Miscellaneous Hacks - SocialForums 1.4

SocialForums for vBulletin 3.7
Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

This mod will work *ONLY* with vBulletin 3.7 or higher. It will not run on vBulletin 3.6.x due to non existent feature of "social groups".

Support will be only given for people who clicked Mark as INSTALLED.

Description
Not satisfied with vBulletin social groups messaging function? With SocialForums your social group leaders can create a standard forum for their group.
A group leader can only create a forum if the group has at least 5 members - this can be changed via settings. Optionally the group leader can be a moderator of such a social forum.

Permissions
Since 1.3 there are advanced permissions active (Forum and Archive). This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.

Demo
None, see screenshots

Installation
This product is fully phrased and uses template hooks. No file changes or manual template edits needed.
1. Upload bitfield_socialforums.xml to existing folder /includes/xml/
2. Upload functions_socialforums.php to existing folder /includes/
3. Fresh Installation: Just import the product. Upgrade: Import the product, allow overwrite. No forums get lost!
4. Check settings, especially for parent forum. Don't forget to set permissions via usergroups!

Troubleshooting
Q: I don't see a link to create a forum. Why?
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, espacially if the user is allowed to create forum.
A: Check if the usergroup meet min users requirement, see AdminCP/Settings/SocialForums.

Q: My users see the forums, but they shouldn't!
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, if the users usergroup is set to "can see".
A: Did you disabled the restriction mode? Enable it.

Todo
- By deleting a group the forum should also be deleted/archived. Currently this has to be done manually.

Known Issues
- On big boards with hundreds of social groups this mod can really impact the performance because of the mass of new created forums. If you still want to use this mod use the "Minimum Members" feature with a higher value. Using the permission check there are additional two queries on every page.

History
1.4.6, 6th October 2008
- Permissions are now also active in Archive

1.4.2, 27th May 2008
- Added: If a group has a linked forum the grouplisting has the last post date and count of postings (with permission check).
- Added: Recent threads in linked forum on group home
- Added: Private groups: Link to forum only shown to members of group
- Changed: Enabled permissions for unregistered usergroup. Unregistered Users are not more explicit denied without a check of it's usergroup

1.3.1, 23th May 2008
- Fixed: Not existing array

1.3.0, 23th May 2008
- Added: Permissions are now active. This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. Please check permissions for every usergroup! As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.
- Added: Checks for permission before the creation link will be displayed
- Changed: Default View Age set to "Show all Threads"

1.2.1 8th April 2008:
- Added: Group messaging can be disabled via options (previously: always disabled)

1.2.0 4th April 2008:
- Added: Groupleader can now be moderator of group forum
- Added: Minimum Members that are required for own forum
- Added: Group messaging will be automatically hide for group that has own forum
- Added: Forums are created with more allowances
- Added: By deleting a forum the linked socialgroup get's updated
- Added: Forum's description contains link back to social group
- Added: By changing group's name it synchronize it with the forum's name

1.0/1.1 1st April 2008:
- Initial releases

[Phr34q]

History
1.3.1
- Fixed an Error with not exististent array / cookies already sent.

hmmmm weird, cuz im getting:

Unable to add cookies, header already sent.
File: /home/********/public_html/board/includes/class_core.php
Line: 3237

Warning: array_diff() [function.array-diff]: Argument #2 is not an array in [path]/global.php(365) : eval()'d code on line 190

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in [path]/global.php(365) : eval()'d code on line 190
sl24

It kinda broke my board *LOL* I can't even log in to the ACP so I can disable it and downgrade it again I'm in good spirit though, I just backed up my sqldb an hour ago, so worst case scenario would be me having to use a 3 weeks old backup of the board itself.

awaiting so help while I feed my son and drink some coffee

thumbs up for a great mod btw!

[Phalynx]

I bet you don't have installed 1.3.1

Recover forum:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=272

[MrEyes]

This looks like a great mod, before diving in I have a couple of questions:

On big boards with hundreds of social groups this mod can really impact the performance because of the mass of new created forums. If you still want to use this mod use the "Minimum Members" feature with a higher value. Using the permission check there are additional two queries on every page.

When you say "every page" do you mean "every page" or just those pages that relate to social groups and forum lists? It seems a bit odd that if, for example, a user is viewing the FAQ pages an additional 2 queries are required.

TODO : By deleting a group the forum should also be deleted/archived. Currently this has to be done manually.

When/If this is added will this be optional, it could be extremely nasty if a social group owner gets annoyed over something and without thought kills the group and therefore kills a forum that might have some great content in it.

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by MrEyes

When you say "every page" do you mean "every page" or just those pages that relate to social groups and forum lists? It seems a bit odd that if, for example, a user is viewing the FAQ pages an additional 2 queries are required.

I mean every page. This forum permission check is necessary because users will protect the content of the forums. vBulletin offers possibility on many places to "view" content of a forum. Statistics in profile, RSS Feeds, other hacks, etc...
If you don't need the forum permissions, you can disabled it via options. vBulletin does not offer Hooks in a location where I could "hang in". It has been requested, but it seems that Jelsoft don't see the benefit from it.

There is no possibility to check if a user is a member of a social group, so I have to use a query to gather this information.

Originally Posted by MrEyes

When/If this is added will this be optional, it could be extremely nasty if a social group owner gets annoyed over something and without thought kills the group and therefore kills a forum that might have some great content in it.

I wrote also that such a forum would get deleted OR archived.

[Phr34q]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

I bet you don't have installed 1.3.1

Recover forum:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=272

Well guess you were right on that part, hmmm must have clicked the wrong folder when I thought I was updating it, anyways, superfast reply, it all worked out, things are back to status quo

Cheers, thumbsupx2:up:

[Phalynx]

SocialForums has been updated to v1.4.

Changes:
1.4.0, 27th May 2008
- Added: If a group has a linked forum the grouplisting has the last post date and count of postings (with permission check).
- Added: Recent threads in linked forum on group home
- Added: Private groups: Link to forum only shown to members of group
- Changed: Enabled permissions for unregistered usergroup. Unregistered Users are not more explicit denied without a check of it's usergroup

Upgrade
1. Uninstall existing version, import the product. No forums get lost!
2. Check settings, especially for parent forum. Don't forget to set permissions via usergroups!

[droid101]

Okay, so the "recent activity" when viewing the Social Group can now show the latest posts in the social forum. However, the avatars are broken in this view.

[VargTimmen]

Very, very nice update!
But is it possible, that just the Topics and not the Posts are shown?

Kind regards
Benny

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by droid101

Okay, so the "recent activity" when viewing the Social Group can now show the latest posts in the social forum. However, the avatars are broken in this view.

The lovely avatarrevision. Please download 1.4.1 and update product.

Originally Posted by VargTimmen

But is it possible, that just the Topics and not the Posts are shown?

Maybe I will implement such a setting in one of the next version.

[VargTimmen]

Glad to hear that
And another request:
I just saw, that User, who are moderator of a SocialForum, appears in the Forum Group Overview. Could you give us an option, that handle this?

Kind regards
Benny