Vbulletin Integration

[rjs]

Hello,

I've just installed mambo and would like to congratulate all contributors for such a fantastically simple program. Indeed very nice. What I find I like about it is the core functions available at installation. Most being needed, some CMS programs I've recently tried tend to keep core to a minimum (framework theory) and allow for gazillions of 3rd party add-on modules. Not good. Terrible luck with compatibility issues using such programs to gain what mambo has for core installation.

I've searched and found many wanting vbulletin integration for mambo. Some claim to have already started such a project. After reviewing what integration function(s) is currently being worked on, I find it to not be quite what I'm looking for and not what I consider an integration.

Here is what I'm hoping to achieve:

1) Mos and vB databases need to synch. This pulls in all thread ID's or (forums) created in vB into Mambo. There would be a synch input button in mambo to allow for synching of the databases and a selection box to allow for using vB for commenting purposes. If selected, there would be an additional drop down in all content creation areas that would allow for selection of thread ID in which to post your commenting to. All of what is input into the snippit and full story content areas would be output to the chosen thread ID in vBulletin. In other words, when you post the content in mambo, the content is also posted in full to the chosen thread ID in vB. A link from the content posted in vB would also allow a "link back" to the story posted within mambo.

2) Userlist/Userbase integration would be an option via admin.

This is vBulletin commenting/userbase integration. Merely allowing users to login via both db's, or combining the userlist is not IMO.
Does anyone have plans to accomplish this, or is a project needed?

The above vbulletin code would then be in addition to the mambo commenting system if it indeed exists. In other words, you could use the internal commenting system, or vBulletin and would have the choice to do so from the admin section.

Unless I am completely blind, It doesn't appear that Mambo has an article commenting system at all. A built in commenting sytem in Mambo would be nice. Although I realize that there are third party modules available that allows commenting, It would be much better to have a mambocomment module. Any upcoming roadmaps posted to review?

[hotnuts21]

We have just finished a Vbull mambo integration, although not quite to your standards, we are going to be constantly working on future versions with more and more integrated options.

THe main thing we have done is integrate the mambo and vbull users, which is the most important thing currently.

[ipbmambo]

is vb free for download?

[hotnuts21]

No VB has a licence and you have to pay to use it.

Its the VB licence we are currently looking carefully at and what is holding up the release of our product.

[rjs]

Originally Posted by hotnuts21

No VB has a licence and you have to pay to use it.

Its the VB licence we are currently looking carefully at and what is holding up the release of our product.

Hello,

Good work. It's sure a start! Great to see others working towards the integration goals indeed!

To bypass the issues of copyright and the jelsoft license, you simply do not use Jelsoft code at all to accomplish the integration. Thus the mention of synching the databases. Unless Jelsoft now owns mySQL and has proprietary rights to the software, they have nothing to say about it. Seperate code written to allow synching of the mysql db's is the answer. Grabbing the vb database threads, userbase, etc... is the answer to the issues of vb being a licensed product.

If you have to read the vB license, you may not be moving in the right direction. The license cannot be an issue or it's legalities will certainly pop up in the future. You have to treat the program as a seperate entity when integrating with mambo.

I currently have all the above functions mentioned in my first post running in another CMS and vBulletin 3.0.3. This part (vbulletin integration) of the CMS is excellent. But I like Mambo CMS better at this point for many other reasons. The other CMS is proprietary licensed code. There "is" a CMS on the market (and only one) that allows all the above named functions. What is needed is for someone who is super with coding mysql queries to look into this integration technique and re-write the code specific to mambo.

I posted a thread here at mambo forums asking if anyone would be interested in helping with a custom integration solution, for hire of course, one wrote, I wrote them back and have heard no more.

What I wrote in my first post cannot only be accomplished, it is available in another CMS.

The primary reason that it would be desireable to have this integration for a CMS is for commenting purposes. Forums (vB being arguably the best) is the best way to introduce a feedback or commenting function to a CMS. Why? Because those that drive the net daily use forums for many purposes. Archiving data, commenting or feedback, community atmosphere, etc...

People are used to forums. It seems almost a forcast track to state that such an integration is the best way to achieve a CMS powered "community" interactive site.

Some will not like the idea of integrating open source with a licensed software of course, not because it cannot be done, but due to their open source religious beliefs. I have no problem with that either. Freedom of religion is fine with me. If you are willing to work with only open souce when integration code is needed, you'll find the process would be the same and outcome would work with any open source board software.

The ideas and community integration techniques are here. No since re-inventing the wheel. We don't need another beta forum software/mos module that lacks function and requires manual linking to forum threads. This alllows for a project page, but lives in the dark ages.

We need to utilize the best of what is available. It's just finding someone interested in coding it. Some one that can write php/mysql and wants the job or project. With Mambo not having a default commenting system, this integration is even more needed. If not for vB, for other established known good board software as well.

I will say that a default comment system or "community" type integration is the only area of Mambo I see that lacks. Mambo is certainly not "Community Plumbing", but Drupal is certainly not a CMS IMO. At least for my needs, this is how I view it. Unlike Drupal, which tends to be more of a high tech blogger that has issues with multipage content, and pluggin module conflicts/compat issues, Mambo seems to be on top of what an average user or small company wants in a CMS. And it's packaged by default to give it. Unlike most I've tried, It does appear that the mambo project knows the difference between a CMS and a portal or blogger. Very refreshing.

It's also no coincidence that the mamboserver.com site uses vBulletin for their forum threads. I commend Mambo for using the best of it's class (small business/single user) and for not using an open source board just to make an open source statement. Try reading Drupal threads!! Enough said. Great choice Mambo. One CMS going in the right direction IMO.

I've yet to view a recent popular open source CMS type software that didn't have numerous requests for forum software integration. Not one has accomplished it no matter if they claim it or not. If they have claimed vB integration, I've tried it. Only one software on the market has it and it's proprietary licensed software. It's time to change that.

[bullsandbears123]

I don't think it would take much to intergrate the two from a programing standpoint, the items I would combine would be Users/members and ability to display threads in Mambo, either as a module or component in the main mid section. The other alternative is InvisionBoard, which I currently use, but I find it slower, not as secure and not as robust.

[hotnuts21]

We dont actually use much of the vbull code at all, in fact 99% of the changes are to the mambo code, and with large sql queries just as you mentioned. All the licence prevents us from doing is distributing vbull files.

However with what we have done and what we are planning we do need to talk to the makers of Vbull and that is what we are doing at present, I cant say much more than that at the moment though.

The future goal is more integration, but for the present we have done something which enables total user integration of the two systems

rgds
Paul

[rjs]

With so many asking for it, just recently Jelsoft has purchased vBCMS TLD domains. Of course this project was delayed do to the extreme amount of time it took to release vB3, but it does appear they are forwarding their efforts towards the CMS arena.

I've watched as people have wanted this integration for a long time.
If Jelsoft does write a CMS that has any of the qualities of vBulletin 2/3, you will see a highly capable integration solution and many moving toward it. We need integration. Not just the userbase, but all the above named.

Does this mean that the vb integration is more important than the function of the cms? No. But "community" integration is. That is what people want. "Community" based sites, or at least the capability to achieve it. Community driven and interactive type sites. Take away this forum here at mamoserver.com and you would be making a mistake, no? Well the next obvious step is to integrate before companies are the only ones who have what people want.


"We dont actually use much of the vbull code at all, in fact 99% of the changes are to the mambo code"

Hmm. Not sure this is a good statement. I don't believe you can use any of the code to release a module/component under the GPL if you have any vB code involved. You could create it for yourself and it should be fine, but releasing your work if you use "any" vB code won't be proper. I'm looking to have an individual/company program the ideas at cost and release the code under GPL so everyone has the opportunity to use it at no cost to them.

[rjs]

Originally Posted by bullsandbears123

I don't think it would take much to intergrate the two from a programing standpoint, the items I would combine would be Users/members and ability to display threads in Mambo, either as a module or component in the main mid section. The other alternative is InvisionBoard, which I currently use, but I find it slower, not as secure and not as robust.

I think you would be astounded to see all the code envolved in the type of integration I have mentioned. I've gone through it and made it as far as creating the needed tables in the mos db for import, and synchronizing the databases. This is as far as I've been able to achieve up to this point. Once the thread ID's are created in your forums, you can sync the mambo and vb db's and pull in the information to a dropdown. The mambo db then has the information of all forum id's in the order of creation. I've done the same with Drupal. It's as far as I've been able to get. A far cry from what's needed.

[bfoot045]

The only thing you really gotta do for vbulletin to make it a legal hack is that you cannot include the files in the installation, you must make the people using the hack, install it manually. (eg.... file edits) . You can include mambo files if you want, but not vbulletin files. :-) hope that helps!

[BGnM2000]

any updates on this?

[rjs]

Not sure there is anything to update here. There is no project being worked on that accomplishes the tasks mentioned and no person hired to help. I did write Phil Taylor (mambo dev) to ask if he would be interested in helping after his return post mentioning that he has a thousand happy clients, but no response was given as of yet. Phil could most likely accomplish this if he could see how it worked in a real environment. No takers on this yet as of this date.

Update I've been contacted by a person concerning this integration. Awaiting an estimate of what it would take to achieve it.

Goals:

1) A creation of an installable component that does the following:

a: Synchronizes the vB and Mos db's and grabs the forum id's already setup in
your vB forums.

b: The ability to select which forum id you wish to send your content to via a
dropdown etc.. This allows you to create a cat for mos and a cat for vb that correlate for that type of situation: Ex: Site News <--> Site News.
So if you are creating a site news or news flash, you can have the content posted directly to that forum ID upon generation of the content. The comments link will be automatically generated when you post content. An article link back from the forum thread to the posted content in MOS will also be generated automatically. This is somewhat like simpleboard with the exception that the links are auto generated upon content posting.

c: Userbase integration

d: Setup configuration via the administration panel

e: Mos Installer package

Versions 4.5.1 MOS - VB 3.0.3.

Summing it up, if you log into vb, you log into mos or vise versa. If you post content, you will be threading to the forums database as well with automatically generated links. So far, vB commenting system and userbase integation.

If you can think of what else you would want the integration to do, please post it. This is going to take a while I'm sure. If for some reason this doesn't work out, I'll continue looking for someone interested.

[ipbmambo]

Just pay some money, and you'll have it! Simple!

[rjs]

Originally Posted by ipbmambo

Just pay some money, and you'll have it! Simple!

Actually, not being that great of a php developer myself and being there aren't huge amounts of people wanting this type of integration, it's probably better to see if someone can do a hack or component for pay than to try to make a project out of it. If more people were interested they would post and say so. If more people were interested in the coding, maybe someone who was good at it would volunteer to help as well.

I really don't think asking for hired help is so bad myself. I mean, look at the core mambo dev's and their money making programs they have developed for Mambo. They have to eat too. I just don't need their components at the moment or I would purchase them as well. Paying for their programs is another form of support. I've paid for some open source to further productivity. If many want something, consider it a project. If just a few are needing a hack etc... Hire someone for customization if you cannot achieve it yourself.

If I can afford to have it coded, I'll give the hack or module away free if it ever becomes a reality to those few people who want to use vBulletin for commenting purposes with mambo. If someone else ends up with a hack that does the job, I'll support their efforts and will most likely put a penny in their til.

If what you wrote I'm taking the wrong way please forgive. But what you wrote seems a bit short and offensive in my view.

[hotnuts21]

As I have posted before, we have accomplished a hack which integrates the users of mambo and Vbull, and this is what the immediate need of most people is, so that is why we have worked on this.
We hope to release it very soon, its ready but one of the developers is holding back for some reason possibly a bug he hasnt fully ironed out.
All other features will be included in future versions, it is the main component we are working on.

Just wait a few days and then send your money our way so I can put our developer on it full time, which will mean quicker integration of what people want

Sorry to keep saying 'its coming' but believe me it is. PM or email me if you are interested and i will put you on the list.

rgds
Paul

[Crazy Serb]

Hey, I'm interested as well... and what happened to www.mambovb.com project anyway?

By the way, are there any plans to integrate the mambo with vbulletin the same way vbPortal (www.vbportal.com) has been intergrated with vbulletin (sort of, embeded vbulletin into the portal)?

[rjs]

Originally Posted by Crazy Serb

Hey, I'm interested as well... and what happened to www.mambovb.com project anyway?

By the way, are there any plans to integrate the mambo with vbulletin the same way vbPortal (www.vbportal.com) has been intergrated with vbulletin (sort of, embeded vbulletin into the portal)?

Hi Crazy,

Right now all of this is up in the air for suggestions. The issues I see at the moment is the direction in which is taken this from the start. Personally I need a commenting function and wish to use vBulletin to do so. This is my primary objective for needing the integration. Then there are other ideas such as userbase integration that you see mentioned here and others working on that (HotNut and others). As far as vBportal goes, I don't think it works quite the same as what we have discussed here. But if you read through the posts I think you'll find that most of the function of the portal will be applied at some point and time. Such as commenting, userbase etc...

Glad to see another person wanting the same. There are a few people working on various vB ideas, and that is most definitely a start. :-) I found a link that mentioned MambovB hasn't been live for a while. Not sure what they were trying to achieve there.

HotNut,
I sent you a PM. Thanks.

Best wishes.

[Hamp]

hotnuts21,

I am so glad that someone is working on this! I am VERY interested and willing to make a donation to this effort. By the way, I have already sent you a PM about this.

Thanks again,
Hamp

[hotnuts21]

Thanks for all the PMs, im getting so many my pm box is filled up, not mention lots of emails etc.

Anyone else interested then email me dont PM me, you can email me at
paul AT sankesolutions.co.uk
remember to replace the AT with @

Demo site nearly up, developer nearly quit moaning, so hopefully something by this weekend. Also we will have a webpage outlining what can and cant be done, as well as a mailing list so I can keep you all upto date.

The two main priorities seem to be user integration and a commenting system, one is done, commenting is planned for the next release.

rgds
Paul

[Lahoreh]

Woohoo, great news! I can't wait

I agree with others: user integration and a commenting system are perfect!

Just to know: will be possible in the futur, to use mambots in vbulletin forum, or similar? I don't know how vbulletin is working but peraps it is possible in some ways... Really great if we can use mambots later to insert pictures from galleries or something other! I not mean complete integration in mambo but using vbulletin in separate url with {mambot tag from a specific mambo site in the database} in the msg ..?

Thanks for your work, and hope we can see and try it soon!