Add-On Releases - vB News CMS

Please click Mark as Installed if you are using this hack.


What Does This Hack Do?[hr]hr[/hr]
This is a major update to the vB News CMS hack v1.3 by davidw. Permission for me to release this hack is shown here.

It allows you to take your news from your news forums (up to 9 news forums) and display them in a category-style fashion with the ability to add new content, reply to the original story, send to a friend, and print.

This version fixes several problems with two fixes preventing database errors. Refactoring of the base-code and added functionality (adds pagination) has reduced the base-code size by more than two-thirds. The hack is now fully phrased.


Frequently Asked Questions

Question:

What if I don't like the archive name for the forum? e.g. .../archives.php?&do=forum1

Answer:

You can now change the forum1 part to whatever you want in the AdminCP options via the Forum X Archive Name. Just remember that each Forum X Archive Name need to be different from the other eight.

Question:

What if I get a blank vbnews page when I view the page?

Answer:

Did you actually select a forum for at least forum1 from the vBulletin options for this hack? If not, then you need to select one (none are selected as default).

Question:

What if BBCode on the vbnews and archive pages breaks and shows ugly markup when I view the page?

Answer:

It is probably the BBCode being truncated because of the preview word count (i.e. [SIZE=4] is shown, but [/SIZE] was lopped off because of the word count). But, don't lose hope, as there are now AdminCP Options to control if HTML, Smilies, BBCode and IMG BBCode are displayed in the previews or not.

Question:

My custom BBCode tags do not display on the vbnews and archive pages, what do I do?

Answer:

Actually the solution is very simple. I have found that if custom BBCode tags are created in the BB Code Manager with capitals, then they will not parse, but if they are in lower case they will parse fine.

So, in your Custom BB Codes -> BB Code Manager in the AdminCP, change the BB Code Tag Name field of each of your custom BBCodes to lower case, and that will allow your custom BBCode to display. It does not seem to matter if the custom BBCode tags are in capitals or not within the posts themselves, so they do not need to be changed.

vBulletin Version Compatibility[hr]hr[/hr]
This hack can be used with vBulletin versions 3.6.0 - 3.8.7.

NOTE: I will not be upgrading this hack to vBulletin v4.0.x, as vBulletin now has the Publishing Suite.


Hack Support/Feature Requests[hr]hr[/hr]
IMPORTANT: This hack is no longer supported.


Branding[hr]hr[/hr]
There is a small unobtrusive block of copyright branding text at the bottom of each page generated by this hack, which is there to promote my work and allow you to use this hack for free.

You are NOT allowed to remove my copyright branding from this hack.


Install/Uninstall Instructions[hr]hr[/hr]
The readme.txt instructions file is included in attached .zip file.


Screenshots[hr]hr[/hr]
Shown in this order:

• vB News CMS main page
• vB News CMS archive page
• vB News CMS archive page with pagination
• AdminCP Options

Version History[hr]hr[/hr]
v3.8.004 - Saturday 8th August 2009
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow HTML
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow Smilies
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow BBCode
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow [IMG] BBCode
-- Updated: "vbnews.php" and "archives.php" to allow for the above AdminCP Options
-- Updated: Screenshots

v3.8.003 - Tuesday 4th August 2009
-- Fixed: If archive turned off, then archive link does not appear in "vbnews.php"

v3.8.002 - Monday 27th July 2009
-- Fixed: Pagination in the archive

v3.8.001 - Wednesday 22nd July 2009
-- Initial v3.8.x Release
-- Updated: Refactoring of the base-code and added functionality has reduced the base-code size by more than two-thirds.
-- Added: 11 AdminCP options
-- Added: AdminCP options: input validation for all non-selectable items
-- Added: AdminCP options: change name of the archive url - eg "forum1" in the url ".../archives.php?&do=forum1" (no more file edits)
-- Added: AdminCP options: for pagination (how many news items per page)
-- Added: 26 phrases - hack now fully phrased (no more hard coded words - easy to translate)
-- Added: 2 plugins
-- Added: Pagination on the archives page
-- Added: Implemented unused permission to turn archive on/off (was unused in davidw's versions)
-- Fixed: AdminCP options: can not enter incorrect usergroups, as now selected by checkboxes (prevents database errors)
-- Fixed: AdminCP options: can not enter incorrect forums, as now forums selectable by dropdown list (prevents database errors)
-- Fixed: Link to archived page removed if actually in the archive (would give a page with no content)
-- Fixed: Who's online link if in the archive


Thanks[hr]hr[/hr]
A big thanks goes out to davidw, whose original hack and permission to re-use his code enabled me to release this hack. Thanks also go out to Paul M who gave me permission to use some of his install code.


Show Your Appreciation [hr]hr[/hr]
Although not required, if you have enjoyed the benefits of this hack, and would like show your appreciation for my efforts, then please feel free to click on the Support Developer link and donate any amount you feel is appropriate.

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by masterweb

Hmmmm now i see what you mean, in fact following the previous URL you posted for a second page in archives i get:



Please note i'm already logged in, i'm Admin (so of course i have full rights). I downloaded the updated Zip file attached to your first post, i uploaded once again these 2pages to my root overwriting the old ones and i went to my AdminCP and imported once again the XML product checking the "Overwrite" option for the import... What i'm doing wrong ?

It was an example of the problem in v3.8.001 you asked me to explain, it was not actually meant to work as it is an invalid url, the permissions message is how I am handling the error with the empty do= and v3.8.002 prevents this from happening in the first place. So, not to worry, you installation works fine now as I checked it out already

You now get http://www.onlinewebmarket.net/archi...=forum1&page=2 (notice the do=forum1 now?) That is what the update fixed.

[TheLastSuperman]

Another great mod by Mosh

Marked as installed but it will be tomorrow, I will be modifying to suit a Online Gaming Tournament forum so when done I'll provide a link as a demo .

Thanks again!

S-MAN

[masterweb]

Now i fully understand, thanks once again for this hack dude

Originally Posted by Mosh

It was an example of the problem in v3.8.001 you asked me to explain, it was not actually meant to work as it is an invalid url, the permissions message is how I am handling the error with the empty do= and v3.8.002 prevents this from happening in the first place. So, not to worry, you installation works fine now as I checked it out already

You now get http://www.onlinewebmarket.net/archi...=forum1&page=2 (notice the do=forum1 now?) That is what the update fixed.

[Mosh]

Update: v3.8.003 - Tuesday 4th August 2009
-- Fixed: If archive turned off, then archive link does not appear in "vbnews.php"

I noticed this on another installation that had the archive disabled. It is not a fault, but if the archive is not active, then why display the link?

[vijayninel]

How can one make the news page use a particular style instead of the user selected style ?

[axenvb]

Installed. It works quite well. Thank you.

[vijayninel]

Originally Posted by saadessa

there is problem in viewing of the threades bb code shown with the posts

any solution for this

http://www.saad6.com/vbnews.php

I figured out what's going wrong..there is a problem with the CMS. If the BB code gets cut off halfway then it wont render and will be shown.

for eg.If you put [ SIZE=4]and the [/SIZE] comes after the "Read More" then [SIZE=4] will be seen and the text wont change to size 4. the BB code must start and end before the "Read more". This is very inconvenient and reduces formatting options.

[Mosh]

Originally Posted by vijayninel

I figured out what's going wrong..there is a problem with the CMS. If the BB code gets cut off halfway then it wont render and will be shown.

for eg.If you put [ SIZE=4]and the [/size] comes after the "Read More" then [size=4] will be seen and he text wont change to size 4. the BB code must start and end before the "Read more". This is very inconvenient and reduces formatting options.

I have not replicated it, but looking at the code I can see how it can happen.

So, in the next few minutes I will be releasing a new version that has four additional AdminCP options to control various factors when viewing a news preview on the main vB News or Archive pages. These options are to allow or not:

• HTML
• Smilies
• BBCode
• [IMG] BBCode (independant of BBCode)

So, in your case you would not allow HTML, BBCode or IMG either, and it will not break the post, as it is not parsed.

But, when viewing the full post, by clicking [View More] you will see the correct markup.

[Mosh]

Update: v3.8.004 - Saturday 8th August 2009
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow HTML
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow Smilies
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow BBCode
-- Added: AdminCP option: Allow [IMG] BBCode
-- Updated: "vbnews.php" and "archives.php" to allow for the above AdminCP Options
-- Updated: Screenshots

[masterweb]

Thanks for your last release Mosh, i updated it on my board today .