Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Username Request

Introduction
I was looking through the Modification Requests forum here and found a pretty good idea. The basic idea was to add a list of users who would like a name change for the administrators. I added the basics and released it. In consecutive versions I have added the abilities and features you have requested and this is the product. It is morphing into a more powerful, more useful system each and every version.

The Tools

User Tools
Inside the User Control Panel, there is an area that is added where a user is given the ability to submit a username that they would like their name changed to. They receive PM updates depending upon the "status" of their request, whether it is Accepted or Rejected.

Administrative Tools
As soon as a request is added to the database, the specified administrator is sent an e-mail saying that a user would like a username request. Inside the Administrators Control Panel, a new section is added under the "Users" navigation tab, that lists all the "Pending" requests with the ability to "Reject" or "Approve" the request. A user will be notified via PM when an action is taken. When a username is approved, the system will automatically change the username.

Username History
This tool will list all username changes that a user has requested. It will also display the status of the request, meaning that if you reject it, this will be displayed. This tool will be built upon in a later version.

Username History Changes:
In the next version, the status of a username change request has been revamped and no longer includes hard-coded "Accepted", "Rejected", and "Requested" status values. More information will be given at the release of v1.1.0!

Requirements
This hack has several requirements. They include:

• vBulletin v3.6.6 or higher (This is the minimum version required for the next requirement)
• The usercp_nav_bottom template hook.

To get around the second requirement, you can copy the cell manually or add $template_hook[usercp_navbar_bottom] at the end of the User Control Panel navigation.

Installation
Installing the product is easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Upload Files into your Administrators Control Panel directory.
2. Import the product through the Product Manager.
3. Click Install Here

Known Bugs:

1. No e-mail is sent out to users upon username change. Fix: The next version will include a fix that will respect all the users settings on receiving e-mail from administrators.
2. The setting for PM sender was ignored within the code and uses the userid of the administrator who changed the username through the administration back-end. Fix: In the next version, revamped settings and improved back-end will now properly use a setting similar to this.

Big Thanks!
I would like to give a big thanks to Paul M for helping me with my stupid mistakes in v1.0.4 - v1.0.6! Now all of my mistakes should be taken care of (unless I made a mistake in the disallowed if statement). Thanks Paul!

I would also like to say thanks to Marco for pointing out a possible SQL Injection that was in v1.0.4 - v1.0.6 (It was inside the ACP, and used a wrong variable name / clean type).

And to Dannyloski for fixing my modification on his forum and providing the fix here. Much faster than I did it.

Final Remarks
I hope that you will enjoy this product as much as I enjoyed making it.

[m002.p]

This mod has so much potential for development. A 3.7 version would be an ideal opportunity to start including the requests and ideas from this thread, and demonstrate just how good this mod could be.

Nice work

[King Kovifor]

Originally Posted by m002.p

This mod has so much potential for development. A 3.7 version would be an ideal opportunity to start including the requests and ideas from this thread, and demonstrate just how good this mod could be.

Nice work

Thanks for the kind words. What kinds of features do you see this mod having in the future and I will try for 1.1.0 or a 1.x.x update.

[m002.p]

Hi King Kovifor,

Ive taken the time to trawl through this thread and make a list of most of the requests mentioned as well as adding some of my own (probably the hardest ones lol)

This is what I see would truly make this mod great from what users have suggested:

- Change amount limitations; frequency eg. only allowed once every month for instance
- Change amount limitations; limit per user eg. Jack may only request 5 requests (possibly integrate with vb permissions ie. adjust limits according to rank)
- Points integration with other mods ie vbcredits for example
- Multiple admin notification PM's (add allowance for multiple userids in admincp)
- Check for existing usernames before allowing request (maybe AJAX would be good)
- Reason for username request to show admins
- vb options to turn on/off limitations features, turn on/off notifications by PM, turn on/off request reasons required
- Option to download username change log as a .txt file via the admin CP
- Option to stop users requesting username when they have a request currently pending for approval. Maybe show message "You currently have a request pending", then display an option to change or remove their current request. In other words stop a user requesting multiple changes instead displaying current request and options to remove or change the request. (I think this would be a great feature, but possibly hard to integrate)
- Option in admin CP to remove the username history entries or whole of history
- Option in admin CP to sort username history into "Approved Requests" & "Disallowed requests"

I think if you could add all these suggestions to the mod, then you would have a finished and totally flexible, intergrated & fantastic mod for changing usernames.

On a side note, if you need any assistance in development, I would be more than happy to help you code some of the features.

Great work again, and good luck with the future releases!

Matt

[King Kovifor]

Originally Posted by m002.p

Hi King Kovifor,

Ive taken the time to trawl through this thread and make a list of most of the requests mentioned as well as adding some of my own (probably the hardest ones lol)

This is what I see would truly make this mod great from what users have suggested:

Wow, you really have a liking to this mod. But thanks, I will actually mention what plans are.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Change amount limitations; frequency eg. only allowed once every month for instance
- Change amount limitations; limit per user eg. Jack may only request 5 requests (possibly integrate with vb permissions ie. adjust limits according to rank)

Both of these have been planned since the beginning of development.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Points integration with other mods ie vbcredits for example

I need example systems and what most users want. I believe I asked for this a while ago.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Multiple admin notification PM's (add allowance for multiple userids in admincp)

Planned.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Check for existing usernames before allowing request (maybe AJAX would be good)

This is already completed before a request is sent using built in vBulletin functions. I don't know AJAX and can do only minimal JS coding, so AJAX checking will probably not come.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Reason for username request to show admins

Probably the most requested feature, and will be added.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- vb options to turn on/off limitations features, turn on/off notifications by PM, turn on/off request reasons required

Well the limitations will most likely be group permissions, so setting them to 0 or -1 will probably turn off limitations, but the notifications and request reasons will most likely be added.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Option to download username change log as a .txt file via the admin CP

I am really bad at files, so the only back up for username change logs would be .xml.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Option to stop users requesting username when they have a request currently pending for approval. Maybe show message "You currently have a request pending", then display an option to change or remove their current request. In other words stop a user requesting multiple changes instead displaying current request and options to remove or change the request. (I think this would be a great feature, but possibly hard to integrate)

This has been a planned feature for a while, and when I am closer to having a complete beta ready (I may not even do beta), I will explain how this is done.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Option in admin CP to remove the username history entries or whole of history

As the history is essential for limitations (say Joey can have 5 changes in his entire membership), this will probably not be added. But I may add options to only show a certain amount of history in the ACP or modify the user table to add a count for total changes and total requests and such.

Originally Posted by m002.p

- Option in admin CP to sort username history into "Approved Requests" & "Disallowed requests"

This is an interesting idea, and will be very easy to implement using 1.1.x and I may even allow different display options (like by status, username, or date).

Originally Posted by m002.p

I think if you could add all these suggestions to the mod, then you would have a finished and totally flexible, intergrated & fantastic mod for changing usernames.

On a side note, if you need any assistance in development, I would be more than happy to help you code some of the features.

Great work again, and good luck with the future releases!

Matt

I believe I will be good on development, but I thank you for the offer. Just by this post I can tell that you would be a very dedicated developer. As most of these were planned, I hope to have some features for any releases after 1.1.x!

[m002.p]

Thanks King.

After all, this is a community for sharing mods and helping each other by sharing ideas and hints etc. This mod is great, of course it is but hey, you can tell that from the amount of comments and the number of installs.

By the way, I didnt mean to stick my nose in too far with my previous post and by no means put you in an arkward position with the suggestions mentioned. I know myself what coding involves and what it takes to develop mods let alone incorporate users suggestions etc. I am merely trying to make it easy for you, and apologise if I have caused any grief.

I wish you good luck with it, and like I said, im availiable if you require any help due to time restraints etc

Matt

[King Kovifor]

Originally Posted by m002.p

Thanks King.

After all, this is a community for sharing mods and helping each other by sharing ideas and hints etc. This mod is great, of course it is but hey, you can tell that from the amount of comments and the number of installs.

By the way, I didnt mean to stick my nose in too far with my previous post and by no means put you in an arkward position with the suggestions mentioned. I know myself what coding involves and what it takes to develop mods let alone incorporate users suggestions etc. I am merely trying to make it easy for you, and apologise if I have caused any grief.

I wish you good luck with it, and like I said, im availiable if you require any help due to time restraints etc

Matt

No! Not at all. I was actually shocked that someone would go through all 35 pages of this thread and actually right down all the suggestions. I have made sure they were all in my internal tracker, I marked 3 of them for 1.2.0+ (Meaning a future version) and most of them are for 1.1.0... Actually, I got my work cut out for me. As most of the changes I plan that were suggested make an almost complete rewrite of the back end required. Your list expanded my plans as I forgot what most users wanted, and well, is hopefully making this mod better. And shoot me an IM so I have it on any one if you want and I might ask for help if I need it. :P

[m002.p]

Of course ^^, and its great to see you are happy to take on board the suggestions. Im sure the mod will be great in future releases as the one now is awesome.

If you are after my IM, ill PM it you now. Ill happily give support if required. Apart from that, I shall keep myself posted on development news and releases

[King Kovifor]

Originally Posted by m002.p

Of course ^^, and its great to see you are happy to take on board the suggestions. Im sure the mod will be great in future releases as the one now is awesome.

If you are after my IM, ill PM it you now. Ill happily give support if required. Apart from that, I shall keep myself posted on development news and releases

Well I will probably develop a good bit on thursday and friday as I am leaving tomorrow for a few days. But It will be come sporadic. Camp season (for sports) is going on. Hate them. haha. But yeah, I may shoot you up for help if I need it and IM is easier.

[EagleNick]

I don't know how hard this would be to do, but it would be very helpful in my case:

Automatically create a usernote for the user (vBulletin's User Notes system) when/if their username change request is approved.

Like I said, I don't know how difficult that would be but I thought I'd just throw it out there

Good luck with the update. I'm looking forward to it. You certainly are working hard

[King Kovifor]

Originally Posted by EagleNick

I don't know how hard this would be to do, but it would be very helpful in my case:

Automatically create a usernote for the user (vBulletin's User Notes system) when/if their username change request is approved.

Like I said, I don't know how difficult that would be but I thought I'd just throw it out there

Good luck with the update. I'm looking forward to it. You certainly are working hard

I may take a look and see if they have a DM for User Notes, but I wouldn't add that to a sub sequential versions. So I will throw it into my internal tracker and mark it for a later version.