Major Additions - vbArticles by Mary

vbArticles
Article Publishing & Review System
by Mary
http://www.MadeByMary.com

Zipfile removed by the author.
Members who have installed it, can download
the updated php file at
http://www.microhellas.com/vbarticles.rar
(Sorry can'y upload .rar file here)

Future installations of vbArticles
even from Members who have downloaded it before
are prohibited.

[MaryTheG(r)eek]

Dear Friends,

I just released the new commercial version of vbArticles and in a couple of days I'll release the new freeware too. Some additions that will be in the new (Free) version are:

1.- Bug fixes

• Bug in Pagination Fixed

2.- Improvments

• Admin can setup if in the site will be shown user's photo or user's avatar.
• Admin can hide/unhide the right column in full article view.
• Admin can choose my style for headers in front page or he can turn them off and use default style.
• Admin can edit the article
• User can edit his post just after the post without to wait admin's approval. That's saves time for admin to reaprove it.
• User can add, edit or delete his photo.
• In Member's menu there is a new option "Approve Articles" visible only to those who have permissions for it.

3.- Plans for the future

• None. This is my first and last upgrade of the free version. I think that it has lot of features for something that is given totally free. Should be other free modules but for this one don't expect anything more than bug fixes. Clear and straight words. With 0 donations there is no any reason to push me for new improvments.

4.- About Support

• I wrote it in the first line, I'm repeating it here again. NO SUPPORT will be given here, simple because I dont have time to move between all websites that I've post my module. If someone wants to ask something, here is my site.

Cheers
Maria

[CCux]

Originally Posted by ibuddy

I like the idea of this, but she cant even answer a few questions about this module.

Well for a new mod it's making big progress. I bought it because it's exactly what i was long time searching for and a similar mod from vbviet never worked really. Just ask the questions in her forums and everything is fine. Where is the problem to do so if the author asks about it? tsss

[wacodep]

Originally Posted by ibuddy

I like the idea of this, but she cant even answer a few questions about this module.

I believe that some of it may be the fact that, based on her postings, she's not as well-versed in the English language as you or I. I would guess she is not from the USA (just a guess).

But beyond the personal aspect: I, too, have considered buying the commercial version, but there are just too_many_bugs in the free version to feel confident in paying for this mod.

I will say that, being that this is a BRAND NEW mod - and very buggy at that - her coming out and all but DEMANDING that you start sending your hard earned cash her way is, in fact, a bit pushy.

I mean, just in the last 10 minutes, I've found that:

1. When I DELETE an article, I get several php errors when it tries to unlink the attached image. No big deal, as the article does get deleted, but if she expects me to pay for this, it has to be without glaring bugs like this. (yes, all my directories are correctly chmod'd).

2. The missing paragraph thing STILL plagues many (yes, I have enabled the Enhanced Editor and even have selected it), but it doesn't always work. And ANY time I go back and EDIT a previous article, it looses all the paragraphs, too. No WAY I'm going to pay for software THIS buggy.

3. Look at the SQL for determining the "Newest Author":

// Newest Author
$newestauthor = $vbulletin->db->query_first("
SELECT *
FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "vbarticles_articles AS articles
LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user AS users ON (users.userid=articles.userid)
WHERE users.vbarticles_stories=1
ORDER BY articles.postdate DESC
LIMIT 1
");

Note the highlighted area. If I have 20 people who have added articles, and all of them have MORE than 1 article, this query will NEVER return a "Newest Author" - which means that block stays empty (no newest author). Get rid of the line and it always returns the most recent author (what I would call the "newest author").

When the bugs are worked out, I will purchase it. But when someone comes out RIGHT FROM THE START and expects everybody to start throwing money at her/him when the product does NOT work as it should, that's pushing it.

If/when she gets it bug-free, I will be purchasing it. Until then, I just can't send $$ in good faith, knowing that the product isn't working very well ...

[wacodep]

FYI: The errors I get when trying to delete an article with an image attached is:

Warning: unlink(vbarticles/photos/) [function.unlink]: Is a directory in /vbarticles.php on line 1978
Warning: unlink(vbarticles/thumbs/) [function.unlink]: Is a directory in /vbarticles.php on line 1979

[dsotmoon]

thanks Maria for the updates

[d2sector]

Does anyone else have an issue with nothing showing on page 2,3,4 etc if you have more than one page worth under a category? I have 18 articles in one, and its set to show 10, then in page two it has nothing.,

Just noticed on mine page 2 link = vbarticles.php?do=category&page=2
When for this category it should be = vbarticles.php?do=category&categoryid=2&page=2

[MaryTheG(r)eek]

Originally Posted by wacodep

I don't think she's being a "snaughty jerk" - I believe that some of it may be the fact that, based on her postings, she's not as well-versed in the English language as you or I. I would guess she is not from the USA (just a guess).

Yes, I'm coming from Greece. You can see it under my nick. Even my nickname says it: MicroHellas (even only few people knows that the official name of Greece is Hellas).

Originally Posted by wacodep

But beyond the personal aspect: I, too, have considered buying the commercial version, but there are just too_many_bugs in the free version to feel confident in paying for this mod.

Too many? Can you name them? There are only 2. One in search form (not including in free version and the other in pagination). If you mean errors in editor, sorry but I dont count them as bugs. I followed the parammeters that are given at vb's API in function's section. Everything is depending on vb's configuration. eg in my demo was working, in some others also was working, others have problem only with smilies, others haven't problem with smilies but with paragraph breaks.

Originally Posted by wacodep

I mean, just in the last 10 minutes, I've found that:

1. When I DELETE an article, I get several php errors when it tries to unlink the attached image. No big deal, as the article does get deleted, but if she expects me to pay for this, it has to be without glaring bugs like this. (yes, all my directories are correctly chmod'd).

That's the difference between commercial and free version. Not really the added features but support. If you check my forums you'll see that from the first day I've solved it and post report in my forums. Go there to check that I'm saying the true. Sorry, but I've no time to post exactly the same in all forums where I've post my module. Last but not least, i gave warning about this: NO SUPPORT HERE.

Originally Posted by wacodep

2. The missing paragraph thing STILL plagues many (yes, I have enabled the Enhanced Editor and even have selected it), but it doesn't always work. And ANY time I go back and EDIT a previous article, it looses all the paragraphs, too. No WAY I'm going to pay for software THIS buggy.

That's your opinion. I respect it even if I dont agree with it.

Originally Posted by wacodep

3. Look at the SQL for determining the "Newest Author":

// Newest Author
$newestauthor = $vbulletin->db->query_first("
SELECT *
FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "vbarticles_articles AS articles
LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user AS users ON (users.userid=articles.userid)
WHERE users.vbarticles_stories=1
ORDER BY articles.postdate DESC
LIMIT 1
");

Note the highlighted area. If I have 20 people who have added articles, and all of them have MORE than 1 article, this query will NEVER return a "Newest Author" - which means that block stays empty (no newest author). Get rid of the line and it always returns the most recent author (what I would call the "newest author").

Even if you're breaking the licence now (have you read it?), what I can say is:
That's correct on my side. Better to get an empty block than to add more complicated queries. From the other side, I can't count someone who has more than 1 articles as newest.

Originally Posted by wacodep

When the bugs are worked out, I will purchase it. But when someone comes out RIGHT FROM THE START and expects everybody to start throwing money at her/him when the product does NOT work as it should, that's pushing it.

If/when she gets it bug-free, I will be purchasing it. Until then, I just can't send $$ in good faith, knowing that the product isn't working very well ...

Thanks for making my day I've never laught so much early in the morning. While big companies can't deliver a bug free software, for which you paid more than $100, are you expecting it from something that costs only $24.90???

[MaryTheG(r)eek]

Originally Posted by d2sector

Does anyone else have an issue with nothing showing on page 2,3,4 etc if you have more than one page worth under a category? I have 18 articles in one, and its set to show 10, then in page two it has nothing.,

Just noticed on mine page 2 link = vbarticles.php?do=category&page=2
When for this category it should be = vbarticles.php?do=category&categoryid=2&page=2

If you see my post before about new features, you'll see that there was a bug in pagination which has been fixed.

[peterska2]

Can everyone please remember that saying If you haven't got something nice to say, then don't say anything at all and apply it. Thank you.

[blueberry]

Mary, thanks alot... i am using your vbarticles and followed your solutions to fix the bugs and it is wokring fine for me.. good job .... waiting for the updated version..