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.

[Amenadiel]

Greetings MPDev, and congratz for the great work.

I'm trying to display the last posts in my site frontend wich runs on Postnuke... but I just cannot make vaispy.php display anything if ran or called from outside the forum path.

I tried copying it to the site root (modifying the "require once" command to adress the full path of global.php), tried an iframe, calling if with an include, with a require, etc and nothing seems to work, it just displays a blank page.

EDIT: finally, it was simpler than I though. I just added a full path call in my frontend in the form of:

require_once('http://www.site.com/forum/vaispy.php');

[MPDev]

Originally Posted by G_Man

oh... I've edited it soooo many times, just making mistakes now....

Question that I've always wondered... how do I find a line, like like line 385... surely you don't count.

I edit my files with UltraEdit-32; you might want to look at a decent editor that gives you line numbers. As for the error, the line number came up in the JavaScript Console error dialog in FireFox.

[MPDev]

Originally Posted by Amenadiel

Greetings MPDev, and congratz for the great work.

Be sure to click install!

[Cheertobi]

Originally Posted by MPDev

I'm going to add PhotoPost thumbnails here shortly for new photos added to the gallery.

Can you do this also for Photopost vBGallery 2.0?

Tobi

[G_Man]

Originally Posted by MPDev

I edit my files with UltraEdit-32; you might want to look at a decent editor that gives you line numbers. As for the error, the line number came up in the JavaScript Console error dialog in FireFox.

Cheers!! I knew you guys were bright, but sheesh!! Line 385!! LOL I'll look into that.. found it using FF and took out a rogue */ Thanks.

[MPDev]

Excellent.

I am making one change the to va_spy.js file in the current build as a couple users complained about not wanting the "subscribed threads only" option. (By the way, anyone tested this to make sure my query is right?)

At line 64 in va_spy.js, I added a condition:

    if (document.getElementById("subscribe")) {
        if (document.getElementById("subscribe").checked) { querystring = querystring + "&subscribe=1"; }
    }

So that the subscribe option does not have to be displayed if you do not want to display it. You can remove the checkbox option from any template and this will prevent a JavaScript error.

[G_Man]

Have you looked at my main vaispy page?

The first clips still display the HTML.... Not a big deal, but sure clutters up such a pretty Mod....

[MPDev]

What do you mean still displays the HTML? The page looks good to me.

[G_Man]

Originally Posted by MPDev

What do you mean still displays the HTML? The page looks good to me.

REALLY??!!

You need to scroll down a bit and the G-Buddy Forum is invisible to non-staff....

Here is a screenshot.

[MPDev]

I take it you use html in your Forum titles?