SigmaChat Complete Integration & Authentication

Hack Info
Name: SigmaChat Complete Integration & Authentication Add-on
Version: 2.0.0
Author: Chris Duerr, RaiderSoft
First Introduced: 28 Mar. 2004
Last Modified: 15 Nov. 2004
Compatability: vBulletin 3.0.x

Overview
This addon allows you to fully integrate a SigmaChat Java? Chat Room (free or paid service; Platinum or Enterprise required for full functionality) with your vBulletin 3.0.x forum system, including the ability to authenticate access via your vBulletin forum system, and provide a "Who's Chatting" page list showing who is currently logged into your chat room.

Features

• Chat room integrates via a single link in your vBulletin forum navigation bar, or via a forum link.
• Chat room may be placed in it's own vBulletin page, and/or as a popup window.
• Automatic user login option.
• Remote authentication script allows you to authenticate access into your chat room via your vBulletin user database.
• Complete control over which user groups are allowed access, allowed administrative access, or denied access.
• Real time "Who's Chatting" page allows you to show which users are currently in your chat room by interfacing with SigmaChat's "Who's Online Module" system.
• Makes use of vBulletin's template and phrase system for easy modification, and multilingual operation.
• Show who is chatting from your forums main page
• Automatic chat integration with your vBulletin user profiles, email, PM, etc..

Installation
Installation will require between 15 to 30 minutes of your time depending upon your proficiency in installing addons to vBulletin. Download the attached 'sigmachat.zip' file, and load the INSTALL.html file in your web browser for detailed instructions.

RaiderSoft may be able to assist you with installation should you require it. Please contact us for details.

Support
Support is provided by RaiderSoft for this script provided you have a Platinum or Enterprise SigmaChat account. Read the included instructions for details. I'll be happy to answer questions here as well regarding the script.

Screenshots are attached

The all new extension for vBulletin 3.5 has been released. For more information, please visit this link .

Download: VB3SC7_2.0.0.zip or download using the download link in the upper-right hand corner of this message.

[admiralapril]

Originally Posted by Bryan Ex

It's completely configurable as to which usergroups have access so yes, you can prevent guests from using chat.

To have the link appear only for registered users just add
<if condition="$bbuserinfo['userid']"> before the link and </if> after it.

Thank you so much, Bryan. I added your little bit of code and all is well now.

[Bryan Ex]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

My question: Will it not do user authentication if you are using it embedded into another webpage?

I'm going from memory here as it's been a while since I've looked at it and don't embed the chat on my site but... I "think" it does work but there were various known issues with it. I've always used the pop up version on my site without problems and only those that are registered and logged in can access it.

[Bryan Ex]

Originally Posted by admiralapril

Thank you so much, Bryan. I added your little bit of code and all is well now.

Great! Glad it helped out.

[JustAskJulie]

I noticed when looking at the "Who's CHatting" list that some users don't show up underlined (with a link to their profile). These are registered users so I'm a bit confused as to why this is.

[Bryan Ex]

That will happen with user names with special characters or spaces in the name (replaced with underscores) that aren't suppported in the java chat. Because the name has been changed slightly it doesn't match your user database from that page. I believe this is supposed to be fixed in the next release once sigmachat goes final in the near future.

[JustAskJulie]

Ah thanks. Also is there any way to view "idle time" of a user in chat? And does the chat room automatically log someone out after they have been idle for any specific amount of time?

[Bryan Ex]

Not presently but I "think" that was on the list of things to be added for the next release as well. There's a list of everything that's being added on Sigma Chat's beta forum but it's been a while since I've looked at it as I'm waiting on the final version before messing with it at all.

[JustAskJulie]

So far so good for the most part my users are liking it (following the usual "it's new it's different" complaints). I know I read in here that it's been tested with Mac browsers but I have a mac user that is reporting this:

chat...freezes, crashes and when I finally get connected the background is black so I can't read what anybody is writing

Any ideas?

Also (and I didn't see this mentioned before) is there any potential of making it so that you can click a users name and be taken to their vb profile? I was trying to figure out if maybe that could be done via the "user list integration" or if there is some other way to do it?

[Bryan Ex]

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

I know I read in here that it's been tested with Mac browsers but I have a mac user that is reporting this:

Check their OS version. Sigmachat is not supported for OS8 or below and OS9 requires Internet Explorer. OS-X is supposed to be cool with it.

Originally Posted by JustAskJulie

Also (and I didn't see this mentioned before) is there any potential of making it so that you can click a users name and be taken to their vb profile?

Once again... that's coming but for now you can add the link to "Who's Chatting" to the right click URL list. That way members can right click on any name, go to Who's Chatting, and then access the profile from there. Add the link from the SigmaChat control panel.

[ChurchMedia]

I wrote an Add-on to show who's chatting on the forum home page. It is located here. The only thing to be concerned about is an increase in Who's Chatting hits. I actually wasn't aware of that limitation!