vb.org Archive - [How-To] Product Managament (vBulletin 3.5 RC 1 and up)

vb.org Archive (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/index.php)

- vBulletin 3 Articles (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/forumdisplay.php?f=187)

- - [How-To] Product Managament (vBulletin 3.5 RC 1 and up) (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=92953)

[How-To] Product Managament (vBulletin 3.5 RC 1 and up)

This How-To is mainly meant for Hack-Developers, if you are only planning to use Hacks just read the End-User section.

Developers
vBulletin 3.5.0 RC1 introduces a new concept for customizing/modifying vBulletin: Products.
With Products, you can manage Plugins, Phrases, Settings and Templates in just one XML File.
Furthermore it supports Install/Uninstall Codes (for running queries, etc.), it also covers updating existing Hacks as you can add Codes for different Versions.

To start, you first have to turn on debug mode:
Put

PHP Code:


		
			
$config['Misc']['debug'] = true;

in config.php.

Then go to ACP / Plugin System / Manage Products.
Click Add/Import Product.
In the second Form (Add New Product) fill in the Details for your Hack:

Product ID should be a unique ID for you Hack; it must not start with vb and should be lowercase only, not contain spaces or other special characters.
Attention: The Product ID must not be longer then 15 characters.
Title should be the Title for your Hack
Version should be the Version.
The Format shoud be Mainversion Subversion Subrelease
Example: Myhack 1.0.0 Beta 1
Description should be a short description for you Hack, eg. what it does.

Afterwards, create all the Plugins, Phrases, Templates and Settings your Hack requires and make sure you select the Product you just created.
Important: Templates must be placed in the MASTER Style, Phrases in the MASTER Language

When you are finished, go to ACP / Plugin System / Manage Products and select Edit from the Dropdown next to your Product.

In the Form (Add New Install/Uninstall Code) add all Code necessary to install/uninstall your Hack (eg, Queries, etc.).
If you are updating an existing Hack, add new Install/Uninstall Codes for the new Version that just make the changes necessary to upgrade the previous Version; Product Management will make sure that all necessary Codes will be run.

If your Hack includes Usergroup Permissions/Bitfields, add the following Code to Install and Uninstall to rebuild the Bitfield cache:

PHP Code:


		
			
if (is_newer_version('3.5.1', $vbulletin->options['templateversion']))

{

    // Rebuild Bitfields

    // Do this for vBulletin < 3.5.1 *ONLY*; later versions rebuild

    // automatically and calling the builder in install code causes

    // the bitfields NOT to be rebuild correctly

    require_once(DIR . '/includes/class_bitfield_builder.php');

    vB_Bitfield_Builder::save($db);

    build_forum_permissions();

}

When everything is done, go to ACP / Plugin System / Manage Products again and export the Product as XML; this will then include all Plugins, Templates, Phrases, Settings and Install/Uninstall Codes required.

End-Users
Go to ACP / Plugin System / Manage Products.
Click Add/Import Product, select the product XML File for the Hack you want to install.
If you are upgrading an existing Hack, make sure that Allow Overwrite is set to Yes

This How-To is (C) 2005 by KirbyDE and you are not allowed to redistribute it in any way without my explicit consent.

ohh thanks you are fast :P

edit: so the product ID is not a number, right? do all installations of the product will have the same product ID?

Thanks, Kirby, for this useful HowTo :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dream

edit: so the product ID is not a number, right? do all installations of the product will have the same product ID?

The Product ID is an Identifier for your Product like myhack, welcomepm or profileviews (those are IDs of my Hacks).

They will be the same on every Installation.

Quote:

The Product ID is an Identifier for your Product like myhack, welcomepm or profileviews (those are IDs of my Hacks).

They will be the same on every Installation.

What if two different people make a mod that server the same function and therefore uses the same ID?

That would not work, the user trying to install this would get a warning that this Product is already installed (if Allow Overwrite isn't selected).

Oh. So the product ID becomes the actual filename?

EDIT: Oh, and why turn on debug?

You can enter just any Filename you want. But yes, it will use the Product ID as default.

You must turn on Debug Mode as you can only select Products and Master Style/Language when this is turned on.

well I guess its good to use "kirbydeWelcomePM" or "darkvisorMod" as product IDs, im gonna use that if I make something

are they case-sensitive?

Oh, and another question - why mustn't it contain "vb"?

Doesn't seem to be case-sensitive.

It must not start with vb as this Prefix is reserved for Jelsoft :)

Why do they get the vB Prefix, what makes them so darn special! ^^. Great how-to. This will help alot!

First came the Plug-In system, took me a while to recreate an installation php files for my hacks.

Here comes the product thingy :(

It's not that I hate it or something, in fact I love it, but what about the time I have spent, gone for nothing ... nothing :cry: waaa

Well, you could have waited until Gold ;)

hi can somebody help me i have got this code from doing this tut but when i install this app it don't add the database please help me here also i think i need to build the phrases can anyone tell me what file i need to include and function to call in 3.5.0 think it's build_languages() don't know if it's changed

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>



<product productid="imghost" title="Image Hosting final" description="Image Hosting" version="2.1 beta 2" active="1">

        <codes>

                <code version="2.1 beta 2">

                        <installcode><![CDATA[$db->query('CREATE TABLE '. TABLE_PREFIX .'image_host (

                                id INT NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,

                                userid INT NOT NULL,

                                img_file VARCHAR(225) NOT NULL,

                                img_name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,

                                file_size INT NOT NULL,

                                img_width INT NOT NULL,

                                img_height INT NOT NULL

                                )TYPE=MyISAM;');

                

        $db->query("ALTER TABLE ".TABLE_PREFIX ."usergroup ADD imghost INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL ;");



        $db->query("ALTER TABLE ".TABLE_PREFIX ."usergroup ADD imghostset INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL ;");

        

        $db->query("ALTER TABLE ".TABLE_PREFIX ."usergroup ADD imghost_width INT( 10 ) DEFAULT '100' NOT NULL ;");



        $db->query("ALTER TABLE ".TABLE_PREFIX ."usergroup ADD imghost_height INT( 10 ) DEFAULT '100' NOT NULL ;");

        

        $db->query("ALTER TABLE ".TABLE_PREFIX ."usergroup ADD imghost_files INT( 10 ) DEFAULT '100' NOT NULL ;");]]></installcode>

The attached Product XML works fine for me.

Phrases, Templates, Settings will be installed/uninstalled automatically - you don't have to do anything for that (except assigning them to your Product of course).
Please keep in mind that they must be in MASTER Style/MASTER Language!

Custom vBulletin settings must be added with a query? Or is there a function available with adds them without using a query?

This is an amazing new feature for vB - this means that installing hacks can all be done via Admin CP with no need to edit files, run queries, add templates or phrases. :D

Another great 3.5 tutorial, Kirby! :)

Now all we need is the ability for this to upload new files (extensions) edit templates & edit files. Then it will be a complete installation system.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrNase

Custom vBulletin settings must be added with a query? Or is there a function available with adds them without using a query?

Assign them to your Product, then Product Management will take care of Installing/Uninstalling :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

Now all we need is the ability for this to upload new files (extensions) edit templates & edit files. Then it will be a complete installation system.

I for one wouldn't like that. Especially editing Templates can be tricky, as you never know for sure how they will loke like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KirbyDE

I for one wouldn't like that. Especially editing Templates can be tricky, as you never know for sure how they will loke like.

Editing templates should be the users task only. Due to style customizations. But uploading files from the admincp would complete this! :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KirbyDE

Assign them to your Product, then Product Management will take care of Installing/Uninstalling :)

That must be done in the debug mode? Because all other things can be done without it..

Templates, Phrases, Settings and Plugins must be created in Debug Mode - as stated in the first Post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

Now all we need is the ability for this to upload new files (extensions) edit templates & edit files. Then it will be a complete installation system.

I agree. And add a file editor to that, and you have everything. ;) Better yet, have ALL of the code in XML format. No more file edits... ever.

I have to disagree. File and especially Template Edits should stay a User task, as they can be quite complicated keeping customized Styles and different Versions in mind.

Thanks Kirby, you should write books for vbulletin.

can I use version numbers like 1.0 or 1.9.5

Yes. Version Numbers can have up to 3 dots, eg. 1.2.3.4

Quote:

Thanks Kirby, you should write books for vbulletin.

Yeah, uhm, actually it's a good idea...
Kirby.. How about making a CHM collection of all the HowTO's you've written so far? :P That would be really useful.

If you could enlighten me what CHM is and how to create that - why not.
Hmm ... I could create a PDF.

Quote:

If you could enlighten me what CHM is and how to create that - why not.
Hmm ... I could create a PDF.

CHM is the file extension for Microsoft compressed HTML help files, in the other words it is the standard Windows format for storing help files. There are special software programs that allow you to create those CHM files...

As long as you make a table of contents, a PDF file would also be good. CHM files are usually neater and cleaner though...

This is an example of a CHM manual:
http://us3.php.net/get/php_manual_chm.zip/from/a/mirror

I thought the standard Windows Helpfile-Format was .hlp?
As this is what I ship my Applications with ...

Anyway, I think PDF would be better then a "proprietary" Format that doesn't work on all Platforms.

Quote:

I thought the standard Windows Helpfile-Format was .hlp?
As this is what I ship my Applications with ...

A HLP format is old and generally deprecated. Read about it here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...html/ch13g.asp

Concerning platform compatibility: In Windows it is integrated, Linux has KchmViewer, Macintosh X a CHMViewer1.1... I am sure other major platforms also have a viewer for such a common filetype, otherwise it wouldn't be used in so many eBooks.

P.S. I just looked in the HowTo forum, and discovered that there are also HowTo's by other authors. Therefore, in your compilation, could you please include these other HowTo's as well? Thanks :)

pdf is balls, Adobe is a bloated program when it just comes to reading pdf's. Also, it's very hard (I havent discovered how to) copy/paste something from a .pdf.
I'd like to see in chm too, that way I could even integrate it into Dreamweaver :D

Sorry, no CHM from me.
And with this post I am also denying anybody else the right to pack my How-TOs into a CHM.

But I might do a PDF :)

Quote:

And with this post I am also denying anybody else the right to pack my How-TOs into a CHM.

Ah.. I see. I was just going to ask you about it :)
What's the reason for the denying, if not a secret?
Revan is right - Adobe Viewer for PDF is too bloated.. :(

Reason = I don't like MS too much :)

Phrase Groups Available:

X vBulletin 3.8.12 by vBS Debug Information
Page Generation 0.01967 seconds Memory Usage 1,832KB Queries Executed 10 (?)
More Information
Template Usage: (1)ad_footer_end (1)ad_footer_start (1)ad_header_end (1)ad_header_logo (1)ad_navbar_below (1)bbcode_code_printable (2)bbcode_php_printable (11)bbcode_quote_printable (1)footer (1)gobutton (1)header (1)headinclude (6)option (1)pagenav (1)pagenav_curpage (2)pagenav_pagelink (1)post_thanks_navbar_search (1)printthread (40)printthreadbit (1)spacer_close (1)spacer_open Phrase Groups Available: global postbit showthread	Included Files: ./printthread.php ./global.php ./includes/init.php ./includes/class_core.php ./includes/config.php ./includes/functions.php ./includes/class_hook.php ./includes/modsystem_functions.php ./includes/class_bbcode_alt.php ./includes/class_bbcode.php ./includes/functions_bigthree.php Hooks Called: init_startup init_startup_session_setup_start init_startup_session_setup_complete cache_permissions fetch_threadinfo_query fetch_threadinfo fetch_foruminfo style_fetch cache_templates global_start parse_templates global_setup_complete printthread_start pagenav_page pagenav_complete bbcode_fetch_tags bbcode_create bbcode_parse_start bbcode_parse_complete_precache bbcode_parse_complete printthread_post printthread_complete
Messages: