Download PMs to File (for all 2.x.x versions)"

HACK UPDATED NOV 27TH 2001 - WORKS WITH ALL 2.X.X VERSIONS!

Since I was asked to make this available, here's my hack for downloading Private Messages (as many as you select) at once into a local txt file.

This is helpful if you need to clear out your PM folder(s) due to quota limitation, but don't want to lose those messages.

In effect, it works like an e-mail RFC archive.

Installation Instructions:

1. Open private.php.

Find:

  if ($delete!="") {
    $what="delete";
  }

Immediately AFTER it put:

PHP Code:

  if ($download!="") {
    $what="download";
  } 


Find:

}

// ############################### start delete ###############################

Immediately ABOVE it (make sure you put it ABOVE the } ) put:

PHP Code:

if ($what=="download") {
    if (is_array($privatemessage)) {
        header("Content-disposition: filename=messages.txt");
        header("Content-type: application/octet-stream");
        header("Pragma: no-cache");
        header("Expires: 0");

          while(list($key,$val)=each($privatemessage)) {
            $downloads=$DB_site->query_first("SELECT touserid,fromuserid,dateline,title,message FROM privatemessage WHERE privatemessageid='$key' AND userid=$bbuserinfo[userid]");
            $tousername=$DB_site->query_first("SELECT username FROM user WHERE userid='$downloads[touserid]'");
            $fromusername=$DB_site->query_first("SELECT username FROM user WHERE userid='$downloads[fromuserid]'");
            $msgdt = vbdate($dateformat,$downloads[dateline]);
            $msgtm = vbdate($timeformat,$downloads[dateline]);
            $wordwrap = wordwrap($downloads[message],75,"\r\n");
            
            print("Date/Time Sent: $msgdt, $msgtm\r\n");
            print("From: $fromusername[username]\r\n");
            print("To: $tousername[username]\r\n");
            print("Subject: $downloads[title]\r\n\r\n");
            print("$wordwrap\r\n");
            print("==========================================================================\r\n\r\n\r\n");


        } //end while
    
    } else {
      eval("standarderror(\"".gettemplate("error_pmnoselected")."\");");
      exit;
   }
} 


Note for Foreign Users: replace the words 'Date/Time Sent', 'From', 'To', 'Subject' in the above code with whatever wording in your language that suits you.

Save file and upload.

2. Edit template privfolder.

Find:

$massforwardlink

Immediately after OR before it (it does not matter), put:

or <input type="submit" class="bginput2" name="download" value="Download" style="background-color:#606096;color:#FFF788;font-size:10px;font-weight:bold">

Note for Foreign Users: replace the word "or" and the value "Download" with whatever wording in your language that suits you.


That's it!

Usage: select one or more messages in one of your Private Messages folder and click on "Download". You will be prompted to save messages.txt on your hard drive (a Windows filename & folder selection dialogue will pop up).

Cheers,

Bira

[Pady]

thanx Bira, got it installed and it works a charm!

[Nam]

Bira, the code you've changed didn't for me, I have 2.2.1 and it says error, I had to use your old code (luckily I did save it) to make it work . What's wrong with updating?

[bira]

Nam, what error did it give you?

[Nam]

I don't remember exactly, because I have put back the old code (the first one) to my board, it says some thing about parse errer on the line 748 ( the line that has close } at the end) just right above the ############ line.

Sorry for replying late.

[Lionel]

I am using version 2.21 and I also get the error on line 749. Line 749 is the "}" aove start delete.

When I remove it completely I do not get the parse error but when I try to download it opens the text file in the browser IE 6.02.26

[bira]

Take a look at the first hack and compare the code you got to the one you copied. I just edited that post and made it more clear

[Lionel]

I added the first line and put the } back. I do not get the parse error but it was opening the text in browser. So I changed it as per below. But what is weird, when I click the download, it tells me that I am downloading private.php. If I click open, then a second dialog box comes up telling me that I am downloading message.txt Is that the way it supposed to be? (double dialog box)

if (is_array($privatemessage)) {
header("Content-disposition: attachment; filename=messages.txt");
header("Content-type: uknown/unknown");
header("Pragma: no-cache");
header("Expires: 0");

[Lionel]

I removed "attachment" as per previous post.

header("Content-disposition: filename=messages.txt");
header("Content-type: unknown/unknown");
header("Pragma: no-cache");
header("Expires: 0");

The original post was showing like that:

header("Content-disposition: filename=messages.txt");
header("Content-type: application/octet-stream");
header("Pragma: no-cache");
header("Expires: 0");

Thanks... great hack.

[Streicher]

Is it possible to change this hack, so that the users can download the PM's HTML formatted?

[Lucky]

Wicked!

Loving this one!

Thanks.