Administrative and Maintenance Tools - Commbull (Community Bulletin) 5.1a for vBulletin 4.01

This not the CommBull product itself. This is simply instructions for adapting it to work with vBulletin 4.x.

Download CommBull from: Commbull (Community Bulletin) 5.1a for vBulletin 3.8x

grandeur_69 has released his latest version of CommBull as a free add-on, indicating that he no longer has time to continue developing it. I am posting this here for the benefit of other vBulletin 4.x who don't want to lose the newsletter feature (grandeur_69 has approved this).

At https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....6&postcount=71 a member asks:

Hi, the version 5.1a work fine with vbulletin 4.0.1 ?

My response is posted at https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....5&postcount=72 and reproduced here...

I have the previous (commercial) version, 4.5f, which does run successfully via a cron job, running on 4.01. It required some modification of the installation instructions but it does work. I expect you should be able to get this version running as well, although as the coder noted the cron capability won't work.

1. Edit product-Commbull.xml and find the following line:

PHP Code:

        <dependency dependencytype="vbulletin" minversion="3.6.0" maxversion="3.8.99" /> 


Change to:

PHP Code:

        <dependency dependencytype="vbulletin" minversion="3.6.0" maxversion="4.99" /> 


2. Upload the files and import the product.

3. Now you need to do the template edits so that members can opt-in or opt-out of your newsletter. The current instructions are as follows:

4. Template modifications
--------------------------------------

Template: "Modify User Option" -> "modifyoptions"

After:

PHP Code:

                    <tr>
                        <td><label for="cb_adminemail"><input type="checkbox" name="options[adminemail]" value="1" id="cb_adminemail" $checked[adminemail] />$vbphrase[receive_email_from_bulletin_board_staff]</label><input type="hidden" name="set_options[adminemail]" value="1" /></td>
                    </tr> 


Add:

PHP Code:

                    <tr>
                        <td><label for="commbull"><input type="checkbox" name="commbull" value="1" id="commbull" $checked[receivebulletin] />$vbphrase[receive_email_from_commbull]</label><input type="hidden" name="set_options[receivebulletin]" value="1" /></td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td><br />$vbphrase[newsletterformat]<br /><label for="commbull_type"><input type="checkbox" name="commbull_type" value="1" id="commbull_type" $checked[receivebulletin_type] />$vbphrase[type_email_from_commbull]</label>
<input type="hidden" name="set_options[receivebulletin_type]" value="1" /></td>
                    </tr> 


Now, obviously this won't work in 4.x. These need to be modified as follows:

1. Edit Template: "Modify User Option" -> "modifyoptions"

FIND:

PHP Code:

<vb:if condition="$show['friend_email_request']">
                    <li>
                        <label for="cb_receivefriendemailrequest"><input type="checkbox" name="options[receivefriendemailrequest]" value="1" id="cb_receivefriendemailrequest" tabindex="1" {vb:raw checked.receivefriendemailrequest} /> {vb:rawphrase receive_friendship_req_email}</label>
                        <input type="hidden" name="set_options[receivefriendemailrequest]" value="1" />
                    </li>
                </vb:if> 


ADD AFTER:

PHP Code:

<vb:if condition="$show['receiveemail']">
<li>
    <label for="commbull"><input type="checkbox" name="commbull" value="1" id="commbull" tabindex="1" {vb:raw checked.receivebulletin} />{vb:rawphrase receive_email_from_commbull}</label>
    <input type="hidden" name="set_options[receivebulletin]" value="1" />
</li>
</vb:if> 


That first part (above) is the option to receive or not receive the newsletters.

Next would be the option for HTML or plain text emails, which should be:

PHP Code:

<vb:if condition="$show['receiveemail']">
<li>
    <label for="commbull_type"><input type="checkbox" name="commbull_type" value="1" id="commbull_type" tabindex="1" {vb:raw checked.receivebulletin_type} />{vb:rawphrase type_email_from_commbull}</label>
    <input type="hidden" name="set_options[receivebulletin_type]" value="1" />
</li>
</vb:if> 


Update:

This now works. I had a ( instead of a { on the previous code. Thanks to grandeur_69 for pointing this out!

Notes:

1. The product is not mine so I can't offer any support for CommBull itself. However, I have been using the paid versions of this mod for some time and I'm happy to offer what support I can for making the changes necessary to get it running on 4.x.
   
   
2. I have been in communication with grandeur_69. He has indicated that he has no objections to this thread and that as he gets time he will be trying to develop this add-on further as a free product.

Update July 12, 2010: Product XML file provided by grandeur_69 for vBulletin 4.x.

NOTE:

1. If you have already done the manual edits, do NOT use the XML file. And if you import the XML file, you should not need to do the manual edits.
   
2. Some people are encountering problems using the XML file. If you are one of them, uninstall the product and use the manual edits. Those seem to work just fine.

Update July 14, 2010: Error in XML file corrected.

[ozzy47]

It can't be ported, it would have to be a total rewrite. If you wish to hire someone, post a request in the Requests for Paid Services forum.

[djbaxter]

You might want to have a look at http://www.modernvb.com/vb_products....o&productid=16

CommBull has had a long run but it is no longer supported and more bugs seem to be appearing even with vB 4.x versions. I think we will probably switch to the version in the link I provided here.

Disclaimer: I am not the developer and have no connection with him. Also, I have not yet tried the paid add-on but it looks like it will do the job and the coder is supporting the addon.

[rnedelkow]

Thanks DJ.

[rcull]

Commbull used to deliver html email to my mailbox just fine. Then I moved my site to another hosting company and now all I see is the source code. Does anyone have any idea what happened that would cause this?

Thanks,

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by rcull

Commbull used to deliver html email to my mailbox just fine. Then I moved my site to another hosting company and now all I see is the source code. Does anyone have any idea what happened that would cause this?

Thanks,

Make sure your new host has either Zend or Ioncube installed and then upload the appropriate set of Zend or Ioncube files (fropm the /upload-Zend/ or /upload-IonCube/ folders in the installation package).

If not, you are going to need your host to recompile Apache/PHP with one of those modules included.

[rcull]

Apparently both are installed on the server. But I may have other issues with getting help

I have been one of the lucky ones who have never had to update their CommBull from the original "Commercial Version" and while still running it on two sites, I no longer have the originally purchased files. Although I may be able to pick them off the server. One of the reasons I kept the original was, it worked, and when I looked at the free update (when it seemed to be required for VB4 was the old version had the menu addition in the left column.

Things may have made another step backwards. The first test on the server sent out the email, but did not present it as html as mentioned. I eliminated the "Extra Material" just in case, and now while it is sending the emails, they don't seem to be going anywhere...

I downloaded install package from here to have a look at it, but I am not seeing any Zend or Ioncube files in the upload files.

Thank you for your patience and your help!

[khalled]

when i update php from php ea-php56 to php 7 , i run Commbull to send Community Bulletin i get the following errors

PHP Code:

Call to undefined function eregi_replace() on line 382 in /home/..../public_html/vb/admincp/commbull_functions.php
#0 /home/..../public_html/vb/admincp/commbull.php(56): commbull_send()
#1 {main}


Fatal User Error: Call to undefined function eregi_replace() on line 382 in ..../admincp/commbull_functions.php in ..../vb/vb.php on line 286
Trace Data: 


[rcull]

Originally Posted by khalled

when i update php from php ea-php56 to php 7 , i run Commbull to send Community Bulletin i get the following errors

PHP Code:

Call to undefined function eregi_replace() on line 382 in /home/..../public_html/vb/admincp/commbull_functions.php
#0 /home/..../public_html/vb/admincp/commbull.php(56): commbull_send()
#1 {main}


Fatal User Error: Call to undefined function eregi_replace() on line 382 in ..../admincp/commbull_functions.php in ..../vb/vb.php on line 286
Trace Data: 


I am not a coder!, but I just had a look at commbull.php, and the lines stop well short of 382. I have modified the commbull.php in mine to change the presentation, and suspect you have too. Have a look at it (mine stops at 277).

I saw someone on another site suggested replacing eregi_replace with preg_replace.

I to get some errors and have solved some, but would love to see an update It seems hosts prefer to see our sites using commercial email services for newsletters. This may be alright for large enough sites, but I keep my newsletter to about 600, and that makes it tough to justify even $10.00 per month for the service.

[khalled]

Originally Posted by rcull

I am not a coder!, but I just had a look at commbull.php, and the lines stop well short of 382. I have modified the commbull.php in mine to change the presentation, and suspect you have too. Have a look at it (mine stops at 277).

I saw someone on another site suggested replacing eregi_replace with preg_replace.

I to get some errors and have solved some, but would love to see an update It seems hosts prefer to see our sites using commercial email services for newsletters. This may be alright for large enough sites, but I keep my newsletter to about 600, and that makes it tough to justify even $10.00 per month for the service.

many thanks , it work when i replacing eregi_replace with preg_replace
but i get some error as you said like

PHP Code:

PHP Warning: preg_replace(): Delimiter must not be alphanumeric or backslash in ..../admincp/commbull_functions.php on line 382 


[djbaxter]

Sorry, but this stopped working for me several versions of vBulletin 4 ago and I've not been able to fix it or upgrade it to a working version. The original coder has left the building.

The only free version of a newsletter which sort of works is [DBTech] DragonByte Newsletter v1 (vB4) but it is quirky. There is a Pro version of that add-on but it is also quirky.

You might also look at ModernvB Community Newsletter, another Pro add-on.