Chat Modifications - MGC Chatbox (with AJAX)

Last version - MGC Chatbox Evo available : here

Description

When I had left the vBulletin world, I was in the past the co-author of a little chatbox (shoutbox), very well known in the vBulletin world.
This chatbox had been developed by Svaliotti (known as Poseidon on vb.org) for vB2 in the past and I had made the porterage (with is authorisation as we were both members of the same french non-official support forum) and the improvement for vB3.

It is thus normal that in my return in the vBulletin world, I begin by getting down to this hack. Even if several versions of chatbox are already present in the vBulletin world, I said to myself that it would be a good thing to make a made in France.

Naturally, I don't deal with a "copy" version of the other chatbox, I have any coded at the beginning (it was preferable because the front code wasn't so clean any more), and I integrated a good quantity of very interesting features.

New version features

The new version contains all the features from the previous version. Description of these versions can be found in Sofia's post hereabove (https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost.php?p=1257510&postcount=3).

Modifications from previous version are the following :

• 1.5 :
  • Fixed bugs :
    • Chatbox is shown two times in full page mode when the Display on all pages under the navbar option is selected.
    • "Fermer" is not in a sentence.
    • Overflow problem with Netscape.
    • Uppercase transformed to lowercase in the PM channel.
    • The ban cron debans user indefinitly banned.
    • Chatbox continuously loading on some forums.
    • Inactivity and guests problem.
    • Team icon blinking is not working properly.
    • Coma error in the who is online.
    • 2 spaces instead of one between the date and the time.
  • New functionnalities :
    • Option to deactivate the random smilies.
    • Option to deactivate the automatic PM sending when banning a user.
    • New permission to allow or not the downloading of shouts.
    • Option to specify the name under which unregistered users shouts appear.
    • Syntax change for the /ban, /ignore, /del, /pm commands : Possibility to use them with the username or the userid (For more information about the new syntax, check the help button in the chatbox).
  • Removed functionnalities :
    • vBAdvanced integration [TEMPORARLY] => See this for integration with this version https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=163628

This hack is very light in term of queries : only one for every recharging / refreshment of the chatbox and 5 for the statistics in the load of the page if you actiate them. If you don't activate advanced options of course as stated aside each in the acp

Installation

Read the file "Installation" in the pack.

Once the installation is ended, go in usergroups and edit permissions to see the Chatbox.

By default, no group has access to the chatbox.

Screenshots

The screenshots are in french as I have made it on an online website which is in french. Don't hesitate to give me new one if you want in english

They are up to date of 1.3 version.

See the following post : https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost.php?p=1292136&postcount=559

User manual

Coming soon ...

Copyright

This hack is under copyright MGC (Mtor&Grog Corporation) 2007-forever and was developed for vBulletin-Resources.com & vb-hacks.org. Its redistribution on another forum that vbulletin-ressources.com, vb-hacks.org or vbulletin.org are prohibited without aggreement of the authors!

Evolutions and improvements

This sixth version of the chatbox is already very complete, but like each product, its evolution depends on all. Then don't hesitate especially to share your ideas of improvements so that we can improve even more this chatbox.

Languages

Actually available :

1. French
2. English
3. Arabic [Translator : alessai]
4. German [Translator : captainslater]
5. Vietnamese [Translator : Anhyeu12000]
6. Turkish [Translator : neutralizer and bocek]
7. Spanish [Translator : obmob] [TO BE UPDATED FOR 1.5]

To be available [Translation in progress] :

1. Bosnian [Translator : Benjaminbih]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']For the translators : phrases with version number 1.5 in the English language file are the one that have been modified or added in the new version so you should probably find the modification for your language file easily.[/font]

Contact me if you want to participate and add your own country language file

Support

Several possible problems are explained in the file "Read Me"
Chatbox in iBProarcade and vBadvanced CMPS

See the readme file for iBProarcade.

For vbadvanced, a module is available here : https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=163628.

FAQ

Q: I installed the chatbox but it doesn't display
R: Check if you have allowed users (permissions in usergroups)

Q: I see shouts but in the collapsed chatbox
R: You can specify number of shouts in the collapsed chatbox. If you don't want to see it, put "0" for this option.

Q: The chatbox doesn't display below or in the top of one of the pages while in the other position it displays
R: You use a style and it's possible that variables used in templates aren't present. (Read the file "Read Me")

Q: I have a problem with accents in the Chatbox
R: Read the file "Read Me"

Q: How to change the value of color for date and for command /me?
R: When you add additionnal CSS for each style, you can change color in class CSS.

Thanks to Sofia for her earlier help on the chatbox.

You can donate if you want to show your support

Last version - MGC Chatbox Evo available : here

[Karabaja]

I didn't really keep it on for long enough to be objective about server load. It just went over 2.00 after I installed it with very few members online. But today when I installed again there wasn't any increase in server load. I removed it mainly for above mentioned things I didn't like about it, not server load. I'll give next release a god when it is out. Still think this is a great product and hope that it will be supported for a long time.
One suggestion I forgot. Maybe an option to define alt1 and alt2 colors for the box, rather then use style defined colors.
Thanks for considering them.

ps. It is not that common to have database errors after uninstalling hacks, because forgetting to remove the files. At least I didn't encounter it.

[VBDev]

The error you encoutendered where in the usergroups manager of the acp no ? If yes, this is due to my hack coz if you don't remove the xml files in the includes/xml folder, then when bitfields are rebuild the one for the chatbox are still present but the database fields aren't ! So this is absolutely normal.

The option to define the alt1, alt2 colors, humm maybe but as there are already many options, I don't know if I should. Anyway I'll think at it

[Karabaja]

Yes, errors appeared when I tried to update user group permissions. But never mind, as long as it is sorted now.
And never mind the colors, it's probably better not to bother with that. I can change them myself to suit my needs.

[Karabaja]

Sorry, I keep bothering you
But just remembered something. Are smilies loaded automatically with the chatbox?
That is one thing I don't like with vbshout2.1. Random smilies are always loaded, and since I have some big smilies it unnecessarily increases the page loading time considering that some members won't use chatbox at all or won't use smilies. It would be much better imho if possible for them to be loaded only after smilies button is pressed?
Maybe that is not being objective again, that depends on how many admins have smilies other then default ones installed. But I imagine there is some.

[VBDev]

Originally Posted by Karabaja

Sorry, I keep bothering you
But just remembered something. Are smilies loaded automatically with the chatbox?
That is one thing I don't like with vbshout2.1. Random smilies are always loaded, and since I have some big smilies it unnecessarily increases the page loading time considering that some members won't use chatbox at all or won't use smilies. It would be much better imho if possible for them to be loaded only after smilies button is pressed?
Maybe that is not being objective again, that depends on how many admins have smilies other then default ones installed. But I imagine there is some.

The loading on button press would add user side load (more ajax again )

However, I am going to add the possibilty for admins to have a chatbox with a windows opening on click on the smilies buttons, so the smileys won't be loaded at each page load I think this would fit your needs no ?

[Karabaja]

Originally Posted by VBDev

The loading on button press would add user side load (more ajax again )

However, I am going to add the possibilty for admins to have a chatbox with a windows opening on click on the smilies buttons, so the smileys won't be loaded at each page load I think this would fit your needs no ?

Yes, that would be great. I for example have some gif animations in separate smiley category which can be up to 15-20kb. So it can add like 50-60kb to the page depending on which are pulled by random.

So good solution is either loading them in a separate window on button click or pulling them from specified category which would contain only small smilies.

[VBDev]

Originally Posted by Karabaja

Yes, that would be great. I for example have some gif animations in separate smiley category which can be up to 15-20kb. So it can add like 50-60kb to the page depending on which are pulled by random.

So good solution is either loading them in a separate window on button click or pulling them from specified category which would contain only small smilies.

For the second point, I was thinking of such a selection of the active packs in which taking random smilies.

[DeadBeet]

Great Plugin! THanks

[DevilzFan]

Love this addition. Slight problem, seems to have freezing issues in IE. Works flawlessly in Firefox though.

[VBDev]

I haven't experience freezing issues in IE.

Could you tell me more about those issues ? (when do they occurs, what exactyl you call a freezing ?)