Integration with vBulletin - Flashchat Integration for vB 3.6

This modification is no longer available or supported.

Flashchat integration with vBulletin 3.6

Note:
Standard Flashchat includes a version of my vBulletin integration as part of the Tufat supplied files - including a working vBulletin 3.6 CMS file. However, the standard files do not include Direct Usergroup Integration or other extra's like the WOL Display & Flashchat on a vBulletin page. This Integration Mod adds those features


Standard vB 3.6 integration features

* Authorised members are automatically logged in.
* Automatic login works even if a member has not ticked "remember me".
* All non authorised members are locked out (this and the above are based on usergroup membership).
* If enabled, Flashchat updates the users session location (displayed in various vBulletin online location displays such as WOL).
* Real ip detection when a proxy server is used (only if the proxy server passes on the details).
* Permanant, Private Rooms are loaded by Admins and Moderators (allows for Staff Rooms).

Extra's added by this modification

* Direct login to a room.
* The WOL will correctly display Flashchat as the location (not 'Unknown Location')
* Flashchat can be displayed embedded inside a 'standard' vBulletin Page (i.e. not full screen).
* Direct Usergroup Integration - a section is added to each usergroup in the ACP Usergroup Manager to set the Flashchat permissions for that group.
* The plugin will try to automatically add a link to Flashchat in your Quick Links or Navbar - this feature can be disabled if you wish.
* The automatic link can have a prefix path defined - useful if you use something like CMPS.


More notes:

* This integration is for Flashchat versions 4.7.x and above.
* The automatic link feature may fail if you have customised templates.
* For Flashchat inside a vBulletin page you need to link to .../misc.php?do=flashchat
* This modification does not add any links to Flashchat Administration in the ACP.
* You can set all members to login direct to particular room via the ACP.
* You can also add a room parameter to the url - i.e. .../misc.php?do=flashchat&room=3
* 3.56 onwards has extra code to cope with VBs CSRF protection, which interferes with profile linking (vb 3.6.10+).

The CMS file assumes that you are installing Flashchat in your forum root folder - this is the same folder as your usercp.php file and includes folder. Installation will fail if you do not do this.

Support: Please check the instructions, and make sure you have uploaded any files to the correct location - the vast majority of problems reported are due to an error made in editing or uploading files. If you are still stuck and want me to take a look then feel free to PM me your site address, an admin user, and ftp access details, without these I cannot help you. I will look when I have time.

Finally, I am not Tufat.com or Flashchat Support - if you have questions about Flashchat, their forums are here.


To use the this upgraded integration simply download and unzip the file, then follow the instructions in the text file. Once installed, the Flashchat userlevel options for each usergroup will appear in the ACP usergroup edit screens - editing of the CMS file will no longer be required.



History:

v3.01 : First version for vb 3.6 (not released).
v3.02 : Various code changes, first public release.
v3.02A : Minor bug fixes to WOL Display.
v3.02B : Dependancies updated for 3.6.0 Gold.
v3.03 : Minor fix to Get User for membergroupids, some SQL changes.
v3.03A : Updated for Version Checking.
v3.04 : Security (anti-hacking) code added (as supplied by Darren).
v3.05 : Usergroup settings moved to top of CMS file.
v3.06 : Fixed error message when accessing chat admin area.
v3.07 : Default role changed.
v3.08 : Minor bug fix to Avatar detection, login code changes, tidy up.

v3.50 : Beta release with direct usergroup integration.
v3.51 : First full release with direct usergroup integration.
v3.52 : No Access and Banned split into separate permissions.
v3.53 : Minor changes - includes disabling the utf8 functions if the F/C config option is false.
v3.53A : Internal updates, not released.
v3.53B : Internal updates, not released.
v3.53C : Add ability for member to do direct to a room (other than the Flashchat default).
v3.53D : Defaults on first install updated.
v3.54 : Option for link path prefix added.
v3.55 : Minor changes to install code only.
v3.56 : Code added to allow profile views when CSRF protection is active.
v3.57 : CSRF Code changed.

[jessej]

Is there a way (can you tell me how?) to remove the links that are displayed in the WOL display?

upd: Figured it out and thanks Paul for all of the great stuff you provide us all!

for those that care to know, and don't know, the way I did it was so simple I had to laugh..

To get rid of the link in the who's online display when a user in in flashchat you need to modify the plugin called 'online_location_unknown' in the plugin manager in adminCP of vBulletin.

Remove the code below in red.

if ($userinfo['activity'] == 'flashchat')
{
 $handled = true;
 $userinfo['action'] = $vbphrase['in_flashchat'];
 $userinfo['where'] = '<a href="misc.php?do=flashchat">'.$vbulletin->options['bburl'].'/misc.php?do=flashchat</a>';
}

[Strafe]

Originally Posted by Paul M

I looked at your forum tonight for you - you had not uploaded the vbulletin36CMS.php file that is supplied with this modification - I have uploaded that file for you, and your custom usergroups now work as expected.

Ah that explains it.

[jake7338]

Hey Paul,

I moved to a new server and everything works great. Thanks. I do have just one tiny problem. Where can i edit the URL that it launches on exit? I think it auto detected this on my old server, now that i am on a new server the path has changed. So everytime someone exits they get sent to a bad url. It's supposed to go to the main forum URL.

Thanks,
--jake

[reismarktq2]

Paul, there's some problems with the misc.php interface in its handling of sessions that's causing my site visitors some problems. I've tried this multiple times to be sure I have it down right, and this is the behavior we're experiencing:

- When the user accesses chat via misc.php, logging out from chat with the X at the top-right of the Java applet does not remove the session from the connections table. Instead, it merely nulls the userid associated with the session. Should the user access chat via flashchat.php and do the same thing, the session clears properly. (This behavior would seem to point to the problem being with the hack and not Flashchat.)
- In certain instances, when the user erroneously leaves chat by closing the browser - again, the user is always accessing chat via misc.php - the session is left unaltered, which results in the user being unable to re-enter chat. I've tried replicating this error using flashchat.php a hundred times, with both Firefox & IE, and I can't do it. Again, this points to a problem with the hack.
- What's even more annoying is that sessions like this don't seem to be affected by the timeout configuration settings. (We are using an inactivity interval of 30 minutes, with default autologout and autoclose times.) This is resulting in me having to go into phpMyAdmin and manually delete problem sessions, which is annoying because I am usually not present for chats.

I'm going to be switching back to having people use flashchat.php in the meantime, but I'd really appreciate it if you could try and figure out what's causing these bugs.

[Paul M]

Sorry but those are all Flashchat issues (in fact, the first one is standard Flashchat behaviour, sessions are not deleted when you exit, just nulled).

JFYI, as you don't seem to realise - when using misc.php you are still accessing the chat via flashchat.php (there is no other way) - it's just enclosed in a frame so that the forum is still visible.

[varkjie]

Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction, I search flash chat and could not find what I was looking for?

I was curious as to how do I get members to automatically log into the flash chat with out them having to enter their name and password? If I remember correctly this is possible right?

I just installed the integration add on and that didn't do it, which I thought it would???

Thanks in advance for your help!

[reismarktq2]

Originally Posted by Paul M

Sorry but those are all Flashchat issues (in fact, the first one is standard Flashchat behaviour, sessions are not deleted when you exit, just nulled).

That wasn't the case when I accessed chat on my boards via flashchat.php directly. Irregardless of browser, irregardless of whether I click X on the applet or close the browser window, whenever I left chat from using flashchat.php, the sessions were completely removed from the DB, not nulled.

Originally Posted by Paul M

JFYI, as you don't seem to realise - when using misc.php you are still accessing the chat via flashchat.php (there is no other way) - it's just enclosed in a frame so that the forum is still visible.

No, I do realize it's merely a framing of the client - just that the way it appeared to me last night was that it was that framing that was causing the sessions to not clear right.

Anyways, I've told my site visitors to use flashchat.php only and have set up my links that way, and I'll continue monitoring for troubles. Haven't had any issues with any of the other aspects of the integration.

[abdulla1]

How can i do the first step? anybody help? (install flash chat)

[varkjie]

Originally Posted by abdulla1

How can i do the first step? anybody help? (install flash chat)

go buy the program

[varkjie]

Originally Posted by varkjie

Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction, I search flash chat and could not find what I was looking for?

I was curious as to how do I get members to automatically log into the flash chat with out them having to enter their name and password? If I remember correctly this is possible right?

I just installed the integration add on and that didn't do it, which I thought it would???

Thanks in advance for your help!

anyone??