vBxB -> vBJournalLite 1.1b by Ryangel Custom Blog/Journal System ADDON.

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vBxB -> vBJournalLite 1.1b by Ryangel Custom Blog/Journal System ADDON.
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::What does this hack do?::
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This hack enables the user to pick from three different types of templates from an already installed vBJournalLite and customize them to his or her wishes. This can be a great addon for your site. It can be modded to custom-fit "premium" users. It also can also be a great addition for someone's own personal site that would enjoy adding the benefit of having a blog or journal available for their visitor's reading but would rather not install [or cannot install] the proper php or cgi code to run the journal.


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::What templates are included with this journal hack?::
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There are three templates included though more can be added with a little work from the site admin. The first template is the exact same, default template that vBJournal Lite uses. The second template selection isn't really a template at all -- it's a very user-customizable version of a site header and footer [using textboxes saved via the SQL db]. The second template option also uses a custom CSS LINK along with the CSS color code/width options given for setup in the journal config. This enables the user to customize his or her own site [header AND footer] (using their own webserver and webspace) with the user's journal entries being placed firmly in the middle. Finally, the third template available has been taken directly from LiveJournal
(the 'Generator' template) and it has been modded to fit this addon's
needs appropriately. I take no credit for the layout of the template whatsoever
nor it's classed contents.


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::Why have you included Ryangel's journal.php with this zip?::
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As I'm trying to get this out to the public as quick as I can, I just don't remember all of the code I went through trying to get this running. I know that dummy me should've wrote down or saved what I was doing to another file somewhere, but I was too anxious to get this going.

Ryangel, if you have any problems with me including the modded version of your file, please alert me immediately and I'll try my best to edit the install file to include what I've done to your original code asap. Thank you!


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::Warnings?::
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Plenty.

:: REMEMBER THIS HACK IS A BETA! :: It can and probably WILL screw up on you if there is something wrong or if I have forgot anything in the install instructions! If in the case I have forgot something in the install instructions, please tell me and I'll fix it asap!

If you notice something wrong or your journal is acting quirky, please let me know!

This is my first hack for vBulletin! It's probably not the cleanest code you've ever seen nor is it even all that brilliant, but it gets the job done I think. >.>;

I will NOT be held responsible for user's boards that have been messed up
by this hack! You have been forewarned both here and in the journal.php file itself!

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::Possible SECURITY issues?::
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I am not aware of any security issues or threats that this may cause to your vBulletin forum, though this obviously doesn't mean that they aren't possible.

The blog's header and footer function uses a 'textbox' input. That's alot of possible HTML code that can be added and, of course, it can be modded. It reads -anything- like a normal HTML file can. Meaning - if the user has on his or her webspace a flash file, it will read the flash file. I don't know how to take these statements out of the user's input yet.. so please don't kill me for that. :P

Maybe you guys could offer some suggestions on it?

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::To Do:::
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SQL Queries to INSERT: (23) [I think. I was pretty drunk counting this. ]
Files Modified: (2)
Templates Added: (5) Templates Modified: (5)
Files to Upload from .ZIP: (5)


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::This sounds pretty cool, but what about the screenshots?::
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The screenshots are included in the attached ZIP at the bottom. Please make sure you look at these for any information you'd like to receive on what's included in the modifications this addon will install.



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::Thanks!::
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Thanks go out to Ryangel, Anime-loo, PixelFX, LiveJournal, and all the vBulletin
hackers.


If this works, I hope you enjoy! Please have fun with it and try to think of some ideas! This is atleast a backbone for your thoughts if nothing else.

** Updated journal/templates to allow EXISTING USERS [10:28pm] [10-24-03] - This is EXPERIMENTAL at this time. It worked for me! That's all I tested it on, but it should work. This swaps the journal_deftemp and journal_display templates as well as adds an updated journal.php to reflect these changes. Existing users can now change their options at will. If this doesn't work then notify me immediately and I'll try fixin' it.

** Updated SQL INSERT [11:20pm] [10-15-03] - Had someone testing that needed to create a journal. SQL error came up due to an error in the INSERT line [my screwup. Oops.] Fixed.

** Updated WARNING [10:54pm] [10-15-03] - Custom template had no warning to the user whatsoever if their header information was not entered in their journal config. Fixed.

** Updated SCREENSHOTS [7:01pm] [10-15-03] - Updated screenshots. Previous screenshots were way too small anyway. Each screenshot shows the new modifications (atleast what the user sees.)

** Updated QUERIES [12:58am] [10-15-03] - Forgot to add two db queries. Fixed.

** Updated TEMPLATE [1:20am] [10-14-03] - Forgot to add one of the templates to mod. x.x; Fixed.





** EDIT 10:06pm [Jan. 06, 04]

Expect a bunch of new stuff to be released with the next version. For details, check one of the last posts.


** EDIT 11:26pm [Jan. 20, 04]

An active demo of the Nightingale Journal is now available. As it's in beta, you can receive a fully templated journal with no community posts required. Please click here for it.

Warning: It's anime, it's girly, and it's a small community.

Also, if you experience problems (parse errors appearing randomly, something not loading..) it's because of the work I'm doing to it, more than likely.


Another note - don't expect this to be the final version after beta. I'm constantly adding changes and ideas. This is the -base- of the journal, however.

[Eileen]

Not sure what happened but I get this sql error:

"Invalid SQL: SELECT u.username, e.entryid, e.journalid, e.title, e.entry, e.timestamp, e.userid, e.private, e.displayorder, e.mood, e.music, e.comments
FROM journal_entry e
LEFT JOIN user u ON e.userid = u.userid
WHERE e.journalid = 1
ORDER BY e.timestamp DESC LIMIT 10
mysql error: Unknown column 'e.mood' in 'field list'"

Anyone have a suggestion on what I can do to correct this?

[Harlequin]

Okay, to fix this problem [and this has been corrected in the first post and the file setup] run these two queries:

ALTER TABLE journal_entry ADD mood VARCHAR (255) NOT NULL;

ALTER TABLE journal_entry ADD music VARCHAR (255) NOT NULL;

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Koutaru

:P I'm just worried about the vB3 version of the journal. Maybe when vB3 hacks are allowed, 2.0 can come out *shrug*

Im still planing to do a version, waiting on vB 3 RC and some spare time.

Glad to see you got it figured out harleguin

[Brad]

I coded up a quick installer that will run the needed querys for you, just upload the attached file to the admin folder and run it. I was going to add template installer functionalty but I dont have the time to escape all the double quotes...

O yea, its not tested because I dont have a version 2 install right now.

[Kaelon]

Is there a chance we might get a list of modifications for those of us already running modified versions of vBJournal?

[Harlequin]

I've just updated all of the screenshots [noted in the first message] to make them considerably larger and very readable. You'll be able to see what's added by the new screenshots. Please take the time to look at them.


Thankies.


Oh! And thankies Anime-loo! I've yet to test this installer -- anyone want to give it a whirl before I include it in the zip?

[Eileen]

Thanks Harlequin for the added querys. That solved the mysql error.

One other question, when I go to the journal main page on my forum the colors/style are the default ones. However, when I click on "my journal" or "eileen's entry" the pages that come up do not show any styles.

All they show is a white background, a white box with "add entry" and the rest is just plain text.

Is this telling me that I have to work on the templates?

Looking forward to releasing this to my members and thank you

[Harlequin]

I think that's what it's telling you, and I'm a bit tired after working all day but I'll try to answer this as coherently as possible.


The only pages that I have changed are the actual journal "display" templates (the pages with the recent entries on them). Those templates are: journal_deftemp, journal_display, and journal_customtemp1 .. I believe. Every other part of the journal system has been untouched and should pretty well display the same.


But whenever you click your journal and nothing but the 'Add Entry' box pops up, that tells me a few things.


#1. Have you entered an entry in your journal and is it displaying okay on the page with the white background?

#2. Is the custom option selected in your journal config? If so, try linking to an image or typing some words or something in the 'Custom Header' box to see if it displays whenever you look at your journal.

#3. It's entirely possible I'm still leaving something out of the install, so don't fret.


If it is what I think it is and you've selected the 'Custom' option for your journal instead of the 'Alpha' template, then you'd be entirely correct. Your header and footer would just need a little tweaking and working to have it display however you like.

However, if you're selecting the 'Alpha' or 'Default' template and are only receiving what you're telling me, then something is badly wrong and I need to find out what it is immediately.


I can update the journal.php a bit, which I was planning on sooner or later anyway, to tell the user to (atleast) add a custom header.



Look forward to hearing your reply.


** EDIT ** : So I decided to fix the custom template white-out problem. I added an admin-set message telling the user that they need to add a header [if the header information does not exist].

[Eileen]

I have one entry and on the display entry (the white page) the font is super super small.

Now when I click on "add entry" the forum default style/colors appear as it does on my main journal page.

I tested it using both 'Alpha' and 'default' and I get the same results. Also, after checking the 'Alpha' template, I go back to change template and it reverts back to 'default' (it seems the 'alpha' template is not saved)

[Eileen]

DISREGARD above post.

I had a few minutes ago downloaded your updated file and after uploading the journal.php, it shows up now (although those red colors are such a contrast to my soft colors)

Thanks so much for helping me out with this and after I get the template style configured and start getting forum members participating, I'll update here