[developers] Custom datastore support for products

[high]Custom datastore support for products[/high]

Author: Andreas
Maintained By: Brad

This modification is an attempt to make adding datastore items to plug-ins and products easier on both the end users and modification authors.

The problem we hope to solve

The plug-in system relies on the datastore to function, this means we can not use datastore items unless they are called by vBulletin by default. The only work around for it is hacking the files. Due to this many hack authors have resorted to hacking the files in their own ways to load custom datastore items.

How we have currently 'solved' the problem

There is no way around hacking the files, so this hack does the next best thing. Only one file edit is required, and that is at the very end of ./includes/config.php

On the admincp side there is a new page in the plug-in manager. The 'Datastore Item Manager' allows you to map certain datastore items to a product, and restrict what area of the board it will be loaded on (The Forum, Admin cp, Mod cp, or Archive) and what script it will be loaded on (index, showthread, newreply, online etc. etc.). All of this is done to avoid extra overhead that would be caused by fetching data from the datastore that is not required for certain pages.

Once you've mapped your datastore items you can export a product like you normally would, it will include all the info needed to fetch the datastore items for you.

This is a community developed project

As this is something that will hopefully be used by a large number of developers here I encourage you all to assist us in developing this hack. There are a few guidelines to what you can do however:

1) Do not break old product files. - for example if version 1.1 of this hack is released, products made using version 1.0 should still work on the new version. I understand this may be impossible to do if something big needs to be changed down the line, but don't go out of your way to break the thing.
2) Try to keep all development discussion in this thread.
3) Do not re-distribute this code without the author's permission outside of this thread (The author is Andreas). There is however some leeway to this rule, given the nature of this hack.
4) You are allowed and encouraged to include the files/instructions required for the 'end user' install in your own hacks zip file. This will not only make it easier on the end user but it will keep general support questions out of this thread.
5) Try to have fun with it!

Hack alters/adds:

1 SQL Query (global)
1 New Table to the Database
1 File edit to ./includes/config.php

Installation instructions - Developers

1. Download the zip file: ds4p[dev][1.0.0].zip
2. Upload productrequirement.php to ./vbroot/admincp/
3. Upload class_datastore_pluginsupport.php to ./vbroot/includes/
4. Upload cpnav_ds4p.xml to ./vbroot/includes/xml/
5. Import the product (product-ds4p.xml) via the admin cp
6. Edit the file ./vbroot/includes/config.php
   
   Find:
   
   
   PHP Code:

   ?> 

   Above that add:
   
   
   PHP Code:

   require_once(CWD . '/includes/class_datastore_pluginsupport.php'); 


Using the hack

In the Admin CP you'll find a new link in the left nav frame, under the Plugin System section click 'Datastore Item Manager'. On this page you'll find a link to add a new datastore item.

You should be familiar with this but here is a quick overview of what is on the add datastore item page:

Product: The product you want to associate the datastore item with.
Script: Allows you to select which php file the item will be included on. For example if your code only needs to run on member.php then you would select 'member' from the drop down.
Site Area: Similar to Script, but only restricts loading to a certain section of the software (forum, admincp, modcp, and archive).
Datastore Item: The name of the datastore item you want to fetch.

Once you have your datastore item set-up, you can get to the item in a plug-in like so:

PHP Code:

$vbulletin->datastore->do_fetch('custom_item'); 


From here it's the normal routine, export the product and you're done.

Installation instructions - End Users

1. Download the zip file: ds4p[dev][1.0.0].zip
2. Upload class_datastore_pluginsupport.php to ./vbroot/includes/
3. Import the product (product-ds4p.xml) via the admin cp
4. Edit the file ./vbroot/includes/config.php
   
   Find:
   
   
   PHP Code:

   ?> 

   Above that add:
   
   
   PHP Code:

   require_once(CWD . '/includes/class_datastore_pluginsupport.php'); 


At this point the end user is done, he just imports your product like he normally would.

Big Thanks To:

Andreas - taking the time to write this php code and allowing me to release it.
MarcoH64 - for addressing the problem, sparking community interests in the problem and witting POC code.

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by JumpD

???

Is this the same as Andreas' earlier hack?
By that I mean, I have been using his since he released it prior. So does this version now under your control have any changes from that earlier release?

It is, with some minor changes.

[thincom2000]

Does 3.6.x do this automatically? If not, sounds like something that would be useful