Custom HTTP Error Pages

This is a re-write of a hack I made for vBulletin 2.x.

What this hack does is use vBulletin to generate HTTP error pages (such as the 404 - Not Found error). For those of you trying to get an all-vB-based-site, this addition will help complete your quest. Also for anyone who wants a nicer looking HTTP error message than the standard blah.

Note: Your website needs to be on a server that uses a .htaccess file, a file located in your root public directory. This may only be servers using the Apache HTTP server, I'm not sure if any other HTTP server, like Microsoft IIS, uses that or not. Some more notes on this are included in the instructions.txt file.

There are no vB files to modify. There is one file to upload, and one product to install, which will install several new templates and two plugins. The plugins are for Who's Online display. The templates contain the actual messages. No existing templates are modified.

Special thanks to KirbyDE for showing me how to group templates using a plugin rather than a code modification.

This hack has now been re-written to use phrases. If you have a previous version, here's what you can do to upgrade.
1. Upload the new httperror.php file.
2. Add the product-jjr512_httperr.xml, overwriting the existing. (All old non-used templates should be removed automatically. This version uses only two templates: HTTP_ERROR and http_error_bit.)

[Lea Verou]

Originally Posted by HR3rdGen

Glad to know I'm not alone, I've been using the old and new versions of this and everyone is EXPERINCING and error, even when they aren't.

WTF?

There are too many to say that it isn't a problem of the hack I guess...

[PennylessZ28]

Originally Posted by Michelle

There are too many to say that it isn't a problem of the hack I guess...

The hack is the problem, when I uninstall it my users are veiwing normal pages in the WOL locations.

I have access to 4 computers and I can put them all on different places on my website, with no problems, but most of the time it will show them as VIEWING and HTTP error unless they are on the forum home.

[joeychgo]

I came across a problem when I tried to verify my google sitemap..

We've detected that your 404 (file not found) error page returns a status of 200 (OK) in the header.

[JJR512]

Originally Posted by JJR512

It's possible, but if it is, it's beyond my comprehension. It defies logic. The operation of this hack should be extremely simple. Either an error condition occurs, in which case you are directed to the appropriate page generated by this hack, or else there is no error condition and you get to the correct page on your site. I can't understand how someone would get to the error message without there being any error condition. I'm sorry.

I still don't understand the problem now anymore than I did when I originally posted this.

I understand the theory of "If there's no problem without the hack, and there is a problem with the hack, then the problem must be caused by the hack." It seems logical enough. But there is nothing in the hack itself to cause those problems, that the Who's Online system says someone is on an error page, when in reality they aren't. Rather, the problem must be with how the hack is implemented, how it's activated (which is done through the .htaccess file). Some people have said that it has something to do with the webserver setup. What it is, how to fix it, how to work around it, are all beyond my ability and knowledge. Again, I'm sorry. If you can figure it out, by all means post the solution here. All I can say is if for some reason it doesn't work for you, simply don't use it.

[993ti]

How can i change it so that the header doesn't show a 200 status on error pages?
My old urls are getting 200 status and the bots think it's still there and don't update the search results.

[Jon_Simmonds]

i removed the http://ww bit from my .htacess

its now

ErrorDocument 404 /forums/httperror.php?e=404

you will need to ensure that any images linked in your template will have full paths to the images (i.e include http://www. etc)

all is working for fine for me,and i now see a 404 status

sorry to bump this topic to!

[melefire]

nice ive been making pages and having my error pages redirect to them
this is alot better
*Clicks Install

[Jon_Simmonds]

I would just like to add, now I made the changes i mentioned above in post 66, I am seeing whole loads of 404's in my logs, which wernt there while I had this addon installed as per the instructions provided

Before i made the change, all the links that were incorrect would have been reutrining status 200 and thus this may well have damaged my search engine ranking, if you havnt allready please update htacess to remove the http://www from the links

[Surviver]

Hello, Thank you for this great Hack!

How can I insert the navbar by an error ?

If I insert $navbar into the template , it wont't be show ...

Thank you !

mfg Surviver

PS: Sorry for my bed english

[jim6763nva]

Thank you for this! makes things complete now