jooml + vbulletin integration showcase

[ElfMage]

I also bought and installed BBPixel. Running Joomla with vB 3.6.4.

However, after having it installed for a couple of months, ended up uninstalling it.

Right now we use Joomla for CMS, only staff logs into Joomla. Users login as usual to vB.

[Merriweather]

Why did you end up uninstalling? I have Joomla features that I want my vB members to be able to use, but am wary as I haven't heard many positive Joomla! + vB stories...

[ElfMage]

Initially BBPixel worked well. But then we tried to integrate VirtueMart (shopping cart for Joomla) and we had lots of issues with the user login flow.

Also, BBPixel hijacks Joomla's user management, so you cannot use Joomla extensions like Community Builder.

So, we uninstalled BBPixel (which was not a trivial task since they modify quite a number of Joomla and vB core files).

Managed to get VirtueMart up and running, but it was too buggy. So we ended up integrating ZenCart, which is what we are using right now.

We have thought on redeploying BBPixel again, but we have delayed doing that.

We also researched the eLearning plugin, they have two versions, with and without Community Builder support. We couldn't find enough feedback on their product, which is why we went with BBPixel.

[AyeCapn]

becasue of the way my site is set up, the bbpixel bridge has worked flawlessly.

Also have implemented a custom vB->Pligg bridge.

All kinds of SSO goodness going on at www.blackbus.org

[fitstaff]

Is your vBulletin forum ina Joomla wrapper? Or did you duplicate your Joomla Theme as a vBulletin Style?

Originally Posted by AyeCapn

becasue of the way my site is set up, the bbpixel bridge has worked flawlessly.

Also have implemented a custom vB->Pligg bridge.

All kinds of SSO goodness going on at www.blackbus.org

[AyeCapn]

Originally Posted by fitstaff

Is your vBulletin forum ina Joomla wrapper? Or did you duplicate your Joomla Theme as a vBulletin Style?

I duplicated the style. Did the same thing for my Pligg implemnentation at www.blackbus.org/ideas

For a while I tried putting the forum into a wrapper/iFrame, but it wouldn't work right for anyone direct-linking to a thread.

[Airwork]

I have used both bridges. First I used the Elearningforce bridge because I was hesitant of the 'altering vB core files' of BBPixel.
However, the Elearningforce bridge (friendly and prompt service and all, that's not the problem) didn't work for me because of several issues:
1. When people register, they register in Joomla and this means they will not fill in all the profile fields like in vBulletin.
2. New members who register in Joomla, are not added to the vBulletin database.
3. When they ask for a new password in Joomla, they get a new one but from Joomla, not from vBulletin. And then they can't login at vBulletin. The only solution is to turn off registration in vBulletin, so people only register in Joomla. I didn't want that.

It all comes down to the following: I wanted to register new members in vBulletin (so they fill in all profile fields, see the rules etc.), and have new passwords also sent via vB. My vB board is the hearth of my site and the vBulletin memberdatabase has to be leading, not the Joomla one.

So I mailed BBPixel with a lot of questions, since I now knew exactly what problems there could arise with a bridge. All questions were answered and I ordered the BBPixel plugin and had them install it. Works perfectly, without any problems. All login, passwords etc. go through vB.

I also had BBPixel skin my board to match the rest of my Joomla site. This also went fine, although it took a bit longer then anticipated.

When you decide for one of these options, you have to ask yourself which part of your site/ memberdatabase has to be leading: vBulletin or Joomla.

[nanaimobar]

I use Joomla as my main front page and vBulletin for the forum. All registration is done through vBulletin as I use Joomla to display images of puzzle magazines and post information on new editions available for download from forum section.

I use iJoomla mod for layout of main site, www.magazine.punzhu.com.

vBulletin forum and magazines are hyperlinked from main site.

I've used this combination for two years and have had no problems, but then I don't have any reason to link vBulletin members to Joomla as I'm not running a typical forum community.

My site is not being used by members to build a puzzle community as 100% of visitors/members come to download the free puzzle magazines. So having the ability to link memberships between Joomla and vBulletin is not important for my site at the moment.

In fact, later on during this long weekend I'm going to remove the registration requirement for downloading the free puzzle magazines. Registration will only be required if a visitor wants to post/reply to something on the forum board. This will allow members to form a community if they wish while not impeding the access to free puzzle magazines (as magazines can be copied and distributed to others there is no direct need for registration, other than building a community).

[InfoNirvana]

Originally Posted by acidburn0520

Ha ha... it may interest you to know that there's an alpha version of a hackless Joomla and vB Integration out -- but it's in the Private Coders forum; so it's in the works!

Is this vJoomla at http://www.vJoomla.com ?

Nice thread BTW.

[d8tabyte]

<a href="http://www.digitalet.net" target="_blank">http://www.digitalet.net</a>

I use Joomla and VB, though I do not need any sort of login on the Joomla front, so I just edited my header to be consistent throughout. I am still building on the front end, I recently added a few sections, so right now I am just getting the content together to publish within the next day or so and all sections will be active.