Multiple Forums using a single user table

This was originaly done in 3.0.9 by westpointer you can view that thread here

This Modification is for VB3.5.4 This is not supported but I will give as much help as I possible can.

I have this working now on 2 sites

The main site is http://forums.everything2stroke.com

Slave sites are
http://forums.everythingmx.com
and
http://forums.everythingduners.com

After a successfull install of this modification your sites will share User, PM, and sesson data.

This thread will detail how to have a single login for multiple forums. It makes the following assumptions:

• A valid vbulletin license exists for each install
• All forums will be on the same server
• One database will contain all the tables

A valid vbulletin license exists for each install


Follow these steps

1.) Download your new copy of VB that contains a seperate license key
2.) Go to /includes/config.php.new rename the file to config.php and make necessary changes to the file. See VB Directions. Make sure this code has a different setting than the master site for table prefix.

PHP Code:

 //          ****** TABLE PREFIX ******
 //          Prefix that your vBulletin tables have in the database.
$config['Database']['tableprefix'] = ''; 


3.) Run the vb install from the new directory (/www/new_forums/install/install.php)

4.) During the install, be sure NOT to empty the tables. If you have any doubt about what this means, stop NOW! If you empty the tables, you will lose all of your existing data from a prior install!

5.) Download all files and directories to your PC from the new install location.

6.) You will need a tool to do a mass Search and replace on all files. I use WildEdit. Here is what you will do using a tool like Wild Edit.

• Search for [" . TABLE_PREFIX . "user] Replace with [" . "vb3_user] where "vb3_" is the prefix to your master site. 110 Files modified 599 Total changes made
• Search for [" . TABLE_PREFIX . "strikes] Replace with [" . "vb3_strikes] where "vb3_" is the prefix to your master site 4 Files modified 8 Total changes made
• Search for [" . TABLE_PREFIX . "pm] Replace with [" . "vb3_pm] where "vb3_" is the prefix to your master site 16 Files modified 77 Total changes made
• Search for [" . TABLE_PREFIX . "session] Replace with [" . "vb3_session] where "vb3_" is the prefix to your master site 20 Files modified 31 Total changes made

Now to modify some of the code.

In /include/class_dm.php

Search for:

PHP Code:

 function fetch_insert_sql($tableprefix, $table)

            { 


Add below change vb3_ to your master site prefix:

PHP Code:

if ($table == "vb3_pmtext")

            {

                        $sql = "INSERT INTO {$table}\r\n\t(" . implode(', ', array_keys($this->$table)) . 


")\r\nVALUES\r\n\t(";

            

            }

            else 


Go to /include/class_dm_pm.php

Search for:

PHP Code:

var $table = 'pmtext'; 


Replace with making vb3_ the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

var $table = 'vb3_pmtext'; 


Search for:

PHP Code:

$pmtextid = ($this->existing['pmtextid'] ? $this->existing['pmtextid'] : $this->pmtext['pmtextid']); 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

$pmtextid = ($this->existing['pmtextid'] ? $this->existing['pmtextid'] : $this->vb3_pmtext['pmtextid']); 


Search for:

PHP Code:

$this->dbobject->query_write("INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "pm (pmtextid, userid) VALUES ($pmtextid, $user[userid])"); 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

$this->dbobject->query_write("INSERT INTO " . "vb3_pm (pmtextid, userid) VALUES ($pmtextid, $user[userid])"); 


Search for:

PHP Code:

" . $this->dbobject->escape_string($user['username']) . "', '" . $this->dbobject->escape_string($this->pmtext['title']) . 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

" . $this->dbobject->escape_string($user['username']) . "', '" . $this->dbobject->escape_string($this->vb3_pmtext['title']) . 


Go to /include/class_dm_user.php

Search for:

PHP Code:

$return = $this->db_update(TABLE_PREFIX, 'user', $this->condition, $doquery, $delayed); 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

$return = $this->db_update('vb3_', 'user', $this->condition, $doquery, $delayed); 


Search for:

PHP Code:

$this->db_update(TABLE_PREFIX, 'userfield',     $this->condition, $doquery, $delayed); 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

$this->db_update('vb3_', 'userfield',     $this->condition, $doquery, $delayed); 


Search for:

PHP Code:

$this->db_update(TABLE_PREFIX, 'usertextfield', $this->condition, $doquery, $delayed); 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

$this->db_update('vb3_', 'usertextfield', $this->condition, $doquery, $delayed); 


Search for:

PHP Code:

if ($return = $this->db_insert(TABLE_PREFIX, 'user', $doquery)) 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

if ($return = $this->db_insert('vb3_', 'user', $doquery)) 


Search for:

PHP Code:

$this->db_insert(TABLE_PREFIX, 'userfield',     $doquery); 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

$this->db_insert('vb3_', 'userfield',     $doquery); 


Search for:

PHP Code:

$this->db_insert(TABLE_PREFIX, 'usertextfield', $doquery); 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

$this->db_insert('vb3_', 'usertextfield', $doquery); 


Search for:

PHP Code:

DELETE FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "session 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

DELETE FROM ?.?vb3_session 


Search for:

PHP Code:

INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "passwordhistory (userid, password, passworddate) 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

INSERT INTO " . "vb3_passwordhistory (userid, password, passworddate) 


Search for:

PHP Code:

 UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "session SET 


Replace with where vb3_ is the prefix to your master site:

PHP Code:

   UPDATE ?.?vb3_session SET 


That is all the code modification.


The only other item I did is remove a couple cron jobs.

Go into Scheduled tasks then to Scheduled Task Manager

Delete the following CRON jobs from the Slave Site

User Promotions*
Birthdays
Activation Reminder Email

This will eliminate members getting emails from the primary and secondary sites
*not sure if this will duplicate efforts between primary and secondary sites I have it running on both sites still waiting to see if it causes any issues.


Please post here if you have any problems and questions I will try my best to keep up with everyone to help you through this. Once you get the code done the first time you can just do a mass search and replace on your license code and you can be up and running in minutes with a new site.

This is my first major modification so I hope I posted this all correct, again Thanks to Westpointer for his original work without his post this would not have been possible.

Thanks

UPDATE:

Please make this changes it will allow you to make changes to usergroups in the subscription section and when editing a user.

admincp/adminfunctions.php
Search for

PHP Code:

                $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT title, $tableid FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "$tablename $wherecondition ORDER BY title"); 


Replace with

PHP Code:

if ($tablename == "usergroup")
                {
                $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT title, $tableid FROM " . "vb3_$tablename $wherecondition ORDER BY title");
                }
                else
                {
                $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT title, $tableid FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "$tablename $wherecondition ORDER BY title");
                } 


[e2s]

Originally Posted by RMS-Chef

How are paid subscriptions effected by this if at all?
If they buy a subscription on the slave site, does it effect anything on the existing main site?

That is a great question but I don't have the answer. I know in the current setup all the usergroups are used by the slave sites so if a member is a paid member in the master site they will also be a paid member in the slave.

I will look into what it will take to get the subscription to work on the slave sites.

[e2s]

Originally Posted by Steve F

This must be one of the most sought after hacks, great work e2s, thank you for sharing with us and thanks Westpointer for the original idea !

lovevn: I am sure it would work

Thanks Steve, hopefully it will help some people out.

[TheComputerGuy]

awesome hack e2s!

[e2s]

Originally Posted by RMS-Chef

How are paid subscriptions effected by this if at all?
If they buy a subscription on the slave site, does it effect anything on the existing main site?

Looks like this can be taken care of real easy I am going to try this today and if all works well i will post up the instructions. It should just be a mass Search and replace on table subscriptions and subscriptionlog


Thanks ComputerGuy

[utw-Mephisto]

Originally Posted by e2s

I have no experiance in doing this so I am not sure I could be of much help

Can't you use Impex ? just wondering .

[lovevn]

Thanks for your reply @e2s

BTW I have one question:

Search for [" . TABLE_PREFIX . "user] Replace with [" . "vb3_user] where "vb3_" is the prefix to your master site. 110 Files modified

If in my master site I do not user prefix so which one is correct?

1. [" . "_user]

2. [" . "user]

Thanks

[e2s]

Number 2 if you have nothing for a prefix.

[Snake]

Great idea!

[e2s]

Ok I have the paid subscriptions working but it is not perfect and kind of wierd how you have to go about getting it to work on the slave sites.

Here are the directions

1.) Search for [" . TABLE_PREFIX . "payment] Replace with [" . "vb3_payment] where "vb3_" is the prefix to your master site. 16 Files modified 36 Total Changes

2.) Search for [" . TABLE_PREFIX . "subscription] Replace with [" . "vb3_subscription] where "vb3_" is the prefix to your master site. 20 Files modified 68 Total Changes

IMPORTANT: This next change is needed regardless if you want to manage users from the slave site Admin console. This will make the Primary Usergroup list correct when editing a user or setting up a new subscription.

admincp/adminfunctions.php
Search for

PHP Code:

                $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT title, $tableid FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "$tablename $wherecondition ORDER BY title"); 


Replace with

PHP Code:

if ($tablename == "usergroup")
                {
                $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT title, $tableid FROM " . "vb3_$tablename $wherecondition ORDER BY title");
                }
                else
                {
                $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT title, $tableid FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "$tablename $wherecondition ORDER BY title");
                } 


Now to get Subscriptions to appear on your slave site you have to log into the slave site Admin console and create a dummy subscription which seems to activate paid subscriptions. The subscriptions from your Master site will be the only options your members will have however. You must create and edit your subscriptions from the Master site only.

I looked at the code for a long time and just don't understand enough of it to find out what it works the way it does. However I have tested the paid subscription and everything works perfect.

[futuredood]

if i were to click "find more posts by user a", would it be able to come up with threads and posts by that user in both forums? that way, i can follow "user a" between both forums?

i was searching for a hack that this one kind of fulfills.. https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=119107