Major Additions - GRPS: Groups Commune 2.0.x

Welcome ladies and gentleman, this is the release thread for GRPS, an interactive groups commune. I hope you enjoy this release and i sincerely hope it provides everything to your community in which you're looking for.

What is it?
It's a groups commune. The original idea is that forums with lots and lots of forums on the front-page suck, as a result i thought most of the conversation was rather obscure in regards to what the forums were trying to achieve, so it'd be nice to have that all going on elsewhere, not detracting away from the content and stopping your front-page from looking like a car crash.

Features?

• Groups Home
  
  • Groups Activity List
    
    • Newest Groups
      
    • Most Popular Groups
      
    • Largest Groups
      
  • Category List
    
  • Group Search by Title
    
  • Group Sort by Alphabetical Title, Categories, Member Count
    
    
  • Users can create groups
    
  • Admin switch to moderate groups or not
    
    • Admin CP access to moderation panel
      
• Groups Page
  
  • Posts since last visit notification
    
  • Group Info
    
    • Group Leader shown with avatar
      
    • Category
      
    • Type
      
      • Groups can be listed as public, private or hidden
        
    • Start Date
      
    • Member count
      
    • Post count
      
  • Group Desciption
    
    • Shows group title
      
    • Shows random image
      
    • Shows group information set by group leader
      
  • Groups Thread List (Forum)
    
    • Status Icon
      
    • Title
      
      • Threads use postbit as per the forums
        
    • Thread Author with avatar and time that the thread was started
      
    • Last reply with avatar, username and time that the last reply was posted
      
    • Post New Thread Button
      
      • Groups Members can create threads
        
  • Newest Members
    
    • Shows five newest members
      
    • Link to view all members
      
      • Shows all members of the group
        
  • Group Options
    
    • Users can join/leave groups
      
      • PM Notification for group leaders upon join requests (when moderation enabled).
        
      • PM Notification for of acceptance or refusal.
        
    • Users can send invites to other users via PM
      
• Groups Thread
  
  • Groups Info Box (see above for more info)
    
  • Group Description box (see above for more info)
    
  • Newest Members List (see above for more info)
    
  • List of groups posts using forums postbit
    
  • Pagination using native vBulletin pagination
    
  • Group Leader/Moderation Options
    
    • Open/Close Thread
      
    • Stick Thread
      
    • Delete Thread
      
  • Users have the ability to report posts
    
  • Moderators have the ability to view IP and host.
    
• Group Leader Options
  
  • Groups Management
    
    • WYSIWYG Editor
      
    • Reason for editing box
      
    • Group Options
      
      • Private Posts
        
      • Only group leader can make threads
        
      • Moderate Members
        
      • Show group text edit details
        
      • Hide group image on group pages
        
      • Hidden Group
        
        • This option is only available to admins
          
  • Group Members Moderation
    
    • Ability to accept or deny new members
      
• Postbit Integration
  
  • View Users Groups
    
• User Control Panel (Integration)
  
  • List of groups appears in usercp in order of the last post
    
• Administrator Options
  
  • vBulletin Options
    
    • Turn groups on or off
      
    • Groups Limit Per User
      
    • Posts Per Page (threads)
      
    • Check Forum Activity Posts
      
    • Check Forum Activity Time
      
    • Number of Random Images
      
    • Turn email notification of new groups on/off
      
  • Usergroup Options
    
    • Can view groups
      
    • Can create groups
      
    • Can join groups
      
    • Can post messages in groups
      
    • Can edit messages in groups
      
    • Can delete messages posted in groups
      
    • Numbers of groups usergroup can join limited
      
    • Can moderate groups
      
      • See above for more info
        
    • Can view IP Addresses
      
  • Category Editor
    
    • Edit
      
      • Edit cat id (please not this can ef up your show)
        
      • Edit cat title
        
      • Edit cat description
        
    • Add
      
      • New Cat Title And Description
        
  • Groups Editor
    
    • Search for group by id
      
      • Edit
        
        • Title
          
        • Desciption
          
        • Categoryid
          
        • Group leader id
          
        • Private Posts
          
        • Moderate Members
          
        • Hidden group
          

Special Thanks to harry1951, without his help testing and his recommendations, this would've never ended up the way it did.

Honestly, i can't think of anything else, if you appreciate the work gone into this mod, please donate (in GBP) (right click open in new window)

Hopefully you all appreciate that i just relaunched my site and rather than soak up the atmosphere there or go out drinking i came to release this tonight.

Screens below, rest to your right

Please note this mod does work with 3.5.x

PLEASE DO NOT JOIN MY SITE IN A BID TO PLAY WITH IT OR HAVE A LOOK AT IT FURTHER, MY SITE IS SOMETHING I VALUE FOR BEING SOMEWHERE I CAN CHILL AT, IT'S NOT A TEST SUITE OR DEMO!

Bug Fixes

• Groups v2.0.0 RC1b.zip: fix regarding incorrect table prefixes in index.php and editpost.php
• Groups v2.0.0 RC2.zip: fix regarding incorrect table prefixes in functions_grps.php and class_grps.php. also fix regarding installation instructions.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC3.zip: fix regarding inability to get to create groups page. updated simplified instructions, sadly still not cool html ones and also added ability to delete groups, delete categories and of course the menu options to get to these.
  • Groups v2.0.0 RC3b.zip: fix regarding joining and leaving group depreciated function error added uninstaller to the zip at http://www.yoursite.com/groups/tools...p?do=uninstall
  • Groups v2.0.0 RC3c.zip: fix regarding edit being stated as 70's on group stages, requires re-installtion of the plugin only.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC4.zip: various bug fixes and new general setting, please reupload all files and then reinstall the product.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC5.zip: bug fixes regarding fixing links to forums being broken and forcing redirects for create group outcomes.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC6.zip: various bug fixes including table prefixes in admincp, invitations system now features in-line erroneous username fall-back and clean up regarding broken images in viewthread.php
• Groups v2.0.0 RC7.zip: bug fixes including missing phrases and missing 'noavatar.gif for group leader on groups info.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC8.zip: various bug fixes including missing phrases, smilies not working. new function to turn of new group moderation. form now working on print_no_permission page (thanks Adrian) and something else i forgot.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC9.zip: fixes two spelling mistakes, moves viewthread.php string_replacements to admincp and simplifies the installer experience. (yeah i thought there'd be more to it too).
  • Groups v2.0.0 RC9b.zip: re-fixes two spelling mistakes, fixes a viewthread.php string_replacement via the admincp and turns the default random image count down to that of which is provided.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC10.zip: optimises some of the code, cuts down on queries in exchange for additional joins and now forces compatibility in groups/viewthread.php with vBulletin options. also adds new option in admincp in order to make usercp listing work better out of the box.
• Groups v2.0.0 RC11.zip: fixes a problem with avatars not displaying correctly in thread listing and also optimises the code in membership.php
• Groups v2.0.0.zip: adds and array_merge to the code and smilie popup fixed. now features hooks for plug-in 'easability'. uCS integration moved to external plugin too.
• Groups v2.0.1.zip: removes one hook, fixes problem with membership.php, fixes problem editgroup.php not remembering options and fixes avatar problem.
• Groups v2.0.2.zip: various bug fixes (like missing pagenavs, more elegant removal of reputation button and infraction button and php notices), one or two new features (like intuitive page titles) and now fully phrased.
• Groups v2.0.3.zip: bug fix regarding now being able to select categories. includes a new feature which is basically pagination for the thread listings.
• Groups v2.0.4.zip: bug fix regarding not being able to moderate group memberships.
• Groups v2.0.5.zip: bug fix regarding those introduced via 2.0.4, new features such as double post prevention disable, admins can override privacy settings, usergroup permission text more intuitive and end-user usability increased with modification to threadbit on groups.php. group leaders can now kick users from there groups.
• Groups v2.0.6.zip: bug fix including report, missing edit button and other misc small bugs, new features such as disable hidden groups, allow mods to see private groups, and resign from group handing off to another user.
• Groups v2.0.7.zip: bug fix including fixing post counts, thread goto's and fatal php errors.
• Groups v2.0.8.zip: bug fix regarding inability to delete posts, problem with editing posts and other misc errors.
• Groups v2.0.9.zip: various bug fixes including wywiwyg error, admin cp error and redirect/goto errors.
  • Groups v2.0.9b.zip: fixes problem with upgrade4.php
• Groups v2.0.10.zip: various bug fixes including acknowledging renamed modcp and admincp dir's also adds option regarding removing of posts at group exit/kick.
• Groups v2.0.11.zip: various bug fixes including security/privacy fixes.
• Groups v2.0.12.zip: permission bug fixed.
• Groups v2.0.13.zip: various bug fixes including ability to ignore members in groups and newreply bug.

[Trana]

I really like what you have done here, but this project will not go anywhere unless posts are indexed on the main site. Otherwise you are just building an island and no one will ever see the activity in each group. If you can get the search working then I imagine RSS and subscriptions will follow very quickly. Don't reinvent the wheel.

You have to get this more integrated with the VB core or it won't take off.

Thanks again.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by Merriweather

Seems that the reporting feature does not work within Groups -- I tried to report a post and once I hit "Send Report" it just refreshed the page and no report was sent.

fixed.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by Merriweather

I just found what I believe is a somewhat serious bug... if on the groups page while logged in, the navbar links work fine (i.e. User CP, Memberlist, etc). However, if you are logged out and on the groups page, the navbar links are all directing to groups/page.php instead of forums/page.php and the login at the top right does not work from that page at all!

My groups are set to be not accessible if you are not logged in, so you get the vBulletin "Not logged i" error when you try to view the page as expected, but no links work properly. the main login on the page (in the center) works fine, but at the top, it does not.

fixed.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by Merriweather

This is quickly becoming a nightmare, I'm afraid. Due to the mod being outside the forums directory, I am having issues with links, forms, etc not working. For instance, if a user is not logged in, the login form and navbar links on the groups page weren't working. I had to go into the templates and manually add in absolute URLs (i.e. put $vboptions[bburl]/ in front of all links) so it would link through the forums directory and not the groups directory.

as stated in the previous post, fixed.

Originally Posted by Merriweather

I thought I was making progress, but then there is the same issue with forms, such as the report post form. I fixed one issue I found which was the link that is supposed to take you to the thread you are reporting was not working (I added &t=$reportinfo[threadid] to the URL so it would go back to the correect thread).

not quite sure what you're on about there but the breadcrumb has been fixed on the report page.

Originally Posted by Merriweather

I cannot, however, get it to do anything but refresh the page when the report is submitted.

bug that's been fixed.

Originally Posted by Merriweather

I notice also that it's (for some strange reason) posting the description of the private forum where reports are supposed to be sent at the top of the report page.

i couldn't even replicate that before i fixed the report bug.

Originally Posted by Merriweather

Also, I had to edit newpost_usernamecode to fix the "Logged in as" link as it was again trying to pull a page from the groups directory.

fixed.

Originally Posted by Merriweather

The deeper I get into all these additional edits needed to make it work, the more I fear I should just be uninstalling it. Am I just missing something totally simple, or have others not tested it as much as I have been and that's why all of this stuff hasn't been mentioned yet? I feel like I'm losing my mind!

it seems your extensive testing uncovered unreported bugs. all of the above has been fixed bar the one i didn't understand/couldn't replicate. i apologise for making you do all those additional edits. they weren't necessary and were indeed a lapse in concentration on my part.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by bada_bing

sabret00the

As you know I have also donated towards this hack when it came out and was using it on my test forum which I no longer run because I decided to start a completly different forum. I do though still run my current production site that I am not running this sweet add on but would love too, but as the last poster stated I will wait till some of the bugs get worked out. I would also like to see the post counts add up in vb when posting in the groups, this is very important to me. I al also willing to donate more money if this mode improves and there are some fixes to the know bugs and hope that others will donate also.

the hooks are in place in order to make this a reality.

[Carly]

Great idea. But needs so much work and is more of a headache than I'd thought it would be.

Problems:

1. Group Leaders are NOT, in affect, the moderators of the Group. The only way to allow them to edit posts is to give them Super Moderator status (scary - they can then edit every post on every board!). Checking "Can Moderate Groups" still does not give them that permission.

2. Members cannot edit their own posts, even though "Can Edit Own Messages Posted In Groups?" is set to yes.

3. Group Info (with the collapse button that doesn't function) and Newest Members sidebars should be on main Group page only - they overlap with posts within the threads, making some of them unreadable (depends on the size of the member's signature).

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by Merriweather

Perhaps the best approach is to compile a list of bug fixes (NOT requests for script changes) so that sabret00the can just look at one post and have them all? I will post mine, and if you have something to add, please copy my list and then add yours to the end.

• Fix report post feature
• Do something so that postbit items added by other mods will work
• Fix the Quick Reply
• Make it so if the forums are not using Quick Reply, the Groups aren't either
• Fix all of the problems related to templates not working as a result of the group residing outside the forums (I've had to change all navbar, etc links to be absolute URLs instead of relative)
• Add "Post Reply" link to thread view (necessary fix if Quick Reply is able to be removed)
• Fix or remove the expand/collapse on the Group info sidebar (it doesn't do anything) and fix the group post count

all fixed.

[Exitilus]

*yawn* It's 5:34 am here so Forgive me if I missed it in an earlier thread. But the Edit button still doesn't show up when the permissions is given via Usergroups

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by hitboy

Wow this looks very interesting I am guessing i shoudl wait until the patch comes right anyway I have installed just read through half this thread omg 78 pages lol i read through nearly 40 of them haha...

Good job on this idea. It completely changes the perspective of vbulletin itself. VB should be buying this modification from you lol

i wish someone would buy this and some of my other add-on's off me, but alas

the update should be out by midnight my time, i just have to do one or two more things now that i've actually fixed all outstanding bugs.

[sabret00the]

Originally Posted by Exitilus

*yawn* It's 5:34 am here so Forgive me if I missed it in an earlier thread. But the Edit button still doesn't show up when the permissions is given via Usergroups

gahhhhhhhhh, i have no idea what to do about this one. i'll try and figure something out but will make the release scheduled for tonight with or without this one being fixed.

you should go to sleep though, it's not healthy to be up at this hour.