Add-On Releases - vBISpy - AJAX real-time feed of new posts/threads

After seeing the http://www.digg.com/spy application; I wondered if this could be done for vBulletin as well. I came across this webpage which had a "how to" on how they built a similiar application to do the same thing. Taking a page from their book (i.e. the code), I modified it for use with vBulletin.

During development, I also came across this post here on vBulletin.Org where the very subject had already been discussed.

So I put this together; a simple ZIP file with a single PHP script, three javascript files and 4 images.

Installation

. UNZIP the file into your forums directory
. That's it!

Virtually all the code to customize the page is in the vaispy.php script; there are no plugins, no templates and no phrases. You do not need to do anything further; this should work right out of the box.

In your browser, open the URL:

http://www.yourforum.com/forum/vaispy.php

You can see examples of this at:

http://www.viperalley.com/forum/vaispy.php
http://www.extremefitness.com/forum/vaispy.php

Note: I claim no ownership of this code except for the file vaispy.php - the rest of the files were using 'freely distributable' sources. As such, you may use these files as you wish, but please do not remove the copyrights.

This modification is for vBulletin 3.6 only, if you are running vBulletin 3.5 you will need to see this thread.

JOIN THE vBIspy Network!
Once you have this mod installed, you can join the vBIspy network to have your threads appear on this site; the vBIspy Network is a great way for people to see what's going on in various vBulletin communities and for forum owners to promote their sites and generate new traffic.

Optional add-ons

Who's Online mod for this: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=126209

vBAdvanced Module: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=126421

UPDATES
1.0.4
Added buro9's code from here

1.0.5 - 9.9.06
Modified some JavaScript in va_spy.js to remove split strings

1.0.6 - 9.10.06
Added date cuffoff code from here and changed init() to spyinit() - changed vaispy.php and va_spy.js files.

1.0.7 - 9.12.06
va_spy.js: Added a forum url variable to allow for integration with portals or other products outside the forum directory
va_spy.js: Added xmldelay variable at top of script for easier configuration or repolling
Updated files: vaispy.php, vb_spy.js

1.0.8 - 9.13.06
vaispy.php - changed code for checking for forum permissions to include password protected forums, added javascript tag for script code

1.0.9 - 9.16.06
vaispy.php
va_spy.js
va_effects.js
- modified to allow for proper display in Opera browsers and moved more html into vaispy.php to allow for stylevars, trimmed va_effects.js to remove unused code (ForumDog's suggestions, except not using templates yet), changed way threads are parsed (removes html as well)

1.0.10 - 9.17.06
va_prototype.js - removed 20kb of unused code

1.1.11 - 9.25.2006
vaispy.php
va_spy.js
- added SirAdrian's mods for thread status icons and alternating row colors
- added code to prepopulate the first 10 rows with existing threads allowing for 5 new ones to be added in scrolling mode (versus scrolling starting from the first thread).
- added option to display subscribed threads only

1.1.12 - 9.26.2006
vaispy.php
- added code to add empty rows if initial pull has less than 20 rows.

[troybtj]

Originally Posted by MPDev

I'm not following you - where is a username and password being sent on every update? We don't collect or otherwise use a password to get XML data.

When watching own forum, this is ettercap output, an Ethernet Protocol sniffer. Output below is Sniffed from separate machine on ethernet, a new request with USER: / PASS: on every new post:

HTTP : <ServerIP>:80 -> USER: <myusername> PASS: <mypassword> INFO: www.<domain>.neta
|/vaispy.php?do=xml&last=71385&r=0.4181947612238931& _=
HTTP : <ServerIP>:80 -> USER: <myusername> PASS:<mypass> INFO: www.<domain>.neta
|/vaispy.php?do=xml&last=71387&r=0.912414499618981&_ == <IP> a
|find_conn: Probable connection attempt <forumip> -> <domain>.neta
|HTTP : <ServerIP> -> USER: <myusername> PASS: <mypass> INFO: www.<domain>neta
|/vaispy.php?do=xml&last=71387&r=0.43136405108593967 &_= <forumip>

[MPDev]

Check out the getXML() code in va_spy.js and you'll see that we do nothing with these variables; I can't speak for scriptalacious, but my code add no such variables.

[troybtj]

Originally Posted by MPDev

Check out the getXML() code in va_spy.js and you'll see that we do nothing with these variables; I can't speak for scriptalacious, but my code add no such variables.

I'll dig through the code to see what is triggering this. I'll let you know when I find it. Threat level is medium, only the server/host can sniff the traffic, which are the same hosts that can sniff logins anyway.

I still use the plugin because it is too useful.

[troybtj]

The username/pass are only sent when the file is protected by .htaccess, if accessing vaispy.php without an .htaccess file, the user/pass aren't re-sent.

[Skybert]

Is there a way to get this to display threads from a forum on a sister site that is not running a vbulletinboard but a plain html site?

Is it possible to add it in a table?

EDIT

I'd also like to know how to edit where it says "#number# replies" and "#number# views" to norwegian, ive managed to translate some of it, but not those two. Any Ideas?
Thanks in advance

[troybtj]

It works great until members leave it idle (300-ish), then apache goes into meltdown with these errors:

ALERT - script tried to increase memory_limit to 4294967295 bytes which is above the allowed value (attacker 'xx.xx.xx.xx', file '/var/www/includes/class_xml.php', line 35)

Is there a way to have vaispy stop when a user session times out?

[Mrdby]

I added it..but how do i allow members to view this as the default?

[ringleader]

Originally Posted by Skybert

I'd also like to know how to edit where it says "#number# replies" and "#number# views" to norwegian, ive managed to translate some of it, but not those two.

In vaispy.php
FIND

$clip .= " ({$thread['views']} views, {$thread['replycount']} replies)";

REPLACE bolded text above with whatever you like.

Originally Posted by Mrdby

I added it..but how do i allow members to view this as the default?

What do you mean by this?
Do you want them to view it as your index.php page as soon as they come to your site?
You would be better off using the vbadvanced CMPS portal and adding it in there as a module as a part of the front page.

[skariko]

Sorry.. but i'll read all the thread.. and I can't find anything about this.

It is possible to allow to see it only for some usergroup?
I don't want that the guest can see that page. Is it possible?

Thanks.

Ska

[ringleader]

I don't know if this is right, but it works for me:

In vaispy.php

FIND

$datecut = "AND thread.lastpost >= " . (TIMENOW - ($daysprune * 86400));
$prefetched = null;

AFTER ADD

if ($vbulletin->userinfo[usergroupid] == 1)
{
	print_no_permission();
}

This disables the page for unregistered/not logged in guests.