vBulletin 4.2

[ausphotography]

Just a heads up...
There is a new Navbar Manager in vB4.2
See: Login Required - vBulletin JIRA

I'm guessing it may cause some issues in that any Navbar integrations might need to change, so watch out for the public beta.

[Chuck S]

Are they even going to have a public beta

I mean the public beta was like 4 weeks for vb4. I will check it out but easy enough if there is an issue with a beta you simply disable the navbar plugin till something can be written. Only as of PP8 did we even include supportable vb plugins.

[Alfa1]

Public betas for vb4.1.x releases have been very short. Or even moving from alpha to beta to release in a week. You can see it live on various sites, like https://www.vaultwiki.org/activity.php

I really hope that PP will add activity stream support. This would be a massive added value for me, as it would bring Photopost out of the shadows into the daily activity stream of my members. People would start using my gallery again.

The activity stream is pluggable.

[Chuck S]

Well any support on new vb features as far as plugins would take some time as once we get a site setup using the new code we would need to look at what changes there are. Right now I am working with 2 betas so any plugin time I get would be in my free time. Support and Development take up a far share of my day.

We would eventually support any new vb feature we could but I can definately say if 4.2 is gold in a week or two any new navbar tab we would most likely not have support for yet. If it is a ways off it may be doable.

[Alfa1]

The alpha is quite stable in case you want to check it out. It seems that a gold release will be done in 2 weeks.

[Chuck S]

If I get some time I will.

[Alfa1]

Its moved to Beta status now and will be live on vbulletin.com in an hour.

[ausphotography]

I have vB 4.2.0 BETA 1 running in my test system.

PP vBgallery will need the following changes...

1. Remove old style navigation navbar hooks/templates etc

2. Create a new <navigation> section in the product file
(You can create the navigation in the navigation manager, linked to a product then export the product file)

3. Set any conditionals in a hook or in your main code
Eg. $show['apmgtug'] = true; is set for one of the menu items
My example relies on $show['member'] = true; as well.
Leave the <show> tag empty for 'public' tabs/links

4. If you have multiple scripts, leave <scripts> blank and set $root at the new hooks set_navigation_tab_fallback or set_navigation_tab_vbview

Content visible to verified customers only.

I hope that helps you get a quick leg up for this change.

I would probably have a new vB4.2 code base because of the differences, you could have the same code base with some sort of version check.

In the end the new navigation integration is better and easier.

Here are sample <navigation> from one of my own plugins...

Content visible to verified customers only.

Sample phrases the give the text of the navigation items.

Content visible to verified customers only.

[Chuck S]

thanks that gives a basis to work with.

[ausphotography]

No worries!

I've started a Navigation Manager how to discussion on vb.org
vBulletin.org Forum - View Single Post - vB4.2 Navigation Manager - how to discussion

Some of the vb.com staff are contributing

[Chuck S]

Yes that is always how you begin

The problem I need to figure out is how to determine which plugins to load and configure in Photopost. You can not use if clauses in an xml plugin persay so what I need to do once I write up a new plugin that supports the new navtab format I need to reconfigure how to generate the vb plugins to load the proper one.

[Alfa1]

4.2 gold will be released in a few days.

[Chuck S]

Well I have downloaded the beta but can not say when we would officially support 4.2's navigation system.

Anyone who opts to upgrade to 4.2 can disable our navbar hook in the PhotoPost Pro plugin and then create whatever link they wish in 4.2 format until such time as I have had time to look into how to support the new system and be compatible with all releases of vbulletin as we are with PhotoPost Pro.

Remember any PhotoPost Pro less than 8 the user has always been on there own to mod or place a navbar link. I only included supported plugins 4 months ago.

[Chuck S]

I wrote up a tab for 4.2

A community photo gallery - ReefTalk Gallery

Basicall to support the new vb 4.2 navigation tab you would upload the xml file attached here to your documentations folder.

You would edit your adm-plugin.php file find this line

Content visible to verified customers only.

replace it with

Content visible to verified customers only.

You would then in your photopost admin run the generate vb4 xml option and once it is saved go into your vb product manager reimport the new plugin select the option to overwrite and once done your new navtab in vb 4.2 format should work fine.

[ausphotography]

Thanks!
I've been playing in our test system and as you say I could disable your menu and do it all manually using the Navigation Manager in the short term.

Your fix is for PP Gallery not vBgallery ?

[Alfa1]

The main thing I am hoping to see is new PP images & comments in the activity stream.

[Chuck S]

Yes my fix is for PhotoPost Pro. vbGallery is way much more complex as far as things go meaning we would have to actually release a brand new code branch to support 4.2 which will definately take time. You can do the same suggestion I made above disabling any vbgallery navtab and create your own in vb nav manager.

As far as Activity Stream Alfa1 it is something I will probally look at like I have said a few times now. There is actually no documentation on the activity stream and how to add stuff to it yet. Most likely no docs on that will be available on the vbulletin.org site until such time as it goes gold and some time after.

Remember the activity stream is a brand new feature. I merely posted the above thing for Pro because it was an easy fix.

[Chuck S]

The new navigation is not documented yet as I would need to know how to define variables to pass through to the tabs to really make the menubar usable.

I know the vb variable array can be used like this

{userinfo.userid}

I would need to pass and define or use our own arrays. That is where the documentation is lacking.

[ausphotography]

Originally Posted by Chuck S

The new navigation is not documented yet as I would need to know how to define variables to pass through to the tabs to really make the menubar usable.
<snip>

At this stage your best bet is this thread on vb.org vBulletin.org Forum - View Single Post - vB4.2 Navigation Manager - how to discussion

vB staff have contributed.

In the mean time I'll hack vBGallery myself using $show variables set at appropriate places.

[Chuck S]

I have read that thread it does not specifically go over what I asked.

vbGallery will take that much I know because there are specific variables that have to be passed and that is not working in the new navigation.

Documentation on the new features will have to be written and vbulletin has already said thats not going to happen until after a final gold is released so it really just the way vb chooses to do business nowadays.