Automatic Birthday Thread

This hack is inspired by the Birthday Hack for vB2 by Logician. It will automatically create a Happy Birthday thread in a specified forum, listing the people with birthdays for that day. Then other members can post their happy birthday wishes in the thread.

I had the original hack installed on my VB2 board and when I upgraded to VB3 my members missed it. Luckily, it's really easy to implement.

--------------------------------------
Files to modify: /includes/cron/birthday.php
--------------------------------------

Instructions are in the attached text file. The mod should take about 5 minutes.

Be sure to change the variables that say // CHANGE ME

You can customize the message in the $birthday_greeting_thread variable. You could also ad IMG tags with an image of some kind, like in my screenshot.

Note that you MUST turn on BB CODE in you birthday forum in order for this to work properly.
--------------------------------------
Enjoy (and thanks for the inspiration, Logician!)
--------------------------------------

New in Version 2.0:

Bug fixes:
> More accurate age calculation. Sometimes it was a year off.
> The correct thread shows up in the last thread post on the forum home page.
> HTML is not required to be turned on in the birthday forum.
> Most of the code is completely rewritten to vB3 standards.

New features:
> Improved look
> Birthday line now says: (User) was born on (date), (AGE: xx)
> If the year is not given, it says "Not telling! " for age.
> The admin is emailed a list of the birthdays with links to their profiles and a link to the happy birthday thread.
> If you use the uShop/uCash hack, you can give birthday points to the users

Upgrading:

Since the code has changed so drastically, I suggest starting with a fresh copy of birthday.php and following the instructions for a new install.

[Rick]

Nice hack.

I have it installed and working, but I am seeing all of the HTML code surrounding the birthday people. Does HTML have to be enabled in the forum for this to work properly?

Also, what do I need to do to change the subject of the thread. I have LOTS of members and having all of the user names in the subject line is way too much clutter.

Thank you.

Rick

[ChurchMedia]

Originally Posted by Rick

Nice hack.

I have it installed and working, but I am seeing all of the HTML code surrounding the birthday people. Does HTML have to be enabled in the forum for this to work properly?

I guess so. The other option is to take out the HTML and forgo the links to their profiles. I think you could use /n for line breaks (???).

Originally Posted by Rick

Also, what do I need to do to change the subject of the thread. I have LOTS of members and having all of the user names in the subject line is way too much clutter.

Thank you.

Rick

The easiest thing to do is replace:

$title3.= $bday_title;

with:

$title3.= "our members";

That would make the subject "Happy Birthday to our members on whateverdate".

Enjoy!

[Rick]

Thank you. That did it

[stamos2003]

works very fine here, thx. mate !

[Onkel_Tom]

Originally Posted by lasto
church media one request if possible - can this be set to ignore zero posters ?

Originally Posted by EvilLS1

Yep. I added that and a few other options to mine.

In birthday.php find:

$birthdays = $DB_site->query(" 
    SELECT username, email, languageid, birthday, userid

Replace it with:

$birthdays = $DB_site->query("
	SELECT username, email, languageid, posts, userid, birthday

Find:

	$emails .= iif($emails, ', ');
	$emails .= $userinfo['username'];

Below it add:

$posts = $userinfo[posts];

Find:

// Create Birthday Thread Hack

Below it add:

if ($posts>='1')
{

You can change the "1" in the code above to whatever you want the minium posts for birthday threads to be


Find:

// End Create Birthday Thread Hack

Above it add:

}

If you also want to limit the birthday threads & emails to users who have visited the site within the time set in your admin panel for showing birthdays on forum home do this:

In birthday.php find:

$birthdays = $DB_site->query("

Above it add:

	if ($vboptions['birthdaydatecut'])
	{
		$datecut = TIMENOW - (intval($vboptions['birthdaydatecut']) * 86400);
		$activitycut = "AND lastactivity >= $datecut";
	}
	else
	{
		$activitycut = '';
	}

Find:

    (options & $_USEROPTIONS[adminemail]) AND 
    usergroupid IN ($ids) 
");

Replace it with:

	(options & $_USEROPTIONS[adminemail]) AND
	usergroupid IN ($ids) $activitycut
");

This doesn't work for me.
If only users with zero posts has birthday on a day this addition works, but if other users with more than zero post has also birthday a greating thread is generated and also the zero posters are greated !

any idea?

[Onkel_Tom]

I fixed the problem with the following database query:

PHP Code:

$birthdays = $DB_site->query("
    SELECT username, email, languageid, posts, userid, birthday
    FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user
    WHERE birthday LIKE '$today-%' AND
    (options & $_USEROPTIONS[adminemail]) AND
    usergroupid IN ($ids) AND posts >20
"); 


[Blackbeard]

iam having problems i have done the hack as in the download and today this was made as a post not as the screenie shows.
Also a side effect has happened, in my admin panel in forums and moderator the options in the controls ie edit, delete have disappeared but when i delete the post the options have reappeared.

this is how the post was displayed.

Dear Forum,<br><br>Here are today's birthdays!<br><br><a href="member.php?u=124">RUGGY</a>, born 06-28-1938
<a href="member.php?u=54">RONNIEBI</a>, born 06-28-1941

Any ideas

[ChurchMedia]

Looks like you need to turn on HTML for your birthday forum. Then the HTML code will disappear.

That second problem is a new one to me. Are you listing yourself as the poster?

[Blackbeard]

Sorted the first second one seems to have gone away strange

[jluerken]

Hi there,

the post is done very well in my 3.0.3er Version but the Thread does not get a title on the forumhome.

Take a look at my screen and you will see!