Add-On Releases - Prosperent Product Search and Auto-Linker

Updates:

• November 21, 2012- Re-instantiated the template search bar for those who can't use sidebars in their templates. (v.2.8)
• November 20, 2012- Altered Default Sort Option to make it a drop down. (v.2.7)
• November 20, 2012- Fixed the issue causing users not to be able to view their PMs. (v.2.6)
• November 19, 2012- The search bar is now inside a Forum Block, no longer will you have to alter your template files.
  There is also an additional part to this plugin, the Auto-Linker. More about this will be described below.
  
• November 13, 2012- Resolved an issue with the starting query and when facets were clicked. (V2.4)
• October 24, 2012- Added a starting query and updated the API. Also now works when the query has an apostrophe in it. (V2.3)
• July 17, 2012- Added negative filters for Brands and Merchants. (v. 2.2)
• June 4, 2012- More optimization, fixed a CSS bug. (v. 2.1)
• May 18, 2012- Optimization. Updated API class, better functionality, removed the recent queries table. Added a CSS file that contains most of the CSS for those who want to change any settings. (v. 2.0)
• February 21, 2012- Optimization. I was informed that it was running slow on some peoples forums, so I optimized the table. It should run a lot faster and smoother now. (v. 1.6)
• February 16, 2012- Made some adjustments in how things are run, worked out a few bugs that I found. (v.1.5)
• February 14, 2012- 'Recent Searches' and 'Top Products' Sidebars have been integrated. These will help drive traffic to your forums. More AdminCP Options. (v.1.4)
• February 3, 2012- Facets have been launched, more Admin options, optimized code. (v1.3)
• January 31, 2012- Updated with AdminCP options for the logo, default price sort type, and API key (v1.2)
• January 27, 2012- Updated with Price Sort (v1.1)

Prosperent Product Search

This add-on will help make/increase earnings from your forum. It will add a product search to your forum's sidebar, which users can utilize to search for products. When they click the product through your forum they will be redirected to the Merchant's site. If they make a purchase you will earn a commission from the sale.

Prosperent Auto-Linker
This new portion of the add-on will enable you to designate words that will be linked to the Product Search. You can also use a different query.

For example,

red shoes => red Nike shoes
shoes

If you put the above inside the text area then any time red shoes or just shoes is in a post it will be linked to the Product Search. If you put the additional part after red shoes with any word then when it find 'red shoes' it will actually send the query of 'red Nike shoes' to the Product Search.

As with this example, put the longer part first. That way red shoes will be matched before shoes. Else red shoes would never be found.

Why Prosperent Product Search?

Prosperent Product Search uses Prosperent's API, which is a very advanced API that offers you access to 3000 merchants and 50 million products from all of the top online retailers. Stores like Zappos, 6pm, Best Buy, Overstock, REI, Advance Auto Parts, Kohl's, Gap, Banana Republic, Cabelas, and thousands more. If it is sold online, we probably have it in our system.

We have an ever growing community, which is always willing to answer questions and lend a helping hand, and our team here at Prosperent is also available on the forum.

Installation

First thing, head over to Prosperent and click Join, its Free to do so. Create your account and once you are signed in, click the API tab up top. This page will give you the information you need to know about the API. But all you need to do here at the moment is click API Keys on the submenu and click Add New API Key. This will get you the API key you'll need so commissions can be tracked back to you. Name it whatever you'd like and you'll see that its created a key for you.

Save that key somewhere as you'll be needing it later.

Now, download the .zip file and unzip it. First import the plugin file in the AdminCP. Open the 'Upload' folder and copy the contents into your main or root vbulletin directory.

Okay, with that done. Go into your AdminCP and click Settings -> Options -> Prosperent Settings and add your API Key to the input box labeled Api_Key and save that there.

The new search box is now in a forum block. These can be turned on or off inside the AdminCP options.

You also may have to enable sidebars for your forum if they currently are not active, to do this go to admincp -> options -> Forum Sidebar and Block Options and enable the Forum Sidebar option.

After that is finished, go to Forums & Moderators then go to Forum Blocks Manager. Once there click Add Block.

Block Type: Custom HTML/PHP. Click Continue. You'll be doing this for the two (2) sidebars. Now for the information to enter into each, look at the two images attached. Create a sidebar for Top Products.


If you can't view the images for any reason, for the forum block...

Title: 'Prosperent Top Products' or something similar
Description: Displays the top products.
Cache Time: 300 (or more, your call, this won't be changing as much as recent searches)
Content Type: PHP
Content: return $this;
Template to Use: Block_Prosperent_Tops_Template

Title: 'Prosperent Store' or something similar
Description: Displays the search box.
Cache Time: 1
Content Type: PHP
Content: return $this;
Template to Use: block_prosperent

Change the display order on the 'Forum Blocks Manager' to your liking.

Admin Options:

Giving you more power over this add-on.

• Api_Key- Enter your Api key here so you can earn your commissions
• Phrases and Optional Queries- Insert the words you'd like to be linked to the Product Search and their optional query.
• Case Sensitive Matching
• Open links in new window?- Will either open a link in a new window or the same window.
• Default_Sort- Sets the sort type default. relevance desc = Relevancy, price asc = Low to High, price desc = High to Low
• Starting Query- Adds a starting query, if nothing is set as a query when the user gets to the product search page.
• Enable Facets
• Api Limit- Set the API limit. Default is 10.
• Pagination Limit- Set the amount of results to appear per page. Default is 15.
• Addional Directory- This one is for those who's forums have an additional directory. Now instead of altering code you are able to define the additional directory here, Don't forget the leading slash (/).
• Merchant Facets- Number of merchants to display in primary facet list
• Brand Facets-Number of merchants to display in primary facet list
• Enable Top Products Sidebar-
• Top_Shown- Sets the number of Top Products to be shown in the sidebar.
• Negative Brand Filters- Brands to discard from results. If more than 1, seperate by commas. Enter the Brand name exactly how it appears in the results. (ie. Nike, Reebok, Merrell)
• Negative Merchant Filters- Merchants to discard from results. If more than 1, seperate by commas. Enter the Merchant's name exactly how it appears in the results.(ie. 6pm, Zappos.com, endless)
• Logo_Image-Set to display the Prosperent Logo with the search bar. Size is 167px x 50px.
• Logo_imageSmall- Set to enable the smaller logo. Size is 100px x 30px.
• Template_Placement- Changes the template that {vb: raw includedphp} is placed in. Remember the template name is case sensitive.

Template Installation of Search Bar:
Go to Styles & Templates, click Style Manager and then on your Primary Style, click Edit Templates. Open the header template and insert

PHP Code:

{vb:raw includedphp} 


where you'd like the search bar to show up.

Notes:

You can change which template to put

PHP Code:

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"] {vb:raw includedphp}[/COLOR] 


into but if you do you must change it inside the plug-in. The Plug-in is named Search Form Input Box. The template name is case sensitive.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to ask me here or on the Prosperent Community.

[99SIVTEC]

The newest update has been released (v.1.4). This update includes sidebars, one that will show the 'Recent Searches' and another that will show 'Top Products'. These sidebars will be shown on your forum's main page, and will help drive traffic to your forums, thus increasing sales. This update also includes more AdminCP options. These options will toggle the sidebars on or off and set the number of products to be shown in each. Also for those who change the tempalte location of the search bar, I have now made it easier to change. You just have to change the AdminCP option for Template_Placement to whichever template you'd like. Just remember that the template name is going to be case sensitive.

[J-P]

I am having a really hard time installing this... I would like it in the navbar next to the global search and have edited that template and have used tht template name in the config .. but still not getting anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

The site is :
http://www.invertplanet.com/forum/forum.php

[99SIVTEC]

Originally Posted by J-P

I am having a really hard time installing this... I would like it in the navbar next to the global search and have edited that template and have used tht template name in the config .. but still not getting anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

The site is :
http://www.invertplanet.com/forum/forum.php

Hey, so go to edit your templates, put {vb:raw includedphp} inside the navbar template. You'll find that under Navigation / Breadcrumb Templates. Once there search for Globalsearch. Put {vb:raw includedphp} before that div. Then in the options change the Template_Placement option to navbar.

Now you'll have to play with the css a little bit to get it just right along the side of the globalsearch. So go into productSearch.php and look around line 39 for

<form style="position: relative; z-index:1; float: right; margin: 5px 5px 0 0;" id="search" method="GET" action="<?php echo $vbulletin->options['Prosperent_additionalDirectory'] . '/product.php'; ?>">

Play with the margin attribute. Let me know if you need any help with that.

[J-P]

ok... did as instructed and get the following error:

: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in [path]/includes/class_bootstrap.php(98) : eval()'d code on line 31

?!?

[99SIVTEC]

Alright, well after installing this for someone on their forum, I encountered a few bugs. So this newest update fixed those bugs. I hope this update fixes any issues that anyone else was having. Plus I included images for the data to make the two sidebars that will help drive traffic to your forums. Good luck everyone, and let me know if anything comes up let me know. And if you catch any bugs I will fix them ASAP.

My email is different than the one on this account, you can email me personally at brandon@prosperent.com

[J-P]

absolutely awesome!! Thank you so much for this. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

I am already a member of other affiliate programs through Commission Junction and this product bypasses that and makes things so much easier. Definitely 9.5 out of 10 Excellent excellent work, thank you!

[BlueCheri]

Updated, but the setting for image and search box size is gone again.

Need to re do it again the same way, as before done?

G!

[99SIVTEC]

Originally Posted by BlueCheri

Updated, but the setting for image and search box size is gone again.

Need to re do it again the same way, as before done?

G!

Yep, it will be the same way as before for that.

Let me know if you have any trouble.

[BlueCheri]

I think line number changed, can you please tell me step by step (I think there are about three steps), and some details and in thread and few are in PMs

Thanx in advance.

G!

Originally Posted by 99SIVTEC

Yep, it will be the same way as before for that.

Let me know if you have any trouble.

[99SIVTEC]

Originally Posted by BlueCheri

I think line number changed, can you please tell me step by step (I think there are about three steps), and some details and in thread and few are in PMs

Thanx in advance.

G!

Gathered everything up that I could remember and sent you a PM.