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Article Bot · **Released**: 07-10-2004

Article Bot
by velocd

Article Bot is a script that allows you to assign a user account (preferably an exclusive one) to an article bot that will post RSS feeds in select forums at designated intervals. These articles are derived from RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.

RSS files are assigned to article bots, as well to individual forums, which in turn directs what, when and where your article bot will post.

Features

Works with RSS versions: 0.9x, 2.0, 1.0, and Atom 0.3
AdminCP interface for adding/modifying/deleting article bots & rss feeds
Designate intervals (in minutes) to each RSS feed for when your article bot will post them.
Requires only 1 file edit (admincp/index.php), allowing ease of upgrading your vBulletin
without having to remodify files.
Easy to install. Works best in conjunction with crontab (contab help is inside install.html)

News

7/25/04 - Version 1.1 Released
- Bug Fixes
  - Replaced htmlspecialchars() with htmlentities() in articlebot.php to fully convert special entities from descriptions.
  - Added trim() to thread titles, to prevent double threads from being posted that are merely off by whitespace.
  - New table articlebot_rss_cache for storing a copy of article bot threads, for quicker checking of doubles when posting new threads.
  - Threads are checked in articlebot_rss_cache, so you can permanently remove them from the thread table (you don't have to "soft delete") without worrying about the bot replicating them.
  - Other minor bugs.
- Features
  - New installer/upgraders for doing the SQL part automatically.
  - Added "label" field to add/modify RSS interface, that allows you to tag a label, e.g. [yahoo], to the beginning of threads, unique to each RSS feed. This might help for better distinction of RSS feeds.
  - Added an option to toggle on/off of building similar threads per RSS feed. Some RSS feeds could hault the script if the building of similar thread results for that feed takes too long (maybe the article thread title is too vague, and matches a lot of results--my guess is it's only a problem on large forums).
  - Added an option to toggle on/off skipping of articles that don't contain descriptions.
  - Regular expression search and replace for article titles and descriptions. This grants you much flexability to filter out things you don't want in your titles or descriptions (given you have some regex experience, I will try to post some patterns in due time.. feel free to add yours )
7/11/04 - Version 1.0 Released

Upgrading

To upgrade, reupload the new PHP and MagpieRSS parser files to their places on your server. Upload upgrade_vx-x (replace the x's with the version you are upgrading to) to /path/to/forums/admincp/, and then execute that script.

Files

3 screenshots attached
articlebot_v1.zip
- install.html, logo.gif
- articlebot_admin.php
- articlebot/
  - rss_cache.inc
  - rss_fetch.inc
  - rss_parse.inc
  - rss_utils.inc
  - extlib/
    - Snoopy.class.inc

RSS Feeds

There are several in the install.html, but if you're looking for more than you could ever want, check out NewsIsFree's directory:

http://www.newsisfree.com/sources/bycat/

Remember to click install if you use this hack.

Also be sure to read through the what you haven't of the thread before asking a question, for it may have been answered.

DFence · #**252** 09-01-2004, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bitg

No it is not the feed. I used the other RSS hack and it works fine. That hack has other problems which is why I went to this one.

ideas?

Yes, and I've tried it with approximately 20 common Feeds. Everytime the same error. It's strange that some users don't have any problems and some have this error. It could be a server configuration problem but I've no idea where to start. I'm thinking about following next steps:

1. Perhaps one of the usere where this hack works fine can provide me with a phpinfo() File of his server to compare with mine.

2. I'll try to enter one RSS Feed manually into the database to specify the problem if it's even server related or is there a problem with the Hack Administration File.

Unfortunately I can't do it until this evening (Swiss Time

) because I don't have ftp access at work.

I really think this is a very great hack and would be glad if we can localize and solve this problem as soon as possible!

regards
DFence

roundhost · #**253** 09-01-2004, 07:07 AM

Well i still cant get the cron to let it work so i have to click it manually

It has a headers allready sent problem!

TCB · #**254** 09-01-2004, 09:56 AM

This really is one amazing hack! Thanks a million

Currently the <title>, <description> and <link> are shown in the thread, but is it also possible to show extra fields, or the manually add the standard thread that is used to parse the data in?

RS25com · #**255** 09-02-2004, 10:52 AM

I am still getting this error:

Quote:

Error: There is no file located at http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/c...max&format=rss

I believe this issue has not been fully addressed yet. Can anyone shed some light or should I just ditch this and find something else?

Holidazed · #**256** 09-03-2004, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bitg

No it is not the feed. I used the other RSS hack and it works fine. That hack has other problems which is why I went to this one.

ideas?

Well? Any ideas?

RetroDreams · #**257** 09-03-2004, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyb

What I'd really like to see happen with this is two things.

a) The news posts don't count towards user post total. Although the forum properties are set to it, it still posts towards the total amount.

b) Automatically prune the news after X amount of posts.

Although I realize no one is innovating on this script, I hope there is a chance.

Yep, my members officially started complaining today and thus, PaperBoy (the Articlebot) became no more.

I would like to re-enabled this, but until features like above are added, I just can't do it.

Great, great hack though.

DFence · #**258** 09-03-2004, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFence

1. Perhaps one of the usere where this hack works fine can provide me with a phpinfo() File of his server to compare with mine.

No one has already contacted me. Please can someone who's article bot installation is running well provide me with a phpinfo(); output of his server to compare with mine?

Quote:

2. I'll try to enter one RSS Feed manually into the database to specify the problem if it's even server related or is there a problem with the Hack Administration File.

Doesn't change anything. I do have the rss url in the database but nothing happens at all. even with manually calling articlebot.php...

ambrosious · #**259** 09-03-2004, 11:39 PM

**clicks uninstall**

RS25com · #**260** 09-04-2004, 05:13 PM

Yes, I am still waiting for support... otherwise I'll have to uninstall as well. Too bad, it seems like an excellent script otherwise.

N00BIE · #**261** 09-05-2004, 06:40 AM

** Also Uninstalls **

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