Author Topic: Signature Tool (not functional at the moment)  (Read 45190 times)

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #50 on: October 31, 2018, 01:40:04 PM »
A few small changes:

1. I removed the Add Book button. You now add a book by double-clicking it. If a book is selected in the signature, the new book will be inserted ahead of it. Otherwise it will be added to the end.

2. I had to force a blank line between the signature's covers and the lower text. The cookie system kept eating beginning newlines.

3. Because of #2 above, I made the BBCode text box editable. You can delete that extra line there if you want. But do that just ahead of copying the code to the clipboard because the next reload will put it back in. This means you can also tweak the BBCode at your own risk. It's easier to do it in this tool than in the forum profile. But, again, the BBCode is rebuilt on each reload, so your changes will go away. We don't store the BBCode itself anywhere, so it has to be rebuilt based on what is in the signature, which we do retain.

4. I've begun to add content to the little popups you get when the mouse cursor hovers over something. If I do enough of it and well enough, the user's guide might become unnecessary.
     
 

Mark Gardner

Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #51 on: October 31, 2018, 10:23:57 PM »
I was able to get it to work for all but two of my titles by searching "Title," those two I found by searching for my last name and the title in "Keywords."

Incidentally, when I tried Paradox, or Escape in the "title" field, I got many hundreds of results, and after clicking on "Next Page," the resulting page showed no books, and clicking on "Next Page" on that page didn't seem to work.

 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #52 on: October 31, 2018, 10:39:16 PM »
and after clicking on "Next Page," the resulting page showed no books, and clicking on "Next Page" on that page didn't seem to work.

I did that, and I think it does work, it's just empty too.
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #53 on: October 31, 2018, 10:42:19 PM »
Empty means the 10 books it returned had nothing at all to do with the search.

The search feature returns a whole lot of crap most of the time. Al is weeding this crap out, and not displaying it.

Author Central uses the same search, and it's possible for your book to not be in the first 100 returned. All 100 have nothing at all to do with the search, but Amazon still show them to you because Amazon.
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Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #54 on: November 01, 2018, 12:03:11 AM »
Amazon's search engine is eccentric. When you do an author search, it still returns books that aren't by you even when you spell your name in an accurate match to how Amazon has you listed. With my name I get books by people with the same last name and some whose first name is like my last name. When I bypass those books in the Signature Tool, sometimes I'm left with an empty page. I've been looking at how to skip that last page and automatically proceed, but haven't solved it yet. The problem is if there are a lot of empty pages the automatic next pages would need at least a second of sleep per page to keep Amazon from choking the program. All they say in their response is how many pages there are, and that's not always accurate.
     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #55 on: November 01, 2018, 12:07:31 AM »
Incidentally, when I tried Paradox, or Escape in the "title" field, I got many hundreds of results, and after clicking on "Next Page," the resulting page showed no books, and clicking on "Next Page" on that page didn't seem to work.
I was able to duplicate that. It's a bug. Thanks.

     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #56 on: November 01, 2018, 02:07:13 AM »
[I was able to duplicate that. It's a bug. Thanks.
Fixed, I hope.
     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #57 on: November 01, 2018, 07:09:20 AM »
The fix involved putting a comment in the Retrieved panel when the retrieval delivers no books that match the search criteria.

I had made the bbcode user-editable, but it presents too much opportunity for confusion. That "feature" will be removed in the next upload. Sorry.
     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #58 on: November 01, 2018, 09:57:22 AM »
Timothy, I asked this earlier, but neglected to make note of your answer. That thread seems to have gone away. Or been moved somewhere.

What are the maximum pixel height and width dimensions in the forum's signature panel? Also, is there an enforced image pixel height for the signature? In other words, does the signature accept the BBCode's height property in the IMG tag or does it override it with its own value? I've seen this work differently on other sites. Thanks.
     
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #59 on: November 01, 2018, 11:48:57 AM »
What are the maximum pixel height and width dimensions in the forum's signature panel? Also, is there an enforced image pixel height for the signature? In other words, does the signature accept the BBCode's height property in the IMG tag or does it override it with its own value? I've seen this work differently on other sites. Thanks.

At the moment set to 150 high, by 1000 wide. This is to allow for banners.

It's changeable to whatever works best.

No idea if anything overrides anything. The number of images was set to 9, but I still managed to have 10 at one point. That also is changeable.

Recommend what you want these set to.
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Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #60 on: November 01, 2018, 12:13:37 PM »
I doesn't seem to matter. My signature exceeds 150 pixels in height. I'll leave it like that until you've seen it.
     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #61 on: November 02, 2018, 11:06:10 AM »
Timothy, As I remember the links request you made and as I interpret what you've said here (the other thread has vanished; lost
a lot of information there), you want a dialogue box that allows multiple links to be entered. Does the user also enter the names of these links? Or is there a list of specific sites that you prefer? Would your list be the same as everyone else's. (Some of us don't tweet.) Whatever it turns out to be, the values would have to be persistent, of course, which means they have to be stored somewhere. The database comes to mind. For that, users will have to log in when they use this program.
Which means everyone's login data would be exposed to me, at least. Unless there's a way to do that internally that I don't know about. I'm sure there is. We need an SQL expert to advise us before we can do that.

Once the dialogue is filled in, I assume there is something specific you want done with it to put it in the signature. Will your specifics be how everyone must do it, or should they have options about how and where to format the list?

As you can see, just saying you'd like to have it do thus and so will almost always lead to a lot of questions.
     
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #62 on: November 02, 2018, 11:44:20 AM »
If anyone wants to add more to this list, be my guest.

Amazon AuthorCentral Page url.
Facebook Group url.
Facebook Page url.
Mailing list signup url.
Forum Promo Thread url.

I dont see any call for twitter or any social media on signatures, so no need to do them.

"Author Page", enter url.
"Facebook Group", enter url.
"Facebook Page", enter url.
"Mailing List Signup", enter url.
"Forum Promo Thread", enter url.

Assemble a line of text with embedded links, based on the ones where a url is provided. Ignore those where no link is provided.
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Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #63 on: November 02, 2018, 12:09:35 PM »
Thanks. What about links like the one in my signature? I can think of others not in your list. We need a maximum so the entry form can be laid out. Probably based on what would fit in one line of signature.

You did not address the issue of how to make everyone's list persistent. This feature probably cannot be added until that issue is resolved. Ignoring such problems does not make them go away.

With that much data (urls can get long) we'd run out of cookie space. I'm already nervous about how much we use now. The banner url is stored in a cookie, for example. Plus the fact that when you move to a different computer or maybe to a different internet connection, your cookies might not move with you. I need to look into that further, stress the system, see what it takes to break it.
     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #64 on: November 02, 2018, 12:24:30 PM »
I just ran it on another computer here. Same router. No cookies. It came up with blank screen panels. I thought that was how it worked.
     
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #65 on: November 02, 2018, 12:27:14 PM »
Maybe add 2 free form ones, where you enter text and url.

There is no SQL programmer around at this point in time, so the database is out. Unless one is reading and volunteers to help.

I dont have any other options. The forum could use a SQL/PHP person for a number of other issues. And I'm not apposed to paying for coding time for some things. But so far, no-one has even said they do SQL.

I'm not sure that info needs saving. Most people dont change their signature all that often (Dan excepted), so re-entering the urls might be acceptable. I keep mine on a document, so cut and paste doesn't take very long. Maybe people would like to comment on this?
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Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #66 on: November 02, 2018, 01:33:38 PM »
I'll have some spare time next week. I'll read up on MySQL and PHP. My test SMF site has a database like yours, although not much it in it besides my own account, and I can log on with my userid and password and experiment from the outside. Not promising anything, but it ought to be interesting.

A peculiar thing about SMF is that although my web host set up the database and provided me with a userid and password of his own making, SMF never asks me as a user to log in with those data. I had to provide them to install SMF, but I use different login protocols as the admin, so I don't know how it works. That's where I could use an expert, someone who could explain it without burying me in geek speak.
     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #67 on: November 02, 2018, 06:54:27 PM »
I figured out how mySQL will work. As admin, Timothy has a userid and password that grants him access to the database. He needed that when he installed SMF. I'm admin on my test site, and I verified this. A program establishes a connection by providing the host (usually named localhost), the userid, and the password. The program can then access and update existing databases (providing the user has the necessary permissions), and also create new databases.

I plan to try this (none of this involves the forum's database):

1. Maintain a signature database table, one row per user. If the database doesn't exist, the program creates it.
2. users  sign into the signature tool. No password is needed, just a userid. Once they've done that the first time, the program remembers them in a cookie. Nothing we store will be sensitive, so I don't think a password is needed.
3. The signature tool uses userids as the primary key to the database to retrieve and update records. Each user has one record that has in its fields the user-oriented data we need to maintain: banner url, author name, BBCode text and links, and so on.

This way, their data go with them wherever they go, which has been one of my main concerns about using cookies.

I'll work probably next week to get it up and running.

To install the program with another forum, such as WS, the admin will provide the userid and password that the program uses to access the database. We can rig it so nobody else sees those access data.

This is me speculating. MySQL looks like a lot of relational databases I worked with in the old days. It shouldn't be difficult to work with. I hope.

Anybody out there with SQL chops should chime in if I'm heading in the wrong direction. Wish me luck.
     
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #68 on: November 02, 2018, 07:56:03 PM »
Al

I don't understand why you're doing this?

The forum database (usually _sm1) has an SQL entry section (sm_members) where you place the signature (complete with your links) and it saves it against your username. It won't matter which computer, phone or tablet you're on. The database will pull up your signature and generate dynamically every time you login.

Cookies are not the right way to do this.
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #69 on: November 03, 2018, 12:14:37 AM »
To install the program with another forum, such as WS, the admin will provide the userid and password that the program uses to access the database. We can rig it so nobody else sees those access data.

No need.

Use your own setup.php to create a tool specific database, and use that. Keeps the tool independent of forum code.

So it prompts for database name, user, password, which the admin has to create first. Then it creates files in the database to store everything it uses in.

Keeps the tool completely isolated.
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Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #70 on: November 03, 2018, 04:49:10 AM »
The forum database (usually _sm1) has an SQL entry section (sm_members) where you place the signature (complete with your links) and it saves it against your username. It won't matter which computer, phone or tablet you're on. The database will pull up your signature and generate dynamically every time you login.

I had to be independent of the forum database. I mentioned early on about getting the user's signature from the database and proceeding from there, but no one could or would tell me even as much as you just did.

As near as I can tell, the forum's database stores only the BBCode for the signature. I looked for and even set out to write a BBCode to HTML converter, but that is a big job. A recursive decent parsing algorithm. There are some such converters posted on-line, but none of them works in our usage of BBCode. I've looked for it in the SMF code but haven't found it yet. Plus, I need to store more than just the signature's content. The user's search criteria and options, for example, aren't implicit in the BBCode.

Cookies are not the right way to do this.
I agree. I'll soon be using cookies only as temporary repositories that Javascript uses to communicate with PHP. And as a way to make unnecessary signing in for each session.

I'd like to attach to the forum database. But for that to work, the program must be launched from within the SMF application because that's where the user signs in. An advantage would be that the program could write to the user's BBCode entry, eliminating the need to copy and paste to the profile.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2018, 05:13:48 AM by Al Stevens »
     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #71 on: November 03, 2018, 05:11:04 AM »
To install the program with another forum, such as WS, the admin will provide the userid and password that the program uses to access the database. We can rig it so nobody else sees those access data.

No need.

Use your own setup.php to create a tool specific database, and use that. Keeps the tool independent of forum code.

So it prompts for database name, user, password, which the admin has to create first. Then it creates files in the database to store everything it uses in.

Keeps the tool completely isolated.
The tool itself needs the database host and name and the admin's userid and password in order to connect to the database. Can't get around that. We just need to keep those data hidden from the user.
     
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #72 on: November 03, 2018, 05:12:29 AM »
Al

You need to develop your app in SQL, make it work as a standalone, but capable of injecting it into sm_signature, then take the table and organise it so that the database owner can inject it into their SQL which will then include it within its own datafile. You then need to create an html page, or php like what you have so that the user can then complete the fields, click on add, and it will show up in their signature. I believe all of the code is written as per the code you received from Harvey's. I don't have time to look at the code to tell you how, but you have all the nuts and bolts, you just need access to an SM database so you can play. you might look at putting an SQL Server on your PC, installing the forum locally and emulating the environment. Take a look at WAMP and similar products. It will enable you to bypass the limitations you have working online.

Take a look here: http://breakthesecurity.cysecurity.org/2011/07/how-to-run-php-files-using-wamp-server.html
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #73 on: November 03, 2018, 05:18:08 AM »
Al

I don't understand why you're doing this?
Neither do I.  :icon_mrgreen:
     
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #74 on: November 03, 2018, 05:24:31 AM »
... you just need access to an SM database so you can play.11/07/how-to-run-php-files-using-wamp-server.html
I have that. I installed SMF on my server first thing in this project because Timothy couldn't set up a test site. Mine isn't a WS duplicate, which would be ideal, because I haven't installed all the SMF mods that Timothy has, but it serves as my view into how things work and a way to test integration if that's what I decide to do.
     
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #75 on: November 03, 2018, 05:28:24 AM »
... you just need access to an SM database so you can play.11/07/how-to-run-php-files-using-wamp-server.html
I have that. I installed SMF on my server first thing in this project because Timothy couldn't set up a test site. Mine isn't a WS duplicate, which would be ideal, because I haven't installed all the SMF mods that Timothy has, but it serves as my view into how things work and a way to test integration if that's what I decide to do.

You don't need a duplicate because the code you need to access is within the core and nothing to do with any mods. So long as your mod works on your system all you need to do is tie it up in a bow with an idiot proof install button and give it to to the site owner.
 

Al Stevens

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #76 on: November 03, 2018, 10:31:05 AM »
Quote
You don't need a duplicate because the code you need to access is within the core and nothing to do with any mods. So long as your mod works on your system all you need to do is tie it up in a bow with an idiot proof install button and give it to to the site owner.
At the time we weren't talking about the signature tool. It was fixes that, as far as I could tell, involved changes to the SMF PHP code. After I'd finished one--addog a third gender--I saw almost right away that those fixes needed to be applied to source code that had been modded, and I didn't have that. Timothy sent me his source code, but it wouldn't run I guess because it needed a similar database and whatever other files are a part of the runtime. I advised him that such in-house modifications were inherently dangerous, and I wouldn't work that way. That's when I decided to take on the signature tool. At least it could exist outside the SMF code except maybe for a link to it from within the SMF page. Like KBoards does it.


{Fixed the quote. t}
« Last Edit: November 03, 2018, 11:59:05 AM by TimothyEllis »
     
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #77 on: November 03, 2018, 11:58:30 AM »
To install the program with another forum, such as WS, the admin will provide the userid and password that the program uses to access the database. We can rig it so nobody else sees those access data.

No need.

Use your own setup.php to create a tool specific database, and use that. Keeps the tool independent of forum code.

So it prompts for database name, user, password, which the admin has to create first. Then it creates files in the database to store everything it uses in.

Keeps the tool completely isolated.
The tool itself needs the database host and name and the admin's userid and password in order to connect to the database. Can't get around that. We just need to keep those data hidden from the user.

The only reason to connect to the forum database is to insert the signature. But you dont need to. I'm quite happy with the copy and paste method of getting it in there. Anyone can do that.

By not using the forum database the tool retains its own integrity. Version 2.1 is already in beta, and I'd be surprised if it even has the same database structure. By keeping your tool out of the database, it isn't going to break with a future forum release.

All your tool need do is create its own database, and store its own data separately. This also allows the tool to be used by ANY forum, using any forum software.
Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #78 on: November 03, 2018, 04:25:49 PM »

All your tool need do is create its own database, and store its own data separately. This also allows the tool to be used by ANY forum, using any forum software.

Like that's going to happen! You think other forums are going to allow a link to an outside source they have no control over, that might actually be used to compromise their own database? What's more, the type of signature is limited to an SMF site that works for authors - very limited application.
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #79 on: November 03, 2018, 04:33:10 PM »
No need.

Use your own setup.php to create a tool specific database, and use that. Keeps the tool independent of forum code.

So it prompts for database name, user, password, which the admin has to create first. Then it creates files in the database to store everything it uses in.

Keeps the tool completely isolated.


Like that's going to happen! You think other forums are going to allow a link to an outside source they have no control over, that might actually be used to compromise their own database? What's more, the type of signature is limited to an SMF site that works for authors - very limited application.

Try reading what I said a message or 2 before.

The tool needs a setup.php, which asks for database details, and then creates its own database entries. The admin of the site creates a new database, and plugs it into the tool setup. The tool uses the local database.

This is exactly the procedure for installing a forum or anything php/sql based. You create a database, and then tell the setup.php the details to use it.

There is nothing offsite about any of this. And also not using the database for the forum. Completely isolated tool, which can be installed anywhere.
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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #80 on: November 03, 2018, 04:39:38 PM »
Timothy sent me his source code, but it wouldn't run I guess because it needed a similar database and whatever other files are a part of the runtime.

It's simply a PHP file that calls Timothy's database. All you needed to do was amend yours (or his) PHP file to the same as his/yours and it would have worked.  :icon_think:
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #81 on: November 03, 2018, 04:41:44 PM »
Timothy sent me his source code, but it wouldn't run I guess because it needed a similar database and whatever other files are a part of the runtime.

It's simply a PHP file that calls Timothy's database. All you needed to do was amend yours (or his) PHP file to the same as his/yours and it would have worked.  :icon_think:

He's building this to be usable on any forum now. Better making it completely stand alone.
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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #82 on: November 03, 2018, 04:45:59 PM »
Timothy sent me his source code, but it wouldn't run I guess because it needed a similar database and whatever other files are a part of the runtime.

It's simply a PHP file that calls Timothy's database. All you needed to do was amend yours (or his) PHP file to the same as his/yours and it would have worked.  :icon_think:
All I needed to do was find that file.  Grin I might try that some day. I suppose I could join the SMF developers group and ask about such things there.
     
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #83 on: November 03, 2018, 05:01:33 PM »
Timothy sent me his source code, but it wouldn't run I guess because it needed a similar database and whatever other files are a part of the runtime.

It's simply a PHP file that calls Timothy's database. All you needed to do was amend yours (or his) PHP file to the same as his/yours and it would have worked.  :icon_think:
All I needed to do was find that file.  Grin I might try that some day. I suppose I could join the SMF developers group and ask about such things there.

Al.....  :icon_think:

forum directory on your server....

settings.php contains this:


########## Database Info ##########
$db_type = 'mysql';
$db_server = 'localhost';
$db_name = 'yourDBname_sm1';
$db_user = 'yourDBname_sm1';
$db_passwd = 'X.WVoLbvEf4xPtxjix150'; <this is an encrypted version of Password>
$ssi_db_user = '';
$ssi_db_passwd = '';
$db_prefix = 'sm_';
$db_persist = 0;
$db_error_send = 1;

#############################

SMF uses a standard php setup on EVERY.SINGLE.INSTALL.
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #84 on: November 03, 2018, 05:14:45 PM »
Yes, that's all you need.

Admin sets up the database, runs the setup, and enters the info.
Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #85 on: November 03, 2018, 05:19:52 PM »
Yes, that's all you need.

Admin sets up the database, runs the setup, and enters the info.

Sorry, what was it you needed an SQL/PHP expert for? :icon_think:
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #86 on: November 03, 2018, 05:24:30 PM »
Yes, that's all you need.

Admin sets up the database, runs the setup, and enters the info.

Sorry, what was it you needed an SQL/PHP expert for? :icon_think:

Me? Fixing the Bookmarks mod for a start. <<<Most often requested feature, and the mod is broken.
Changing the way thread and post deletions are done for another, especially where a user is deleting their account. The way its done now is only half a feature and causes more problems than it fixes.

Al wanted a SQL person for the tool, in order to store all the cookie stuff in a database properly.
Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #87 on: November 03, 2018, 06:04:51 PM »

Me? Fixing the Bookmarks mod for a start. <<<Most often requested feature, and the mod is broken.


if it's this one '"BOOKMARK MOD by Leipe Po"' then it's not broken it only works on the default theme.

If you're referring to this one '"BOOKMARKS by Matthew K." then why don't you simply uninstall it and re-install.
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #88 on: November 03, 2018, 06:12:48 PM »

Me? Fixing the Bookmarks mod for a start. <<<Most often requested feature, and the mod is broken.


if it's this one '"BOOKMARK MOD by Leipe Po"' then it's not broken it only works on the default theme.

If you're referring to this one '"BOOKMARKS by Matthew K." then why don't you simply uninstall it and re-install.

No idea which one I have. It doesn't identify itself. Links to both please.

This is the default theme. And whichever one I have only displays the bookmark button for admin.
Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #89 on: November 03, 2018, 06:16:05 PM »

Me? Fixing the Bookmarks mod for a start. <<<Most often requested feature, and the mod is broken.


if it's this one '"BOOKMARK MOD by Leipe Po"' then it's not broken it only works on the default theme.

If you're referring to this one '"BOOKMARKS by Matthew K." then why don't you simply uninstall it and re-install.

No idea which one I have. It doesn't identify itself. Links to both please.

This is the default theme. And whichever one I have only displays the bookmark button for admin.

FFS don't be lazy Timothy - go do some checking. You only have to go into your admin and look at what mods you've installed.
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #90 on: November 03, 2018, 06:23:20 PM »
FFS don't be lazy Timothy - go do some checking. You only have to go into your admin and look at what mods you've installed.

It says Bookmarks v 2.5.

Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #91 on: November 03, 2018, 06:27:30 PM »
FFS don't be lazy Timothy - go do some checking. You only have to go into your admin and look at what mods you've installed.

It says Bookmarks v 2.5.

OK, it's not a bug in your system it's a bug in theirs. I have a call into the developer and will get back to you if and when I get a reply. Meanwhile, I might take a poke around and see if I can see the problem.
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #92 on: November 03, 2018, 06:32:20 PM »
OK, it's not a bug in your system it's a bug in theirs. I have a call into the developer and will get back to you if and when I get a reply. Meanwhile, I might take a poke around and see if I can see the problem.

Don't hold your breath waiting.

As I said, it displays the button for Admin, but no-one else. My guess its a really simple goof, with something in the wrong place.

Back in the Cobol day, putting the . in the wrong place could cause total chaos. Bound to be that simple, and just as hard to find.
Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #93 on: November 03, 2018, 07:27:28 PM »
OK, I've solved the bookmark issue. It's not a bug, at least not in the sense of there's something wrong.

It's a permissions issue.

Go to Admin - Permissions - Regular Member

Click 'Modify'

look for 'Create bookmarks for topics' and tick the box on the RHS

Goto bottom and SAVE
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #94 on: November 03, 2018, 07:38:45 PM »
OK, I've solved the bookmark issue. It's not a bug, at least not in the sense of there's something wrong.
It's a permissions issue.
Go to Admin - Permissions - Regular Member
Click 'Modify'
look for 'Create bookmarks for topics' and tick the box on the RHS
Goto bottom and SAVE

*sigh*

Well it had to be something that simple.

 :clap:
Genres: Space Opera/Fantasy/Cyberpunk, with elements of LitRPG and GameLit, with a touch of the Supernatural. Also Spiritual and Games.



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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #95 on: November 04, 2018, 01:37:35 AM »
Al wanted a SQL person for the tool, in order to store all the cookie stuff in a database properly.
I am unwillingly  :confused: becoming that expert. At least as far as learning what I need to get the tool working properly.
     
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #96 on: November 04, 2018, 02:05:56 AM »
forum directory on your server....
settings.php contains this:
...
Thanks. I found it. That's a big help. The tool doesn't need setup. It can get its login info from this file. The password is not encrypted, however. Now I need access to my database via command line. It's been ages since I used telnet, and I don't remember the login values. My ftp login doesn't work. Neither do any of the database logins. I have a call into my webmaster. I want command line access to MySQL.
     
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #97 on: November 04, 2018, 02:37:59 AM »
forum directory on your server....
settings.php contains this:
...
Thanks. I found it. That's a big help. The tool doesn't need setup. It can get its login info from this file. The password is not encrypted, however. Now I need access to my database via command line. It's been ages since I used telnet, and I don't remember the login values. My ftp login doesn't work. Neither do any of the database logins. I have a call into my webmaster. I want command line access to MySQL.

I thought you were using WAMP?  You shouldn't need to do any of this. If you use WAMP then you control your own server.  :dizzy
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #98 on: November 04, 2018, 03:52:24 AM »
I thought you were using WAMP?  You shouldn't need to do any of this. If you use WAMP then you control your own server.  :dizzy
I'm not sure why you thought that. My local webhost has everything I need and is only a few miles away. The owner is responsive when I have questions. I've considered wamp, but never tried it.
     
 

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Re: New Signature Tool - Alpha testing
« Reply #99 on: November 04, 2018, 04:00:41 AM »
I thought you were using WAMP?  You shouldn't need to do any of this. If you use WAMP then you control your own server.  :dizzy
I'm not sure why you thought that. My local webhost has everything I need and is only a few miles away. The owner is responsive when I have questions. I've considered wamp, but never tried it.

Your post #74 states you have that and quotes the WAMP servier guidelines. Here you state you've never considered it.

Good luck Al, I'm out!  :littleclap