Programing help needed

[Kestryll]

Calguns has run on vBulletin for 12 years now, mostly on the 3.x.x version. It's past time to update to at least vB4, in order to keep vB3.x.x alive we've had to make some odd tweaks and such to the servers and it's getting more difficult.

The two hold ups have been making sure iTrader would work on vB4, it's an old and unsupported mod, and getting the advertising to work.

I can make iTrader work in vB4, it runs and functions whether it will transfer current ratings to a new install is anyone's guess.

What I am having problems with is the advertising, vB4 makes some fundamental changes that the current process can not adapt to.
Currently the ads make use of the 'random' setting in php to present ads in each cell from a specific list, vB4 no longer supports php random so the current system can not work.

What I need is something with a table similar to what is at the top of the page with different sections displaying linked banners in a random order that allows me to add and removed linked banners as advertisers come and go.
Banner images are stored on the Calguns server and the display code would be placed in an advertising header space that vB4 has as an integral part of the software. We currently have two rows of eight spaces at 120x60 however we are looking at going to 2 or three rows of 5 at 234x60, keeping the same or similar height for the overall table but allowing for larger banners.

The advertising is essential to paying for the hosting costs as well as for supporting efforts like CGSSA classes and outreach programs so I can't upgrade unless I have a verified way of continuing with them.

I have no idea what something like this costs or what to expect in that regard but we'll see...

[wes.crockett]

It's been quite a while since I've done anything like this, but I can think of a way it can be done...

How is advertisement data stored? I assume there is a table in the database that contains fields for image location, image alt text, and pointer URL?

Would larger banners be just larger horizontally, or vertically too? Either way, I believe values would need to be stored in order to identify sizes for them.

Finally, did you happen to ask about this on the vBulletin site? Perhaps someone has already invented this wheel for vB4.

[oktavist]

vB4 no longer supports php random so the current system can not work.

It would be simple to implement your own rand function.
Most rand implementations just use something like this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_congruential_generator

Only take you a few lines of code.

[wes.crockett]

It would be simple to implement your own rand function.
Most rand implementations just use something like this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_congruential_generator

Only take you a few lines of code.

The rand function itself would be easy, but he also wants the ability to support adds that take up 2, 4, (more) of the predefined tile spaces... That functionality would be FAR more difficult.

[Cincinnatus]

Have two rows of tiles, one row is the length of two or three small tiles, the other row being small tiles.

I'm not a programmer, more of a systems analyst, but that's how I'd do it.

[wes.crockett]

Have two rows of tiles, one row is the length of two or three small tiles, the other row being small tiles.

I'm not a programmer, more of a systems analyst, but that's how I'd do it.

That could work, assuming they want to handle something so statically set. It would be easier to do this, though.

[oktavist]

Oh, multiple sized adds at once that all fit together. I get it now. That's much more fun.

You will need a fitting algorithm that can reject an ad if it's to big for the remaining space, or a selection algorithm that will only pick a random ad that is guaranteed to fit. The implementation details will depend upon the actual allowed ad sizes you want.

[Cincinnatus]

I'm patting myself on the back over here.

[wes.crockett]

Yeah, the easiest way would to have set grid sizes... i.e: If you wanted a total height of 3 and width of 6, you could have them arranged like below in a very static method... There are three different sizes below. You would just need each cell to have a call to the database and the table would need a static value indicating the size of the image. That size would be specified in a filter when calling for a random ad.

[UEDan]

Any specific version of vBulletin 4?
Where are the current ads?

[Kestryll]

Any specific version of vBulletin 4?
Since this would be an initial install I'd go with the most recent version, might as well get a jump on the inevitable updates..

Where are the current ads?

Funny you should mention that, I was just about to post them!
These have been somewhat 'genericized' to protect the innocent...

This is the code that is inserted in to the vBulletin Header Template:

<table
style="width: 978px; height: 122px; text-align: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
border="2" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; height: 60px;">$random_banner11[$random_number11]</td>
<td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; height: 60px;">$random_banner12[$random_number12]</td>
<td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; height: 60px;">$random_banner13[$random_number13]</td>
<td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; height: 60px;">$random_banner14[$random_number14]</td>
<td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; height: 60px;">$random_banner15[$random_number15]</td>
<td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; height: 60px;">$random_banner16[$random_number16]</td>
<td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; height: 60px;">$random_banner17[$random_number17]</td>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner18[$random_number18]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner19[$random_number19]</td>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner20[$random_number20]</td>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner21[$random_number21]</td>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner22[$random_number22]</td>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner23[$random_number23]</td>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner24[$random_number24]</td>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner25[$random_number25]</td>
<td style="height: 60px; width: 120px; text-align: center;">$random_banner26[$random_number26]</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

This is the code for the plugins in the Header:

$random_number16 = rand(1, 3);

$random_banner16[1] = '<a href="http://www.vendor1.com/" target="_blank"><img src="/images/ads16/vend1120x60.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>';
$random_banner16[2] = '<a href="http://www.vendor2.com/" target="_blank"><img src="/images/ads16/vend2120x60.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>';
$random_banner16[3] = '<a href="http://www.vendor3.com/" target="_blank"><img src="/images/ads16/vend3120x60.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>';

[Marauder2003]

Please consider an automatic photo resizer to the board. Like

http://vbulletin-mods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2456

[Cincinnatus]

I was thinking something along these lines:

[reverser]

What makes you say this? Have you properly preregistered your variable? What hook are you using? Are you getting any output at all from the template?

What I am having problems with is the advertising, vB4 makes some fundamental changes that the current process can not adapt to.
Currently the ads make use of the 'random' setting in php to present ads in each cell from a specific list, vB4 no longer supports php random so the current system can not work.

[Cokebottle]

it's an old and unsupported mod,

Ivanimal is stepping down?