SigmaChat Complete Integration & Authentication

Hack Info
Name: SigmaChat Complete Integration & Authentication Add-on
Version: 2.0.0
Author: Chris Duerr, RaiderSoft
First Introduced: 28 Mar. 2004
Last Modified: 15 Nov. 2004
Compatability: vBulletin 3.0.x

Overview
This addon allows you to fully integrate a SigmaChat Java? Chat Room (free or paid service; Platinum or Enterprise required for full functionality) with your vBulletin 3.0.x forum system, including the ability to authenticate access via your vBulletin forum system, and provide a "Who's Chatting" page list showing who is currently logged into your chat room.

Features

• Chat room integrates via a single link in your vBulletin forum navigation bar, or via a forum link.
• Chat room may be placed in it's own vBulletin page, and/or as a popup window.
• Automatic user login option.
• Remote authentication script allows you to authenticate access into your chat room via your vBulletin user database.
• Complete control over which user groups are allowed access, allowed administrative access, or denied access.
• Real time "Who's Chatting" page allows you to show which users are currently in your chat room by interfacing with SigmaChat's "Who's Online Module" system.
• Makes use of vBulletin's template and phrase system for easy modification, and multilingual operation.
• Show who is chatting from your forums main page
• Automatic chat integration with your vBulletin user profiles, email, PM, etc..

Installation
Installation will require between 15 to 30 minutes of your time depending upon your proficiency in installing addons to vBulletin. Download the attached 'sigmachat.zip' file, and load the INSTALL.html file in your web browser for detailed instructions.

RaiderSoft may be able to assist you with installation should you require it. Please contact us for details.

Support
Support is provided by RaiderSoft for this script provided you have a Platinum or Enterprise SigmaChat account. Read the included instructions for details. I'll be happy to answer questions here as well regarding the script.

Screenshots are attached

The all new extension for vBulletin 3.5 has been released. For more information, please visit this link .

Download: VB3SC7_2.0.0.zip or download using the download link in the upper-right hand corner of this message.

[lazytown]

I thought there was going to be a cache of some kind where it updates "who's online" every five minutes or so? In fact i was told to expect that update sometime in July by Raidersoft support. Any word on this? Right now that who's online credits get eaten up way too fast.

[Bryan Ex]

The last I'd read from raidersoft was that they had identified some series issues with older OS and where correcting that before releasing the new chat which is why the delay. The integration script obviously won't be updated by them until the new chat applet goes final.

[Grim77]

We're getting very close to an initial public release for SigmaChat 7.4 (now in beta -- visit http://beta.sigmachat.com/ for details)

As soon as a pre-release candidate goes online, we'll be updating the integration script here. So I have the latest from everyone, a couple questoins..

1. What major issues (bugs/annoyances) do you feel need to be addressed most in this script?
2. What major features do you feel should be included in the next script release?

Thanks!

-Chris

P.S. We're now shooting for an Oct 1 release

[Bryan Ex]

This integration has worked wonderfully for me Chris. A few items I'd like to see included in an update would be to correct the issue with broken profile links for user names containing spaces (like Bryan Ex for example), it would be nice if user titles were used in Who's Chatting instead of the "stock" member, moderator, & admin used now, but most importantly an indicator of the number of people in chat after the Chat link in the nav bar done on a cron so hits are not consumed too fast.

[JustAskJulie]

For the most part this has worked great for me. I have had some complaints tho from people not being able to get logged in. The username area shows their name from the site but it won't log them in complaining that their un/pw is incorrect.

Any idea what might be causing this?

[Grim77]

It's possible that it could be caused by incompatibilities between the username/password requirements for vBulletin and that of SigmaChat -- we'll definitely look into it

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

For the most part this has worked great for me. I have had some complaints tho from people not being able to get logged in. The username area shows their name from the site but it won't log them in complaining that their un/pw is incorrect.

Any idea what might be causing this?

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by Grim77

It's possible that it could be caused by incompatibilities between the username/password requirements for vBulletin and that of SigmaChat -- we'll definitely look into it

Thanks. I'm not sure what incompatibilities there are aside from the _ vs. space issue. The ones I've encountered this with were names without spaces or _ of any kind, just standar letters and numbers.

[JustAskJulie]

Just ran into something else. When using the "who's chatting" link on the Quick Links list, it doesn't work if you are using Vba CMPS portal.

[ChurchMedia]

Originally Posted by Grim77

2. What major features do you feel should be included in the next script release?

I'd love to have a way to tap into the who's chatting user ids in the chat room so that I can modify the template to include avatars, links to profiles, PM, etc. Or maybe you can just make that part of the integration script -- with on/off variables for various vB user profile items. The avatars, etc. could be listed in a table under the main chat box. I guess the trick would be to have it update itself when people come and go (like the list next to the chat box).

Having pictures and profile info available right in the chat room would really add to the conversations....

Thanks for the work on the program and the vB integration!

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

For the most part this has worked great for me. I have had some complaints tho from people not being able to get logged in. The username area shows their name from the site but it won't log them in complaining that their un/pw is incorrect.

Any idea what might be causing this?

I wanted to update on this. I have had a couple of people now who have ended up re-registering a new name because they couldn't get access to the chat room with the name(s) they had previously registered on the forums. After registering a new name they were able to get in with no problem (but only with the new name). :ermm: