New Posting Features - Latest Blog in Postbit Using Carp for vBulletin 4.x

This is an update for nevetS' mod for 3.5 at https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=91781 and gotlinks' update for 3.6 at https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=163718 to make it work in 4.x.

If you already have Carp Free or Carp LE or Carp Evolution, great. If not, you'll have to download a copy from http://carp.docs.geckotribe.com/download.php (Carp Free is now renamed Carp LE). If you need to install Carp first, golinks has some instructions at https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=163718 and there are of course more detailed instructions at http://carp.docs.geckotribe.com/

Now, modify your vBulletin installation.

1. Add three custom profile fields - in my setup, they are as follows, but make a note of the field# for later in case yours are different:

1. Name = Blog RSS Feed (RSS Only!)
   Single-Line Text Box Editable, Searchable, Members field6
   The member enters his blog feed here.
   
2. Latest Blog Title
   Single-Line Text Box Searchable, Members field7
   This is filled automatically by Carp with the latest blog post at that feed.
   
3. Blog URL
   Single-Line Text Box Searchable, Members field8
   This is the URL to the blog, filled by Carp and used in postbit to make the blog title a live URL.

2. Create a new plugin called Carp Configuration and attach it to hook location: global_bootstrap_init_start

PHP Code:

global $vbulletin;
require_once './carp/carp.php';
CarpConf('carperrors',0);
CarpConf('cacheinterval',3);
CarpConf('cborder','');
CarpConf('poweredby','');
CarpConf('maxitems',1);
CarpConf('iorder','link');
CarpConf('linktarget',1); 


3. Create another plugin called Get Users Blog Entry and attach this to hook location: postbit_display_start

PHP Code:

global $vbulletin;
ob_start();
CarpCacheShow($post[field6]);
$blogentry = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();
vB_Template::preRegister('postbit',array('blogentry' => $blogentry)); 


4. Edit postbit (and/or legacy):

Find:

PHP Code:

<vb:if condition="$post['rank']">
                        <span class="rank">{vb:raw post.rank}</span>
                    </vb:if> 


Add after:

PHP Code:

<!-- latest blog hack -->
<vb:if condition="$post['field6']">
<span class="smallfont">Recent Blog: <a href="{vb:raw post.field8}" target="_blank">{vb:raw blogentry}</a></span>
</vb:if>
<!-- end latest blog hack --> 


Remember to change field6 and field8 to correspond to the numbers of the custom fields for your forum.

For postbit_legacy, use this code instead (thanks to 993ti who posted this here:

PHP Code:

ob_start();  
CarpCacheShow($post[field6]);  
$blogentry = ob_get_contents();  
ob_end_clean();  
vB_Template::preRegister('postbit_legacy',array('blogentry' => $blogentry)); 


[daveaite]

Thanks for the reply and effort. The mod works perfectly on forums.

CMS it works until theirs a post on a particular thread and that particular article sends out an error.

[djbaxter]

daveite:

Do you by any chance have this add-on installed: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=150761

If so, disable it and see if you still get the error. That worked with me with the new updated code for the plug-ins now posted above.

If you don't have that specific add-on installed, please look for any other products or plugins that modify the postbit and report them here.

[BlueCheri]

Hi,

Can not see the link of Blog, please guide me.

[djbaxter]

Cannot see what link? The link in the postbit or postbit_legacy?

[BlueCheri]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Cannot see what link? The link in the postbit or postbit_legacy?

Its showing "recent blog" only...i cannot see the latest blog entry link..the field is empty.
Can you just tell me where might i be wrong?
Also the codes you have given above ..do we have to put it in postbit or posbit legacy or both?
please specify which code in which templates

Edit: Thanx it is done, Post Filed number not changed.

[Olgi]

Hello,
When using Legacy (Vertical) Postbit Template the blog feed will not show, any way around this?

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Olgi

Hello,
When using Legacy (Vertical) Postbit Template the blog feed will not show, any way around this?

1. Check that you're trying to display an RSS feed and be aware that this mod does not typically work well with Blogger/Blogspot feeds, even with the RSS extensions.

2. Check that you have the right field# in the additional code.

That said, I'm not sure how well suited this is for postbit legacy forums... at best, the blog post title is going to have to wrap condierably. I've never really liked and never used the postbit legacy format so I can't tell you exactly how to modify the display. You may need to play with it a bit.

Can you post a screenshot of (1) what the legacy display looks like now and (2) the code in your legacy postbit?

[merk_aus]

Is this possible to grab blogs made in the vb-blog stuff on the suite - I only want members most recent blogs from there to show in the postbit.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by merk_aus

Is this possible to grab blogs made in the vb-blog stuff on the suite - I only want members most recent blogs from there to show in the postbit.

I've never tried it but you should be able to use any valid RSS feed.