[How-To] Product Managament (vBulletin 3.5 RC 1 and up)

[Andreas]

<font size="3">Important change in vBulletin 3.5.1</font>

Product install code is now executed before the product gets inserted into the database; this way you can run any necessary pre-installation checks (mySQL Version, files are in place, etc.) and abort the instalation if necessary.

[Code Monkey]

What's the best way to go about updating a product?

Say you add a new field to a table with an update.

Do you just put an alter table?

Will it just skip it in future updates if they already have the field?

Or should you just have a seperate upgrade script?

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Just put the alter statement for the new version upgrade code.

[timetunnel]

This is a wonderful thread...

This is my introduction to this feature. It sure puts a whole new light on the extent to what this software can do!

QUESTION: is it ok to leave the debug enabled or should it be disabled after the product is created, or does it matter? Is there any security issue to consider if left enabled 'permanently'?

Thanks in advance.

[DaveAK]

Originally Posted by Revan

That's really anal. That's like saying "I refuse to zip my hacks because I hate the WinZip program. I am blatantly ignoring the fact that WinRar/WinAce/[insert name of unpacking software for Mac/Linux/Unix] can unpack these files."
Making the How-to's HARDER to use is IMHO completely against the point of making them. I consider this a kick in the nuts to the community. This paragraph (and only this) will be retracted if someone can show me a way to copy/paste from Adobe Reader. I refuse to install any other piece of software to be able to copy/paste from a .pdf document, as I do not feel the need to clutter my computer with crap that will be used 1 or 2 times.
At any rate, see if you can stop me from making CHM files on my own computer (not to distribute).

Now to get back on the actual topic:
Ive learned the hard way that settings have to be volatile for them to be able to export properly, but won't this erase them on upgrade? The code in the xml_import_settings() makes me think that if you are trying to re-import settings that are marked as volatile, it will recreate these settings. This is not a desired effect, so I hope someone can prove me wrong

Ever tried the "Select Text" tool in Adobe Reader? The one where you can highlight text, and copy it to the clipboard for pasting into other applications? Try it and then you can retract your paragraph.

[monotreme]

is this the only way to export your plugins?

[echamberlain]

Is there a way to bundle php code within the product installation process?

It would be nice if the install was one xml file import and not an import, plus an upload.

[Cap'n Steve]

When you edit a product, there's a place to put install and uninstall code.

[diades]

Hi

I am in the process of converting any hacks etc., to do this, I read the manual for any info and then looked at the xml files that came with the installation and some of the product hacks that are around.
I then wrote a basic product, imoported it and then exported it to see if there were any changes in the file.
This led to more research and that is the reason that I am posting here.

This is the basic "product" xml file (without values) that I have gleaned thus far:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<product xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="D:\Inetpub\wwwroot\webxpertz_net\products\product.xsd">
  <title></title>
  <description></description>
  <version></version>
  <url></url>
  <versioncheckurl></versioncheckurl>
  <dependencies maxversion="" minversion="" dependencytype=""></dependencies>
  <codes>
    <code version="">
      <installcode></installcode>
      <uninstallcode></uninstallcode>
    </code>
  </codes>
  <templates>
    <template date="" username="" name="" templatetype="" version=""></template>
  </templates>
  <plugins>
    <plugin executionorder="" active="">
      <title date="" username="" executionorder="" active="" version=""></title>
      <hookname></hookname>
      <phpcode></phpcode>
    </plugin>
  </plugins>
  <phrases>
    <phrasetype fieldname="" name="">
      <phrase date="" username="" name="" version=""></phrase>
    </phrasetype>
  </phrases>
  <options displayorder="" name="">
    <settinggroup varname="" displayorder="">
      <setting varname="" displayorder="">
        <datatype></datatype>
      </setting>
    </settinggroup>
  </options>
  <helptopics hasphrases="" product="" vbversion="">
    <helpscript name="">
      <helptopic disp="">
        <title date="" username="" version=""></title>
        <text date="" username="" version=""></text>
      </helptopic>
    </helpscript>
  </helptopics>
  <cronentries>
    <cron></cron>
  </cronentries>
  <faqentries>
    <faqtype>
      <faq></faq>
    </faqtype>
  </faqentries>
</product>

No I am trying to find out if the attributes are correct and, what, if any, are the attributes, child elements for the elements in red.
There does not seem to be a gui for that data in th cp (although I may have missed it) so, if someone can shed some light, I would be grateful.
I have written a schema for the file (as it is above) as I prefer to write the product offline as an xml file and then just import it. Thiat is also the reason for the schema, it makes life easier.
Thanks for any help.

[echamberlain]

That data is all in AdminCP->vBulletin Options. Where you add/edit Settings groups and additional settings.

The xml format is really meant to be auto-generated for import/export and isn't intended to be edited by hand.

I find it much easier to develop mods in my development environment, then let the export generate the xml file.