[6.3.x] [beta] Random Quotes

UBB.Dev

Mod Name: Random Quotes

Description: Displays random quotes on the forum summary page.
Can be enabled/disabled from the UBB™ Control Panel.
Quotes can be edited from the Control Panel.
JCTemplates supported.

By: Idle
Email: [email protected]
Date: May 26th, 2002
Version: 2.0

Requirements: 6.3.0 Beta Release 1 or newer.
Compatability: 6.3.x or newer.
Tested On: 6.3.0 Beta Release 1 and 6.3.0

Files Modified: ubb_forum_summary.cgi, cp.cgi, cp_lib.cgi, vars_wordlets_cp.cgi, cp_common.pl, public_forum_summary.pl

New Files: cp_quotes.cgi, cp_vars_idle.pl, cp_view_quotes.pl, cp_edit_quotes.pl, vars_idle.cgi (additional three quote files)

Download: ZIP File or MultiHack v2.0

Updates: v1.1 -
Instead of using a hardcoded filelist array, it now retrieves a list of files in the quotes directory.
With this method, adding/removing new quote files is much easier.
All you have to do is either delete a file from your NonCGI/quotes directory, or upload a new one (make sure the format is always "thequote|author").

v2.0 -
Major code changes. Two bugs spotted and fixed. New features include:

All files with extensions .cgi and .txt will be read within the quotes directory

Existing users will need to re-hack the following files:
ubb_lib_2.cgi - remove previous changes for this mod
ubb_forum_summary.cgi - redo step two for this file
cp.cgi - refer to instructions

Your doing great with these hacks Idle. Good job.

BTW, It's Zip, not a text file.

Is there a demo of this somewhere? I'd love to see it in action.

Thank you, Lord Dexter!
I've done all kinds of things for my UBB... but never thought of publicizing my modifications until recently.
Beside... most of them aren't "documented", and I thought it'd be good to keep notes which turned out to be full-blown UBB mods.

ADWOFF: You can see it on my UBB 6.3 test board .

Currently I'm working on a better CP interface, allowing administrators to view and edit the quote data files.
Might add an option to even create new ones and delete existing ones.

I'm getting an error going to your test board.

I'd try again since I've been playing around with it all night long and probably generated a whole bunch of errors. :rolleyes:

But, it's working fine now, and I'll leave it alone for awhile.

It's generating a software error in cp.cgi

I've found an external cgi script that displays random quotes from a text file. All you have to do is put a line of javascript in the public_summary.pl and you have endless random quotes. If you want info on this, let me know.

quote:
Originally posted by Variables:
It's generating a software error in cp.cgi

Could you be a little more specific, and tell me the exact error?

quote:
Originally posted by Idle:

quote:
Originally posted by Variables:
It's generating a software error in cp.cgi
Could you be a little more specific, and tell me the exact error?

Here's the error on your test board:

quote:
CGI Error
The specified CGI application misbehaved by not returning a complete set of HTTP headers. The headers it did return are:

Can't open perl script "D:Inetpubwwwrootadvubbultimatebb.cgi": No such file or directory

Hope that helps,

~Z

Oh... silly, little Idle!
Hahahaha, I posted incomplete URL. :rolleyes:

Try this instead.

Cannot Find Server...

Sorry, was re-installing Windows.
It's up again.

It finally worked, good to see this hack in action.

Yeah.
Although the method posted by Variables above would be much easier, I like the idea of being able to modify the quotes from the UBB Control Panel.
Then I can let my moderators do the chores!

Cool! I like it. Would there be a possibility of making a multihack file for this?

~Jon

Yeah, that should be possible. I'll have a look in a few when I've had my first cup of coffee.

Edit: Done!

If you like the quotes to be displayed into a table (like thinking clock, recent visitors) change the following (adjusted step 10 in MH):

Cant display code due to installed code filter
Grab the code

Nice!

Nice one idle... I've been needing to replace the javascript one that broke on my site months ago

Yeah, isn't it wonderful what 20 gallons of coffee and no rest can do?

Very nice! Thought I had probs with those window error messages until I checked the txt quotes though!!!

Well... it happened to me one late night after hours of coding in Perl. :rolleyes:

The quotes in "pc.txt", I collected most of them from annoyances.com, by the way.

The test for safety.

The test for safety2.

Eh?

I'll have to play with this later on.

I installed using Idle's Multihack, but nothing showed up--even after clearing the cache.

So I installed Syntax's code for step 10.

In the regular template, the area for the quote appeared, but no quote.

In the JCTemplate, I received a syntax error.

My brain is a fog right now, so I'll look at it later on ... is there something I'm missing in the CP for the quotes to appear?

I turned it on; I went to where you could add/revise the quotes.

No quotes appear.

*censored* MultiHack!@#

Sorry, I'll have a look at it soon (maybe 2 cups of coffee from now).

I don't think you missed anything, rather that I've screwed up somewhere in the MultiHack thing.

I think it's been fixed.

Noticed some errors in the instructions for modifying JCTemplates, and vars_idle.cgi should be uploaded to your Variables directory, of course (I wrote to the CGI directory).

If MultiHack isn't creating directories properly, well...

create a new directory in your NonCGI directory named "quotes", and upload the included .txt files to that directory (moti- pc- and research_def.txt).

Hope that solves your problem.

How random is it? I installed it and it only changes after I clear the cache. Otherwise everytime time I visit my test board its got the same quote on.

Thankyou :kiss:

Well... it's as random as it gets.

I had noticed that before, the quote isn't updated on the forum summary page unless you clear your cache, or disable caching completely. Kinda sad...

I'll look around for possible "solutions" so it's updated on every view of the page.

Thanks for the reminder!

quote:
Originally posted by Idle:
Well... it's as random as it gets.

I had noticed that before, the quote isn't updated on the forum summary page unless you clear your cache, or disable caching completely. Kinda sad...

I'll look around for possible "solutions" so it's updated on every view of the page.

Thanks for the reminder!

Thanx babe. *kiss*

One way around this problem would be to clear the forum summary cache right before the page is displayed... but I wouldn't recommend it since it puts so much extra load on the server and slows the process down considerably.
Well, or that's what it does on my server at least. :rolleyes:

If you want to give it a try, then follow these instructions:

[code][/code]

quote:
Originally posted by Laura_ubb:
How random is it? I installed it and it only changes after I clear the cache. Otherwise everytime time I visit my test board its got the same quote on.

Thankyou :kiss:

I believe it is changing every hour or so, atleast it does at my board

[code][/code][/b]

Gave it ago and it works, but it does put a lot of pressure on the server. Also a lot slower too

Yeah.

I'll have another look after dinner, maybe I can come up with something better, who knows!

Well, nuts.

I tried installing this again. No dice.

I hacked using the text file. No dice.

I'm pretty sure I chmoded everything correctly.

I uploaded the text files to a newly created quotes directory.

I cleared the cache.

Opened the board.

Nothing. Nada.

The only way I can even get the "Random Quote" table to appear is with Syntax's code; but even then, the quote doesn't appear.

I guess I'll pass on this hack for now.

Wai-wai-wai-wait a minute!
You're using UBB v6.2?

This mod's made for the 6.3x series, and shouldn't work under earlier versions without some modifications.

quote:
Originally posted by Idle:
Wai-wai-wai-wait a minute!
You're using UBB v6.2?

This mod's made for the 6.3x series, and shouldn't work under earlier versions without some modifications.

Sue's test board is v6.3 and I think that's where she probably tried it.

quote:
Originally posted by Deb:

quote:
Originally posted by Idle:
Wai-wai-wai-wait a minute!
You're using UBB v6.2?

This mod's made for the 6.3x series, and shouldn't work under earlier versions without some modifications.
Sue's test board is v6.3 and I think that's where she probably tried it.

Deb's right! I've been trying to set up my test board so that I can upgrade my main board.

Doh!

I just gave the text instructions yet another try on a fresh install of UBB v6.3,
and it seems to work just fine.

Try downloading the text instructions again, I just updated it now.
I may have missed something the last time.

I am having the same problem with my board as well. No quotes, yet Syntax table is showing up. I installed using the newest text directions in the link in this thread and I imported the instructions to Multi hack. Still a no go. http://snow.prohosting.com/dms78363/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

Hmm... could you open vars_idle.cgi (variables/cgi directory) and post the contents here?

You can also try the following to see if UBB is actually reading the quotes properly:

[code][/code]Then look for "rq_debug.txt" in your NonCGI directory, open it and see if there has any quote been written to it.

Nope no text file in either cgi nor non cgi directories. Also the vars_idle.cgi coding is here:
[code][/code]

I had a look at the instructions again, and added a couple of steps... re-tested everything as well.

Download the updated instructions.

You'll need to overwrite cp_quotes.cgi, do the two steps added for ultimatebb.cgi and the two ones added for cp.cgi.

Oh, I also updated the code for modifying your public_forum_summary.pl (both normal and JCTemplates).

Give it a try and see if that works.

Nope. Same thing. I started from scratch on the same hacked board. I made a mhp file out of the updated instructions as well. I also noticed that one step in cp.cgi was repeated twice. Or at least there is not two lines with :
[code][/code]The MHP file I made with Multi Hack v2.0 can be downloaded here:
http://snow.prohosting.com/dms78363/hacks/rqs_63xx.mhp

I don't think I messed anything up. And I am not using JCTemplates at all.

Oops... I updated the text instructions, for some reason I had pasted the cp.cgi code twice.

Oh, and added the "missing" step for ultimatebb.cgi as well.

If you still don't have any luck with that,
you can PM me your test board's stuff and I'll have a look and modify the thing for you.

Ok, again I updated the multihack file I made and nothing, so I just did it by hand and bam now I got quotes. For some reason it dont like the multi hack. I mopdified the instructions a little where you have to put the variables in. Maybe I was supposed to use insert instead of add after.

anyway I got mine working. Was hoping to update a Multi hack for you but oh well. Now all we need is that little cache bug fixed to get the quotes to refresh. Without having to clear the cache on every page load.

good hack though.

Finally!

I'm new to this MultiHack stuff... don't like it at all, but then again that's just my not so humble opinion.

Yeah, as for the cache "bug", I'm still trying to figure something out for that one.
But doesn't it change when someone posts on your board?
It should do (it does for me) since the forum summary cache is cleared after each new post made.

Good point. I will keep an eye out for that.

Yay, mine does update after someone posts. Which is not that bad, does get people to post afterall.

Yeah.
In my opinion it's alright.
After all, the quotes aren't supposed to attract your visitors, constantly refreshing just to see the next one.