Major Additions - VBGooglemap Member Edition

Version 3.0.1 is currently available

This is the tested port of my 3.5.x version h(https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=99920)

You can now nominate hacks yourself for hacks of the month. There is a link on the right of hacks on top of the files.

Function
This will display the members of the Bulletin Board based on their lattitude and longitude coordinates on a googlemap.

Don't forget to hit install !!!!!!!
Please read the guide before asking for support !!!!!!!

Feel free to support this mod and make a paypal donation to admin@stonyarc.com

INSTALL

Detailed installation instructions and screenshots in the included pdf file.

Current Features



NOTE:
VBGooglemap 3.0.0 contains the vulnerability fix. Please upgrade immediately. Version 3.0.0. also contains all features from 2.5.X

As always you use modifications at your own risk.

VBGooglemap Member Edition 2.5.x brings you a lot of new features. It?s vital that you uninstall any previous version before upgrading/installing version 2.5.x.

Upgrading from version 2.5.0 is easier. Instruction are available in the guide.

As the uninstall function will not remove your googlemap data in the database but only the templates and files you can safely remove an older version. As a precaution you should always take a backup. This should be done on each major change you make to your bulletin board.

IF YOU ARE RUNNING VERSION 1.0.3, 2.0.X AND YOU CHANGED TEXT DIRECTLY IN THE TEMPLATES YOU NEED TO SAVE YOUR CHANGES AS VERSION 3.0.0. REQUIRES YOU TO UINSTALL PREVIOUS VERSIONS.

This has taken quite some work and still will take a lot more. Please give credit where credit is due. You cannot remove any notice without prior written permission.

Changes in this version

SEE FIRST POST FOR FULL ROADMAP AND HISTORY

Planned Features
- TBD

Volume warning

high volume of users may slow down the load. Currently a load counter is included.

Languages

Thanks to Wachtmeister there is a German translation available to you all. Feel free to use it.

The translation will be updated on each new version.

Special

- Read the attached PDF for more information. The pdf is also included in the zip file.
- You'll need a googlemap key for your domain. Get your own key for your domain view http://www.google.com/apis/maps/signup.html for more information.
A googlemap key is only valid for a specific domain. You'll need a specific google account to create one.
All is explained on the googlemap link indicated above.
- Set the file permissions on the marker.xml file to 777
- The googlemap script can handle non-registered users. They will only see the main map and won't be able to enter information. This is reserved for logged in users (detected automatically)
- usergroup permissions are available in the backend
- To change location just drag the map while holding the left mouse key or by using the zoom and key functions on the left
- First time loading of the map may take a few seconds longer because of Google API hosting



Special Xbox Live version
http://www.xboxlivenation.com/community/gamermap.php

Credits

This has taken quite some work and still will take a lot more. Please give credit where credit is due. You cannot remove any notice without prior written permission. Instructions are included in the pdf file.
Special credits to Google, Pyg for the javascript tips.


FAQ

The FAQ is included in the pdf file.

INSTALL



Feel free to support this mod and make a paypal donation to admin@stonyarc.com



(c) 2007 Stonyarc

[Ronseal]

Thanks Towermatt for trying to help, but running the markers.xml just brings up my portal page which currently has no link to my map install so I don't see why the markers.xml is of any use here?

[towermatt]

Hmmm, that may be the problem then. Have you checked your server to make sure the markers.xml is in the forums folder?

It really should bring up a page that shows the "entries" on your map

[Ronseal]

Sorry Towermatt, I typed 'forums' instead of 'forum' whilst testing your last instruction.

Right then you're onto something now, I have an error on one of the entry's, it reads:

A semi colon character was expected. Error processing resource 'http://www.ducatisti.co.uk/forum/markers.xml'. Line 29, Po...

And I think I can see what's wrong if I read the markers.xml file....

This is the line with the error:

<marker mapid="29" title_map="Fred" lng="-3.5971641540527" lat="50.550280590038" userid="1245" username="Fred" text_map="blah blah blah" type="red" pimage="http://www.mysite.com/forum/vbgooglemapme.php?lat=50.55028059003783&lng=-3.5971641540527343" />

This is the next line and it works:

<marker mapid="30" title_map="bob" lng="-2.7019500732422" lat="52.040454864151" userid="2690" username="Fred" text_map="blah blah blah" type="red" pimage="http://www.mysite.com/forum/images/googlemapme/noimage.png" />

For some reason Line 29 has appended the lat and lng to the end of the pimage, not sure why, but I've corrected the line and all works perfect again and my Markers are back on display....... Towermatt, you're a Super Star, thanks a million!

[Ronseal]

Just to add to the above obviously just editting the markers.xml isn't going to fix much so I had to correct the error on line 29 within the database, it all seems to work now..... well at least for the moment!....

[towermatt]

I'm just glad to hear we got someone going. :nanadance:

I may have to come back and find out about that database fix if mine poops out again.

How did you correct the error?

[GeekDrew]

I just installed this a couple of days ago, and the first couple of users that tried to use it (other admins of mine, as I like to do extensive testing) managed to break the pins, because of the XML validation error that others have referenced as "running the XML file".

The cause of the problem is that the pimage link isn't being parsed safely for XML.

Here's a fix that I think will work (at least it works for me -- I do NOT guarantee this, if it causes spontaneous combustion, fire, death, etc., I'm not to blame):

*** I JUST SAID THAT I DO NOT GUARANTEE THIS WILL WORK. I DISCLAIM ALL LIABILITY. YOU MUST BACK UP YOUR DATABASE AND ALL OF THE FILES RELATED TO THIS MODIFICATION, SO THAT YOU CAN RESTORE THEM IF NECESSARY. ***

In /forums/includes/cron/vbgooglemapme_cron.php:

Find:

while ($get_xml_marker = $vbulletin->db->fetch_array($get_xml_markers))

Immediately ABOVE the text I have quoted, place the following text:

This quote has been removed because I failed to consider HTML rendering. See the text here, so that it is properly parsed: link

In the same file, find this:

if ($get_xml_marker["pimage"]!='')
{
$pimage = $get_xml_marker["pimage"];
}
else
{
$pimage = $bburl."/images/googlemapme/noimage.png";
}

Immediately BELOW the text that I have quoted, place this:

$pimage = parseToXML($pimage);

That should render all entities in the 'pimage' field safe for XML, so it will validate. However, that script is only called when the CRON job is executed... when someone edits their entry online, a different copy of that same script is called (which is really bad form, in my opinion, but hey, I didn't develop this...). That second copy is located at /forums/includes/functions_vbgooglemapme.php. You need to make the exact same changes in that file as I have mentioned above.

Now... I am not claiming that this will solve everyone's issues. It more than likely will not. It will, however, fix problems with 'pimage' being the reason that the XML won't validate. I think that this will probably fix the problems that quite a few of you are happening.

[msudawgs64]

ronseal, awesome find. Thanks for that post, I followed your posts and sure enough I had the same thing going on. I was able to edit both the xml file and then edited that entry in the database and now the pins show again. Thanks, I like the map and really did not want to uninstall it.

[Ronseal]

msudawgs64, It's not all good news I'm afriad!!!!
Although my old pins show any new pins added/edited are not showing even after I run the cron job. So maybe it's time to try GeekDrew's '$pimage = parseToXML($pimage);' fix?

[Julrou]

Originally Posted by towermatt

All you have to do is browse out to http://www.yoursite.com/forums/markers.xml

It is a file that came with the download for this mod and it should show any errors for links in read. Edit that entry on your map and it may bring the markers back.

Hum, when i go to http://www.informatiquefacile.eu/forums/markers.xml

i got a blank page...
Did i miss something ?

[Ronseal]

Just got the following error with your fix Geekdrew, any ideas?

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING in /home/my_site/public_html/forum/includes/cron/vbgooglemapme_cron.php on line 39

and line 39 was one of your additions: $xmlStr=str_replace("&",'&amp;',$xmlStr);