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

[Una Persson]

After doing the initial hack, then several of the fixes posted later on, it seems to be working very well for me.

[eva2000]

Originally posted by bira
I have IE 5.5 and this is what I get:



make absolutely sure you have the following lines in private.php:

PHP Code:

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


Again I say this: make sure that you DON'T have 'attachment' in the content-disposition header.

bira your original post has the headers different from the ones i quoted... had to change them from your original post to be able to download the pms

[Warlord]

I just installed it and when I try to download a pm it just takes me to a web page which contains the private message . How do i change it to the orgional version that prompted you to save it as a tet file?

[Warlord]

bump

[Warlord]

bump

[Warlord]

Okay well since no one wanted to help wittle old me, after reading this thread over again, I did some messing around with private.php and got it working the way I wanted it too. But for some reason the file name to be downloaded is private.php instead of messages.txt...

oh well...

[Princeton]

Another great hack ... thank you. Just installed with no problems.

[DScollon]

Fantastic feature to add to the board. Installed it with only the problem of the webpage appearing rather than the download, which I've now fixed with the help of this thread. Well done and thanks.

[Regs]

Is there anyway to hack this in such that it is only available to certain group(s)? I'd like to offer it as a 'premium'-type feature.

Cheers,

~Regs.

[freehtml]

Originally posted by smelialichu
This is a great hack, just one problem though. When i click on download it displays the pm's in my browser and doesn't download it. i use IE 5.01 none of the other people on the board have reported the problem, ideas? I realise the problem is most likely at my end.

I am using IE 5.5 and i also encounter this...