Download PMs to File (for all 2.x.x versions)"

HACK UPDATED NOV 27TH 2001 - WORKS WITH ALL 2.X.X VERSIONS!

Since I was asked to make this available, here's my hack for downloading Private Messages (as many as you select) at once into a local txt file.

This is helpful if you need to clear out your PM folder(s) due to quota limitation, but don't want to lose those messages.

In effect, it works like an e-mail RFC archive.

Installation Instructions:

1. Open private.php.

Find:

  if ($delete!="") {
    $what="delete";
  }

Immediately AFTER it put:

PHP Code:

  if ($download!="") {
    $what="download";
  } 


Find:

}

// ############################### start delete ###############################

Immediately ABOVE it (make sure you put it ABOVE the } ) put:

PHP Code:

if ($what=="download") {
    if (is_array($privatemessage)) {
        header("Content-disposition: filename=messages.txt");
        header("Content-type: application/octet-stream");
        header("Pragma: no-cache");
        header("Expires: 0");

          while(list($key,$val)=each($privatemessage)) {
            $downloads=$DB_site->query_first("SELECT touserid,fromuserid,dateline,title,message FROM privatemessage WHERE privatemessageid='$key' AND userid=$bbuserinfo[userid]");
            $tousername=$DB_site->query_first("SELECT username FROM user WHERE userid='$downloads[touserid]'");
            $fromusername=$DB_site->query_first("SELECT username FROM user WHERE userid='$downloads[fromuserid]'");
            $msgdt = vbdate($dateformat,$downloads[dateline]);
            $msgtm = vbdate($timeformat,$downloads[dateline]);
            $wordwrap = wordwrap($downloads[message],75,"\r\n");
            
            print("Date/Time Sent: $msgdt, $msgtm\r\n");
            print("From: $fromusername[username]\r\n");
            print("To: $tousername[username]\r\n");
            print("Subject: $downloads[title]\r\n\r\n");
            print("$wordwrap\r\n");
            print("==========================================================================\r\n\r\n\r\n");


        } //end while
    
    } else {
      eval("standarderror(\"".gettemplate("error_pmnoselected")."\");");
      exit;
   }
} 


Note for Foreign Users: replace the words 'Date/Time Sent', 'From', 'To', 'Subject' in the above code with whatever wording in your language that suits you.

Save file and upload.

2. Edit template privfolder.

Find:

$massforwardlink

Immediately after OR before it (it does not matter), put:

or <input type="submit" class="bginput2" name="download" value="Download" style="background-color:#606096;color:#FFF788;font-size:10px;font-weight:bold">

Note for Foreign Users: replace the word "or" and the value "Download" with whatever wording in your language that suits you.


That's it!

Usage: select one or more messages in one of your Private Messages folder and click on "Download". You will be prompted to save messages.txt on your hard drive (a Windows filename & folder selection dialogue will pop up).

Cheers,

Bira

[zarkov]

Then it must be something to do with the hack, either your doing something wrong or possibly your using PHP 3 and it maybe it doesnt work with 3 ( that is only a guess as i have never tried it on 3).

[slip]

Originally posted by slip
i installed everything exactly as it should be done, yet when i try to download some pm's, i just get a blank page (completely blank, no errors)

any help?

can anyone help me?
I'm using PHP4 and I did everything like I should have..

[zarkov]

What browser you using?

I found that the code in the hack worked in IE 5 but not 5.5, I had to do a little digging around,But i assume its to do with http versions, IE 5 being http 1.0 complient and 5.5 being http 1.1 compliant.

I did work out and get it to work in IE.5.5 and netscape 4.7, but at the moment im at work and dont have access to the code, but ill post the changes later for anyone to use.

Please note that from mmy playing you can have it work in IE 5 or 5.5 but not both

[slip]

yup, i'm running IE 5.5

those code modifications that you did would be GREATLY appreciated..

[zarkov]

OK look for this code in private.php

PHP Code:

if (is_array($privatemessage)) { 
header("Content-type: application/octet-stream"); 
header("Content-disposition: attachment; filename=messages.txt"); 
header("Pragma: no-cache"); 
header("Expires: 0"); 


and replace it with

PHP Code:

if (is_array($privatemessage)) { 
header("Content-disposition: attachment; filename=messages.txt"); 
header("Content-type: uknown/unknown"); 
header("Pragma: no-cache"); 
header("Expires: 0"); 


Dont forget to change the filename=messages.txt to what ever you want to call the downloaded file.

[Axel Foley]

Bira, first of all GREAT HACK!

For Zarkov & Norritt & Slip & Bira :

I had the same error as Norritt (Parse error: parse error, expecting `T_STRING' or `T_VARIABLE' or `T_NUM_STRING' in e:\apache\apache\nsdocs\forum\private.php on line 695), and it wasn't my fault, after a while I found out the error. I had to modify the last EVAL() in this way:

PHP Code:

// Original code by Bira
      eval("standarderror(\"".gettemplate("error_pmnoselected")."");");
      exit;
      }

// My modification
      eval("standarderror(\"".gettemplate("error_pmnoselected")."\");");
      exit;
      } 


One other thing: I use IE 5.5 and the hack works greatly without applying Zarkov's modifications.

[ezdreamer]

I tried this with version 2.2.0 but the only thing that came up was an empty page when I hit the pm section.

Will Bira's code work with 2.2.0 or could I be doing something wrong. I followed the instructions to the letter and nothing...

[Alien]

Wow, I never even saw this one..

Anyone have this working in recent versions? ...and did it require modification? I'd love to install this...

[amykhar]

I have it working on my board. It only required a bit of tweaking to make the button match other buttons on the form.

Amy

[Amasov]

I am running this hack on my 2.2.0 an it works perfectly (thanks @Bira, great hack)

Only one question:

How do I change the size of the "Download"-Button ??
(It's greater than the others, but I used the same style like the others)..

Thanks.

@ezdreamer:
Actually you did something wrong!

@Alien:
I ran this hack on RC2, 2.0.1, 2.0.2, 2.0.3