Quick Account Switch v1.2

Quick Account Switch v1.2.
by Ianomed

Uses of this hack:

This account will let you string together several accounts owned by the same person. Of course it will also let you string together accounts owned by different people, but that's a dangerous thing to do.

What then is the use of stringing accounts together? Well, this hack will let you switch from one to the other account without having to log out, then log in again. Those interested in the technical aspect I refer to the addition made to login.php, it's all quite simple. You'll see now why it's dangerous to string together your account with someone else's, they'd be able to switch to your account.

I wrote this for two play-by-board RPGs that I frequent, at each of which I have several accounts, an account for each character. This lets me assume another account in moments.

It's also used by admins to switch between test accounts quickly.

Maybe you'll find other uses, eh?

Changes required:

1. Adding of 1 field to user table (installer will try to do this)
2. Adding of 18 phrases (installer does this)
3. An addition to admincp/user.php
4. An addition to global.php
5. An addition to login.php
6. A modification to the navbar template (for each style)
   
   Time needed: 20-30 minutes
   Difficulty rating: moderate

Known issues with v1.2:

Changing the username of an account that's either a slave or master, it does not update these cached usernames. This will be taken care of in v1.3.
Work-around: If you rename a user, unlink it first, and relink after the renaming.
Since I don't see this happening very often on any board I'm releasing v1.2 with this caveat.

Item of note:

For some obscure reason vBportal does NOT play nice with this hack. It'll introduce cookie/header errors. Either do not install this hack if vBportal is installed, or vice versa. Since I don't plan on spending $20 to buy software I'll never use, there's no intention on my part to work out that problem. You're good to go with vbadvanced CPMS, however, this has been tested.

Warranties:

None, in the instructions you'll notice I tell you to backup before applying the hack. I've tested it on 4 boards, each of which have additional hacks installed, and it runs on many more. If it doesn't for you then, well... roll back the changes you've just made and blame yourself.

Tested (and works) on:

• vB 3.0.3. - vanilla
• vB 3.0.1. - vanilla
• vB 3.0.3. - With vbAdvanced Homepage / CPMS (out of the box)
• vB 3.0.1. - With vbAdvanced Homepage / CPMS (out of the box)
• vB 3.0.3. - With vBindex v3.0.0 RC5 (Instructions by bondjetta)
• vB 3.0.3. - Nexialys - ACP cookie hack. <- Recommended combination
• vB 3.0.1. - Nexialys - ACP cookie hack. <- Recommended combination
• vB 3.0.3. - Assorted mods

Future plans:

• v 1.3 - Optionally displaying the linked accounts on the public profile. (i.e. 'I am also ....')
• v 1.3 - Fix user rename issue (see known issues, above).
• v 1.3 - Under Users in the ACP add a Manage Linked Accounts option, listing all linked accounts and their slaves.
• v x.x - Very maybe: allow sharing of a secondary account between two users. This is the trickiest of all, since when on that account, who should you allow switching back to in a way that can't be circumvented.

Future non-plans (I will probably never implement these):

• A 'let users link accounts themselves' mode.

Thanks to Oblivion Knight for the updated dropdown look.

Enjoy

--- History ---
v1.2 - 17th November 2004

• Removed username colouring, it's not really necessary and only adds extra queries.
• No longer uses a custom profile field, instead an extra field in the usertable is made
• Fully phrased, installer written to add phrases
• The usernames for the linked accounts are cached, this means that running the hack now takes no extra queries at all for those logged on as master, or who have no linked accounts. Being logged on as a slave account adds only 1 query per page view, this used to be more too.

v1.1.1 - 27th October

Fixes session expiration problem occuring after switch. Users are encouraged to upgrade. To upgrade follow the instructions in switch_11_to_111.txt. For new installs the corrected code is in switch_111.txt, the installation instructions.

v1.1 - 26th October

Fixes a flaw where on some MySQL versions IDs were matched improperly, also the new session is now permanent. Users are encouraged to upgrade.
To upgrade roll back and redo the changes to global.php and login.php, no changes were made to the template or custom field.

v1.0 - 25th October 2004

initial release

[Ianomed]

Originally Posted by Oblivion Knight

Hmm.. The ids were only separated by a commar and not a space.

It appears that the session has to be active before it can be switched. I successfully switched from my account to "Test Account", when trying to switch back I got the error occured while logging out again. I tested this again, this time clicking on a forum and returning to the forum home with Test Account, and switching back worked fine.

It appears that a bit more work is required with the queries or something, hopefully this issue is fixed with 1.1..

The sessions are now permanent ones in 1.1.

Other than that, what you describe is a design feature: you cannot switch to a slave/master account if you're not logged on as one of those accounts. The sessions timing out rather quickly in 1.0 then caused what you experienced

So with 1.1 as now sessions switched to are there to stay until you log out specifically (I think a year it is, by default), this shouldn't happen after the upgrade and logging in once.

[Ianomed]

Originally Posted by kaotic

Genious! I've already thought of a creative method of use for this hack. Many thanks!

Care to share, Kaotic?
I'd like to expand the possible uses of the hack in the first post

[Ianomed]

Originally Posted by bondjetta

Ok, it's running well for me but no integration to VBindex.

vBulletin Version 3.0.3 & vBindex Version 3.0.0 RC5

oh wait, i don't care this is fantastic Thank you

My pleasure

Not having worked with vBindex myself... if it makes use of vB's global.php, then it stands to reason you can intro the $master_account variable in the vBindex template as well, to have the dropdown appear

If you can confirm that works or not, then if it doesn't I'll work on the integration when I have the time.

[bondjetta]

Originally Posted by Ianomed

My pleasure

Not having worked with vBindex myself... if it makes use of vB's global.php, then it stands to reason you can intro the $master_account variable in the vBindex template as well, to have the dropdown appear

If you can confirm that works or not, then if it doesn't I'll work on the integration when I have the time.

i'll give it a shot then let you know

[Lionel]

I nominate this for the hack of the month.

[Ianomed]

Why thankee kind Sir Lionel *bows*
Much obliged

Next month's HotM hopefully, if it comes to pass, this month drawing to a close fast.

The way things currently look here I'll have v1.2 ready end of next week, or sometime the week thereafter, with the improvements I outlined in the first post (for that version).


(Edit: might've been unclear I thanks Lionel, since it showed up on a pagebreak )

[bondjetta]

Originally Posted by Ianomed

Why thankee kind Sir *bows*
Much obliged

Next month's HotM hopefully, if it comes to pass, this month drawing to a close fast.

The way things currently look here I'll have v1.2 ready end of next week, or sometime the week thereafter, with the improvements I outlined in the first post (for that version).

Ok, all I did was take the template addition from the Navbar template (as listed in the normal install instructions) and pasted it in after:

<if condition="$showmemberwelcome">
	$vbphrase[welcome_back] $bbuserinfo[musername]!

in the VBINDEX template and it works fantastically!

versions: vBulletin Version 3.0.3 & vBindex Version 3.0.0 RC5

[Ianomed]

I had a feeling it just might do that, excellent

vBindex v3.0.0. RC5 will go up on the compatible hacks list shortly. Cheers for testing that combo, bondjetta.

D'you reckon the "Become:" should be phrased in the next version?

Edit: vBi is now listed as compatible in the first post.

[bondjetta]

Originally Posted by Ianomed

I had a feeling it just might do that, excellent

vBindex v3.0.0. RC5 will go up on the compatible hacks list shortly. Cheers for testing that combo, bondjetta.

D'you reckon the "Become:" should be phrased in the next version?

Edit: vBi is now listed as compatible in the first post.

NO problem, glad to help

I don't mind the Become, it seems fitting (at least for my purposes)...and FYI i combined it with Nex's admincp cookie hack and it's working fine w/ vbindex & admin-cookie (i know you tested it, just a further test )...and helps me TREMENDOUSLY considering I normally have 3-4 tabs going at once w/ different user id's

[Caiman]

Great idea, my friend I can see how this is going to be uberly useful for many people. Now get it installed for me (Im in uni, doing it myself is not an option from here)

Thanks Ianomedic