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.

[Hicksatpd]

Here's what I have:

http://www.pacersdigest.com/forums/vaispy.php

[MPDev]

Okay, line 258 in vb_spy.js should read:

		post_url = 'showthread.php?p=' + postid + '#post' + spyid;

I've updated the zip with this fix.

[Hicksatpd]

Hmm. It's the correct link now, but for some reason I'm being bumped back to post #1. ??

[Hicksatpd]

Oh, I think I know. The link doesn't specify a page #. It's sending me to page 1, and then looking for a post that's on page 2+.

[Hicksatpd]

Well, wait, now that I tried it on a thread with only one page, it still doesn't work. It sends me to the correct post, but then I'm immediately back at post #1.

[MPDev]

Try:

post_url = 'showthread.php?p=' + spyid + '#post' + spyid;

[nix]

Yea that worked.

[MPDev]

Okay, I modified the vaispy.php script accordingly and posted it here.

[Hicksatpd]

Yep, that did it! Thank you very much for all of your work!

[buro9]

Another minor thing.

If nothing is returned, you should return the Xml with an empty root node of <events />

This will avoid invalid Xml errors being silently thrown in the JavaScript.

Simply change this in the .php file:

PHP Code:

    if ( $output )
    {
        echo "<events>$output</events>";
    } 


to

PHP Code:

    if ( $output )
    {
        echo "<events>$output</events>";
    } else {
        echo "<events />";
    } 


And because that will now prevent the JavaScript exception, change this in the va_spy.js file:

	try {
		events = request.responseXML.getElementsByTagName("events")[0];
		event = events.getElementsByTagName("event");
	}

	catch (e) {
		setTimeout("getXML()", 5000);
		return;
	}

to

	try {
		events = request.responseXML.getElementsByTagName("events")[0];
		event = events.getElementsByTagName("event");
		if (event.length == 0) {
			setTimeout("getXML()", 5000);
			return;
		}
	}

	catch (e) {
		setTimeout("getXML()", 5000);
		return;
	}

We'll actually never use that catch statement now, but no harm in being extra defensive and leaving it in there