vB Mail Reply

vB Email Reply 0.7BETA


What it does:
This allows your members (and you of course) to reply to threads by email. All they have to do is wirte to a specific email address (that you specify) and include a special code in the email subject.

How it works:
A script (vbemailreply.php) is run using the vB3 Cronsystem every minute. This checks a pop3 or imap account for emails and then processes these emails, inserting the data into the database. Then a reply is sent to the sender, stating that either the post/thread got entered correctly or that there was some kind of error.

Is it complicated?
Actually no. There is an install script that does most of the work as well as two small file changes. If you do have problems installing it, contact me for help.

Changes:
New files (2):
/includes/cron/vbmailreply.php
/includes/mimeDecode.php

Changed files(1):
/includes/functions_newpost.php

New database fields/tables(1):
New userfield added by installscript

New templates(0):

Changed templates(0):

New phrases(3):
emailreplyerror
emailreplydone
emailnewthreaddone

Changed phrases(1):
notify

Screenshots:
none

Credits:
The idea and small parts of the script are based on Chen 'FireFly' Avinadav's Email posts into forum hack, found here: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=40595

Instructions:

• Backup all your files as well as your database.
  For help backing up your database, look here: http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/m...atabase_backup
• Upload vbmailreply.php to your /includes/cron/ folder
• Upload mimeDecode.php to your /includes/ folder
• Open the file /includes/functions_newpost.php in your favourite PHP editing program.

• FIND (around line 196):
   
  $post['poststarttime'] = trim($post['poststarttime']);
   
  ADD BELOW:
   
  if ($post['isemail']) { $bbuserinfo = $post['userinfo']; }
   
   
  FIND (around line 273):
   
  if ($vboptions['logip'])
   
  REPLACE WITH:
   
  if ($vboptions['logip'] AND !$post['isemail'])
   
   
  FIND (around line 321):
   
  if ($prevpostfound)
  {
   
  ADD BELOW:
   
  if ($post['isemail'])
  {
  return ('dupepost');
  }
  else
  {
   
   
  FIND:
   
  }
  else
  {
  if ($parentid == 0 AND $type != 'thread')
   
  REPLACE WITH:
   
  }
  }
  if (!$prevpostfound)
  {
  if ($parentid == 0 AND $type != 'thread')
   
   
  FIND:
   
  	$useremails = $DB_site->query("
  		SELECT user.*, subscribethread.emailupdate
  		FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "subscribethread AS subscribethread, " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user AS user
  		LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "usergroup AS usergroup ON (usergroup.usergroupid = user.usergroupid)
  		WHERE subscribethread.threadid = $threadid AND
  			subscribethread.emailupdate IN (1, 4) AND
  			subscribethread.userid = user.userid AND
  			user.usergroupid <> 3 AND
  			user.userid <> " . intval($userid) . " AND
  			user.lastactivity > " . intval($lastposttime['dateline']) . " AND
  			(usergroup.genericoptions & " . ISBANNEDGROUP . ") = 0
  	");
   
  REPLACE WITH:
   
  	$useremails = $DB_site->query("
  		SELECT user.*, userfield.*, subscribethread.emailupdate
  		FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "subscribethread AS subscribethread, " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user AS user
  		LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "userfield AS userfield ON (userfield.userid = user.userid)
  		LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "usergroup AS usergroup ON (usergroup.usergroupid = user.usergroupid)
  		WHERE subscribethread.threadid = $threadid AND
  			subscribethread.emailupdate IN (1, 4) AND
  			subscribethread.userid = user.userid AND
  			user.usergroupid <> 3 AND
  			user.userid <> " . intval($userid) . " AND
  			user.lastactivity > " . intval($lastposttime['dateline']) . " AND
  			(usergroup.genericoptions & " . ISBANNEDGROUP . ") = 0
  	");
   
   
  FIND:
   
  $evalemail["$languageid"] = '$message = "' . str_replace("\\'", "'", addslashes(iif(empty($email_text[PHRASETYPEID_MAILMSG]), $emails['-1'][PHRASETYPEID_MAILMSG],$email_text[PHRASETYPEID_MAILMSG]))) . '";'.
   
  ADD ABOVE:
   
  $touserfieldcode = "field".$vboptions[mailserver_profilefieldid];
  $subjectcode_reply = "[thread-".$threadinfo[threadid]."-".$touser[$touserfieldcode]."]";
  $subjectcode_newthread = "[newthread-".$foruminfo[forumid]."-".$touser[$touserfieldcode]."]";

• Add the following as a translation of the phrase notify:
  

  Hello $touser[username],
   
  $bbuserinfo[username] has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - $threadinfo[title] - in the $foruminfo[title] forum of $vboptions[bbtitle].
   
  This thread is located at:
  $vboptions[bburl]/showthread.php?t=$threadinfo[threadid]&goto=newpost
   
  ~~~~~ NEW ~~~~~
  New at $vboptions[bbtitle]!
  You can now reply to the thread by replying to this message. All you need to do is to make sure this code appears in the email subject:
  $subjectcode_reply
  You should also remove this text to ensure your reply is readable by other forum users.
  Additionaly, you can start a new thread in the $foruminfo[title] Forum simply by sending a mail to $vboptions[mailserver_emailaddress] with this code in the subject: $subjectcode_newthread
  ~~~~~ NEW ~~~~~
   
  Here is the message that has just been posted:
  ***************
  $pagetext
  ***************
   
  There may be other replies also, but you will not receive any more notifications until you visit the forum again.
   
  Yours,
  $vboptions[bbtitle] team
   
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Unsubscription information:
   
  To unsubscribe from this thread, please visit this page:
  $vboptions[bburl]/subscription.php?do=usub&t=$threadinfo[threadid]
   
  To unsubscribe from ALL threads, please visit this page:
  $vboptions[bburl]/subscription.php?do=viewsubscription&folderid=all

• Upload the file vbmailreply_install.php to your admincp folder
• Be sure to either have a POP3 or IMAP email account ready before running the installation. The data will need to be entered.
• Open your browser and go to http://www.yourforums.com/admincp/vb...ly_install.php and follow the instructions.
• Delete the vbmailreply_install.php file from your webserver.

Donations:
This hack will always be free, however your donations are kindly accepted and will help towards further development. If you donate, please leave me some info (either your forum site or username at vB.org) so that I can thank you.

Install:

Don't feel like donating, but still want to thank me for my work? Click the install button to show your appreciation. As a great side effect, you'll get an email update once there is a bigger update or important security fix!

Updates:

09.08.2004 - I've updated the vbemailreply_install.php file, as there was an wrong value while entering the settings.

Also added support for SSL (untested)
Fixed the whole install routine.
03.11.2004 - Updated the installation as well as the vbemailreply.php file.

[Ming Keong]

Originally Posted by Colin F

I updated the vbemailreply.php file, as there seem to be some servers that have to be told that no SSL is required.
This should fix it for all of them.

Unfortunately, I'm still getting the same errors with the new vbemailreply.php

The e-mail test account that I've created for you is still active..

[Erwin]

Do you have PHP compiled with the IMAP module? You may need to judging from those errors. I could be wrong.

[Ming Keong]

Originally Posted by Erwin

Do you have PHP compiled with the IMAP module? You may need to judging from those errors. I could be wrong.

Yes, my PHP has been compiled with IMAP.

[Logikos]

Great hacks m8

[sabret00the]

wow, i've been waiting for this, who's got it working thus far?

[Colin F]

I've updated the vbemailreply_install.php and the vbmailreply.php

Ming Keong: I assume you tried with IMAP? I've fixed that as well now. On my board with your data, both IMAP and POP3 work.

you might also want to uninstall and reinstall the hack, as the settings weren't showing correctly.

[Sanity]

Iam sorry, but actually I dont understand how it works exactly. Could somebody be so kind to explain it in "baby-words" to me :shy: (not the installation ).

[Colin F]

Your users (the ones that have it turned on) get a notification when new posts are posted. This hack allows them to reply to that notification by email and to insert a post by email. This means they don't have to visit the board, which is good if
-you're at work and aren't allowed in the internet,
-you don't want everything marked read because you just have time to answer that one post
-(I'll think of more )

Are you looking for more technicall details?

[Ming Keong]

The mail server part is working now. Thanks Colin! You've been a great help!

However, like Sanity, and I believe a couple of other users as well, I do not really understand how exactly this hack will work.

I've subscribed to a test thread and replied to it from another user. A notification was received via e-mail. I replied to this e-mail, changing the target e-mail to the e-mail address that the script will process.

The script processed the mail and I received the following error message via e-mail:

-----Original Message-----
From: xxx
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 3:27 PM
To: xxx
Subject: Error: RE: Reply to post 'First post on new server'

Dear ,

We're sorry, but for the reason stated below we could not process your e-mailed reply.

The error that occurred was:


Below is your reply as received at our server:


Sorry,
xxx Team

All the fields are empty.

Is there a specific format that a e-mail must have before it is recognized by the script? For example, where do I place my password? How do I identify my userid? How do I identify the thread I'm replying to? Is it via the title name? Or do I need to enter the threadid manually somewhere?

[Sanity]

Originally Posted by Colin F

Your users (the ones that have it turned on) get a notification when new posts are posted. This hack allows them to reply to that notification by email and to insert a post by email. This means they don't have to visit the board, which is good if
-you're at work and aren't allowed in the internet,
-you don't want everything marked read because you just have time to answer that one post
-(I'll think of more )

Are you looking for more technicall details?

OK, basically I understand what its good for and it sounds great to me. If there are some problems I'll come back