NEW Modified RSS News Feed Hack
 

Hack originally posted by: Xyphen - RSS News Feed Hack
Modified by: wolfstream - Modified RSS News Feed Hack

I am posting this up as a new hack because of the major changes made to how the script works. Also, I didn't want people to get confused as to which one to download since there were 3 different versions on the original post.

Xyphen released the original version, then wolfstream modified the script and corrected some errors. After that, I modified wolfstreams version to change how posts were inserted. Now the post count will increase, posts will be able to be searched, and similiar threads will work.

RSS News Feed Hack for vB 3.0.x. As long as vBulletin doesn't change the database structure much, this should be good for the next release also, and those to come.

Allows you to have a live RSS news feed (such as one from Google or CNET) in a forum. The user that posts it will basically be a bot, which *should* only be used for posting the news, but you can even make it for a regular user.

Comments are welcome! Support provided through this thread.

Latest Version:
- 1.26 - for PHP 4.3.0 & above
- 1.26a - for PHP prior to 4.3.0

vBulletin Versions:
- 3.0.0
- 3.0.1

PHP Versions:
- > 4.3.0
- < 4.3.0

Installation Overview:
- Files to edit: (2) /admincp/index.php, /includes/functions_newpost.php
- Files to upload: (4) rss.php, admincp/rss_admin.php, includes/RSS/class.RSS.php, includes/RSS/rss_update.php
- Queries to run: (4) in rss_install.php

History:
Version 1.26 (23 June 2004 - Slapyo, Natch)
- listing of bot's more intuitive (Natch)
- hopefully fixed duplicate problem (Slapyo)
- stripped html tags from title and description (Slapyo)

Version 1.25 (12 May 2004 - Slapyo)
- fix for &quot; showing up
- logs action in scheduled task log if turned on

Version 1.24 (20 April 2004 - Slapyo)
- posts now deleted with delete_thread function
- post counts updated when using delete all news

Version 1.23 (14 April 2004 - Slapyo)
- added ability to delete bots
- cleaned up includes
- fix for PHP versions prior to 4.3.0 calling html_entity_decode()

Version 1.22 (13 April 2004 - Slapyo)
- duplicate posts problem fixed
- fix for problem with ' appearing as \'

Version 1.21 (12 April 2004 - Slapyo)
- bot will not be subscribed to posts now

Version 1.2 (11 April 2004 - Slapyo)
- posts now inserted with build_new_post function

Version 1.1 (28 March 2004 - wolfstream)
- file edits taken down to 1
- cron script included

Version 1.0 (28 January 2004 - Xyphen)
- original release

Common RSS Feeds:
- Yahoo!
- CNET.com
- BBC
- Wired News
- The Register
- Ars Technica
- All Headline News

I tried it this evening and had it working in 5 minutes.. AWESOME! :)

yep, this works! only problem is that it doesn't check if news item already exist, so for all my cron I had to set it to 24h to make sure the rss files were completely changes with new items, otherwise it's a charm!

I have a problem. First, I got this error after uploading the new files:

I assumed maybe it was cause I'd accidentally left the old RSS files. So then I run the upgrade and get this error:

And now it appears that much of my forums has disappeared. What happened?

Nevermind. I think I figured it out. The script was conflicting with another hack I installed earlier -- the welcome PM hack.

Whoo .. cool hack/add on :) ..

I've been having a play on my dev board .. a few things jump out at me ..

(I'm using a BBC rss news feed btw)

1/ I'm getting \ in front of ' .. any way to stop that?

2/ Any reason for the bot to subscribe to the thread? as it seems to do it .. if not needed how would you stop that?

3/ I've run the rss cron job 3 times in the last few mins to test it .. and it doesn't seem to know that it's already posted a story and therefore reposts it. Is the subscription to the thread meant to stop that? Is there any way to get the bot to know it has already posted about a subject?

I'll continue playing and post if anything else seems amiss ..

Good job though :)

<a href="http://www.sportsbabble.net/showthread.php?t=570" target="_blank">http://www.sportsbabble.net/showthread.php?t=570</a>

there is a link to a post made by my news bot and it has ' in it ... but without the leading \, what is the link to the rss feed you are using?

i just uploaded a new version that fixes the bot subscribing to the threads. it should no longer subscribe to threads. the change was in rss_update.php so you can upload just that file if you want.

i can't see what is causing the problem with stories being posted multiple times. on mine i don't get the multiple stories, but every once in a while. the original author included a check in the program, but it is obviously not working properly. the code for this is in rss_update.php. i will look at it more.

The news feed I'm using at the mo is ..

Cheers for the subscribing fix .. :)

As for the double posting .. I guess it might be to do with the feed I'm using .. I'm sure you'll see it when you have a play if it is ..

Just added a screenshot of the \' problem .. it's happening in both titles and messages ..

Hi,

Very interesting hack. I have installed it but got this error when I ran it to see what it would pull down.

Fatal error: Call to undefined function: html_entity_decode() in /homepages/23/d95339147/htdocs/public_html/forum/includes/RSS/rss_update.php on line 70

Thanks

The last one sent my server load through the roof - is this likely to happen with this one?

Thanks!

Christian

Not likely. I believe the old hack would fetch the rss feed every time someone would enter the forum.

For this one you have to set a cronjob.

I get the same error
Fatal error: Call to undefined function: html_entity_decode() in /home/www/web1/html/forum/includes/RSS/rss_update.php on line 70

This function is only present in PHP 4.3.0 and later, which version are you running?

http://www.php.net/manual/en/functio...ity-decode.php

I am running PHP Version 4.2.2

And what now?

You'll have to ask your host to upgrade to a more recent version of PHP.

Or if you follow the link to the php function I posted before, it shows this code:

If upgrading PHP is not possible for you then you could try to replace the html_entity_decode function using this example.


By the way, has anyone managed to fix the double post issues? I have these issues with both yahoo and bbc feeds.

I'm getting multiple Stories too. The feed that i'm using is :
If help, the fields: rdd_feed and rss_date in the thread table, are always empty :ermm:

I'll apreciate if you can help me to avoid duplications, triplications, etc... using the bot. I think that the filter most be based in the title of the feed only, but i dont know how fix it.

Thanx in advance !

ok, i think i have solved the problem with the duplicate posts. after acido mentioned that there were blank fields for the rss_feed and rss_date i realized that the vB function doesn't insert the new data.

so, to fix it i have uploaded v1.22 ... this includes the following changes:
- one more modification to functions_newpost.php (edit and upload)
- one fix to rss_update.php (just upload new one)

On the Yahoo feeds located at:

http://news.yahoo.com/rss

Is there anyway to specify a variable in the URL so you can limit the amount of headlines it grabs? I don't want 40-50 news items appearing in a forum -- I'd rather limit it to 5-10 a day..

that would be up to the feed itself if they were to accept something like that. i mean i guess you could go into the code and change the loop so that it didn't loop from:

0 -> # news articles
to
0 -> 10 (or 5)

Slapyo -- Where would I change that? Can you find where that it is and shoot it over to me?

[QUOTE=mirdin]You'll have to ask your host to upgrade to a more recent version of PHP.

Or if you follow the link to the php function I posted before, it shows this code:

If upgrading PHP is not possible for you then you could try to replace the html_entity_decode function using this example.


-----
I read the install instructions for this hack, it specified no where that certain version number dependencies were required before implementing ... it just said whoopee let's go!!!


It may not be possible for some of us to "TELL" our ISP to UPGRADE some ISP's don't give a rat's a$$ about what we do on their systems they just want their $4.95 a month.

Replace this CODE WHERE?

Thank you.

I'm getting a Database conflict when i run the cron on the task manager:

New threads are created, but i need rebuild forum information to see the last post in the forum display. Also, the field rss_date is still null .

Hope help.

The Zip still says 1.21. Are the new files within this zip?

Thanks for this. Any idea how to not have duplicate posts?

Downloaded 1.22, took the original functions_newpost.php and made the changes and uploaded it, also uploaded the new rss_update.php and still it is not recognizing already posted articles.

rss_feed fields values are all 0, rss_date fields are still empty.

i have installed this but hhhmm nothing is being posted :( any ideas?

The forum is set corectly as i have just click the delete all news posts and wiped the forum completely :( But i guess that part works......

So the bot / user isnt posting

OK i re traced my steps and now when i try and run the scedual task i get this

rss.php

ChannelData($leftOvers,$x); } return; } /* * void parse ( string data ) */ function parse($data="") { $channels = $this->parseChannels($data); if(empty($channels)) { return; } $this->parseItems($channels); return; } /* * Finito */ } ?>d); } } } } // // ------------------------------ // End of RSS News Hack ?>

Help :)

sorry guys, i tried to get the new one up before i left for class for the day and found an error so i pulled it quickly and put back 1.21. i will fix the problem and get it back up when i get home from classes for the day.

also, i will make note of the problem with php version and include a fix for those that maybe have a lower version and can't change it.

i wasn't aware of that problem, and since it was working on mine i figured it was good to go. will include that in the next fix.

i'm still at school right now between classes, won't be home till later tonight though. hopefully i will have it checking for duplicate posts and i will have the fix for lower php versions in the install.

ok, i have fixed the duplicate post problem. it now inserts the data into the rss_feed and rss_date fields. it should check the post and not post it if it is a duplicate.

also, i have included in the rss_update.php file a section of commented code. if you use a version of PHP prior to 4.3.0 you will need to uncomment this section out, and then comment the 2 lines above it.

Thanks Slapuo .. :)

Any news about the \ problem?

(not tried 1.22 yet so don't know if still doing it :) .. yep it is)

i didn't do anything with the \' problem. i don't know what is causing that. i looked at your feed and it looks just like the one i use from yahoo. however, i do not have that problem in my code.

i looked and this seems to be the culprit

because in the function to insert the post it uses addslashes() ... so i think it is putting \\' instead of \' like it should. then it removes the \ and leaves the trailing \' ... i have just uploaded a new 1.22 try that one. if you don't want to download it. all i did was remove those 2 lines of code from the rss_update.php file.

hhhmm

All i get when running the task is this

rss.php

ChannelData($leftOvers,$x); } return; } /* * void parse ( string data ) */ function parse($data="") { $channels = $this->parseChannels($data); if(empty($channels)) { return; } $this->parseItems($channels); return; } /* * Finito */ } ?>nito */ } ?>d); } } } } // // ------------------------------ // End of RSS News Hack ?> $post['signature'] = true; $post['emailupdate'] = 9999; $post['title'] = $rss_title; $post['message'] = $rss_description; $post['poststarttime'] = TIMENOW; $post['rss_date'] = $rss_dateline; $post['posthash'] = md5($post['poststarttime'] . $bbuserinfo['userid'] . $bbuserinfo['salt']); // build the thread build_new_post('thread', $foruminfo, array(), 0, $post, $errors, $rss_userid); } } } } // // ------------------------------ // End of RSS News Hack ?>

now :(

any help, whats going on?

ok tar ..

I just had a play in the "Replacement Variable Manager" and added a new one to replace \' with ' and it seems to work :) .. but I'll also try your way too ..

:)

Just tried your latest change .. and it works :)

Also the duplicate problem has gone too it seems ..

Cheers ,., :D

@SnowBot ... are you in the scheduled tasks telling the script to run right now? or are you just letting it run on it's own? or are you just loading the rss.php file? i will look and see what i can find, but that code is from the original author and i haven't made any changes to it at all. i will see if i can find something. have you tried downloading the new version 1.22 and uploading that, overwriting all previous rss files?

@Slave ... i just uploaded a new fix for your problem. since i am not having the same problem on my machine i don't know if it works or not. could you try it out. you will have to remove your replacement variable for \' to see if it works. i think it will though, i think it was doubling up the \'s so it had \\' instead of \' like it should have.

Yeah .. tried it .. and it works .. :)

ok good to know! thanks!

Yes this is from the task manager, when i hit the Run Task now button to see if its all working i get this.

I overwritten all the 1.21 files with the new 1.22 ones. NO post nothing :(

heh .. just installing it to my live forums now .. :)

i assume you have made a bot and given it the proper user id, forum id, and rss fed url?

what is the feed you are trying to use?