Major Additions - GRPS: Groups Commune 2.0.x

Welcome ladies and gentleman, this is the release thread for GRPS, an interactive groups commune. I hope you enjoy this release and i sincerely hope it provides everything to your community in which you're looking for.

What is it?
It's a groups commune. The original idea is that forums with lots and lots of forums on the front-page suck, as a result i thought most of the conversation was rather obscure in regards to what the forums were trying to achieve, so it'd be nice to have that all going on elsewhere, not detracting away from the content and stopping your front-page from looking like a car crash.

Features?

• Groups Home
  
  • Groups Activity List
    
    • Newest Groups
      
    • Most Popular Groups
      
    • Largest Groups
      
  • Category List
    
  • Group Search by Title
    
  • Group Sort by Alphabetical Title, Categories, Member Count
    
    
  • Users can create groups
    
  • Admin switch to moderate groups or not
    
    • Admin CP access to moderation panel
      
• Groups Page
  
  • Posts since last visit notification
    
  • Group Info
    
    • Group Leader shown with avatar
      
    • Category
      
    • Type
      
      • Groups can be listed as public, private or hidden
        
    • Start Date
      
    • Member count
      
    • Post count
      
  • Group Desciption
    
    • Shows group title
      
    • Shows random image
      
    • Shows group information set by group leader
      
  • Groups Thread List (Forum)
    
    • Status Icon
      
    • Title
      
      • Threads use postbit as per the forums
        
    • Thread Author with avatar and time that the thread was started
      
    • Last reply with avatar, username and time that the last reply was posted
      
    • Post New Thread Button
      
      • Groups Members can create threads
        
  • Newest Members
    
    • Shows five newest members
      
    • Link to view all members
      
      • Shows all members of the group
        
  • Group Options
    
    • Users can join/leave groups
      
      • PM Notification for group leaders upon join requests (when moderation enabled).
        
      • PM Notification for of acceptance or refusal.
        
    • Users can send invites to other users via PM
      
• Groups Thread
  
  • Groups Info Box (see above for more info)
    
  • Group Description box (see above for more info)
    
  • Newest Members List (see above for more info)
    
  • List of groups posts using forums postbit
    
  • Pagination using native vBulletin pagination
    
  • Group Leader/Moderation Options
    
    • Open/Close Thread
      
    • Stick Thread
      
    • Delete Thread
      
  • Users have the ability to report posts
    
  • Moderators have the ability to view IP and host.
    
• Group Leader Options
  
  • Groups Management
    
    • WYSIWYG Editor
      
    • Reason for editing box
      
    • Group Options
      
      • Private Posts
        
      • Only group leader can make threads
        
      • Moderate Members
        
      • Show group text edit details
        
      • Hide group image on group pages
        
      • Hidden Group
        
        • This option is only available to admins
          
  • Group Members Moderation
    
    • Ability to accept or deny new members
      
• Postbit Integration
  
  • View Users Groups
    
• User Control Panel (Integration)
  
  • List of groups appears in usercp in order of the last post
    
• Administrator Options
  
  • vBulletin Options
    
    • Turn groups on or off
      
    • Groups Limit Per User
      
    • Posts Per Page (threads)
      
    • Check Forum Activity Posts
      
    • Check Forum Activity Time
      
    • Number of Random Images
      
    • Turn email notification of new groups on/off
      
  • Usergroup Options
    
    • Can view groups
      
    • Can create groups
      
    • Can join groups
      
    • Can post messages in groups
      
    • Can edit messages in groups
      
    • Can delete messages posted in groups
      
    • Numbers of groups usergroup can join limited
      
    • Can moderate groups
      
      • See above for more info
        
    • Can view IP Addresses
      
  • Category Editor
    
    • Edit
      
      • Edit cat id (please not this can ef up your show)
        
      • Edit cat title
        
      • Edit cat description
        
    • Add
      
      • New Cat Title And Description
        
  • Groups Editor
    
    • Search for group by id
      
      • Edit
        
        • Title
          
        • Desciption
          
        • Categoryid
          
        • Group leader id
          
        • Private Posts
          
        • Moderate Members
          
        • Hidden group
          

Special Thanks to harry1951, without his help testing and his recommendations, this would've never ended up the way it did.

Honestly, i can't think of anything else, if you appreciate the work gone into this mod, please donate (in GBP) (right click open in new window)

Hopefully you all appreciate that i just relaunched my site and rather than soak up the atmosphere there or go out drinking i came to release this tonight.

Screens below, rest to your right

Please note this mod does work with 3.5.x

PLEASE DO NOT JOIN MY SITE IN A BID TO PLAY WITH IT OR HAVE A LOOK AT IT FURTHER, MY SITE IS SOMETHING I VALUE FOR BEING SOMEWHERE I CAN CHILL AT, IT'S NOT A TEST SUITE OR DEMO!

Bug Fixes

• Groups v2.0.0 RC1b.zip: fix regarding incorrect table prefixes in index.php and editpost.php
• Groups v2.0.0 RC2.zip: fix regarding incorrect table prefixes in functions_grps.php and class_grps.php. also fix regarding installation instructions.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC3.zip: fix regarding inability to get to create groups page. updated simplified instructions, sadly still not cool html ones and also added ability to delete groups, delete categories and of course the menu options to get to these.
  • Groups v2.0.0 RC3b.zip: fix regarding joining and leaving group depreciated function error added uninstaller to the zip at http://www.yoursite.com/groups/tools...p?do=uninstall
  • Groups v2.0.0 RC3c.zip: fix regarding edit being stated as 70's on group stages, requires re-installtion of the plugin only.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC4.zip: various bug fixes and new general setting, please reupload all files and then reinstall the product.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC5.zip: bug fixes regarding fixing links to forums being broken and forcing redirects for create group outcomes.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC6.zip: various bug fixes including table prefixes in admincp, invitations system now features in-line erroneous username fall-back and clean up regarding broken images in viewthread.php
• Groups v2.0.0 RC7.zip: bug fixes including missing phrases and missing 'noavatar.gif for group leader on groups info.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC8.zip: various bug fixes including missing phrases, smilies not working. new function to turn of new group moderation. form now working on print_no_permission page (thanks Adrian) and something else i forgot.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC9.zip: fixes two spelling mistakes, moves viewthread.php string_replacements to admincp and simplifies the installer experience. (yeah i thought there'd be more to it too).
  • Groups v2.0.0 RC9b.zip: re-fixes two spelling mistakes, fixes a viewthread.php string_replacement via the admincp and turns the default random image count down to that of which is provided.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC10.zip: optimises some of the code, cuts down on queries in exchange for additional joins and now forces compatibility in groups/viewthread.php with vBulletin options. also adds new option in admincp in order to make usercp listing work better out of the box.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC11.zip: fixes a problem with avatars not displaying correctly in thread listing and also optimises the code in membership.php
• Groups v2.0.0.zip: adds and array_merge to the code and smilie popup fixed. now features hooks for plug-in 'easability'. uCS integration moved to external plugin too.
• Groups v2.0.1.zip: removes one hook, fixes problem with membership.php, fixes problem editgroup.php not remembering options and fixes avatar problem.
• Groups v2.0.2.zip: various bug fixes (like missing pagenavs, more elegant removal of reputation button and infraction button and php notices), one or two new features (like intuitive page titles) and now fully phrased.
• Groups v2.0.3.zip: bug fix regarding now being able to select categories. includes a new feature which is basically pagination for the thread listings.
• Groups v2.0.4.zip: bug fix regarding not being able to moderate group memberships.
• Groups v2.0.5.zip: bug fix regarding those introduced via 2.0.4, new features such as double post prevention disable, admins can override privacy settings, usergroup permission text more intuitive and end-user usability increased with modification to threadbit on groups.php. group leaders can now kick users from there groups.
• Groups v2.0.6.zip: bug fix including report, missing edit button and other misc small bugs, new features such as disable hidden groups, allow mods to see private groups, and resign from group handing off to another user.
• Groups v2.0.7.zip: bug fix including fixing post counts, thread goto's and fatal php errors.
• Groups v2.0.8.zip: bug fix regarding inability to delete posts, problem with editing posts and other misc errors.
• Groups v2.0.9.zip: various bug fixes including wywiwyg error, admin cp error and redirect/goto errors.
  • Groups v2.0.9b.zip: fixes problem with upgrade4.php
• Groups v2.0.10.zip: various bug fixes including acknowledging renamed modcp and admincp dir's also adds option regarding removing of posts at group exit/kick.
• Groups v2.0.11.zip: various bug fixes including security/privacy fixes.
• Groups v2.0.12.zip: permission bug fixed.
• Groups v2.0.13.zip: various bug fixes including ability to ignore members in groups and newreply bug.

[Shmee]

Originally Posted by Trana

No one is trying to "scare monger", and I didn't mention security at all.

This script is RC, Release Candidate. To my knowledge it does not have a complete uninstaller and there seem to be complaints about SQL errors here and there (somewhat unsubstantiated I agree).

Do you think that he should install this on a site with 600k users? If you say yes, then by all means release this as Gold. I know a bunch of people are waiting for it.

What does 600k users have to do with anything? If the script itself is functional and secure, what's the problem? Sure the script has a few bugs here and there.. i'm trying to help and resolve them.

[whitetigergrowl]

Originally Posted by sabret00the

The ZSEO problem seems to have been the result of a <base href="" /> tag, i'm unfamiliar with vBSEO tbh so really couldn't begin to guess the cause, i can only suggest disabling vBSEO testing to see is the problem still exists and then reporting back with your findings.

Disabled it and nothing changed.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by Trana

No one is trying to "scare monger", and I didn't mention security at all.

This script is RC, Release Candidate. To my knowledge it does not have a complete uninstaller and there seem to be complaints about SQL errors here and there (somewhat unsubstantiated I agree).

Do you think that he should install this on a site with 600k users? If you say yes, then by all means release this as Gold. I know a bunch of people are waiting for it.

i just wanted to address this.

the reason it's in RC as opposed to beta is because at the time of each of the RC's (maybe bar one) there have been zero known bugs. when i went without a bug for three days straight i could've declared it GOLD however i never because i'm actually querying whether or not i should sent it GOLD before i fully phrase the project. See the thing here is that there's a grave error in judgement in regards to GRPS and my standing on it. i never released it because i want to give something to the community, that's actually secondary. i released it because i felt my community could benefit from the added exposure this script would give it. i'm sorry my hearts just not pure enough for me to bang out RC's seven days a week without getting paid. yeah it'd be nice to get BOTM and imo i deserve it for how innovative GRPS has been in regards to enhancements for vBulletin alone, but i don't control the votee. and yeah i'd love to say that my inbox was ringing with donations but it hasn't. however despite all this i continue to work hard to provide the best product that i possibly can.

You talk about the installer? i have no idea what you're on about. i mean honestly. 90% of the problems regarding the installer have been an issue with people not knowing the relative path/directory of their forums. however did i let this deter me? no and as a result come RC9 having a feel for my "target" audience i took that bit out of their hands. the only problem with installation which cannot be called anything bar my fault is that it doesn't work from one sub domain to another. my bad, it's an unforeseen drama. however the alternative as unpretty as it may be is to run the script below the forums directory. now if that's what you call an incomplete installer so be it. i call that an end-user problem in which i've again and again, been willing to check out peoples forums and give them the exact text they need to input. bare in mind, so such a simple task people over at vBulletin.com are being paid for this.

As for complaints about SQL errors? where? as far as i can count, there's maybe two, three as a stretch experiencing time-outs and as a result, i've agreed to look into them. that's as far as it goes.

Now in all honesty, knowing that RC10 is literally that bug (the time-out one, which requires further feedback) and 'fixing' an unforeseen vBulletin option, i think i'm well within my right to say that you're scaremongering and for no good reason at all. You're more than entitled to give your opinion, but don't defend it when it's so cheap and uneducated.

But alas all of this is just my opinion.

[Lionel]

I have been using this for a couple of weeks and haven't got one problem

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by ChurchMedia

1) Sorry -- when I re-installed the hack it reset the permissions. Guest permissions are on so you can see the groups: www.churchmedia.net/groups

2) Yeah, the groups dir is in the site root. The custom avatars are in /CMN/customavatars/

3) Right -- it's pointing to the right dir, but I just don't have an image called grps_noimage_9.gif. Not a big deal.

4) I did change my home URL from my forums URL. So home is set to http://www.churchmedia.net and forums is set to http://www.churchmedia.net/CMN/

Thanks for your help on this. I think the main problem is getting the avatars to point to the right directory. If we can nail that, I think I'm ready to go live with it.

1/ see below.

2/ fixed in RC10

3/ good good.

4/ fixed in RC10

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by KevNJ

Any future plans to allow a custom group image. If theres a group about Mustangs for the group leader to add a "Mustang" image as the group image ? Like on myspace ?

at present it's an add-on i haven't decided what i want to do with yet. to the point that i've not even decided to install it on my site. it's like half installed :ermm:

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by Shmee

Well, I use this on a forum with over 600,000 users. There's a few pages within the script that timeout. I'm thinking it's a query causing the page to hang.

Is there anyway I can print out all queries in a page so I can run them myself to see which is causing the hang?

groups.php is one of the scripts.

this is what i would suggest for you to do.

1/ close your board temporarily (about 15 minutes downtime)

2/ open your config.php and add to the top of it (around line 22)

PHP Code:

$config['Misc']['debug'] = TRUE; 


3/ go to each of the pages that give you the timeout problems and at the bottom of your page click on "Explain" is you can't get that far then simply ammend to the url to show

PHP Code:

&explain=1 


at the end.

4/copy and paste (ctrl+a => ctrl+c) the contents of that page to an email and mark each email with the page i.e. groups.php.

5/email them to the address at the bottom of the instructions (install.txt)

6/ when you've sent all of them, then email me and i'll review them.

while i think i know what the problem could be, i really need confirmation.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by toolblast

Ok, so can I expect this in the next RC release? I'd really like to use groups but I'd need to be able to have this sorted out before I roll it out

Thanks!!

yup in the next RC (RC10)

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by whitetigergrowl

Disabled it and nothing changed.

can i get a butchers at your site please?

[sabret00the]

I do believe that brings me up to speed in this thread, have a good Friday night all.