[Release v2] Updated Community Bulletin Generator

[tubedogg]

SPECIAL NOTE for those upgrading to vBulletin v2.0.0: You will need to make changes to the default RC3 files, as you did with the previous version files. The files are member.php and admin/index.php. After you upgrade to RC3, the link in your Admin CP will no longer be there. In order to find instructions for upgrading, go to http://yoursite/forum/admin/commbull.php and click the link for Instructions. Make these changes to your files, and reupload the two modified files. The link will then be back in your Admin CP.
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With Kier's permission, I am rereleasing this hack. It has been updated, but most of the credit still goes to Kier. I just added a couple things. Namely, I took Kier's starting point for birthdays and reworked it a bit so they can now be included. I also added 3 new sets of Latest Threads input, and added a sorting option to get topics with no replies (aka "Virgin" topics).
I also added a box to change the section separation character (Kier had it as a "-", now you can change it) and the list item character (Kier had it as an "o"). There are also instructions on how to integrate it into your Admin CP.

To install, just upload it to your Admin directory and go to it in a browser.

If you had previously installed Kier's original version, simply overwrite the commbull.php file on your server, and make this change to your admin/index.php file:
Find

<a href="email.php?s=<?php echo $session[sessionhash]; ?>"> Email users </a><br>

and right below it, add

<a href="commbull.php?s=<?php echo $session[sessionhash]; ?>"> Send Community Bulletin </a><br>

Upload your admin/index.php file and go to your Admin CP. You should see the new option under "Users" on the left-hand side.

Hack version: 0.98

Changes since v0.97: Fixed a stupid bug that screwed up the script when you posted a copy to a forum and that forum didn't count posts toward post totals.

Changes since v0.96: Fixed a minor bug that was causing large problems when the number of emails to send was more than it was set to per page.

Changes since v0.95: Minor cosmetic changes; fixed "copy post to board" function so it actually works; added option to exclude threads from being used more than once (if doing multiple blocks); fixed sorting by most replies/most views so they don't return threads with 0 replies or 1 view, respectively;

Changes since v0.93: Option to post a copy of the email to your board, to a forum you specify using a username your specify (If you do this, there is a function to exclude certain parts (for example, the user info section that details username/password etc) and it parses URLs so the message on your board has hyperlinks to the threads/polls/etc); various cosmetic upgrades; minor little things here and there; fixed/changed "Only include threads that have been started or replied to since this date?" so it doesn't defeat the purpose of specifying a date.

For version: v2.0.0

Info for Clean Install -------
Files needed: commbull.php

Files to edit: admin/index.php, member.php

Templates to edit: none

Instructions are in the script itself. When you first run it, it will tell you what you need to do. If upgrading from Kier's original version, see instructions above.
End Info for Clean Install -------

Info for Upgrading from v0.90, v0.91, v0.93, v0.94, v0.95, v0.96, v0.97 ------
Files needed: commbull.php

Files to edit: none

Instructions: Upload the commbull.php file from the commbull98.zip file.
End Info for Upgrading -------

Please do not bug Kier about this hack!
Please also DO NOT contact me via AIM, ICQ, PM, or email about this hack. Post your question/problem here and I will try to help you.

[chrispadfield]

wicked! excellent changes. Can't wait to final and i can install all these wicked hacks!

next would be a way to make this work via cron so i can get it going daily/weekly automatically. would have to read a config file i guess but should be possible. I might try and explore this.

[JJR512]

What exactly does this do, what's its purpose? Is there a demo?

[tubedogg]

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=12366

[Angelus_au]

Great Hack to both Kier & tubedogg btw it does work with RC1

[Dontom]

Hi, thanks for this great hack!
I have a small problem, everything works fine, except the part within the users cp - both Radio-Buttons are not selected, selcting one and updating profile has no effect...
I double checked my installation but did not fint any mistakes...
any idea??
Tom

[tubedogg]

Make sure you have reuploaded your member.php file. If you have made the changes to that file and uploaded it, there is no reason why one button shouldn't be checked after going back to the User CP for the second time.

[Dontom]

...still no idea:
this is my member.php:

http://forum.mtb-news.de/member.phps

If you like to take a look at the profile you can login with test/test
@ http://forum.mtb-news.de

[tubedogg]

The problem is member.php file has the part you are supposed to look for twice in it, and you happened to get it in the wrong place.

To remedy this, get a fresh copy of member.php from your RC2 zip file and make the changes to it again, only noting this difference. The first bit it tells you to add, do this instead.
Find

  if ($bbuserinfo[adminemail]) {
    $allowmailchecked="checked";
    $allowmailnotchecked="";
  } else {
    $allowmailchecked="";
    $allowmailnotchecked="checked";
  }

and right above it, add

if ($bbuserinfo[receivebulletin]) {
    $receivebulletinchecked = " checked";
    $receivebulletinnotchecked = "";
  } else {
    $receivebulletinchecked = "";
    $receivebulletinnotchecked = " checked";
  }

The other directions remain the same. Sorry about that.

I have fixed the instructions and released v0.92 in the first post of this thread.

[Dontom]

Tubedogg,
thank you, works perfect now!
Call me Bugfinder

Tom

[RobAC]

Tubedogg,

I assume that if I install this hack now, I'll have to re-hack this after each forum software upgrade, correct?

[JJR512]

I've discovered a tiny little bug in this.

In the instructions that show up from commbull.php, it says to add to the admin/index.php file this:

<a href="commbull.php?s=<?php echo $session[sessionhash]; ?>"> Send Community Bulletin >/a><br>

The very end should say ></a><br> ... In other words, you are missing the < in </a>. As far as I can tell, this only affects the way the link is displayed in the admin cp. It works, it just shows up wrong.

[tubedogg]

Yes you're right I'll put up the fixed version in just a minute. Just a minor change, no need to upgrade if you've already installed it.

In admin/index.php, find

<a href="commbull.php?s=<?php echo $session[sessionhash]; ?>"> Send Community Bulletin >/a><br>

and replace it with

<a href="commbull.php?s=<?php echo $session[sessionhash]; ?>"> Send Community Bulletin </a><br>

Fixed. Thanks JJR.

[tubedogg]

RobAC: Yes, you will have to rehack member.php and admin/index.php, however they are minor changes.

[tubedogg]

I have updated the first post in this thread with new v0.95, which has new features as detailed in that post.