Miscellaneous Hacks - Donation Goal Thermometer Forum Block addon for Donation Manager

**This is an addon for the Donation Manager addon if installed as below.**

I've been waiting for something that will be an all-in-one donation system such as the Cyb Paypal Donate for vBulletin 4 but can't wait any longer. I really needed a donation goal monitor as it encourages people to donate who otherwise do not.

I like the features of the Donation Manager addon and decided I would search for some sort of script that would enable me to display donation progress. I found this free script: http://www.arkie.net/~scripts/thermometer/

I have implemented a basic method to display donation progress through both of these scripts. It is a manual process to update donation progress but the Cyb Donate plugin was as well.

DEMO: You can see my implementation in action at http://www.puritanboard.com/forum.php

Instructions
1. Download thermometer.php and upload that into your forum root.
2. Create a new Forum Block

a. AdminCP -> Forums & Moderators -> Forum Blocks Manager
b. Click Add Block
c. Block Title: Donate (or Support Us)
d. Active: Yes
e. Content Type: HTML
f. Content

PHP Code:

<img hspace="10" align="left" border="0" src="thermometer.php?Current=0&Goal=250&Width=100&Height=100&Font=2">
<br><br>
<form action="donate.php" method="post"> 
<input type="submit" value="Donate" class="newcontent_textcontrol"> <br /> <br> 
</form> 


g. BEFORE YOU SAVE, you must configure the thermometer in the Content block. All the settings are within the img attributes and you don't need to touch the thermometer.php file. Notice that img has the following src value:

thermometer.php?Current=0&Goal=100&Width=50&Height=100&Font=2

(1) Current=current donations received
(2) Goal=donation goal
(3) Width=width of the thermometer
(4) Height=height of thermometer
(5) Font=size of font from 1...whatever
(You can experiment with these settings but I found a width of 50 and Height of 100 with a font size of 2 makes my thermometer about right)

Once you save the Forum Block you can position it in your Block order. When you receive donations you simply edit the forum block and update the Current= value. It's not perfect but it's better than having no goal meter. When the user clicks on the Support Us link he is taken to the Donation System which allows him to donate.

ALTERNATIVE IMPLEMENTATION

You can set up the forum block to allow the user to select pulldown dollar amounts. I don't know how to pass the variables that the donation system uses or I would use them in my block. This block requires a bit more editing to get it working for your site.

Follow the same instructions as above but in the Content Block replace all with:

PHP Code:

<img hspace="10" align="left" border="0" src="thermometer.php?Current=6&Goal=400&Width=50&Height=100&Font=2">
<br>
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"> 
<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick"> 
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="email@doman.com">
<input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="USD"> 
<select name="amount"> 
<option value="10">$10</option> 
<option value="20">$20</option> 
<option value="50">$50</option> 
<option value="100">$100</option> 
<option value="500">$500</option> 
</select> 
<input type="hidden" name="no_shipping" value="1"> 
<input type="hidden" name="no_note" value="1"> 
<input type="hidden" name="lc" value="US"> 
<input type="hidden" name="bn" value="PP-BuyNowBF"> 
<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="Forum Donation"> 
<input type="hidden" name="cancel_return" value="http://www.forumdomain.com/donate.php?do=fail"> 
<input type="hidden" name="return" value="http://www.forumdomain.com/donate.php?do=success"> 
<input type="hidden" name="rm" value="2"> <br /><br /> 
<input type="submit" value="Donate" class="newcontent_textcontrol"> <br /> <br> 
</form> 


Set:
- Thermometer values as before
- email@domain.com to your paypal e-mail address
- value="USD" to a different currency if you want to accept by another currency
- option values to the amounts you want to donate and set the values between the option tags to the currency you want
- value="US" to your country
- value="Forum Donation" to what you want displayed in the paypal cart when the user donates
- forumdomain.com to your forum domain (there are two and they are the success and fail pages of the Donation System plugin)

[aaronrand]

Originally Posted by movslow

Obvious easy mod for the forum block, but I can't get anything to load there.

It only shows where an image should be, w/nothing other than Support us underneath it.

I uploaded the thermometer.php to the forum root, and still nothing.

?

Please advise.

Thanks
:up:


/edit

I tried the 2nd code, and it shows a donate button, and the drop down box, but NO image.

??

I have the exact same issue, and GD Support is enabled.
any idea where we went wrong?

[xTa`]

Sorry dude but it looks like shit..

[zipperty]

Great addon : You can even personalise the payment page with this little addon

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=241560

[onehost]

couple issues.

I tried the first block to start...the goal image looked nothing like the one one your site, it was very overlarged for some reason...also it has a donate.php which you do not seem to mention in any of the above directions...

I tried the second block, the imagine appears much better, but with this one, I guess you are saying that I will be unable to raise the donation bar to show members progress? the graph meter also appears on the left side of the block, leaving the other side blank...I would like to place text on the right side, how can I do this?

[SemperFideles]

Originally Posted by onehost

couple issues.

I tried the first block to start...the goal image looked nothing like the one one your site, it was very overlarged for some reason...also it has a donate.php which you do not seem to mention in any of the above directions...

If it doesn't look like the one on my site it is because I have changed the variables, per the very detailed instructions below the code window.

Also, I do mention donate.php. This is listed as an addon for the Donation Manager. Take some time to clearly read the instructions.

I tried the second block, the imagine appears much better, but with this one, I guess you are saying that I will be unable to raise the donation bar to show members progress?

You can measure progress. Read the instructions. It is a manual process vice automatic.

the graph meter also appears on the left side of the block, leaving the other side blank...I would like to place text on the right side, how can I do this?

The donation meter is called within an img tag. Change align="left" to align="right" if you want to change the alignment.