Add-On Releases - vBISpy - AJAX real-time feed of new posts/threads

After seeing the http://www.digg.com/spy application; I wondered if this could be done for vBulletin as well. I came across this webpage which had a "how to" on how they built a similiar application to do the same thing. Taking a page from their book (i.e. the code), I modified it for use with vBulletin.

During development, I also came across this post here on vBulletin.Org where the very subject had already been discussed.

So I put this together; a simple ZIP file with a single PHP script, three javascript files and 4 images.

Installation

. UNZIP the file into your forums directory
. That's it!

Virtually all the code to customize the page is in the vaispy.php script; there are no plugins, no templates and no phrases. You do not need to do anything further; this should work right out of the box.

In your browser, open the URL:

http://www.yourforum.com/forum/vaispy.php

You can see examples of this at:

http://www.viperalley.com/forum/vaispy.php
http://www.extremefitness.com/forum/vaispy.php

Note: I claim no ownership of this code except for the file vaispy.php - the rest of the files were using 'freely distributable' sources. As such, you may use these files as you wish, but please do not remove the copyrights.

This modification is for vBulletin 3.6 only, if you are running vBulletin 3.5 you will need to see this thread.

JOIN THE vBIspy Network!
Once you have this mod installed, you can join the vBIspy network to have your threads appear on this site; the vBIspy Network is a great way for people to see what's going on in various vBulletin communities and for forum owners to promote their sites and generate new traffic.

Optional add-ons

Who's Online mod for this: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=126209

vBAdvanced Module: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=126421

UPDATES
1.0.4
Added buro9's code from here

1.0.5 - 9.9.06
Modified some JavaScript in va_spy.js to remove split strings

1.0.6 - 9.10.06
Added date cuffoff code from here and changed init() to spyinit() - changed vaispy.php and va_spy.js files.

1.0.7 - 9.12.06
va_spy.js: Added a forum url variable to allow for integration with portals or other products outside the forum directory
va_spy.js: Added xmldelay variable at top of script for easier configuration or repolling
Updated files: vaispy.php, vb_spy.js

1.0.8 - 9.13.06
vaispy.php - changed code for checking for forum permissions to include password protected forums, added javascript tag for script code

1.0.9 - 9.16.06
vaispy.php
va_spy.js
va_effects.js
- modified to allow for proper display in Opera browsers and moved more html into vaispy.php to allow for stylevars, trimmed va_effects.js to remove unused code (ForumDog's suggestions, except not using templates yet), changed way threads are parsed (removes html as well)

1.0.10 - 9.17.06
va_prototype.js - removed 20kb of unused code

1.1.11 - 9.25.2006
vaispy.php
va_spy.js
- added SirAdrian's mods for thread status icons and alternating row colors
- added code to prepopulate the first 10 rows with existing threads allowing for 5 new ones to be added in scrolling mode (versus scrolling starting from the first thread).
- added option to display subscribed threads only

1.1.12 - 9.26.2006
vaispy.php
- added code to add empty rows if initial pull has less than 20 rows.

[Trana]

Nice hack.

It would be even cooler if you had some sort of fading background color for the table cells or div tags, so you could easily see what was new.

[MPDev]

I made a slight change to vaispy.php to wrap words a little better and removed my own preg_reaplce to use vB's code to remove quotes.

[Boots]

any idea why it won't work if I'm logged in?

[MPDev]

Sorry, no idea.

[DementedMindz]

Originally Posted by MPDev

If I wanted to DDOS someone's site I would only have to call any one of the number of vBulletin scripts repeatedly.

ok so you have no plans on making this members only or giving it permissions?

[MPDev]

I would consider it; although I would expect adding a couple lines of code to the script would take care of it (after the global.php include).

if ( !$vbulletin->userinfo['userid'] )
{
    print_no_permission();
}

would suffice.

[voteforbird]

Mine definitely isn't working:
http://www.volconvo.com/forums/vaispy.php

It's displaying just the one batch of posts, and the posts are from random times (like yesterday or months ago). What's going on?

[nymyth]

Works great on my site... www.jaydabhi.com/forum/vaispy.php

Peace

[Acers]

a small fix...
in the by tab you have the userid pointing to the userid of the thread starter. It should be pointing to the guy who made the post..

change this in viaspy.php
find

SELECT thread.*, post.pagetext AS preview

make it

SELECT thread.*, post.pagetext AS preview, post.userid AS lastpuserid

then find

<userid>{$thread['postuserid']}</userid>

replace with

<userid>{$thread['lastpuserid']}</userid>

grt addon though congrats

ps: i have it only for selected usergroups. For those who want permissions can simply do this

add this below
require_once('global.php') line in viaspy.php

//set up usergroup permissions for view

if (!is_member_of($vbulletin->userinfo , #usergroups to check#))
{
print_no_permission();
}

or

//set up usergroup permissions for view
$groupstocheck = explode(',', $vbulletin->options['spy_usergroups']); 
if (!is_member_of($vbulletin->userinfo , $groupstocheck)) 
{
        print_no_permission();
}

where spy_usergroups is admincp setting(make a new setting in admincp with same name) which contains comma separated list of allowed usergroups.(crude fix, best is to make a product and bitfield)

[MPDev]

I modified the va_spy.js and vaispy.php script to include the change above and also add a date stamp to the entry.