Here is another approach.

Installation Developer
1) Upload all Files
2) Import product-ds4p.xml
3) At the end (right before ?>) of includes/config.php ADD
Installation Enduser
1) Upload class_datastore_pluginsupport.php
2) Import product-ds4p.xml
3) At the end (right before ?>) of includes/config.php ADD

Usage Developer
In ACP/Plugin Manager there is a new Entry Datastore Item Manager where you can define the Datastore Requirements for your Product.
When a Plugin requires a Datastore Item that is not being loaded by Default use
in the Plugin.
That's it.

Usage Enduser
Nothing special, just use Product Management as normal.

Pros
- Supports all storage Methods
- Does take care of Plugin System getting disabled (will not load custom items then) without Overhead
- Easy to use for Developer and Enduser
- Only 1 one-time, one-line File Edit necessary

Cons
- Slightly stronger Query
- New Table added

Thanks kirby, I'll give this one a try :)

Will have a look also today i hope.

Well done kirby, thats basically what I saw the fix being for the requirement.

*bump*
Anyone except merk willing to take a look at this?
Sad that I apparently wrote it for nothing :(

Never !!! .... I got a hack I can try it with

I hope Jelsoft have an eye on this thread because something is needed to allow this to occur, even if they write their own solution to the problem, there are many good ideas in here.

But as ive said before, im not about to modify such a core part of vbulletin when its only 1 more query per page for all my datastore items, until a time comes when it is default.

Its a shame that the default datastore classes dont have a method to fetch more items without overwriting the default "always load" (causing some pretty strange bugs).

Sorry Kirby, i have my hands full with RL work and family stuff at the moment. I will look at this as soon as i have some time.

Bump - I forgot about this, looking @ his again, just waken others up to an old subject.

[move to Coders area] ?

Anyone still messing with this?

I set this up for a private mod way back then on one of my sites. Now I can't install vBSEO on that site even though it runs fine on other sites on the same server. I am wondering if this is the culprit. It's the only thing different.

EDIT: I can confirm that this mod does interfere with vBSEO.