VB3 Easy Archive

OK, this isn't the nicest way of doing it I'm sure, but it works!

What this does is change the path of archive files in VB

from /forums/archive/index.php/.......

to /archive/......

In theory google should spider the archive pages better, as they do not look php generated. My archive (www.martialartsplanet.com/archive) is certainly getting google picking it up, where it was not before.

I've only tested this on one site - let me know how it goes!

[dslteam]

.htaccess files works great on IIS (if you install an ISAPI filter for it), but the problem is that the native vb3 archive uses something apache specific and that is why - it doesnt work

[JamesFrost]

Originally Posted by dslteam

.htaccess files works great on IIS (if you install an ISAPI filter for it), but the problem is that the native vb3 archive uses something apache specific and that is why - it doesnt work

Ah, I see. This hack uses the native vb3 archive as a starting point (and only changes a redirect function within it). Unlikely that it would work on IIS if the native one doesn't.

I'm thinking of writing one from scratch, but that will be many months away due to other commitments.

Out of interest, what is the code that is apache specific?

[dslteam]

I am extremely interested, because for users of IIS there is no archive feature for vb3 at the moment. I am not sury what is apache specific, but I know, that even with this ISAPI filter which is 100% compatible to htaccess - it comes a blank page.

[JamesFrost]

Originally Posted by dslteam

I am extremely interested, because for users of IIS there is no archive feature for vb3 at the moment. I am not sury what is apache specific, but I know, that even with this ISAPI filter which is 100% compatible to htaccess - it comes a blank page.

dslteam - is this not your archive?

http://www.dslteam.de/forum/archive/index.php/

It seems to work OK to me!

[JamesFrost]

Also, I'm no VB expert, but try changing the following code in /archive/global.php

PHP Code:

// check to see if server is too busy. this is checked at the end of session.php
if ((!empty($servertoobusy) AND $bbuserinfo['usergroupid'] != 6) OR $vboptions['archiveenabled'] == 0 OR strpos(SAPI_NAME, 'apache') === false)
{
    exec_header_redirect("$vboptions[bburl]/$vboptions[forumhome].php");
} 


to

PHP Code:

// check to see if server is too busy. this is checked at the end of session.php
if ((!empty($servertoobusy) AND $bbuserinfo['usergroupid'] != 6) OR $vboptions['archiveenabled'] == 0 )
{
    exec_header_redirect("$vboptions[bburl]/$vboptions[forumhome].php");
} 


as the original code seems to specifically check if it is running apache. Surely this cant be the problem!

[dslteam]

I am running apache under windows 2003 at the moment. That is the reason why it is working now.

[JamesFrost]

Originally Posted by dslteam

I am running apache under windows 2003 at the moment. That is the reason why it is working now.

I've tried the global.php change in my previous post on my XP machine running IIS, and this does indeed fix the issue of the archive redirecting to the forum page.

I get the first page OK, but the subsequent links dont work. However, W2k may handle this better.

[dslteam]

hmm... but nevertheless - the archive doesnt support IIS and it is really a big problem according to the fact, that about 30 % of all servers running IIS.

[Itworx4me]

Just an FYI. But why would you make a hack that is already included in RC4??? I see no difference from yours to the one that is included in RC4.

[JamesFrost]

Originally Posted by Itworx4me

Just an FYI. But why would you make a hack that is already included in RC4??? I see no difference from yours to the one that is included in RC4.

The hack is designed to make the url of the archive more 'spider friendly' - nothing else. The archive works as before.

I may look at extra functionality in future, such as dynamic meta tags etc, but I'm sure someone else will beat me to this.

Personally, I wrote because I thought it would be useful to my own site. I think that

http://www.martialartsplanet.com/archive/t-10794

will rate higher than

http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10794

to a search engine. But maybe not - the ratings systems change all the time!

It certainly made a difference when I were a lad.