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.

[MPDev]

Originally Posted by aquariumpros

Why would this just stop working locally from time to time? Tested in FF and MSIE - multiple people on different systems, areas, networks, etc. all experience the problems @ the same time...

This is the 5th or 6th time this has happened - been out for the last 5 hours now...

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/vaispy.php

No reason it should just stop; should keep working normally.

[MPDev]

Originally Posted by croportal

it redirect to vbseo, but the urls not SEO


my doesnt work www.croportal.net/forum/vaispy.php ????

We don't do anything for vBSEO in our product; you could put vbispy.php in your exception list to prevent the redirect.

[Chadi]

I'm getting this error after upgrading vb to 3.6.7 and re-upgrading this hack

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/user/public_html/vaispy.php(337) : eval()'d code on line 1

I would appreciate some help on this.

[MPDev]

Since nothing changed in our code; I would suspect you have a problem in one of your templates - check line 337 of the vbispy.php script to see which one to look at.

[Chadi]

It says

eval('$headinclude = "' . fetch_template('headinclude') . '";');


This is my entire headinclude template:

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=$stylevar[charset]" />
<meta name="generator" content="vBulletin $vboptions[templateversion]" />
<if condition="$show['threadinfo']">
<meta name="keywords" content="$threadinfo[title], $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="<if condition="$pagenumber>1"><phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase>-</if>$threadinfo[title] $foruminfo[title_clean]" />
<else />
    <if condition="$show['foruminfo']">
<meta name="keywords" content="$foruminfo[title_clean], $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="<if condition="$pagenumber>1"><phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase>-</if>$foruminfo[description_clean]" />
    <else />
<meta name="keywords" content="$vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$vboptions[description]" />
    </if>
</if>

<!-- CSS Stylesheet -->
$style[css]
<if condition="is_browser('opera') AND !is_browser('opera', '8.0.1')">
<style type="text/css">
ul, ol { padding-left:20px; }
</style>
</if>
<!-- / CSS Stylesheet -->

<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
var SESSIONURL = "$session[sessionurl_js]";
var IMGDIR_MISC = "$stylevar[imgdir_misc]";
var vb_disable_ajax = parseInt("$vboptions[disable_ajax]", 10);
// -->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/glossary_crosslinking.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_global.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script>
<if condition="$show['popups']"><script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_menu.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script></if>
<script type="text/javascript">
document.cookie = "psistats_screenwidth = " + self.screen.width;
document.cookie = "psistats_screenheight = " + self.screen.height;
document.cookie = "psistats_screendepth = " + self.screen.colorDepth;
</script>
<if condition="$vboptions['externalrss']">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="$vboptions[bbtitle] RSS Feed" href="external.php?type=RSS2" />
<if condition="$show['foruminfo'] OR $show['threadinfo']">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="$vboptions[bbtitle] - $foruminfo[title_clean] - RSS Feed" href="external.php?type=RSS2&amp;forumids=$foruminfo[forumid]" />
</if>
</if>

<if condition="$show['member']"><else />
<script language="JavaScript" src="$stylevar[imgdir_misc]/mootools.js" type="text/JavaScript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
        window.addEvent('domready', function(){
var mySlide = new Fx.Slide('vbstyles_element').hide();
$('toggle').addEvent('click', function(e){
    e = new Event(e);
    mySlide.toggle();
    e.stop();
});
});
</script></if>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/highslide/highslide.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">

    // remove the registerOverlay call to disable the controlbar
    hs.registerOverlay(
        {
            thumbnailId: null,
            overlayId: 'controlbar2',
            position: 'bottom left',
            hideOnMouseOut: true,
            opacity: 0.75
        }
    );
    
    hs.graphicsDir = '/highslide/graphics/';
    hs.outlineType = 'rounded-white';
    window.onload = function() {
        hs.preloadImages(5);
    }
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/highslide/highslide.css" type="text/css" media="screen" />

[Chadi]

This is very strange. I still get the same exact error even after reverting headerinclude back to default, which is this one.

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=$stylevar[charset]" />
<meta name="generator" content="vBulletin $vboptions[templateversion]" />
<if condition="$show['threadinfo']">
<meta name="keywords" content="$threadinfo[title], $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="<if condition="$pagenumber>1"><phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase>-</if>$threadinfo[title] $foruminfo[title_clean]" />
<else />
    <if condition="$show['foruminfo']">
<meta name="keywords" content="$foruminfo[title_clean], $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="<if condition="$pagenumber>1"><phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase>-</if>$foruminfo[description_clean]" />
    <else />
<meta name="keywords" content="$vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$vboptions[description]" />
    </if>
</if>

<!-- CSS Stylesheet -->
$style[css]
<if condition="is_browser('opera') AND !is_browser('opera', '8.0.1')">
<style type="text/css">
ul, ol { padding-left:20px; }
</style>
</if>
<!-- / CSS Stylesheet -->

<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
var SESSIONURL = "$session[sessionurl_js]";
var IMGDIR_MISC = "$stylevar[imgdir_misc]";
var vb_disable_ajax = parseInt("$vboptions[disable_ajax]", 10);
// -->
</script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_global.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script>
<if condition="$show['popups']"><script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_menu.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script></if>
<if condition="$vboptions['externalrss']">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="$vboptions[bbtitle] RSS Feed" href="external.php?type=RSS2" />
<if condition="$show['foruminfo'] OR $show['threadinfo']">
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="$vboptions[bbtitle] - $foruminfo[title_clean] - RSS Feed" href="external.php?type=RSS2&amp;forumids=$foruminfo[forumid]" />
</if>
</if>

Please help me out!

[cddw.ltd]

Loving it!

Fantastic piece of work! didn't much like the statusicons next to the Thread Title text etc, so I removed them, and called my file realtime.php instead (remembering to change the path in the .js file too )

Mine is located here - http://www.est1892.co.uk/forums/realtime.php

[Chadi]

Can someone *please* help me out on this?

[dellow]

nice, installed,

is it possible to add "DING" voice when updated with new event ?

[Ryloth]

Originally Posted by fci

I experienced a bug where I am using a custom template so the template wasn't processed correctly because it had replacement variables in the header.

to fix add this around line 334

$header = process_replacement_vars($header);

you have no idea how long it was taking me to figure this out. THANK YOU!