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hello im working at the moment on one elegant solution
to connect vbulletin with any CMS or other application

this hack (for vbulletin) can be used to exchange/synchronize
users of different applications, makes common logins an other nice stuf

this hack is not primary for connect joomla and vbulletin
but i will make some connectors for joomla

where no connection to vbulletin-database needed
vbulletin can be on other end of the internet, on different servers and different domains*

at the moments where following functions compleated:

Login on Vbulletin ( you will get all needed cookies from vbulletin )
last X posts ( if the user logged in, you will became posts with users rights )
get userinfomation ( AIM/homepage/signature.....)
get postinformation ( get compleatly formated post from vbulletin, bbcode, smilies are formated and as HTML )
save/create user

planed functions:
get compleate thread
create post, create thread

the following joomla modules are allready done
login on vbulletin
x last posts


* (different domains ) cookie can only be set if forum and CMS are on same domain (forum.domain.com and cms.domain.com
or domain.com/forum  and domain.com/cms )
if they are on different domains you will get valid session ID, if the user goes to the forum with this session ID, it would be logged in

example for X last posts:

http://c4u.to/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

example for common login:

http://www.c4u.to


on this page you can test the login

the solution is:
by the login, joomla checks normaly is the user exists in joomla database or not

if not, the bridge try to login on vbulletin, if is true
the bridge create an user on joomla and automaticaly log the user in

so that you dont need to synchronize the users, the bridge makes this on login ( only if username and password are same )

at the moment there only posible to login on joomla and by logged in on vbulletin, not in other side ( vbulletin->joomla, i hope anyone can create same API for joomla )

the thread of the project on vbulletin.org
http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=100559

or on vbhacks-germany.com ( in german )
http://www.vbhacks-germany.com/forum/sh ... php?t=2239

Advantage of this solution is, that you can easy update vbulletin ( because no files must be changed, this hack is an addon )
and you can easy update joomla, you must only add come code on one place at the login function

it is posible to makes common logins with more that one forum ( you must only walk all forums and shows if user exists, and then log the user in and get cookie information )

how does this works

i have make an SOAP API on vbulletin side
you does not needs to make DB connections to vbulletin, parse options/bbcode or other stuff,all it will be compleated by vbulletin self with this API
if you wants to get last 10 threads you must only make an call to vbulletin ( $threads=$connect->getLastPosts($limit); )
and you have an array with the data of the threads as result )

if joomla and vbulletin are on same server, the perfomance is the same as by actual bridge

this hack is written ( at the moment ) in php5 and soap extension
but it is posible to make an server in php4/5 an PEAR_SOAP class or nuSOAP
if many people are used php4 and dont plan to update it, i will try to make this hack in php4

look at the post on vbulletin-forums you will find some examples to show how does it works

client can be written in any language which supports SOAP
(ASP,PHP,Java..... )

i'm using SOAP and not XML-RPC because SOAP is an W3C standard and suported by many applications

I like this upcoming solution and the code you send me looks really promising, also to the view that this solution is in future Server independend and CMS independend.

To limit only to PHP5 or PHP4 is not good as we have talked a solution which works for both would be the best. I'm sure if we also have a SOAP Server for Joomla! This will be the new way not only for vBulletin and Joomla but also for other bridges.

So thanks for your contribution really apreciate

_________________
The "Humor, Fun and Games" forum has  more than 2500 Posts, so why not build a "Humor, Fun and Games Working" Group?
.....
Malicious tongues say we have this WG right from the start, they call it core team

okay my connectors can now all that vbridge do ( also common login, change user data, add/delete users... )

you have choise between 2 modules

vbulletin  -> soap based module ( preferred )
vbulletin_sql -> works with DB connects like vbridge

difference to vbridge and between modules

vbridge<->com_connector
1. synchronisation on the fly ( by first login )
2. all vbulletin users will be added as joomla users
3. usertable(password) dont need to be changed
4. you can connect more then one forum
5. modules for phpbb/wbblite ( other are planed )
6. com_connector needs only some changes on joomla.php, other core files are unchanged
7. you can easy uninstall this component
8. component code is only 50kb

the module vbulletin works only with PHP5 and SOAP extension
it is working like a "browser-client" which is connected to vbulletin
so that this solution is a little bit secure ( for example you cannot delete admins or other protected users, and you can see only a posts which the user can see)
this solution supports all feautures of vbulletin ( secondary database and other )

the module vbulletin_sql is nothing else then a little bit changed version of vbridge
and it use database connects
this module works with PHP4

Can this be made to work with Community Builder 1.0 RC2?

CB uses a different login form to joomla (although it uses the same password hashing)

Good!

I will try this, I was about to give up vbridge and even vbulletin because of the login/cookie issue

Leonsio has gone a different way and i like this way, for PHP5 SOAP is really a great solution but for PHP4 the performance is to low, i work with leonsio on a PHP4 solution to solve this cookie issue and i'm happy he joined the developing, as currently i'm since 2 weeks in the bed with heavy flu ( and this shortly before christmas   )  so all my plans are overboard, i hope we got a nice solution asap.

_________________
The "Humor, Fun and Games" forum has  more than 2500 Posts, so why not build a "Humor, Fun and Games Working" Group?
.....
Malicious tongues say we have this WG right from the start, they call it core team

If you use PHP 5, you should be able to use this solution with almost anything you can think of, up to and including a desktop application if you so desired.

'Tis the power of SOAP.

Oh -- first post here BTW -- love Joomla and VBullettin.  Going to be trying this SOAP solution out as it could be very beneficial to some of the stuff I'm working on with VB integration (MediaWiki, Joomla, desktop applications, Teamspeak, etc...)

Also -- hope you feel better soon Predator your work is definitely appreciated by the community!

Hope you will get back on your feet very soon predator, being sick right beofre chritmas is very unpleasant and I feel for you

You have a very good point concerning the PHP version, most hostings would deliver only PHP4 and performance is crucial.
I'm very impatient to have a working vbridge whish I could code to help...

Thanks not only for christmas i had birthday last week and made a bed party

Yes PHP4 is an issue, it works fine for PHP5 and will be the future together with SOAP, but it is no a good solution currently for PHP4, will also make some Performancetest with suSOAP or PEAR SOAP.

Until this i will take the rest of the fixing as maingoal for now, hoping the lost time will not to big.

_________________
The "Humor, Fun and Games" forum has  more than 2500 Posts, so why not build a "Humor, Fun and Games Working" Group?
.....
Malicious tongues say we have this WG right from the start, they call it core team

Hi
Good to hear that things are movieng on:) Could you give any time when it could be ready?
Happy brithday and many thanks for you work

Welcome Back Predator.
Welcome Aboard Leonsio.

Well, happy birthday anyway predator !

glad to hear that things are coming along, seems that lots of people are willing to use the vbridge on their site.

So for us who are not coders and only use SOAP in the bathroom  , what is the advantage of this soap thing?

Cheers

If you have PHP5 the advantage is, the forum need not to be on the same domain or even the same server to login or get the datas for the Module i.e. and lots more

_________________
The "Humor, Fun and Games" forum has  more than 2500 Posts, so why not build a "Humor, Fun and Games Working" Group?
.....
Malicious tongues say we have this WG right from the start, they call it core team

Righto,

So with php5 and soap I can have

forum.mydomain.com

While with php4 I can only do

http://www.mydomain.com/forum

Is that right?

No not really this works also with PHP4 it is still the same domain, doesn't matter if subdomain or a higher folder level.

I mean like Joomla at http://www.mydomain.com and the forum at http://www.mynewdomain.net

_________________
The "Humor, Fun and Games" forum has  more than 2500 Posts, so why not build a "Humor, Fun and Games Working" Group?
.....
Malicious tongues say we have this WG right from the start, they call it core team

I always thought we had some issues with subdomains, so do you believe that the subdomain thing will be fixed in the next release even on PHP4?

Yes, the issue is a cookie issue as also the other reported issues, so need "only" to fix this and it works also for subdomains.

_________________
The "Humor, Fun and Games" forum has  more than 2500 Posts, so why not build a "Humor, Fun and Games Working" Group?
.....
Malicious tongues say we have this WG right from the start, they call it core team

OH MAN!! I never thought the day would come when I would see a man and be so happy! HAHAHAAHAHAHAH PREDATORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! YOU ARE KILLING ME!!!!!!! I am DYING for that vBridge cookie fix!!!!! *pulling hair* HAHAHAHAHA

_________________
Regards,

Efrain Ruiz
Virtual American Airlines
http://www.virtualaa.com

Hehe  Come on, not that the cookie stuff doesn't drive me nuts, trust me IT DOES, not being able to launch a site is terrible BUT this is open source, Predator has a day job + he was sick we can't ask him for results and timelines like if he would be paid...open source has good and not so good sides.
I'm not a coder but I assume that if it would be an easy fix it would be already finished.

I am aware of all of that!  I also have a full-time job and a family to take care of, so I know how these things sort of take a back seat. If I sounded like I was rushing Predator, I was! hahahaha Just kidding. Sorry if I sounded a bit desperate. Just happy to see Predator back after being ill. 

_________________
Regards,

Efrain Ruiz
Virtual American Airlines
http://www.virtualaa.com

I think that we are all happy he is back - and full of hopes!!!! 
I lost a few hair myself trying to understand what was going on with the vbridge!

http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,24185.0.html

i have created a soap based api for joomla like VB_SOAP for vbulletin

this api will be needed if you have php5 and wants to use vbulletin module to connect joomla and vbulletin

in the next days i will create a connector for vbulletin to access joomla from vb side ( vbulletin->joomla )
i will make 2 options:

1. soap based ( preferred ), which is needs JMSOAP extension on joomla side
2. sql based, which is working like vbridge with DB connects

Cool! go go My login now is broken and I dont know why, damnit, i have to recreate all crypt password for my account in mySQL db, and dont work too...

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Yep a version for PHP4 which is probably the majority of us would be great! Thanks both of you for all your work! Can't wait to install a working bridge

so my status:

i have created SOAP based login/logout module for vbulletin

so that the way vbulletin->joomla  and joomla->vbulletin is now working fine  ( common login and user synchronisation )

demo on my forum http://www.c4u.to

as next step i will create other plugins for change/create/delte users

then i will make sql based module for vbulletin ( or predator makes one )

first release if the connector for vbulletin is ~end of this week

Any plans for integration with community builder?

i dont have any plans to intergrate it with community builder at this time
because i dont use it.

you can try to finde someone who will make it

the com_connector api is very simple

Since CB RC2 there is not need to integrate it directly into a bridge, CB RC2 supports now also plugins like the com_connector.

@leonsio

Im checking currently the com_connector and the vbulletin modules and will add missing parts if there are some, if it goes all well there should be no longer need to have separated bridges, due to the modules ( maybe change this to plugins to avoid confusion the the joomla modules )
it then can be used for PHP4 and via PHP5 also for SOAP, only the Joomla modules must be different when for SOAP use or not, or compinate them with if clauses for both uses.

I like this fresh new thinking to this bridges problems and the offered way with this solution and with further developing it is a universal solution for many applications.

_________________
The "Humor, Fun and Games" forum has  more than 2500 Posts, so why not build a "Humor, Fun and Games Working" Group?
.....
Malicious tongues say we have this WG right from the start, they call it core team

As for com_connector modules there should be definitly different name as when I was installing it for the first time it took me close to 30 minutes to find that there were no modules to install:)

So if I understand wel,l vbridge will be using now com_connetor for php4 as well?