v1.4.0 Work around missing core module tables

Site Admin Joined: Jul 18, 2005 Posts: 383

NOT a bug per se.
I'm using a stripped down version of RN (no forums, PM, Weblinks, Downloads, Reviews or Member_List modules).

I have also removed the DB tables for the above, which causes the Newslitter module to generate an error when it looks for my now, none existent _bbconfig table

I have made a quick workaround by wrapping the look-up in an if(is_active($module)) check
modules/HTML_Newsletter/admin/functions.php

Code:

// Get phpBB configuration information to assist with date/time conversions
if(is_active('Forums')){
$msnl_asPHPBBCfg = array();
$sql = 'SELECT `config_name`, `config_value` FROM `' . $prefix . '_bbconfig`';
$result = msnl_fSQLCall($sql);
if (!$result) { // Bad SQL call
msnl_fRaiseAppError(_MSNL_COM_ERR_DBGETPHPBB);
} else {
while ($row = $db->sql_fetchrow($result)) {
$msnl_asPHPBBCfg[$row['config_name']] = $row['config_value'];
}
}
}

Site Admin Joined: Jul 18, 2005 Posts: 383

I also did the same in the modules admin/admin.php for the section "Display options list for Site Sponsors in file" by wrapping the whole DIV output (- I'm not using Advertising).

Site Admin Joined: Jul 18, 2005 Posts: 383

In an ideal world, I would probably run a series of if(is)active()) checks up front on each of the modules that the HTML Newsletter grads (optional) data from and if the check return true, set a global switch for each of the modules.
Unfortunately, I don't have the time (running behind schedule) to do that and document it so I'm going to take the (overhead) expensive route and do the checks as and when needed - it's on the admin side any way, so overhead isn't too much of an issue.

For the form inputs, I'm simply going to wrap each of the option rows in an IF / ELSE so if the module isn't active, it will use an input type of hidden with the default '0' value like this

Code:

/*
* Latest Downloads
*/
if(is_active('Downloads')) {
echo '<tr ' . $msnl_asCSS['TR_top'] . '>'
. '<td ' . $msnl_asCSS['TD_hdr_adm'] . '>'
. msnl_fShowHelp(_MSNL_ADM_HLP_INCLLATESTDLS, _MSNL_ADM_LAB_INCLLATESTDLS)
. _MSNL_ADM_LAB_INCLLATESTDLS
. ': '
. '</td>'
. '<td>'
. '<input type="text" name="msnl_downloads" size="2" '
. 'maxlength="2" value="' . $_POST['msnl_downloads'] . '" />' . ""
. '</td></tr>';
} else {
echo '<input type="hidden" name="msnl_downloads" value="0" disabled />';
}

Site Admin/Owner Joined: Feb 12, 2005 Posts: 1294

Guardian,

I'll add this as an enhancement request. Given that RN is trying to move in the direction of removing dependencies between modules, this could be done better.

Site Admin Joined: Jul 18, 2005 Posts: 383

No problem.
I actually went back and changed my approach. I used if(is_active('ModuleName')) to set a multi-dimensional array, which is available in the global scope so I could do;
if($live['ModuleName']['1'])
It isn't perfect but it was a quick workaround that fitted my needs at the time and avoided the need to repeatedly call is_active, which meant another DB query each time.

It was actually nice to work with the Newlsetter templates as I hadn't had the need to since the first version came out and I found them extremely easy to customise - nice job!!

Site Admin/Owner Joined: Feb 12, 2005 Posts: 1294

Guardian wrote:

It was actually nice to work with the Newlsetter templates as I hadn't had the need to since the first version came out and I found them extremely easy to customise - nice job!!

Well, thank you for the Kudos, but I'll give them over to Mangaman who came up with the original approach which is pretty much still 100% in use today. He did a fine job.