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[How to] Write Plug-ins/Hooks
Brad
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Brad Brad is offline 06-06-2005, 10:00 PM
This is your basic guide to making plug-ins and hooks, as we are all coming over from the 'hack the files' mentality I am posting this thread more for people that are used to hacking the 3.0.x source code and looking to port modifications. Although a newbie should be able to come away with a good understanding of how to do this to .

[high]Things to consider[/high]

Ok before we get started here are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost plug-ins are stored in the database, serlized, unserlized and evaled on page generation. If you code preforms badly with such a wrapper forget making a plug-in and just hack it, trust me you'll thank yourself for it when your forum gets large.

Second thing, hooks will not get you into every corner of the code. Some things will always be done best with a hack. For example if you are looking to add something but need to query the db for some extra data and want to avoid and extra query (in other words you are going to modify an existing one with a join or such) forget it and hack it in, there are no hooks that let you modify existing queries.

Last but not least hooks are not magic, don't add a million of them and expect your forum to run as fast as it did when you first installed it. Only plug-in/hack-in what you really need!

Ok enough with the boring stuff, lets add our first plug-in!

[high]Basics:[/high]

First thing you need to do is make sure plug-ins are enabled, you can find this option in the admin cp by browsing to vBoptions -> Select Plugin/Hook System from menu -> Set Enable Plugin/Hook System to yes.

Now head to the add plug-in page located at http://www.yoururl.com/forum/admincp/plugin.php?do=add

Lets go over what all these options mean:

Hook Location: This is where the php code will be executed at, hook locations at defined all across vBulletin. You can find them by opening and php file and searching for the var $hook. When you find a bit of php code like this you have found a hook:

PHP Code:
($hook = vBulletinHook::fetch_hook('showthread_postbit_create')) ? eval($hook) : false; 
See that bit fetch_hook('showthread_postbit_create')? Well the text "showthread_postbit_create" is the name of this hook, if you look in the drop down you will find that listed in there somewhere. Incase you are wondering that hook is located in showthread.php at line 1012

Title: This is the title of your plug-in, use a good name because this is the only thing you have to identify the plug-in in the plug-in manager.

Plugin PHP Code: Can you guess? This is where you put your custom php code, on page generation it is executed at the hook location in the .php files. Note that you do not need <?php ?> tags here, in other words:

wrong:

PHP Code:
<?php $var = true; ?>
Right:

PHP Code:
$var = true; 
Plugin is Active: Allows you to turn the plug-in on/off without removing it. If set to 'yes' php code is ran on page execution.

Edit - Thanks to Revan for this addition:

Quote:
[high]vbulletin_plugins.xml[/high]
If you need to tell your users to add a lot of plugins, this will become tedious as much copy/pasting is required. A simpler way would be to use the .xml import. It works just like the importing of templates and phrases, by adding the contained code as a Plugin.
The correct format for a plugin.xml file is like so (thanks to Live Wire):
Code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<plugins>
	<plugin active="1">
		<title>vB Category Icons</title>
		<hookname>forumdata_start</hookname>
		<phpcode><![CDATA[$this->validfields['forumhomeicon'] = array(TYPE_STR, REQ_NO);]]></phpcode>
	</plugin>
</plugins>
Explanations:
<plugin active="1"> - The 'active' attribute determines the default value of 'Plugin is Active' in the Plugin Manager.
<title></title> - Self explanatory, it is the 'Title' field in the Manager.
<hookname></hookname> - The 'Hook Location' you would select.
<phpcode><![CDATA[ ]]></phpcode> - Anything added in the space between these is added to the 'Plugin PHP Code' part.
[high]Tips[/high]

At first approach coding the plug-in like a hack.

Open the php file you would normally edit and get your mind around the new code.

Once you have a good understanding of the new code you should start looking for where you need to add your custom php. Once you find the right location in the code start looking for a nearby hook, if you don't see one you can work with you are out of luck!

Edit- Thanks to KirbyDE for his addition:

Quote:
Something that might come in handy for those developing Plugins:

In class_hook.php FIND
PHP Code:
function &fetch_hook($hookname)
{ 
BELOW that ADD
PHP Code:
DEVDEBUG("Calling Hook $hookname"); 
Then (if debug mode is turned on) you can see which hooks are being called, and when they are being called.
Once you find your hook note its name and apply your changes in the admincp, from here on out you are on your own
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  #52  
Old 02-01-2006, 08:13 PM
Logikos Logikos is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad
Second thing, hooks will not get you into every corner of the code. Some things will always be done best with a hack. For example if you are looking to add something but need to query the db for some extra data and want to avoid and extra query (in other words you are going to modify an existing one with a join or such) forget it and hack it in, there are no hooks that let you modify existing queries.
This quote should be updated:

You can join into Queries now:
Lets say you wanted to show some custom info on each post. In 3.0x you would modify an exsiting query. Its the biggest query in showthread.php. Starts like "$posts = $db->query_read("".

You would have to add you own SELECT statments like table.username AS username, and JOIN statements like LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user AS user ON(user.userid = post.userid). You don't need to do that anymore.

If you wanted to do this is 3.5 using hooks you can. Open showthread.php and find around line: 923-924. You should see...

PHP Code:
$hook_query_fields = $hook_query_joins = '';
($hook = vBulletinHook::fetch_hook('showthread_query')) ? eval($hook) : false; 
Under that you will see a very large query, in that query you will notice the variables, $hook_query_fields, and $hook_query_joins. Thats your ticket into this query.

You would simple go into the plugins, add new plugin and write it like so: Plugin Name is "showthread_query"
PHP Code:
$hook_query_fields = ",tablename.rowname AS newname";
$hook_query_joins = "LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "tablename AS newtable ON(tablename.rowname = post.rowname)"; 
Tips:
Just remember to start "$hook_query_fields" variable with a comma.
You can also add conditions around this which is great I think. Example:
PHP Code:
if ($var == $var2)
{
        $hook_query_fields = ",tablename.rowname AS newname";
        $hook_query_joins = "LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "tablename AS newtable ON(tablename.rowname = post.rowname)";
} 
Hope this helps some advance users.
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  #53  
Old 10-24-2006, 11:11 AM
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Eagle Creek Eagle Creek is offline
 
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Can't this thread be sticky :-)?
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  #54  
Old 05-22-2007, 07:28 PM
LaCN LaCN is offline
 
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Help..

I got this part in my plugin:

Quote:
Originally Posted by plugin
if ( ($vbulletin->options['LaCN_enable']) && ($vbulletin->userinfo[usergroupid] == '0') )
{
$guestIC = $vbulletin->options['LaCN_guest_text'];
}


eval('$LaCN_message = "' . fetch_template('LaCN_message') . '";');
in the templates I have this:

Quote:
Originally Posted by template forum_home
blabla
$LaCN_message
blabla
Quote:
Originally Posted by template LaCN_message
blabla
$guestIC
blabla

the template shows.
But $guestIC won't show

What's wrong ?
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  #55  
Old 05-23-2007, 07:50 PM
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Wired1 Wired1 is offline
 
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Re-read the instructions. Your code that calls the hook is wrong, and you need to enter the hook into the xml file that holds the hooks.
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  #56  
Old 05-23-2007, 08:29 PM
LaCN LaCN is offline
 
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Before I make an xml file, I'm building it first as if it was already installed
The plugin is set in the global_start hook, so that's fine.

the plugin itself has to add the to be used templated to the cache, that's what I've used that eval line for
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  #57  
Old 08-13-2007, 04:59 PM
Lea Verou Lea Verou is offline
 
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Can one add hooks in plugins (for add-ons)?
I guess not, but I don't lose anything by asking...
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  #58  
Old 08-13-2007, 07:37 PM
Opserty Opserty is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michelle View Post
Can one add hooks in plugins (for add-ons)?
I guess not, but I don't lose anything by asking...
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=82703

Another article by Brad lol
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  #59  
Old 08-14-2007, 07:48 AM
Lea Verou Lea Verou is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Opserty View Post
I read the whole thread but there is nothing mentioned about hooks in plugins.
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Old 08-14-2007, 09:15 PM
Opserty Opserty is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michelle View Post
I read the whole thread but there is nothing mentioned about hooks in plugins.
Have you tried it out anyway? I don't really see the point of including a hook in your plugin code if people want to develop modifications for it then they could just edit the plugin code. I guess it is your choice but it wouldn't be something I would do.
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  #61  
Old 08-14-2007, 09:24 PM
Lea Verou Lea Verou is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Opserty View Post
Have you tried it out anyway? I don't really see the point of including a hook in your plugin code if people want to develop modifications for it then they could just edit the plugin code. I guess it is your choice but it wouldn't be something I would do.
In fact, I want to develop a "bridge" for users that have one of my modifications and one I'm planning to release soon. I don't want them to edit the plugin code, because they'll have to do it over and over again on each update.
So hooks would really come in handy here.
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