yvComment - Comments extension for Joomla! 1.5

[yvolk]

Hi, Joomla! community! 
Let me present to you my first Joomla! extension. Version 1.0. This is my first PHP application also ...but I think it may be interesting for you as an example and as a new native Joomla! 1.5 extension. GPL license.

yvComment is written from scratch specifically for Joomla! 1.5 and it is not compatible with previous versions of Joomla!/Mambo. So it is free to use most advanced features of Joomla! 1.5.
yvComment uses MVC (Model-View-Controller) architectural pattern. I think, that the most interesting for developers would be the fact, that yvComment uses the same MVC code for both Component and Plugin parts of it.
I've tested it with Joomla! 1.5 Stable - and it doesn't need any hacks to work.
--------------------------------
yvComment is a comments extension (component + plugin) for Joomla! 1.5 only! This extension allows both registered users and guests (if enabled) to add comments to any Article.

All configuration setting of this extension are set in "yvComment Plugin parameters" (Administrator interface->Extensions->Plugin Manager->yvComment Plugin).
By default, yvComment uses the same storage (database table), as Articles. So, you may use for Comments the same "Article manager" and even Joomla! extensions, designed for Articles. To separate Comments (of Articles) from Articles themselves (and from other content, e.g. news etc.), you have to select Section for Comments (in yvComment Plugin parameters).
You may configure, if comments are visible to unregistered users, by "Access level" of yvComment Plugin.
yvComment uses simple css file (components/com_yvcomment/default.css), the may be used as a start point for customization. Full 'template override' support allows you to customize layout...

Currently (v.1.12) yvComment is translated into these languages: Chinese, Danish, Dutch, German, English, French, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Persian/Farsi.

For detailed and latest information about this extension see yvComment's Home Page. See it in Joomla! Extensions Directory also.

v.1.5 ... 1.9: Added Smiley support, Captcha support (two Captcha plugins are supported), BBCodes support...
v.1.11: Full 'template override' for customization; mail notifications for Admins...
v.1.12: Support for content plugins - all, that are used for articles.

(Edited to give readers some up-to-date information about yvComment)

[user deleted]

Hi,

From what I can read, this must be a good extensions with high demand. Why not add it to the Extension site?

Moderator note; moving from 1.5, Development >> Open Source Products

[yvolk]

From what I can read, this must be a good extensions with high demand. Why not add it to the Extension site?

Of cause I think about this, but I desided to receive at least some comments from developers at first... I don't want "This thing doesn't work all" to be the first comment of my extension 

[ChiefGoFor]

From what I can read, this must be a good extensions with high demand. Why not add it to the Extension site?

Of cause I think about this, but I desided to receive at least some comments from developers at first... I don't want "This thing doesn't work all" to be the first comment of my extension 

Smart thinking! I will check it out.

[AmyStephen]

Yuri -

This is FANTASTIC!

I installed the component and plugin; configured the plugin and was able to create and read a comment. Makes me very happy - comments are really essential.

There are a few errors that I am getting - I'll PM you with some details.

I'm really glad you found us here at Joomla! and appreciate you GPL'ing your MARVELOUS extension!

Amy

[CoolAcid]

Yep - Nice start!

I see a few byref issues - simple to fix - altho I didn't look at your code. If you need help, let me know.

Also, in your com_component you should start looking to add the ability to manage the comments - that's importent.

GREAT START!

[aravot]

Database Version: 5.0.24a-standard-log
Database Collation: utf8_general_ci
PHP Version: 5.2.1
Web Server: Apache/2.0.54

Joomla 1.5 r7224
yvCommentComponent1.00.006
yvCommentPlugin1.00.006

In plugin manager when accessing yvComment plugin I get the following error

Warning: file_get_contents(/home/dev.mysite.com/home/plugins/content/yvComment.xml) [function.file-get-contents]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/dev.mysite.com/home/libraries/joomla/utilities/simplexml.php on line 174

In plugin there are no parameters to set.

Installed the component but is not showing in the components list.

[yvolk]

Thank you all for your feedback!
I've fixed some incompatibilities:
1. "Call-time pass-by-reference has been deprecated"
2. "Use of undefined constant yvCommentVersion"
3. And I tried to fix this issue:

In plugin manager when accessing yvComment plugin I get the following error

Warning: file_get_contents(/home/dev.mysite.com/home/plugins/content/yvComment.xml) [function.file-get-contents]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory

- I changed Component and Plugin names (and names of files and names of classes...) to lowercase: "yvcomment".
Current version is 1.0.13 (I've updated distribution package in the first message of the thread)

[AmyStephen]

It is working GREAT, now! Thanks, Yuri! 

If you continue to grow it and are looking for additional testing or more ideas, let us know!

Appreciate your contributions,
Amy

[aravot]

Tried the new version, it is fixed, thanks. If you need feedback let me know.

[yvolk]

I don't know how much you want to improve this but it would be better to separate comments from articles in the backend.

This "separation" may be done by applying filter to "articles".

I thought, that there are different types of "articles": general stories, news, blog messages ... and comments. They all have much in common, so why not to store them in one table and use the same tools to manage them. See thread "Generic Pattern to extend com_content" about this approach http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,153464.0.html. Article manager and, maybe, other thirt-party article managers (if there are any?) may be used to manage my comments, and I don't have to write a line of code for this...

Current version of yvComment allows you to use separate table to store comments (there is configuration parameter "Use Content Table"), but in this case we'll have to write new/unique tools to manage yvComments, to search them etc...

What do you think?

[eyezberg]

articles = content items
comments = content items
if you can use the same manager for both, it makes it easier, less code, allows to use plugins on them etc.. I am all for this system.

[CoolAcid]

You may still want to have a management system - for example - you may want to extend the system to support spam traps, your backend may want to show what comments are caught in the spam trap - I guess it could still just mp over to the com_content editor or what not.

I really need to bone up on writing extensions - So much into the core I can't see past it

-- ACK / EDIT--

I just installed the com on my production system and it died with 'Layout "default" not found' -- hapends as soon as I turn on the plugin?

[yvolk]

You may still want to have a management system - for example - you may want to extend the system to support spam traps, your backend may want to show what comments are caught in the spam trap - I guess it could still just mp over to the com_content editor or what not.

Thank you, CoolAcid, for suggestion. Here are my thoughts.

1. Currently, my component allows adding comments to registered users only, so the cause of "spam trap" for comments and for other "content/articles" is basically the same: compromised user account etc...
I mean, of cause Joomla needs sophisticated article browser/analyzer with much more options, than existing "Article manager" has. So I'm tending to think, that we shall talk about more general tool to manage content, not comments only...
By the way, yesterday I tried to find something like this for Joomla! 1.5 in the Extensions directory - no luck 

2. As to special, "comments aware" browsing/management, I think, that I will add new frontend "view" to the comments, that will show comments of different articles with links to that articles. That view may be used for multiple purposes (depending on filters applied to this view...):
- "latest comments"
- "comments by user"...
Admin may use this view to edit/delete comments (in addition to the existing view, where Admin now may edit/delete comments of current Article directly from frontend).

I just installed the com on my production system and it died with 'Layout "default" not found' -- hapends as soon as I turn on the plugin?

When I started to write yvComment a month ago I had to use some hacks into Joomla Controller Class, exactly for instructing Joomla, where to find "Layout" etc... But when, last week, I moved to the newest build of Joomla, it appeared, that these hacks a not necessary any more.
So, I think, that build of your "production system" is a bit old for my component to work  .

[CoolAcid]

You may still want to have a management system - for example - you may want to extend the system to support spam traps, your backend may want to show what comments are caught in the spam trap - I guess it could still just mp over to the com_content editor or what not.

Thank you, CoolAcid, for suggestion. Here are my thoughts.

1. Currently, my component allows adding comments to registered users only, so the cause of "spam trap" for comments and for other "content/articles" is basically the same: compromised user account etc...
I mean, of cause Joomla needs sophisticated article browser/analyzer with much more options, than existing "Article manager" has. So I'm tending to think, that we shall talk about more general tool to manage content, not comments only...
By the way, yesterday I tried to find something like this for Joomla! 1.5 in the Extensions directory - no luck 

Fair enough - You may want to look to adding guest abilities too -- A spam bot has been known to register on forums to post spam too I do agree that the article/com_content system needs to be updated - and thats slated for another version, just not 1.5 -- And yes, you are the first to corner the comment market on 1.5 -- which is why I'd like to see you do so well

2. As to special, "comments aware" browsing/management, I think, that I will add new frontend "view" to the comments, that will show comments of different articles with links to that articles. That view may be used for multiple purposes (depending on filters applied to this view...):
- "latest comments"
- "comments by user"...
Admin may use this view to edit/delete comments (in addition to the existing view, where Admin now may edit/delete comments of current Article directly from frontend).

Try and stay away from doing too much in the front end control wise - people like Joomla! because it has a backend allowing control from a central location - Those views would be good to make menu items from tho.

I just installed the com on my production system and it died with 'Layout "default" not found' -- hapends as soon as I turn on the plugin?

When I started to write yvComment a month ago I had to use some hacks into Joomla Controller Class, exactly for instructing Joomla, where to find "Layout" etc... But when, last week, I moved to the newest build of Joomla, it appeared, that these hacks a not necessary any more.
So, I think, that build of your "production system" is a bit old for my component to work  .

You cought me - I try and keep it updated - but with some conferences I've been a bit lax on doing so - and I can't keep up with all the changes/bug fixes to know a newer build would fix it -- good eye I'll give it another go tonight when I get home.

Yvolk,
Keep up the good work! - I think with a bit more work this will turn out to be a very popular project for 1.5 -- I'd also take a quick look at some of the comment systems for 1.0.x to see what they have added (like themes etc) to extend yours - I hope it becomes firmly planted for 1.5 sites!

Cheers!

[CoolAcid]

Updated and it's working -- Good Job!

I'd still like to see guests be able to comment - There should be some way to access a capta plugin or something. Just ask for a name on it as well.

Altho, how would that effect using the content table?

[yvolk]

I'd still like to see guests be able to comment - There should be some way to access a capta plugin or something. Just ask for a name on it as well.

Yes, you're right. I think, I'll start with some simple spam protection and when there will be some good "CAPTCHA" for Joomla! 1.5 available, I'll upgrage security to it.
...after reading Inet, it looks like such "CAPTCHA engine" should be used in many scenarios in Joomla!, e.g. user registration... and in posting yvComments  . I'll try to use "CB Captcha plugin" (http://extensions.joomla.org/component/ ... Itemid,35/)...

Ok, I'll "ask for a name", if user is a guest...

Altho, how would that effect using the content table?

Some modules, that don't filter articles by section (all yvComments are in their own, user defined section), may show comments among "real" articles. For example, "Latest News" core plugin doesn't allow user to exclude some Sections 

[CoolAcid]

Altho, how would that effect using the content table?

Some modules, that don't filter articles by section (all yvComments are in their own, user defined section), may show comments among "real" articles. For example, "Latest News" core plugin doesn't allow user to exclude some Sections 

Yeah, thats what I was thinking - putting comments in it's own table might be a better way to go in the long run, then provide latest comments etc modules after the fact - all tho, you would need to have a manager... for the most part tho, you could use the code from com_content and duplicate it for yours.

Something else I'd like to see is the ability to have comments on multiple sections.

Your doing GREAT work!

Congrats on your first plugin!

[yvolk]

Yeah, thats what I was thinking - putting comments in it's own table might be a better way to go in the long run, then provide latest comments etc modules after the fact - all tho, you would need to have a manager... for the most part tho, you could use the code from com_content and duplicate it for yours.

Duplicating code, that is constantly improved by community... I don't like this.
In fact, comments are much the same as short blog messages, news etc. so its natural, that they are in the same table.
By the way, I've noticed interesting side effect: my yvComment allows to have comments on comments  - when comment (as an ordinal article) is shown by com_content.

Something else I'd like to see is the ability to have comments on multiple sections.

Joomla! doesn't have a notion of "content type" yet, so I _have_ to use special "Section" as content type (another option is to have separate table for every content type...).
But I may easily figure out Section and Category of the Parent (Article, that was commented), so comments may be filtered/sorted by Sections/Categories of their Articles. Joining content table with itself to retrieve Section and Category of Article is not a problem!

... Maybe we may get some use of Category of Comment: Admin may create some categories for "Comments Section" and "Add comment" form may include combobox to select category of comment... Does this make any sense?

Another feature, that I'm thinking of, is using Joomla!'s internal Editors to edit text of the Comment. It's possible now through backend only, but yvComment shows all formatting escaped. I think, it may be easily fixed, so Comments will be formatted (as an option, if author wants them to be formatted)! ... and in the end we'll have hierarchical content and yvComment will be only a way to build this hierarchy - everythig else will be pure Joomla! core.

Thank you for your kind words!

[CoolAcid]

Here is an interesting thought.. You'd have to do this as a preferences/config option in your com_ system for the admin, but you could enumerate the content plug-ins from joomla, and have the admin select which to load..

(Rethinking - I'm not so sure if you can do this or not without calling them directly without jdispatch... herm.. )
[me=CoolAcid]needs to do more looking at legacy comment plug-ins[/me]

[yvolk]

This release is a work in progress, but I decided to bring it to the public to get some motivating feedback .

v.1.2 of yvComment released (May 13, 2007)

1. Added language files for Plugin parameters.
2. Plugin code rebuilt to conform to Joomla! 1.5 recommendations (using JPlugin class).

v.1.1 of yvComment released (May 11, 2007)

1. Added new Menu item type: "List of Comments".
2. Added links from Comment (in Article view) to the parent Article.
3. Added option to use HTML formatting (full hypertext) support for the text of comment.
4. yvComment Homepage (http://yurivolkov.com/Joomla/yvComment/index_en.html) is greatly expanded.
5. Added Persian/Farsi translation.

[Nakebod]

This is a nice component
I believe it could be come very poplar at many Joomla sites.

To help you improve this: I had a small issue while installing it (Using the SVN version, 7404 current version)
The language files didn't install for the component as well the plugin.
See below.

Code: Select all

Component install
        * Copy failed
        * JInstaller::install: Failed to copy file: /var/www/ipg.lan/joomla15/htdocs/tmp/install_46482f210e9f8/www/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_yvcomment.ini to /var/www/ipg.lan/joomla15/htdocs/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_yvcomment.ini
        * Copy failed
        * JInstaller::install: Failed to copy file: /var/www/ipg.lan/joomla15/htdocs/tmp/install_46482f210e9f8/www/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_yvcomment.ini to /var/www/ipg.lan/joomla15/htdocs/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_yvcomment.ini

Plugin install
        * Copy failed
        * JInstaller::install: Failed to copy file: /var/www/ipg.lan/joomla15/htdocs/tmp/install_46482f3b14353/www/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.plg_content_yvcomment.ini to /var/www/ipg.lan/joomla15/htdocs/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.plg_content_yvcomment.ini

Plugin uninstall
        * Delete failed: 'en-GB.plg_content_yvcomment.ini'
        * Delete failed: 'ru-RU.plg_content_yvcomment.ini'

Component uninstall
        * Delete failed: 'en-GB.com_yvcomment.ini'
        * Delete failed: 'ru-RU.com_yvcomment.ini'
        * Delete failed: 'fa-IR.com_yvcomment.ini'
        * Delete failed: 'en-GB.com_yvcomment.ini'
Message
        * Uninstall component: Success

After manual creating the 3 en-GB language files the text seems to be ok in the Plugin settings.
Uninstall still fails, even on the en-GB files.

In my first test I used the Content Table, but I didn't like the Latest News to be comments so I changed the setting to No.
After posting a comment:

Code: Select all

Database errors:
Error message: "Table 'joomla15.jos_yvcomment' doesn't exist SQL=INSERT INTO jos_yvcomment ( `title`,`alias`,`fulltext`,`state`,`sectionid`,`catid`,`created`,`created_by`,`checked_out`,`checked_out_time`,`version`,`parentid`,`ordering` ) VALUES ( 'Goed artikel','goed-artikel','Dus doet hij het?','1','5','33','2007-05-14 09:47:06','62','0','0','1','18','1' )"
SQL="INSERT INTO jos_yvcomment ( `title`,`alias`,`fulltext`,`state`,`sectionid`,`catid`,`created`,`created_by`,`checked_out`,`checked_out_time`,`version`,`parentid`,`ordering` ) VALUES ( 'Goed artikel','goed-artikel','Dus doet hij het?','1','5','33','2007-05-14 09:47:06','62','0','0','1','18','1' )"

Table 'joomla15.jos_yvcomment' doesn't exist. Correct, it doesn't excist. The table was Table 'joomla15.jos_yvComment' doesn't exist
After renaming the jos_yvComment to jos_yvcomment the error was gone

Also I encountered some problems with HTML tags. Few examples:

Code: Select all

Working:
<i>Test</i> 
<b>Test</b>
<h2>Heading</h2>

Not working:
<hr>
<br>

The not working HTML-tags are loading the page forever.

Some requests, a few are already mentioned here.
More requests means more people who want it to be implemented So thats not a bad thing.

• (Simplyfied?) TinyMCE
• Anti-Flood (Press the Post button a few times and the message is in the database a few times)
• Time-between-posts, also a form of anti-flood
• Guest posting with Captcha
• Backend admin instead of front-end

Keep up the good work!

[laury]

I got a simple problem. I am using a new template  now and my yvcomments has it's comment box smaller. I mean, the space to put the comment have the same size that the space to put the title.
The files of the template are attached. I liked so much the template and the extension... I would love to be with the both.

[yvolk]

To help you improve this: I had a small issue while installing it ...

To Nakebod: Thank you very much for your error report and suggestions...
All suggestions will be aggregated in "Future plans and thoughts" section of yvComment's Homepage, and here I want
to summarize our results of problem resolving:

1. Errors while installing language files.
- I've tested this right now on a fresh site and current build of Joomla!: no problems.
Moreover, language file description for component didn't changed from first version of yvComment
and nobody reported this error :-(. By the way, I'm installing extensions using first method: "Upload Package File"
- As Nakebod found out, this error was a result of some security restrictions on his site, so Joomla! had no enough rights to install language files to the specified folders.

So, this problem is fixed. By the way, I've started thread plugin-install.dtd needs to be updated + problems with language files install  on related topic...

2. Errors while uninstalling language files.
- I also see errors for files, that were not installed (e.g. fa-IR.com_yvcomment.ini)
So this is not a bug: Joomla! can't uninstall files, that were not installed.

3. "Table 'joomla15.jos_yvcomment' doesn't exist" - this is my fault, (although I don't get error on my system...). I fixed this in v.1.2.2!

4. "problems with HTML tags".
- I've tested this - this is Joomla!'s bug. I'll create bug tracker item for this... and I found a walkaround for this (in v.1.2.2 of yvComment): you have additional option to allow not only "HTML", but "Raw data" also in the text of comment.
By the way, Nakebod reported, that this error has gone (maybe it is fixed already in the latest Joomla build...)

[cosmicfantasia]

Hi yvolk,

Thanks for writing a native comments module for J1.5! 

I just downloaded and installed the latest version from your site. 1.02.002 was in the file name.

Both component and plugin installed fine.

When I turn the plugin on I get 'yvComment task=; ArticleID=0; yvCommentID=0' on the page. It is @ the top of the page too, even though I selected 'Below Article box'.

FYI - Even though I installed the component and it says its installed. There is nothing in the components menu. Should there be?

Thanks,
Cosmic...

P.S. Somewhere down the track a 'recent comments' module would that worked with your plugin would be very useful.

[yvolk]

When I turn the plugin on I get 'yvComment task=; ArticleID=0; yvCommentID=0' on the page. It is @ the top of the page too, even though I selected 'Below Article box'.

This is diagnostic message, that appears, when yvComment doesn't know, what to show you 
I think, that this is due to the old Joomla! core version (see my thread about version check problem).
Can you check the build number showing in changelog.php? 
(Read Troubleshooting section of yvComment homepage).

2. Currently yvComment doesn't have it's own menu items in Components menu of Administator's interface, but:
- you configure yvComment through yvcomment plugin parameters,
- you manage comments using "Article Manager" (if you "Use Content Table" for Comments).

3. What's about "Latest comments" module - you already have it (this is "Latest News" module), if you "Use Content Table" for Comments (please read yvComment homepage).

[CoolAcid]

Hey Yvolk,

I'm going to be working on a few system plugins - Capcha and A Bad word detector -- Once I release them you can hook into them to support your system too - I'm going to be working on those this weekend.

One other thing I'd like is the ability to select which sections I would like comments for - IE, not static content, but I do want them on my blogs.

Thanks for the great work!

[yvolk]

I'm going to be working on a few system plugins - Capcha and A Bad word detector -- Once I release them you can hook into them to support your system too - I'm going to be working on those this weekend.

Great! I will wait for your plugins to start my part of work.

One other thing I'd like is the ability to select which sections I would like comments for - IE, not static content, but I do want them on my blogs.

I've got you: I have to add configuration parameter for multiple selection of sections of Articles, for which yvComment will show comments. I don't know, if there is such type of Plugin parameter... if no, I will add text field to type section IDs manually...

[CoolAcid]

One other thing I'd like is the ability to select which sections I would like comments for - IE, not static content, but I do want them on my blogs.

I've got you: I have to add configuration parameter for multiple selection of sections of Articles, for which yvComment will show comments. I don't know, if there is such type of Plugin parameter... if no, I will add text field to type section IDs manually...
[/quote]

Yeah, I'm not so sure if you can have a multiple select box in the params.. but a comma delimited text field would work, but a bit of a pain.

I'll ping TCP and see what he says

--- Edit ---

try param type="section"?

Like:



** UNTESTED **

[yvolk]

What's new in this version:
1. Anti-Flood / anti-spam functions added:
  - Added parameter 'Minimum period between posts of one user, seconds' (Guests with different aliases are treated as different users). Now if you press Post button more, than once, you will get this error message: 'Your previous post was not long ago. Maybe you pressed Post button twice?'.
  - This second new parameter: 'Minimum period between posts of any guest, seconds' is a security measure against spam: even if some spam-bot will generate different guest aliases, this parameter allows to control maximum rate of "spam comments".
  - Added check of Guest's name: it shouldn't be like user's name (or any part of user's name). So guests are not allowed to type these aliases: 'admin', 'strator' (part of 'Administrator') etc.

2. Added "SectionIDs of Articles" parameter: Now you may define the list of Sections (of Articles), for which comments may (or may not, if excluded) be added. So now you may have sections without comments (e.g. for some static content). By the way, you may define now, if comments on comments are enabled... (because all comments are essentially Articles of one predefined Section).

3. The simplest version check of Joomla! core added.