Calendar Enhancements - vB Event Forums

Introduction

This is a continuation of my Event Forums plugin/addon from 3.5. You can find the old version here. The original plugin was developed by Endquote, and I have since taken it over to bring it to what it is today. I hope you can find it useful!

What is this addon?

This is a plugin which allows you to create relationships between calendars and events, giving each event a thread of its own for users to discuss. I have tested this alot, and I am running it myself on a live board.

Sure, so whats it do?

Some examples of the features this plugin offers

• When a new event is created in a calendar, an associated thread is created in the linked forum.
• Links to events in the calendar are forwarded to the associated thread, or optionally a seperate New Event button can be added with a minor template edit.
• New thread links in the event forum are redirected to a new event form.
• A summary can be shown at the top of the event forum which shows the up and coming events over the next 'x' days.
• The date and time shown in the thread and post title, is calculated on the current viewing users timezone. In other words, times always show in the users timezone, not forced to GMT.
• Full moderation support.
• Editing a thread or event, will update its associated event/thread.

Screenshots

Some screenshots of this plugin

• Admin Options
• Event Thread
• Event Thread with Reply
• Thread List

How do I install it?

For upgrading, please see the section below.

Summary

• 1 xml import.
• 1 (optional) template change.
• 1 (optional) gif file upload.

Step 1

Install the product
Download the product XML file.

Goto your Admin CP at your forums, then goto Plugin System -> Manage Products. Click [Add/Import Product] at the bottom of the page. Browse to the location where you downloaded the xml file and then click the Import button.

Step 2

Calendar ID:
Goto your Admin CP at your forums, then goto Calendar Manager. Find the calendar you want to link to a forum, then click Edit.
Right at the top of the page you should see:

Calendar: NAME (id: ID)

Make a note of the ID, you will need this soon.

Forum ID:
Goto your Admin CP at your forums, then goto Forum Manager. Find the forum you want to activate as your event forum, then click Edit Forum.
Right at the top of the page you should see:

Forum: NAME (id: ID)

Make a note of the ID, you will need this soon.

Link a Calendar to a Forum:
Goto your Admin CP at your forums, then goto vBulletin Options and find Event Forums.
The first option you should see is Calendar/Forum Map.
Enter in your IDs into the box, as CALENDARID:FORUMID.
Example, my Calendar is 5 and my Forum is 14:

5:14

Click Save.

Step 3

Base permissions check:
You will need to check that users using the Event Forums, have basic permissions to both the Linked Forum AND Calendar.
Basic Permissions include: Can View Forum and Can Post Threads and possibly some others.

Step 4 (Optional template edit)

Add the New Event button:
You only need todo this if you want to show a seperate New Event button next to the New Thread button.

First of all, upload newevent.gif to your images/buttons folder. NOTE you will need to upload this to any custom image folders too for different styles you might have.

Second, open up FORUMDISPLAY template for each of your styles you want to show the button, find and add the highlighted code below:

<td class="smallfont"><if condition="$show['newthreadlink']">
<a href="newthread.php?$session[sessionurl]do=newthread&amp;f=$foruminfo[forumid]" rel="nofollow"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/newthread.gif" alt="$vbphrase[post_new_thread]" border="0" /></a>
<if condition="$show['neweventlink']">&nbsp;<a href="newthread.php?$session[sessionurl]do=newevent&amp;f=$foruminfo[forumid]" rel="nofollow"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_button]/newevent.gif" alt="$vbphrase[lv_vb_eventforums_phrase_post_new_event]" border="0" /></a></if>
<else />&nbsp;</if></td>

Lastly, go into the Event Forums options, and change the option Show the New Event button on the thread list to yes.

Step 5

Install on VB.org:
Browse back to this thread, and click the INSTALL button so you can recieve updates whenever I update this plugin.

How do I upgrade it from an old version?

Step 1

Import xml
Download the product XML file.

Goto your Admin CP at your forums, then goto Plugin System -> Manage Products. Click [Add/Import Product] at the bottom of the page. Browse to the location where you downloaded the xml file. Make sure the overwrite option is set to ON and then click the Import button.

Can I give you money to make this?

This isn't a commercial plugin, and can be used by anyone for free. However, a few people have said to me that they would like to donate some money for my time working on the plugin and for picking it up and continuing the development of new features etc. If you do want to donate some money my way, then you can do so through paypal by clicking this link. Thanks!

Bugs / Support

If you find a bug, then please post in this thread and let me know. There are a few bugs that haven't been fixed since the old version, so i'm hoping that we can fix these soon. I will do my best to support the plugin as much as possible, however I also have a busy job which takes up alot of my time.

Known Bugs

Here is a list of known bugs to date

• Soft delete actually hard deletes the thread.
• Search doesn't search the first post of an event thread.
• Inline ajax edit bugs thread title. Need to remove date and time from it before edit.

Feature request list

Here is a list of the requested features. Please note that because it makes this list, doesn't mean it will be added.

• Intergration with the event attendance plugin.
• Customisation of the order of the custom fields in the thread title.
• An option to "import" all the previous events from a Calendar into threads.
• Extra post options support (Attachments, Post Icons, Sticky etc).
• Custom ordering of the %datetime variable.
• Custom ordering of %custom variable.
• Better handling of recurring events.

Credits

Thanks to endquote for originally creating the plugin.
Thanks to the Ninja :ninja: for helping me infiltrate the vb code and finding those hidden hooks!
Thanks to anybody that helps test this plugin.

Changelog

Version: 3.3

• Added Farcasters Event Attendance patch to the mod. I've added a self check so it will only run when the Event attendance mod is installed and active.

Version: 3.2

• Fixed a bug which was prevent the thread from being deleted when you try to delete an event.

Version: 3.1

• Fixed a bug which would cause an error with undefined function on the forum display page when summary is turned on.

Version: 3.0

• Version now compatible with 3.6. Please note this plugin will no longer install on a board older than 3.6. I would recommend you upgrade your board as soon as you can!
• Added an optional template edit to show a New Event button next to the New Thread button.
• Plugin no longer in BETA. I feel this has been running enough stablely to take this out of BETA. There are still some bugs which need fixing, but as a whole it works and is used by quite a few people.

Version: 2.7 and below

• See the old thread here

[Bluefin221]

I've dropped the author a note on his site to see what his intentions are and whether he will give permission for the code to be updated by someone else. While I do not have the skills to upgrade the mod for vb 4.0 I can at least do the work to get the permissions for the code to be played around with by someone else.

[BBR-APBT]

If any one has any way to contact him or get in touch with him I have this working on my 4.0 site and will release the code on his permission.

As I said I have sent like 3 emails to 3 different email address he has listed on the internet.
The last I can tell he was online is at one of his blogs dec 9, 09.

So soon as he gives me permission this will be in the 4.0 mods category.

[rabidkevin]

Got me on the edge of my seat... this is the only mod i need to complete my 4.0 transition!

Thanks for the effort buddy, hopefully evercraft saves the day.

[Bluefin221]

Originally Posted by BBR-APBT

If any one has any way to contact him or get in touch with him I have this working on my 4.0 site and will release the code on his permission.


As I said I have sent like 3 emails to 3 different email address he has listed on the internet.
The last I can tell he was online is at one of his blogs dec 9, 09.

So soon as he gives me permission this will be in the 4.0 mods category.

I contacted him via his site contact us form and still not had any response, this is a real shame as I personally need this mod for my site, a bit frustrating for us all when no one appears to be responding.

[SVTCobraLTD]

Originally Posted by chiver

i have it working fine out of the box on 3.8.4 pl1

Here is my problem in 3.8.4 pl2. The original event post is not showing up.

I added the SHOWTHREAD template edit as you can see in the left of the screen show below.

Anyone know why its not working?

[utahraves]

Have you guys tried e-mailing him on dev@onimobi.com??? I tracked down his blog via his website http://www.onidev.com/blog/ and he has updated it this year soooooo someone should e-mail that e-mail address and ask for permission for the re-release.

[BBR-APBT]

Originally Posted by utahraves

Have you guys tried e-mailing him on dev@onimobi.com??? I tracked down his blog via his website http://www.onidev.com/blog/ and he has updated it this year soooooo someone should e-mail that e-mail address and ask for permission for the re-release.

Yes I have I have emailed him on several email addresses. Feel free to try to email him and ask him to come read this thread. Maybe my emails are going to his spam box.

[utahraves]

Mkay, I'll see if I can get a hold of Evercraft.

[Evercraft]

Hi everyone,

Sorry for being so hard to get hold off. I've just found a lot of your emails in my Junk box, after receiving an email from utahraves.

So to be clear:

I give full permission for anyone to use the existing code/name of vB Event Forums, for use however they wish, as long as it is not for commercial use (you can accept donations, but please do not sell it).

[BBR-APBT]

Originally Posted by Evercraft

Hi everyone,


Sorry for being so hard to get hold off. I've just found a lot of your emails in my Junk box, after receiving an email from utahraves.

So to be clear:

I give full permission for anyone to use the existing code/name of vB Event Forums, for use however they wish, as long as it is not for commercial use (you can accept donations, but please do not sell it).

Thanks so much. I already converted this.