Modify the standard error vBulletin Message

[eJM]

I know you've seen it before: get redirected to the no permissions page when you try to post or do something in a forum you don't have permission to do. This as a great opportunity to turn it into a combination quick registration/login forms with some text that offers the visitor some great reasons to join.

It's already a mod that's been done in various forms by the folks at SEOvB. But their mod just doesn't work. I spent 2 days trying to code the page to make it golden. It actually works in a limited fashion. It fails in checking the permissions of unregistered visitors though.

I have several forums visitors are allowed to post in. The features are very limited, but people who just want to ask a quick question without registering can do so. But then they end up doing something else and land on the standard error page about no permissions.

I want to turn those visitors into members. It would work better than the modification by SEOvB (Guest Redirect System Professional). But I can't get the human verification thing to work on it, and a couple of the phrases don't show up (the confirm password and confirm email, for some strange reason). If I could get those issues resolved, it would boost registrations.

Any help would be appreciated.

R'gards,

Jim

[Super-six]

Would love to see this hack also. Just got the one you've referenced and it
leaves some to be desired. Doesnt cover all the bases.

[eJM]

I am actually amazed this hasn't been done before. What better way to turn a visitor into a registered member than to give them an opportunity right there on the standard error page? I've asked this question on several forums now and have gotten zero results.

I'm not smart enough to know what is required to allow registration code to display properly on the page generated by the STANDARD_ERROR template. I have coded it with valid code, but the verify password and verify email phrases don't show and the human verify (Q&A or reCaptcha) doesn't show up on the page. It would look like this on my website, if everything worked properly: http://www.thefloorpro.com/images/su...rator1280w.jpg Seems like a much better use of the standard error page to me.

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this anyway. Now we just have to interest someone that knows how to make the registration code work on that template.

Jim

[Eric]

So if I'm understanding correctly, you basically just want to have the no_permission message customizable as far as text, and along with having the option to login... also have a quick register form?

[Super-six]

Originally Posted by SecondV

So if I'm understanding correctly, you basically just want to have the no_permission message customizable as far as text, and along with having the option to login... also have a quick register form?

That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell I think.
The post above by eJM gratiously provides a screenshot of exactly
what it should look like. He's using a a product that we both have
that doesnt work well and is full of bugs. Hope Im not breaking any rules
but its www.seovb.com.
I just installed it and its causing confirmations to go haywire and only
populates about half the locations its supposed to, etc.

[eJM]

Originally Posted by SecondV

So if I'm understanding correctly, you basically just want to have the no_permission message customizable as far as text, and along with having the option to login... also have a quick register form?

The STANDARD_ERROR template is easily modified, as you can see from the example shown in my image (previous post). To me, it's attractive and simple. It's also valid code. There is a conditional that allows the other error messages to appear when the error is not a no-permissions error.

The problem is, the "verify password" the "verify email" and the "humanverify" (either the Q&A or the reCaptcha) do not appear on the page. When using the login form, it asks for the user to fill in both password fields, so the script is failing there somehow.

I've seen where some people suggest that only the registration.php page can do what I want, but other pages work with the human verify script and a login form on the same page.

But what baffles me even more is how vBulletin and other coders have let this potential goldmine slip through their fingers. SEOvB tried to do it, but failed and then said they didn't have time to fix their mistakes - at least they refunded my money (except they still sell the broken product on their website). Unfortunately, although I can write valid x/HTML, I'm lousy with scripts and PHP.

Jim

[Eric]

Just messing around with HTML etc atm, but, here's what I have right now (very rough, but the register + human verify works)

This is a screenshot after trying to create a new thread as a guest (guest have no permissions).

[eJM]

Will it work on a forum you DO allow guest posting? And can the page be reduced to a simpler and quicker registration form - only name, password/password verify, email/email verify, additional required fields and human verify - and a login form.

My idea was to provide room for text that "sells" the visitor on the benefits of registration. It's a great place to put it, since the error page comes up every time a visitor (or a member who does not have proper permissions) tries to do anything on the forum they don't have permission to do. The regular error message is no kind of enticement and the long form registration is too daunting. I want to make is quick and easy to register, yet still give them the opportunity to use the long form if they want.

I appreciate you testing this out. I believe it could be a great asset to any forum that wants to turn visitors into members.

Best R'gards,

Jim

--------------- Added [DATE]1281681230[/DATE] at [TIME]1281681230[/TIME] ---------------

PS: Here's the code I put together for the STANDARD_ERROR template:

$stylevar[htmldoctype]
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" dir="$stylevar[textdirection]" lang="$stylevar[languagecode]">
<head>
<if condition="$show['search_noindex']"><meta name="robots" content="noindex,follow" /></if>
$headinclude
<title>$vboptions[bbtitle] - A Message From The Administrator</title>

<script type="text/javascript" src="$vboptions[bburl]/clientscript/vbulletin_md5.js"></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_md5.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
function verify_passwords(password1, password2)
{
	// do various checks, this will save people noticing mistakes on next page
	if (password1.value == '' || password2.value == '')
	{
		alert('$vbphrase[fill_out_both_password_fields]');
		return false;
	}
	else if (password1.value != password2.value)
	{
		alert('$vbphrase[entered_passwords_do_not_match]');
		return false;
	}
	else
	{
		<if condition="$show['coppa']">
		pass_copy = password1.value;
		passconfirm_copy = password2.value;
		</if>

		var junk_output;

		md5hash(password1, document.forms.register.password_md5, junk_output, $show[nopasswordempty]);
		md5hash(password2, document.forms.register.passwordconfirm_md5, junk_output, $show[nopasswordempty]);

		<if condition="$show['coppa']">
		document.forms.register.password.value = pass_copy;
		document.forms.register.passwordconfirm.value = passconfirm_copy;
		</if>

		return true;
	}
	return false;
}
</script>

$headinsert
</head>
<body>
$header
<if condition="$navbar">
$navbar
<else />
<br /><br /><br />
</if>

<table class="tborder" cellpadding="$stylevar[cellpadding]" cellspacing="$stylevar[cellspacing]" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
	<td class="tcat" colspan="2">$vbphrase[vbulletin_message]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
	<td class="panelsurround" align="left">
	<div class="panel">
		<div align="$stylevar[left]">
<if condition="$show['permission_error']">
<!-- Quick Login -->
<div style="float:right; width:320px; padding-top:40px;">
    <div align="$stylevar[left]">
			<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_md5.js?v=$vboptions[simpleversion]"></script>
			<form action="login.php?do=login" method="post" onsubmit="md5hash(vb_login_password, vb_login_md5password, vb_login_md5password_utf, $show[nopasswordempty])">
			<input type="hidden" name="do" value="login" />
			<input type="hidden" name="url" value="/community" />
			<input type="hidden" name="vb_login_md5password" />
			<input type="hidden" name="vb_login_md5password_utf" />
			$postvars

			<input type="hidden" name="s" value="$session[sessionhash]" />
			<input type="hidden" name="securitytoken" value="$bbuserinfo[securitytoken]" />
			<fieldset class="fieldset">
				<legend>$vbphrase[log_in]</legend>
				<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0" align="center">
				<tr>
					<td>$vbphrase[username]:<br /><input type="text" class="bginput" name="vb_login_username" size="30" accesskey="u" tabindex="1" /></td>
				</tr>
				<tr>
					<td>$vbphrase[password]:<br /><input type="password" class="bginput" name="vb_login_password" size="30" tabindex="1" /></td>
				</tr>
				<tr>
					<td>
						<span style="float:$stylevar[right]"><a href="login.php?$session[sessionurl]do=lostpw">Forgot Password?</a></span>
						<label for="cb_cookieuser"><input type="checkbox" name="cookieuser" value="1" id="cb_cookieuser" tabindex="1" />Remember Me</label>
					</td>
				</tr>
				<tr>
					<td align="$stylevar[right]">
						<input type="submit" class="button" value="$vbphrase[log_in]" accesskey="s" tabindex="1" />
                        <input type="reset" class="button" value="Reset" accesskey="r" tabindex="1" />
					</td>
				</tr>
				</table>
			</fieldset>
            </form>
    </div>
</div>
<!-- /Quick Login -->

<form action="register.php?do=addmember" name="register" method="post" onsubmit="return verify_passwords(password, passwordconfirm);">
<input type="hidden" name="s" value="$session[sessionhash]" />
<input type="hidden" name="securitytoken" value="$bbuserinfo[securitytoken]" />
<input type="hidden" name="do" value="addmember" />
<input type="hidden" name="url" value="$url" />
<input type="hidden" name="agree" value="$agree" />
<input type="hidden" name="password_md5" />
<input type="hidden" name="passwordconfirm_md5" />
<if condition="!$show['birthday']">
	<input type="hidden" name="day" value="$day" />
	<input type="hidden" name="month" value="$month" />
	<input type="hidden" name="year" value="$year" />
</if>
<if condition="$show['coppa']">
	<input type="hidden" name="coppauser" value="1" />
</if>

    <div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:$stylevar[formspacer]px;width:60%;">
        <div>$vbphrase[custom_permission_error]</div>

		<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:$stylevar[formspacer]px">
		<strong>$vbphrase[username]</strong>:<br />
		    <input class="bginput" id="regusername" type="text" name="username" size="50" maxlength="$vboptions[maxuserlength]" value="$username" />
        </div>

		<fieldset class="fieldset">
		    <legend>Enter a Password For Your Account</legend>
				<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0" width="400">
				<tr>
					<td>
					$vbphrase[password]:<br />
						<input type="password" class="bginput" name="password" size="25" maxlength="50" value="$password" />
					</td>
					<td>
					$vbphrase[confirm_password]:<br />
						<input type="password" class="bginput" name="passwordconfirm" size="25" maxlength="50" value="$passwordconfirm" />
					</td>
				</tr>
				</table>
		</fieldset>

		<fieldset class="fieldset">
		    <legend>A Real Email Address is Required</legend>
				<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0" width="300">
				<tr>
					<td>
					$vbphrase[email_address]:<br />
						<input type="text" class="bginput" name="email" size="25" maxlength="50" value="$email" dir="ltr" />
					</td>
					<td>
					$vbphrase[confirm_email_address]:<br />
						<input type="text" class="bginput" name="emailconfirm" size="25" maxlength="50" value="$emailconfirm" dir="ltr" />
					</td>
				</tr>
				</table>
		</fieldset>

        <if condition="$show['customfields_profile']">
		<fieldset class="fieldset">
		    <legend>Additional Required Information</legend>
				<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="$stylevar[formspacer]" border="0" width="300">
				<tr>
					<td>$customfields_profile</td>
				</tr>
				</table>
		</fieldset>
        </if>

 	$human_verify

        <if condition="$show['birthday']">$birthdayfields</if>
        <div style="margin:6px 0;" align="center">
        $eznloptinbox
            <input name="agree" id="cb_rules_agree" type="submit" class="button" value="Submit" accesskey="s" title="Please read the rules before clicking" />&nbsp;
        <strong>Clicking Submit Means You Read and Agree to <a target="_blank" href="$vboptions[bburl]/faq.php">The Forum Rules</a>.</strong>&nbsp;
        </div>

    </div>
</form>

		<else />
			<!-- main error message -->


			<div style="margin: 10px">$errormessage</div>


			<!-- / main error message -->
		</if>

        </div>
	</div>
    </td>
</tr>
</table>

$footer
</body>
</html>

[kai_sey]

Ejm, just like you, I can't believe this mod hasn't been made. Actually, it should be a vbulletin standard. That tiny "register" button is so uninviting.

I'm wondering if anyone ever managed to get a fully working STANDARD_ERROR template as suggested above?

[doob]

I'm working on it right now and have everything except for the human verify working in 3.8.2.

So far my process was to edit the STANDARD_ERROR template and insert most of the register template into it.

I've been testing it for functionality against newpost.php, i.e. visiting the site as a non-logged-in-user and replying to a thread.

For testing I've inserted the require_once code from this thread: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=182435

Where I'm at is that everything works except the recaptcha doesn't display. Hopefully I'll figure this out soon, but if anyone has a solution as to what I might be missing I'd appreciate it.