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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
 Posted - 16 November 2008 : 10:22:50
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September 25, 2009 - Updated image links - no other changes
Hey everyone,
I have a MOD that I worked earnestly on several years ago and at various stages since then. However, it's pretty large, and I don't have a lot of time to solo it though to completion, so I am asking for some folks to chip in if they would like to help me.
What this MOD does is many-fold. I think a lot of folks will find it novel, useful, and worth keeping up with as it develops and matures.
First, the mod is called "MOD Suite". In English, that sounds like "MOD Sweet" where the ee sounds like the letter e ... not as in "Etymon" but rather as in "Eygpt".
Details:
This is a bit about what the MOD does. Like I said, the MOD does a lot, so this post may be detailed.
First of all, this is how it all started.
I got tired of having to verify whether what a dbs_ file was doing was what I wanted or not, so I crafted a MOD. I think I got the original code from Dave, so that part of the MOD uses his Display Source code.
What happens in the MOD Suite dbs setup is that you will not only see the normal drop down of available dbs_ files, but you will also see a list above it. What you do with that list is interesting. You can either view the contents of the dbs_ file in a pop_up window or you can delete the dbs_ file from your server from that window.
Going back to the standard drop down in the dbs_ installation page. I added a few more check box options below the standard drop down.
One allows you to see the code that is being processed. This is really for error checking, but it elaborates on what the dbs_ file is doing to your database, such as what it is inserting, dropping, deleting, altering, etc. My intention was to get the code to save this information into a .txt file or into a table, so that when folks had a problem, they could post those results so others could see what the dbs_ file did.
Another of the check boxes, allows for the code to do what is intended to be an automated "Check Installation" that also (again ... automated) returns you back to the MOD Suite dbs setup.
Now, on the standard drop down, I also made it to where you can choose from the list of available dbs_ files (which have not been deleted from your server), and depending on which one you choose, an image notification will tell you whether or not you installed that MOD already.
How does it do that?
Well, that gets us into the big ball of wax. *grin!*
What I did was made (or borrowed - can't remember) a MOD that reads the first line of the dbs_ file and inserts that first line into a table regarding it as the title to the MOD. Back to the drop down menu and how it is populated. The code before the drop down checks that table to see if the MOD has been installed. If it has, it compares it to the call to your file directory checking what dbs_ files exist on the server. Back to the check boxe under the drop down. One of the check boxes is the question, "Add to the Admin Section as an Installed MOD?".
From there, I adapted a mini-forum that handles all of the MODs as if they were in categories as forums. As you can figure, I adapted the titles in the table mentioned earlier to accept some configuration data such as whether or not the installed mod has an admin page and what it is. This way, the MOD title will show in the list. If it does not have an admin page, no link is offered. If it does have an admin page, then the mod title becomes a hyperlink which I can simply click and be taken to that mod's admin page. Hmmmm. Nifty, huh?
There is also a category section where I adapted Matt Kruse's javascript to work one step beyond how it works in the forum. You can move mod titles back and forth between the different MOD categories of your choosing. Both the MOD itself and the MOD categories allow for descriptions so that you can remember what you want to remember about the MOD and where you want it to belong.
Next, to see all of the MODs in their categories, I made a section in the admin_home.asp page to display all of this stuff like a forum. It should be familiar to you when you see it. And, yes, you can sort the order of your categories and MODs so that your most frequented MOD(s) and MOD category or MOD categories are at the top or where ever you want it to be just like in our standard Snitz forums.
Next, there is also an Avaliable MODs database that displays titles, descriptions, and links to all known MODs and/or all MODs you want to keep track of. I mentioned it previously here about a year and a half ago and the data from it was used to make some kind of search. Well, anyway, included in this list is a search function that highlights your search terms so that if, say you are looking for a ban type mod, you can search for the word "ban" and all of the known mod titles and descriptions that have that search term in them will be displayed in full format with highlighted search terms.
Other areas I plan on adding to this MOD are an update dbs_ list where folks can download the list (as a MOD Suite add-on at SnitzBitz), display the dbs_ file using the MOD Suite dbs_ viewer if they like (I always do - for safety sake), install it, and it will update their MOD Suite tables with the newest data on things like new mods and descriptions, updated mods, new mod authors, how to stay in contact with them, and the like. I also plan on making it to where authors can have an option for folks to request to be put on their mailing list (if the mod author wants that).
The things I have described to you all work, but some of the obscure segments need to be refined. I'm not really sure how close to complete I have this MOD. As you can see it is very large.
Two of the obscure sections are the archive a mod process which means that you can archive a MOD from view though it still exists. You can also un-archive it if say another version of the mod comes out that you like, and you just want to update the description, etc. The other section is the moderator section which means you can assign moderators over certain MODs, and they will have access to your admin section only to maintain those mods while not having access to the other mods.
Does this have anyone's interest?
Below are some screen shots (Note: the drop shadow in not a part of the MOD):
http://www.jeffreyjlaw.com/SnitzMODs/MODSuite/01.gif
http://www.jeffreyjlaw.com/SnitzMODs/MODSuite/02.gif
http://www.jeffreyjlaw.com/SnitzMODs/MODSuite/03.gif
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Edited by - Etymon on 25 September 2009 07:45:22 |
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Carefree
Advanced Member
Philippines
4207 Posts |
Posted - 16 November 2008 : 19:36:06
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I always enjoy looking at new mods, if for no other reason than to see where the author's mind was going and what method was chosen to get there.
Count me in.< |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 16 November 2008 : 22:56:18
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OK. I'll have to get it together for you.
Hey, aren't you like headed out of the country or something? Sure you have time?  < |
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Carefree
Advanced Member
Philippines
4207 Posts |
Posted - 21 November 2008 : 23:42:46
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| I only sleep about 10 hours a week. I just finished a couple of other projects, only have 2 left to keep my attention.< |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 22 November 2008 : 12:28:01
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Hey CareFree,
I've been out in the pasture a lot recently with a horse of ours who is having health issues. That sort of thing takes several hours and gets me backed up on other things. I will get back to this.
Do you still have interest in that advertising project we discussed earlier this year in the Community Discussions?< |
Edited by - Etymon on 22 November 2008 12:28:22 |
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Carefree
Advanced Member
Philippines
4207 Posts |
Posted - 22 November 2008 : 19:25:13
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| I may still write that for something to do, but doubt that I'll get it done before moving.< |
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 14 December 2008 : 04:40:44
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Hi Carefree,
I decided to roll this out anyway. I hope your move goes well for you! 
Cheers,
Etymon< |
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balexandre
Junior Member
Denmark
418 Posts |
Posted - 14 December 2008 : 06:46:39
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| Etymon, just 2 let u know that the images in your first post point to unexisting files < |
Bruno Alexandre
(Strøby, DANMARK)
"a Portuguese in Danmark"
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Etymon
Advanced Member
United States
2385 Posts |
Posted - 14 December 2008 : 06:59:56
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| Fixed! Thank you Bruno!< |
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MOD Suite (has code needs your help!)
