Chat Modifications - Dream's Chatbox

This adds a simple Chatbox in your forum home page for your members to chat.

The Chatbox is like a thread, members leave small messages in it for others to see. Think of it as an off-topic thread that never ends. The Chatbox can also help keep chatting out of the threads.

This mod is light on the server, uses little server resources to work. The default refresh rate is set to 5 minutes. You can disable automatic refreshing entirely in the options.

What's the refresh rate? The chatbox updates the messages shown every given seconds, that's the refresh rate. It sends a request to the server asking for new messages every X seconds, that you choose in the options.

Warning: If you set your refresh rate to 10 seconds this mod stops being so server friendly. You can do it, but be sure your server can handle it.


Features:
- Ajax (no page refreshes)
- Pages
- Set refresh rate in seconds
- Hide Chatbox contents from certain user groups
- Set user groups that can't send messages but can view chatbox
- Moderator user groups that can delete messages
- Disable auto refresh for guests
- Prune messages by user ID, user name, days old or all
- Enable/disable smilies, bbcode and [ img ]
- Automatic URL parsing
- Users can delete their own messages
- Smilies popup with all smilies you can use in messages
- Who's Online Support
- Show message dates or not
- User names linked and colored with their user group colors
- Banned Users
- Hide refresh button
- /me code
- Optional message colors
- Bunch of options in the Admin Control Panel

Live Demos: (leave your live demo in this thread!)
http://www.fliz.ru/ (russian)
http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum
http://www.virtualorbit.com/
http://www.bowlandcentral.com/forum


VERSION HISTORY



This mod is now final. It has all the features I think a chatbox should have, so I won't be adding more features to it. Anyone has my permission to use this as a base for another mod. It will still be updated for bugs though.

[jerseyda6]

also is there a way to switch it so where you type is on the bottom?

[Dream]

Originally Posted by eurofunny

Thanx for this Update, this is the best Shoutbox i ever seen.

I have a idea at the moment, is there a way to allowed administrators put small flashanimation with sound in this shoutbox??

If you create a BBCode for Flash you can.

Originally Posted by eurofunny

I find the Time disabled only for guest is good. Is there a way to do this or for the next Update activated for Usergroups.

Hmm why would you want to do this?

Originally Posted by odonel

anyone else has isssues with the auto announcer ?

"PHP Fatal error: Call to a member function on a non-object in d:\webscv\sites\site1\forum\includes\cron\chatbox_ autopost.php on line 19"

it would be nice if there was a delete button in the box so that messages can be deleted without going to the admin panel

Can you post your autopost options?

Theres an option for moderator usergroups in the chatbox options that should show an X in each message to delete them.

[Dream]

Originally Posted by jerseyda6

how do I make the field bigger? I have many users using thin but it only allows to see about 3 shouts at a time... I would like to see at least 20 with out scrolling? Thanks

You need to edit the forumhome template edit HTML.

Originally Posted by jerseyda6

also is there a way to switch it so where you type is on the bottom?

There's an option for this in the chatbox options.

[Dream]

Originally Posted by eurofunny

I find the Time disabled only for guest is good. Is there a way to do this or for the next Update activated for Usergroups.

You can do this by editing chatbox.php, find

// ################################################## #####################
// ######################## START MAIN SCRIPT ############################
// ################################################## #####################

after that, add

if ($vbulletin->userinfo['userid'] == 0) { $showtime = 0; }

[DementedMindz]

so Dream any reason why the ajax version is pretty much useless right now?

[Dream]

It works perfect for me.

[jerseyda6]

thanks i got everything right? 1 more question how do I get rid of the time? everytime someone shouts it says the time right before the name? is there a way to eliminate that? also are the members able to post pictures in the box? is there a setting for that? thank you for all your help!!!!

[DementedMindz]

ajax dont refresh for other users it does however for the user who posted. log in 2 names on your test site or where ever you have it installed and try you will see. did you read my post about the error and when you hit the refresh button?

[Dream]

Originally Posted by jerseyda6

thanks i got everything right? 1 more question how do I get rid of the time? everytime someone shouts it says the time right before the name? is there a way to eliminate that? also are the members able to post pictures in the box? is there a setting for that? thank you for all your help!!!!

Theres a setting to show time in the chatbox options, also there is a setting to parse [ img ] tags.

[Dream]

Originally Posted by DementedMindz

ajax dont refresh for other users it does however for the user who posted. log in 2 names on your test site or where ever you have it installed and try you will see. did you read my post about the error and when you hit the refresh button?

Yes I can't replicate your delete message bug, but the bug with IE7 not refreshing I'm working on it.