Add-On Releases - vB News CMS

Please click Mark as Installed if you are using this hack.


What Does This Hack Do?[hr]hr[/hr]
This is a major update to the vB News CMS hack v1.3 by davidw. Permission for me to release this hack is shown here.

It allows you to take your news from your news forums (up to 9 news forums) and display them in a category-style fashion with the ability to add new content, reply to the original story, send to a friend, and print.

This version fixes several problems with two fixes preventing database errors. Refactoring of the base-code and added functionality (adds pagination) has reduced the base-code size by more than two-thirds. The hack is now fully phrased.


Frequently Asked Questions

Question:

What if I don't like the archive name for the forum? e.g. .../archives.php?&do=forum1

Answer:

You can now change the forum1 part to whatever you want in the AdminCP options via the Forum X Archive Name. Just remember that each Forum X Archive Name need to be different from the other eight.

Question:

What if I get a blank vbnews page when I view the page?

Answer:

Did you actually select a forum for at least forum1 from the vBulletin options for this hack? If not, then you need to select one (none are selected as default).

Question:

What if BBCode on the vbnews and archive pages breaks and shows ugly markup when I view the page?

Answer:

It is probably the BBCode being truncated because of the preview word count (i.e. [SIZE=4] is shown, but [/SIZE] was lopped off because of the word count). But, don't lose hope, as there are now AdminCP Options to control if HTML, Smilies, BBCode and IMG BBCode are displayed in the previews or not.

Question:

My custom BBCode tags do not display on the vbnews and archive pages, what do I do?

Answer:

Actually the solution is very simple. I have found that if custom BBCode tags are created in the BB Code Manager with capitals, then they will not parse, but if they are in lower case they will parse fine.

So, in your Custom BB Codes -> BB Code Manager in the AdminCP, change the BB Code Tag Name field of each of your custom BBCodes to lower case, and that will allow your custom BBCode to display. It does not seem to matter if the custom BBCode tags are in capitals or not within the posts themselves, so they do not need to be changed.

vBulletin Version Compatibility[hr]hr[/hr]
This hack can be used with vBulletin versions 3.6.0 - 3.8.7.

NOTE: I will not be upgrading this hack to vBulletin v4.0.x, as vBulletin now has the Publishing Suite.


Hack Support/Feature Requests[hr]hr[/hr]
IMPORTANT: This hack is no longer supported.


Branding[hr]hr[/hr]
There is a small unobtrusive block of copyright branding text at the bottom of each page generated by this hack, which is there to promote my work and allow you to use this hack for free.

You are NOT allowed to remove my copyright branding from this hack.


Install/Uninstall Instructions[hr]hr[/hr]
The readme.txt instructions file is included in attached .zip file.


Screenshots[hr]hr[/hr]
Shown in this order:

• vB News CMS main page
• vB News CMS archive page
• vB News CMS archive page with pagination
• AdminCP Options

Version History[hr]hr[/hr]
v3.8.004 - Saturday 8th August 2009
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow HTML
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow Smilies
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow BBCode
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow [IMG] BBCode
-- Updated: "vbnews.php" and "archives.php" to allow for the above AdminCP Options
-- Updated: Screenshots

v3.8.003 - Tuesday 4th August 2009
-- Fixed: If archive turned off, then archive link does not appear in "vbnews.php"

v3.8.002 - Monday 27th July 2009
-- Fixed: Pagination in the archive

v3.8.001 - Wednesday 22nd July 2009
-- Initial v3.8.x Release
-- Updated: Refactoring of the base-code and added functionality has reduced the base-code size by more than two-thirds.
-- Added: 11 AdminCP options
-- Added: AdminCP options: input validation for all non-selectable items
-- Added: AdminCP options: change name of the archive url - eg "forum1" in the url ".../archives.php?&do=forum1" (no more file edits)
-- Added: AdminCP options: for pagination (how many news items per page)
-- Added: 26 phrases - hack now fully phrased (no more hard coded words - easy to translate)
-- Added: 2 plugins
-- Added: Pagination on the archives page
-- Added: Implemented unused permission to turn archive on/off (was unused in davidw's versions)
-- Fixed: AdminCP options: can not enter incorrect usergroups, as now selected by checkboxes (prevents database errors)
-- Fixed: AdminCP options: can not enter incorrect forums, as now forums selectable by dropdown list (prevents database errors)
-- Fixed: Link to archived page removed if actually in the archive (would give a page with no content)
-- Fixed: Who's online link if in the archive


Thanks[hr]hr[/hr]
A big thanks goes out to davidw, whose original hack and permission to re-use his code enabled me to release this hack. Thanks also go out to Paul M who gave me permission to use some of his install code.


Show Your Appreciation [hr]hr[/hr]
Although not required, if you have enjoyed the benefits of this hack, and would like show your appreciation for my efforts, then please feel free to click on the Support Developer link and donate any amount you feel is appropriate.

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by bartek24m

t's possible to divie this news on 2 columms

like:

PHP Code:

<table>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>2</td>
</tr>
</table> 


It is doable, but is not something I wish to look into at the moment. However, I may look into it at a later date, but no promises.

[Qwest]

english demo?

[saadessa]

Originally Posted by Mosh

For starters looking at the page it is in arabic, which I do not understand.

But secondly you have altered the files and removed my branding (you have not purchased a branding-free license from me), and added your own instead. You are not allowed to do that, as you are breaching copyright, and that is NOT on.

Sorry, Mosh I apologize for me this was an attempt only to Arabization, I will remove this code from my site, I never did publish the CAPI
But you retain the rights of the programming
I apologize again
And I promise you to re-install the original

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by saadessa

Sorry, Mosh I apologize for me this was an attempt only to Arabization, I will remove this code from my site, I never did publish the CAPI
But you retain the rights of the programming
I apologize again
And I promise you to re-install the original

Apology accepted.

But that is not what I had the issue with, the issue was with branding being altered in the files, which I stipulated was to be left untouched, i.e. links in this hack thread and my vbulletin.org profile (along with my name in English) left as they are. As long as you comply with that, I do not mind you change every other phrase to Arabic.

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by Qwest

english demo?

Nope, only the screenshots, unless someone who has installed this hack wants to post the url to their installation of this hack as a demo.

[masterweb]

Downloaded and installed without problems (even if i'm still working on it) so if someone needs an Online Demo go to: http://www.onlinewebmarket.net/vbnews.php

[Mosh]

Update: v3.8.002 - Monday 27th July 2009
-- Fixed: Pagination in the archive

Spotted this pagination issue viewing masterweb's demo. Thanks for the demo, added to first post

[masterweb]

Hi Mosh, thanks for the update (i downloaded and re-installed the hack) but to be honest i'm not sure about the "Pagination issue in the archive", i mean; i don't see anything new from the last product i installed so pls explain a bit what's this issue it's about. Thanks in advance and really thanks for this hack

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by masterweb

Hi Mosh, thanks for the update (i downloaded and re-installed the hack) but to be honest i'm not sure about the "Pagination issue in the archive", i mean; i don't see anything new from the last product i installed so pls explain a bit what's this issue it's about. Thanks in advance and really thanks for this hack

The issue was, that if you tried going to pages beyond page 1 in the archive (assuming you had more than one page), you would run into issues with an empty do= as part of the url (such as http://www.onlinewebmarket.net/archives.php?do=&page=2), which would give a no permissions screen with a prompt to log in, and then give you a blank page.

[masterweb]

Hmmmm now i see what you mean, in fact following the previous URL you posted for a second page in archives i get:

masterweb, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

Please note i'm already logged in, i'm Admin (so of course i have full rights). I downloaded the updated Zip file attached to your first post, i uploaded once again these 2pages to my root overwriting the old ones and i went to my AdminCP and imported once again the XML product checking the "Overwrite" option for the import... What i'm doing wrong ?