AboutToday - Bring RSS Feeds and Daily Events to Your Site!

What is AboutToday?

AboutToday provides a central place to bring daily items of interest to your forum visitors. It includes two main components: an RSS Reader System and Local Events database System.

Please NOTE: This mod has been modified for vb ver 3.6.4. It should work on vb ver 3.5.4 and 3.6.x.

1. An RSS Reader system where the admin can enter RSS feeds that will then be displayed on the page. RSS feeds can be set to AUTOMATICALLY create threads or be set so that users can easily create a thread from a feed.. Feeds can be read via fopen or cURL.
   
   
   
   
   
   The RSS Feeds are fully intergrated with vbAdvanced and could actually be placed anywhere you want!!
   
2. A database system that can hold unlimited categories of "AboutToday" events. For example, you could have a history category (like a Today in History) with sub-categories for different eras in history. Or, you could have a daily joke or software tip of the day, etc.
   
   The "Add Event" feature is intended to help you if you want for example - Sports: Today in History. With the vb calendar, you cannot have categories and you are restricted with how far back the dates can go.
   
   
   
   
   So with the "Add Event" feature, you could have a category tree like:
   • Hockey
     • Professional
     • College
     • High School
   • Football
     • American Football
     • The Rest of the World (Soccer)
   • Baseball
   
   with the normal calendar feature, you cannot have categories. And with "Add Event" you can have any date. So, if you want an event like "Jan 1, 132 B.C. - the first ball was invented", you can do that. But, that isn't possible in the normal calendar. Also, the events in "Add Event" are fully searchable.

Installation

Copy the following files to your server in the forums directory:

abouttoday.php
includes/class.csv.php
includes/class_abouttoday.php
includes/cron/cron_abouttoday.php
includes/xml/bitfield_abouttoday.xml
includes/xml/cpnav_abouttoday.xml
admincp/abouttodayadmin.php

From the admincp, import the product file product-abouttoday.xml (Manage Products - Add/Import Product).

REFRESH your admincp window. You should now see a listing in the left column of the admincp for "AboutToday".

Getting Started

NOTE - if this is a new install, a Yahoo RSS Feed and CNN Entertainment Feed have been automatically added to give you a feel for how the product looks.

If you plan to use the RSS Feeds:

1. From the admincp, select AboutToday - RSS Feeds. Add an RSS Feed.
2. From the admincp, select Usergroups - Usergroup Manager. Add permissions so the Administrator group can use the product.
3. From your forum directory, bring up the file abouttoday.php.
4. If you want the feeds to AUTOMATICALLY create threads, go to admincp - abouttoday - settings. There you must set the userid of the account to use to create the thread. Then, edit the RSS Feed with the forumid of where the threads for that feed should be created!

If you plan to create your own "today in history" type of database:

1. From the admincp, select AboutToday - Categories. Add a category.
2. From your forum directory, bring up the file abouttoday.php. "Add" your first event to the category you have created!

Version Status
I've tested this product extensively but ... use this totally at your own risk!

Credits
I learned a lot about how to code this and used a lot of the code from what Ron1n did with ecDownloads. What I've learned from his code while helping to support ecDownloads has been invaluable.

Sites Using this Product
Visit www.armchairgeneral.com to see this product in action.

Click Install!
Please Click Install if you are using this product. Thanks!

[CyberRanger]

I know exactly what you have happening! If the left sidebar hack was installed before AboutToday, the left sidebar gets evaluated before the AboutToday information.

I know how to show you to fix it but I'm not on a computer where I can do so. Give me about 12 hours and I will be.

[beansbaxter]

The only thing I dont understand is why would I want to use this plugin's Add Event feature versus vbulletin's Calendar feature. I made the categories and can add events into them, just not sure the benefit of this.

I do love the RSS feed, I can take motorcycle-related RSS feeds and add them to my motorcycle-related forum. Whooohoooo!!

[CyberRanger]

Originally Posted by 10JQKA

I have tried everything to get the sidebar to show the rss feeds, but to no avail. I have added the php script to the forums directory like stated ion a previous post. I have set the myfeeds to 2 in settings like it says. I have also added the $myfeeds variable to the sidebar template. I have also added th evariable myfeeds to the rss feed aswell and still nothing. I also made sure that the usergroups premissions allow them to view the feeds. and still NOTTA
please help

I've uploaded an updated product that should solve this issue for you. Basically, it makes sure that the $myfeeds are evaluated before the left sidebar gets evaluated.

For you techies, the plugin abouttoday_myfeeds has been moved from the global_start hook to the cache_templates hook.

[CyberRanger]

Originally Posted by beansbaxter

The only thing I dont understand is why would I want to use this plugin's Add Event feature versus vbulletin's Calendar feature. I made the categories and can add events into them, just not sure the benefit of this.

Great Question! The "Add Event" feature is intended to help you if you want for example - Sports: Today in History. With the vb calendar, you cannot have categories and you are restricted with how far back the dates can go. So with the "Add Event" feature, you could have a category tree like:

• Hockey
  • Professional
  • College
  • High School
• Football
  • American Football
  • The Rest of the World (Soccer)
• Baseball

with the normal calendar feature, you cannot have categories. And with "Add Event" you can have any date. So, if you want an event like "Jan 1, 132 B.C. - the first ball was invented", you can do that. But, that isn't possible in the normal calendar. Also, the events in "Add Event" are fully searchable.

[10JQKA]

is it just me, or is the new file not there for download?

[Holidazed]

Originally Posted by 10JQKA

is it just me, or is the new file not there for download?

No, I do not see it either. There is no downloadable file except the vbA addon.

Westpointer, can you help out here?

[CyberRanger]

Originally Posted by bitg

No, I do not see it either. There is no downloadable file except the vbA addon.

Westpointer, can you help out here?

Oops! How'd that happen??? The file is there now.

[MorrisMcD]

Upgraded without issues... Thanks

wp... Did you ever think of a way I could have it display it bullet style instead of in tables on the forumhome?

[10JQKA]

is the only thing different the xml product file?
or do I have to upload all the other files aswell?

[MorrisMcD]

Originally Posted by 10JQKA

is the only thing different the xml product file?
or do I have to upload all the other files aswell?

I uploaded the entire folder.... It shouldnt hurt even if not NEEDED