User Points System

What does this script do?

This script is a very simple and easy to use system for giving or deducting arbitrary points from a given user. Its the vb3 edition of the popular vb2 hack found here

It also easy to set this up to give users points through PM's, Journals (if you have one), or just about anything that can pull in custom profile fields.

Why is this in beta?

I really dont think anyone will have an issue with this hack as we've been using this for months already but we had to variabilize a few things so the possibility exists.

There is also one extra query per page for an uncached template. I just dont understand how thats done in vb3 and havent had time to really look into it.


What are the differences between this and the vb2 version?

The vb3 version doesnt have the mass user gil update feature but it has an easier interface to give or take points from the postbit.

Since points can be given very quickly from the postbit, our mods stopped using the mass updater and there just wasnt a need on our part to port it over.

Whats the difference between this and upoints hack?

User preferance mostly... I think this points hack offers a simpler way of manually giving or taking points which some people prefer. Others simply need a points hack without the complexity of having a store.

One thing I will note in advance is that this points hack does not give points automatically for people creating or replying to threads. Its just not something our site needed. However it can work with those options in the ustore.

Can this work with the ustore?

Thankfully Link coded the store to be able to take advantage of the different user points systems that would be released.

If you have this ustore / upoints hack installed, go to the UTT points settings and under the ucash settings use the following:

Points Table: userfield
Points Field: field x
(where x is the custom field you will be creating).

You will need to alter some of the template changes but from what I've seen, you should be able to get the added benifit of getting points for new threads, replies, etc.


Will this work with vbPetz?

I havent installed vbpetz yet so I have no clue how well this would intergrate with thier system.

And thats about all I can think of right now. Screen shots below:

The first shows the box you enter the points in, hit enter or click the coin to submit and you get a pop up box confirmation. If you reload the page, you'll see the second post which shows the users points (gil) updated and the points (gil) paid on that specific post. The logic is that reloading a page sux and its easier to click the okay button on a javascript box. Its not bad at all. ^^

[ChrisBaktis]

Couple things I noticed that maybe you can help on:

1) The first time I go to give points it asks me to login (even if I am logged in already) - when I do it takes me to the gilupdate.php page which is blank - I then have to go back and back to the first page and re-add the points

2)When I add points I get the Gil Paid box but nothing shows until I refresh the page - is there a way for me to make it so the page refreshes when I hit 'Ok' on the Gils Paid box?

3) If I add poings in the PM section they do not save to the database - only when I do it from a post - can this be fixed?

4) Last how can I change the gil paid box to say 'Rusty Soaps Paid' instead of 'Gils Paid'?

Thanks for the support

[Reeve of shinra]

1. I havent experienced that so I am not sure what it would be. Techincally speaking, I dont think the script alone would cause that but I will think on it.

2. Loading, or reloading, a page takes more server resources. The small pop up box was more effecient.

It may not techinically matter, but we were trying to keep this simple and efficent -- technically, you would know if you gave points to someone in that thread and if you opened the thread later on, you would see that you - or someone else - awarded points to that person for that post.

(I hope that makes sense, I am a bit tired). I guess if you REALLY wanted it, I could dig up the old code that refreshed the page upon giving points.

3. I should have an update for that soon. Not sure how soon yet but its something planned as we would like to use that feature as well.

4.

A) On step 4, find this and replace the words gil paid with your choice.

PHP Code:

onClick="javascript:alert('Gil Paid!'); 


B) Then right below that in step 4 is this:

Gil paid: $post[gilpaid]

Again, change Gil Paid: to whatever you want (leave $post[gilpaid] alone)

[ChrisBaktis]

Thank you....On step 3 I thought it was supposed to work - im glad that it is not something I did wrong...thanks for the help

[zetetic]

This hack looks interesting... quick question:

Is the gil paid on individual posts stored somewhere, so the amount of gil given a user for a particular post would be reflected on the post itself?

I'm thinking that if so, I could use it to filter posts based on their gil value.

Thanks!

[Reeve of shinra]

Yes, the points given for a particular post are stored in a new field in the post table.

If I gave you five points for your post, any mod or admin viewing the thread would see that five points were given. This is not your total points however, the total points you have are stored in a vb custom field.

Out of curosity, what kind of post filtering were you lookinig to do?

[zetetic]

I'll PM my response so as not to derail your thread any more.

[Arsenic33]

I'm looking for a point system that has a little more to it, as oppossed to just a few points awarded by mods, I'm looking for a full on point system with point store. Fully editable etc...

[Reeve of shinra]

Check out the upoints / ustore hack. Its more robust in that it can award points based on posts, replies, etc, ... its just something I have need of.

[Arsenic33]

thanks I'll look for/into it.

[Reeve of shinra]

1) The first time I go to give points it asks me to login (even if I am logged in already) - when I do it takes me to the gilupdate.php page which is blank - I then have to go back and back to the first page and re-add the points

I finally ran into that error... and it kind of baffles me. I have it working as is on 3.0.1 and yet on 3.0.3 i was getting just what you described. I moved the gilupdate.php file to the /forums/ directory and simply changed the path to call it in the 'postbit_gilbox' template.