant - the pid is not really used or displayed anywhere.

The Description field is criminally small at the moment, it would also be handy to be able to have a support url field (which could be the hack thread after you have released it - but obviously you would have to update it after first release).

Not necessarily - If you are quick, you can post the thread without the attachment, copy the URL into the field and then download the product, zip it up (if you have multiple files) and add it to the thread :)

Satan

[WhSox21]

I like the url to support the hack / plugin. I think that should be implemented. :)