Miscellaneous Hacks - SocialForums 1.4

SocialForums for vBulletin 3.7
Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

This mod will work *ONLY* with vBulletin 3.7 or higher. It will not run on vBulletin 3.6.x due to non existent feature of "social groups".

Support will be only given for people who clicked Mark as INSTALLED.

Description
Not satisfied with vBulletin social groups messaging function? With SocialForums your social group leaders can create a standard forum for their group.
A group leader can only create a forum if the group has at least 5 members - this can be changed via settings. Optionally the group leader can be a moderator of such a social forum.

Permissions
Since 1.3 there are advanced permissions active (Forum and Archive). This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.

Demo
None, see screenshots

Installation
This product is fully phrased and uses template hooks. No file changes or manual template edits needed.
1. Upload bitfield_socialforums.xml to existing folder /includes/xml/
2. Upload functions_socialforums.php to existing folder /includes/
3. Fresh Installation: Just import the product. Upgrade: Import the product, allow overwrite. No forums get lost!
4. Check settings, especially for parent forum. Don't forget to set permissions via usergroups!

Troubleshooting
Q: I don't see a link to create a forum. Why?
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, espacially if the user is allowed to create forum.
A: Check if the usergroup meet min users requirement, see AdminCP/Settings/SocialForums.

Q: My users see the forums, but they shouldn't!
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, if the users usergroup is set to "can see".
A: Did you disabled the restriction mode? Enable it.

Todo
- By deleting a group the forum should also be deleted/archived. Currently this has to be done manually.

Known Issues
- On big boards with hundreds of social groups this mod can really impact the performance because of the mass of new created forums. If you still want to use this mod use the "Minimum Members" feature with a higher value. Using the permission check there are additional two queries on every page.

History
1.4.6, 6th October 2008
- Permissions are now also active in Archive

1.4.2, 27th May 2008
- Added: If a group has a linked forum the grouplisting has the last post date and count of postings (with permission check).
- Added: Recent threads in linked forum on group home
- Added: Private groups: Link to forum only shown to members of group
- Changed: Enabled permissions for unregistered usergroup. Unregistered Users are not more explicit denied without a check of it's usergroup

1.3.1, 23th May 2008
- Fixed: Not existing array

1.3.0, 23th May 2008
- Added: Permissions are now active. This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. Please check permissions for every usergroup! As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.
- Added: Checks for permission before the creation link will be displayed
- Changed: Default View Age set to "Show all Threads"

1.2.1 8th April 2008:
- Added: Group messaging can be disabled via options (previously: always disabled)

1.2.0 4th April 2008:
- Added: Groupleader can now be moderator of group forum
- Added: Minimum Members that are required for own forum
- Added: Group messaging will be automatically hide for group that has own forum
- Added: Forums are created with more allowances
- Added: By deleting a forum the linked socialgroup get's updated
- Added: Forum's description contains link back to social group
- Added: By changing group's name it synchronize it with the forum's name

1.0/1.1 1st April 2008:
- Initial releases

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by pkallberg21

Regarding the vBSEO problem though, is there any solution to this? The quicker we can find a solution to this the better, imho.

I think a prefixes for the forum title will be a good solution, like f.e. "SG: My Group"

Originally Posted by VargTimmen

I upgraded to the new Version (1.4.2) and it works well.
But, and this is, in my opinion, an important function:
Could you build in, that Admins and Supermods always can see the groupforumlink (and the forum of course) and keep their rights.

Why don't you just give them read permission?

Originally Posted by abrecher

The "Visit the forum of this group." should be MUCH more noticeable.

There is a link and there is a second link with an icon. No, I don't want to pave the whole page with "visit" links. Feel free to edit your templates...

[Mark.B]

Originally Posted by Mark.B

I *think* I'm getting the same thing.

The last post column is showing "never" on group.php for the bottom group in the list, even though its forum has had posts.

Also, is it possible to query the last poster details as well, so that the display is consistent with groups that DON'T have fourms, and still use the default messaging system?

Phalynx, if you get chance could you have a look at the above stuff?

[Phalynx]

As for the last posts - I cannot confirm that.

Showing last poster is very difficult as the link would lead to a group message. I had to rede all message templates to get this work.

[abrecher]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

There is a link and there is a second link with an icon. No, I don't want to pave the whole page with "visit" links. Feel free to edit your templates...

I don't see the second link with an icon ? Which template would I edit ?

[Mark.B]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

As for the last posts - I cannot confirm that.

Showing last poster is very difficult as the link would lead to a group message. I had to rede all message templates to get this work.

It certainly happens on mine, and I think another poster mentioned it a couple of pages back.

[djilou]

Originally Posted by Mark.B

It certainly happens on mine, and I think another poster mentioned it a couple of pages back.

yes me too

[Alfa1]

Thanks for a great product!

[VargTimmen]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

Why don't you just give them read permission?

Where can I change this option? I tried to set this via Forumpermissions, but it won't go anyway.

[SpankMe]

Still getting "Invalid Title Specified" when trying to edit SG using 1.4.2. Was this supossed to be fixed in this version?

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by VargTimmen

Where can I change this option? I tried to set this via Forumpermissions, but it won't go anyway.

Check usergroup permissions.

Originally Posted by SpankMe

Still getting "Invalid Title Specified" when trying to edit SG using 1.4.2. Was this supossed to be fixed in this version?

Hmmm, I thought the error occurs because of missing permissions. Seems I have to take a closer look.