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.

[nymyth]

Originally Posted by MPDev

Sure, look in the vaispy.php script in the configuration area at the $blockforums variable; just put forum ids sperated by commas in that variable.

So change this:

$blockforums .= ','.$forum['forumid'];

To this?

$blockforums .= '7,'.$forum['forumid'];

Thank.

[MPDev]

No, the first $blockforum = ''; at line 40.

Make it:

$blockforums = "7";

[MPDev]

Originally Posted by Firestar.chkn

Any idea why mine won't pick up new posts? I have to refresh the page for it to be picked up. It worked previously, but for some weird reason it won't work now.

Here it is.

Any help would be appreciated.

I suspect your countdown time may be causing a problem; since we use setTimeout() as well, I'm not sure you can have multiple timeout's running on the same page.

Also, in your vaispy.php script, replace the two commas with one.

.spyfade1 div, .spyfade1 span,, .spyfade1 td, .spyfade1 img {

[G_Man]

This will probably send you through the roof, but...

any chance you have a copy of version 1.0.10 lying around? I still have status icons cluttering my feed after the first 15 go up. Also, you did help me get the showing of the HTML in the forum titles off, but there is no html at all now...

Almost all the issues I have came after adding icons and that initial bunch of threads.

I am not ungrateful, despite the sound of this... just liked the earlier version much better.

[MPDev]

You need to modify the va_spy.js script as I outlined before to remove the statusicon img src reference from the code (you removed it from the vaispy.php); once you do that, it will no longer be in the new items.

I'll check into the html issue; but, no, I don't have a 1.10 version anymore.

[Firestar.chkn]

Thanks! It was the timer thing that was the problem. I disabled that plugin and now it works!

Thanks for your help. Is there some sort of a conditional that I can use to disable the timer for your page?

Otherwise, just one last question. I've got the microstats hack installed, but it's not showing up on your page. Any idea why not?

Thanks again!
Firestar

[G_Man]

Originally Posted by Firestar.chkn

Thanks! It was the timer thing that was the problem. I disabled that plugin and now it works!

Thanks for your help. Is there some sort of a conditional that I can use to disable the timer for your page?

Otherwise, just one last question. I've got the microstats hack installed, but it's not showing up on your page. Any idea why not?

Thanks again!
Firestar

I've noticed that and also this:

Database error in vBulletin :

mysql_connect() [<a href='function.mysql-connect'>function.mysql-connect</a>]: User
aftersep_afterse has already more than 'max_user_connections' active connections
/home/aftersep/public_html/theforum/includes/class_core.php on line 271

MySQL Error :
Error Number :
Date : Saturday, September 30th 2006 @ 10:01:50 AM
Script :
http://www.afterseppuku.com/theforum...72146357883&_=
Referrer :
IP Address : 67.185.88.39
Username :
Classname : vb_database

Been getting this email while I let Ispy run. Doesn't seem to really affect the board that I know of, but I am thinking this might need fixing.

What do you think MPDev? Is this just Ispy or a combination of Ispy and something else?

[ForumDog]

<Nevermind>

[TheBlackPoet]

works fine for me... this is really nice.. now i just have to make a button for the members... and they will be able to see real time changes...

installed.

[thisgeek]

Originally Posted by thisgeek

I'm using the latest download (just re-grabbed it) - and I'm having an issue with the $blockforums facility.

Hmm... this latest version seems to have fixed it at first glance. I'll keep an eye on it.