Add User Profile Fields via Products
 

I am creating a product that needs an additional User Profile Field. I have found but a single resource describing a working implementation of doing this, however it involves manipulating the database directly as opposed to using a documented vBulletin API:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=243413

Although I am not squeamish about implementing such a method, I wonder about it's maintainability and compatibility with future vBulletin versions. Is there not a vBulletin API for adding User Profile Fields with a Product? How have other devs gotten around this limitation? I would rather not have the admin installing the Product have to configure the Profile Field manually, as that makes the installation more complicated and also I need to worry about the internal field name.

I don't believe there is any api for adding a profile field. When it's done in via the adminCP, it's done by going directly to the db (as you can see in admincp/profilefield.php in the do == 'update' section). Yes, it could cause problems later if anything changes, but I don't think that part of vb has changed in quite a while.

Thank you kh99. I'll do it with surgery, then.

Edit: I appreciate your assistance kh99, but I am forbidden from expressing it right now due to this message:
"You must 'Like' someone else's post before liking any more by kh99."