Show Thread Enhancements - Basic QR Intergraton (2D Barcodes) for VB Threads (QR Pages by BOP5) VB4

Brought to you by BirdOPrey5 / Qapla.com

Note: Updated to version 1.5- added QR codes for attachments and profiles as well as threads.

This isn't a polished mod, its purpose is to bring 2D Barcode (QR Code) integration to vBulletin. I will be marking it unsupported as I do not recommend users without some basic HTML or coding experience attempt to use the mod. I will NOT be answering basic setup questions. Instructions for the manual template edits are included in the zip. you may use them if you wish but I strongly suggest you work on a custom solution.

Live Demo: Qapla.com Thread

This mod will allow a uniqe QR Code to be generated and displayed for every thread on your forum.

Users with Android, iPhone, and other advanced phones can easily scan these QR Codes and share links with friends via email, text, and other social networking platforms.

The QR generation is handled by a free open-source project called phpqrcode which has its own GNU Lesser General Public License.

I have created the vBulletin interface needed to generate codes for individal threads, attachments, and/or profile pages.

The mod will check if the QR Code has already be generated for a thread (or profile, or attachment) and if so will simply display the png file previously created. If this is the first time someone has viewed the thread (since installing this mod) it will generate and save the QR Code for future use.

All QR Codes are stored in .png format in a new folder called /images/qr/ which you must create and must be writable. (chmd 755 is usually sufficient but if you have problems go to 777).

A utility included in the Admin CP settings will allow you to delete all these images if necessary.

Other Admin CP settings include the ability to set the size, quality, and border size around the QR Code.

What isn't finished is the best way to intergrate this onto your SHOWTHREAD pages and attachment template. I have instructions for a manual template edits that will give you a basic "box" that you can mouse-over and get the full image to pop-up over the rest of your page.

I am aware this isn't an ideal setup but I am more of a coder than a designer. If anyone has some suggestions (with code) for a better implementation I am open to suggestions.

This mod could be expanded to show QR Codes on all pages, not just threads, but until a better way is found to display the code on the page I didn't bother.

Server Load- In general the mod only generates a code on the first view of the thread- this will usually be when a new thread is first submitted so in the long run I don't anticipate any major server load by this mod. However if you have a very large and very busy forum you can expect a temporary increased load after installation as members visit hundreds of threads which have never had a QR Code generated before. This increased load should decrease after the surge of new generations end.

Disk Usage - The smaller the QR Code you generate the smaller the file size per image. In my experience the average size of each QR code png file was 600 bytes. This would mean about 586 KB per 1,000 threads or 58 Megabytes for 100,000 threads. You can extrapolate from there.

Please Mark as Installed if you use this.

[BirdOPrey5]

Seductor,

Good question... I don't, but I don't watch American Idol or listen to Lady Gaga either, so I really am a bad person to ask what most people do... it would seem from the responses I've gotten some people find QR codes very important.

[Boofo]

Originally Posted by BirdOPrey5

Any error message?

Here is the error message I just received when I clicked on "Delete All Images":

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare print_cp_login() (previously declared in /home/xxxxx/public_html/forums/includes/adminfunctions.php:26) in /home/xxxxx/public_html/forums/includes/adminfunctions.php on line 246

Here is what I did to fix it. In the file "bop5qrcode.php", I changed this:

	//if ($vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid'] == 6)
	{
		    //If User is an admin, delete the files
        require(DIR . '/includes/adminfunctions.php');

To this:

	//if ($vbulletin->userinfo['usergroupid'] == 6)
	{
		    //If User is an admin, delete the files
        //require(DIR . '/includes/adminfunctions.php');

You already had adminfunctions.php declared above in "REQUIRE BACK-END" with require_once.

Excellent mod, Joe. You are to be commended.

[Alan_SP]

Just to report it, Boofo found bug and solved it. Now everything works and QR images are deleted.

Thank you. :up:

[Alan_SP]

Originally Posted by Seductor

Do people really use QR codes? I mean, I have asked my friends and they know it, but they don't use it very often.

Yes, I don't use it, I only heard for it, remember I saw it here and there, but not too often. On the other hand, people will use it more and more and they are good bridge between classical print and "new print" i.e. Internet.

I see this more as investment in future and a way to advertise my forum...

[Boofo]

I agree. The QR codes are becoming more popular for cell phones now. I used my first one just a few weeks back and it worked pretty slick. It was for a local grocery store that has an Android app available and it made it real easy to just scan the code and the app pops up from the App store in a flash. Searching will almost become obsolete in time.

[BirdOPrey5]

Awesome, thanks Boofo... I will include in the next update.

The next update will include options for attachments and profile pages. Hopefully this weekend.

[Boofo]

Instead of using require, use require_once as you won't run into problems like this then. And, you're welcome, sir.

[BirdOPrey5]

Updated to version 1.5.

You don't need to re-upload the phpqrcode directory but you should re-upload and overwrite the rest.

[puertoblack2003]

good job BirdOPrey5 on the attachment qrcode, :up: one last thing how can i make it so it'll be a mouse over effect?

thanks

[Alan_SP]

QR code in profiles works excellent. :up:

I used your suggestion for placement and also added it in MEMBERINFO template.

Find:

<vb:if condition="$show['viewblog']">
							<li><a href="{vb:raw $vboptions.vbblog_url}{vb:if "$vboptions['vbblog_url']", '/', ''}blog.php?{vb:raw session.sessionurl}u={vb:raw userinfo.userid}" rel='nofollow'><img src="{vb:stylevar imgdir_siteicons}/blog.png" class="inlineimg" alt="" /> {vb:rawphrase view_blog_entries}</a></li>
						</vb:if>

Below that add:

<vb:if condition="$vboptions[bop5qr_en] AND $vboptions[bop5qr_enprofiles]">  
    <br />
			<li>{vb:raw userinfo.qr}</li>
    </vb:if>

It makes QR code visible on every profile page.