Bulletin Board Integration [Support Thread]

[lat9]

This support thread applies to a series of plugins:

1) A replacement for the core Zen Cart phpbb class plugin, making it possible for other bulletin-boards to be more easily bridged from Zen Cart.
2) An implementation, using the above plugin, to implement the phpBB bridge (see http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.p...resses-allowed for details).

I'll be submitting the "base" followed by the phpBB implementation shortly.

[lat9]

These two plugins are now available for download:

1) Bulletin Board Integration via Notifier Hooks: http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1597
2) phpBB Integration via Notifier Hooks: http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1598

Please note that the Bulletin Board Integration plugin is a pre-requisite for the phpBB plugin.

[lat9]

Hulamac asked, in the thread that spawned these plugins, "... i noticed as quoted above that this would be only for version 1.5.1 how different would this be for 1.5.0, because of the addons im using i have to use 1.5 still would the resulting changes be similar or how could i figure out have to integrate this with my current install?"

Although I've only tested these plugins using v1.5.1, the overall concept should work on v1.5.0 ... with one very important change. In the zc_bb (the base Bulletin Board) plugin, you'll need to edit the file /includes/auto_loaders/overrides/config.core.php, starting at line 74. Find the following lines and either remove them or comment them out:

/*
$autoLoadConfig[0][] = array('autoType'=>'class',
                               'loadFile'=>'query_cache.php');

  $autoLoadConfig[0][] = array('autoType'=>'classInstantiate',
                               'className'=>'QueryCache',
                               'objectName'=>'queryCache',
                               'checkInstantiated'=>true);
*/ 

Please note that I mistakenly included the file /includes/auto_loaders/config.core.php, a core-file overwrite. This file is not needed (it's a copy of the file in the associated /overrides directory) and will be removed in the next release.

[lat9]

I've just submitted the Simple Machines Forum (SMF) bridge to the Zen Cart plugins.

When approved, it will provide the same level of integration as its phpBB sibling

phpBB bridge plugin: http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1598
SMF bridge plugin: http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1608

Both plugins require the installation of a prerequisite plugin:
Bulletin Board Integration via Notifier Hooks: http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1597

[jlizotte]

You rock, lat. Thank you very much for your work on these!

[lat9]

You rock, lat. Thank you very much for your work on these!

Thanks for the compliment; it's a learning experience and enables more Zen Cart functionality!

[lat9]

... I have also installed phpBB notifier hook mod to the same test store, all works well thank you as new customers do generate forum accounts too as per your design.

My question, is it possible to offer the nick name field as optional rather than required, as I'm sure that not all customers will want to join the store's forum by default.
Thank you.

There are two trails to choose from to implement this behavior. The change must be made to the base Bulletin Board Integration plugin. If the setting Configuration->Minimum Values->Nick Name is set to 0, either:

1. Create the bulletin-board account only if the customer has entered a Nick Name value. In this case, the customer's Nick Name value (if non-blank) will be displayed, but not changeable, on their account_edit page.
2. Always create a bulletin-board account, using a randomly-created Nick Name value if the customer has not entered one. Another customer-table field is added to indicate whether or not the Nick Name was "system-generated". The (unchangeable) Nick Name value will be displayed on the account_edit page only if the Nick Name value was not "system-generated".

Although it's a bit more complicated, I'm leaning towards #2 because it gives the shop-owner the future flexibility to (albeit via phpMyAdmin) to link the accounts by changing the Nick Name in both the Zen Cart and bulletin-board databases if a customer changes their mind and decides that they'd like a linked bulletin-board account. I'm quite open to suggestions and opinions ...

[lat9]

There are two trails to choose from to implement this behavior. The change must be made to the base Bulletin Board Integration plugin. If the setting Configuration->Minimum Values->Nick Name is set to 0, either:

1. Create the bulletin-board account only if the customer has entered a Nick Name value. In this case, the customer's Nick Name value (if non-blank) will be displayed, but not changeable, on their account_edit page.
2. Always create a bulletin-board account, using a randomly-created Nick Name value if the customer has not entered one. Another customer-table field is added to indicate whether or not the Nick Name was "system-generated". The (unchangeable) Nick Name value will be displayed on the account_edit page only if the Nick Name value was not "system-generated".

Although it's a bit more complicated, I'm leaning towards #2 because it gives the shop-owner the future flexibility to (albeit via phpMyAdmin) to link the accounts by changing the Nick Name in both the Zen Cart and bulletin-board databases if a customer changes their mind and decides that they'd like a linked bulletin-board account. I'm quite open to suggestions and opinions ...

I've submitted v1.2.0 of the base and the phpBB interfaces to support an optional "Nick Name" using approach #1. If your Zen Cart admin's Minimum Values->Nick Name is set to 0, the Nick Name value is now and optional field for customer registration.

[lat9]

v1.1.0 of the Simple Machines Forum ® Integration has been submitted to the Plugins area. When used in conjunction with v1.2.0 of the base bulletin-board integration class, the class will load and operate with an optional (i.e. Minimum Values->Nick Name set to 0) Nick Name field.

[lat9]

v1.3.0 of this common base was just submitted to the Plugins area to include a couple of downwardly-compatible changes introduced in Zen Cart v1.5.2.