Customization needed to turn blocks off/on on schedule for $

New Member Joined: Feb 06, 2009 Posts: 13

Hello All,
I am a very basic nuke and php user. Just enough knowledge to get by. I have volunteered my time to build a nuke web site for our church. I need some custom work done that is way out of my league.

Little explanation, our church does live services 3 times a week.
we are trying to build a community online for teh church, besides just the live services.

I am editing this due to some things I figured out already.... and from comments below from others.

I need a way to turn on / off certain blocks on a schedule. These would be center blocks on a nuke site, one will have an embedded video player, and another that is a chat block.
I either need a way in admin to schedule certain blocks to enable and disable at specified times and dates, or a scheduling / calander / event script that can enable or disable the blocks based on the scheduled time in the calendar.

I also have some other things I could use help with, but this one is major for me.

Please contact me with a estimated price and time frame. I am donating this to the church, and am not a rich man Smile

so help appreciated on the price. Please PM me, and I can get you my email address for further communication.

I am using a very slightly modded phpnuke 7.9 that is pretty much out of the box basic, but plan the final site being 8.1.0.3.5b from NSN only because patched, secured, and some features I would like. I am open to other sugestions. But our test server has 7.9 preloaded. We will do all work where it is, and move it to our final server once working and finished and the church aproves it.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:05 am

Live video feed is something that is essentially out of scope of phpNuke. It requires a video server with bandwidth on your end to stream, as well as the necessary video equipment. Your best bet really is to find a company or service that specializes in this.

There are some chat programs that use PHP, but ideally you're better off using an IRC server. That can handle a lot more of your needs. Again, out of the scope of phpNuke

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:19 am

we currently have a outside vendor that hosts all our feeds, we uplink to them with satellite and they place on their server.

So your saying we just cant use nuke and do what we need?
We are just tired of having to pay some one to create entire pages every time we make a change, we dont have any one in the volunteer group skilled enough to keep modifieing this current page, plus wanted to add forums, PM, osc, and quite a few other features of nuke. Which it seems like Nuke can handle everything we need other than the ability to build a custom block with embedded video players?

Here is our existing site. Its just clunky, and all around very difficult to manage, difficult for users, and dont have any of the features we want.

icampus.brandnewchurch.com/icampus.php

This one if you click experience, then there is a guest log in, and you can see the player. And if you notice the chat is on a different tab which is horrible.

then we do special events at this page:
live.brandnewchurch.com
this one is completly outsourced, and would be nice to have a option for it as well. But the main feed we want to build into nuke is the first one above, both if we can.

Basicly this is just an embedded player we are using, right?
Maybe I have explained something wrong that I am not understanding fully.

We just want a better chat system, or can use the one we have if it can be made to use nuke log ins and admin, and the ability to run our live service to every one on our main page with out logging in or having to click other links. But we need other features of nuke wrapped around it. The nuke options and lay out is perfect for our vision, its just getting these items in there on the main page.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:18 am

For the first link you provided:
Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Too many connections in /var/www/---removed---/includes/config.php on line 6

Unable to connect to database:
Too many connections

Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 6432

Thank you for the heads up, horrorcode, but please don't post the root path (even if it's visible on the site) as it can be used in attacks.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:33 am

Sorry thanks for warning me, I got learned.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:25 am

Im not sure whats going on with it, at time of posting it was fine. Anyway, im sure we can embed the player into a block, even same player we are currently using if we have to with out the additional controls we seek, but the main thing I need help with is being able to schedule the blocks to come on / off at scheduled times from admin panel.

This is the most crucial to us. The embedding part to me would be the easiest.
If we cant edit the embedded link in admin, we can deal with that, but that was the hope to make it easy for our volunteers to keep up with it easy.

Scheduling the blocks to come on and off with a schedule is the main thing.
Any one think they can do that type of modification?

Thanks,
Michael

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:41 am

Im not sure if its been done, but the block part should be simple, if someone could explain it better. Simply put, if someone could add the time for the block expiration, that already exists, just add eg. an option for hours as well as days. That would be a start, than you could just activate the block when needed?

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:51 am

Michael ... first I wish you the best of luck with your for hire posting. But Evader's is completely right about the limits of any *nuke based system.

Could an old curmudgeon suggest that you step back and re-analyze your needs? Sometimes volunteer organizations (I run web sites for a couple) have champagne tastes and ripple wine budgets or capabilities. Take a look at the Gcalendar software that comes with Ravennuke. If you make this the module that runs on your home page people will be able to see upcoming events front and center. You can then easily customize your opening message, which will display above the calendar to highlight events that your really want your members to focus on.

I know that may not be satisfactory to you but it is a capability that is easily attained by the current Ravennuke software.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:51 am

Thanks for the input and things to think about all, I will check out the Gcalender as well.

But thinking about an event scheduler..... maybe thats something we can work with?
Couldnt some one with lots more experience than me....lol take an event scheduler / calender, and add code to enable a block, and dis able a block at predetermined times based on what was entered in the schedule?
How difficult would that be? that would basicly leave the admin section as it is for blocks, but could change the settings on the block just like an admin did it manual?

Then all I would have to do is edit the named block's embedded info when it changes, which shouldnt be that often.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:41 pm

Well I figured out how to make it hours instead of days, and than it displays how many minutes are left. Problem is youd still need to activate it manually. It seems to be working, I just have to wait 55 minutes to find out if it clears it or not. Math is fun btw. I'll post back with the results, just so everyone knows.

Involved Joined: Jul 03, 2006 Posts: 273

While the guys above suggested that using Nuke itself as a Streaming server is technically not possible that is only somewhat true. Yes its not designed for Streaming services but it can be easily adapted to display Streaming services. You could sign up for a Service like Justin.tv which handles the Streaming both of the video and as well Chat based rooms that are feed right along side the video on the same page simultaneously. You can easily make a block that plugs into your channel to display the feed directly on your nuke site. This part is pretty much a piece of cake.

Next the scheduling of the block. Well that's not too hard at all either however it would take some time. However the Justin.tv type stream itself can display a countdown till next broadcast (and/or another graphic or message or advertising if you like) while you are not streaming (I believe). And/or even just let it play on a blank stage when not in use.

Now I would like to remind you that a good reason to use a place like Justin.tv I can think of is Bandwidth. If you try to set up your own feed system of some sorts you are gonna rack up some major bandwidth use and I don't know who handles your hosting and what deal you have on that but this can get expensive.

Ultimately I think what I would do for the cheapest possible solution is this.

Sign up with a service like mentioned above. (You get your own landing page with them) install the gCalendar or the likes on your site and use it to schedule the Broadcast events then have someone code an inexpensive bock that looks for the events from the Calendars DB entries and Displays a little ticker for the next event when the event hasn't Started yet (ie: "Join us Tues Apr 19 at 7pm for our next broadcast." type thing) and if the event has started the message displays "(Broadcasting Live NOW click to join!" type thing) really easy code to whip up so shouldn't cost much. The hostings on the the stream provider for free (mind you you'll have to put up with some minor advertising by them when using their free service as your clients join)

Anyway I am a great coder and could do all this and or more if you like so if you'd like to contact me via email to discuss it more I'd be happy to.

My email is WhomKnows((AT))gmail((DOT))com

Best Regards

P.S. I mention Justin.tv mostly cause I have some experience with it but there are many others to choose from too and I am not affiliated or promoting them in any way just gibving you a starting point to look at.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:07 pm

michael_s wrote:

we currently have a outside vendor that hosts all our feeds, we uplink to them with satellite and they place on their server.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:47 pm

Sent you an email duck,

and yes, that is correct Palbin, we uplink our service over sat. and they place it on their server, and we just have an embedded player that plays it from their server on our web page. We call it live, but in reality, the chat is live, but the message is probably about an hour old when displayed on our site.

What started this all, was we have one main pastor, but our church has grown to 4 locations, they purchased the sat uplink equipment, and the other 3 locations watch the same message live over satellite, the company that handles that for them, is also the one that stores the program and feeds it out for our internet feed.

Sorry I didnt explain this well enough in the beginning.
We ended up on streaming video servers rather than center blocks on a schedule Smile

I have since edited my first post to reflect the block issue instead of the video.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:57 pm

I dont know anything about setting it to create or activate the block, but it just finished and it did deactivate and remove the block, I even checked phpMyAdmin and it removed it there properly too. I also figured out how to do this for minutes too. So that is an easy part, the rest I wouldnt know where to begin.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 2:10 pm

thanks horrorcode,
Seems maybe there could be a activate function added the same as the deactivate maybe? and changed to date and time instead of hours / minutes and maybe a re occuring option.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 2:32 pm

Very possible, Im working on it now but if anyone else wants to have a go, please do. I might be done by tommorrow, cant promise though. Also if anyone can verify, in this line:

Code:

$expire = '<input type="hidden" name="expire" value="'.$oldexpire.'" /><b>'.$expire.' '._HOURS.' ('.substr($exp_minute,0,5).' '._DAYS.')</b>';

Where exp_minute,0,5 can anyone explain what the 0,5 is refering to?
exp_minute used to be exp_days, or exp_day, but I cant find a reference to the 0,5 anywhere?

Either way I dont think it would be too hard, Im working on the new table for it now. Ill give an update sometime tonight.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 2:47 pm

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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 2:52 pm

Also for the re-occuring option do you mean for the same block to activate again? If so only way I see of doing that is creating a script you could run, but it would be manual, not sure if it could be automated or if it could if it would be safe for that matter.. Then again you could just have a set amount of blocks, say 5, which would be created via the script which would be a specified time and then they would delete themselves afterwards. So youd also need 5 of the same block but thats as simple as renaming. Maybe someone has a better idea.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 2:56 pm

Ah thank you very much Guardian...I wasnt having any luck with google.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:08 pm

What kind of schedule are you talking about? Something simple like on Sundays all day display the video feed and other day not, or are you wanting it to display only when a feed is active and when it is not active not to show up? Also, is the feed embedded in the site or are you linking to it on another site?

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:42 pm

We have a broadcast every sunday at 11:00 and again at 5:00 and on wednesday at 12:00 These are every week constantly. They stay the same link feed always.

Then we do a Wednesday night at 5:00 for special events which is a different feed link for the video. Which I could just do a duplicate block with a different feed in it for Wed. nights with different name.

We would want the block to apear 30 minutes before the 1 hour message, and last 30 minutes after the message. The 30 minutes before and after we keep the chat going for discussion. Then de activate and leave the front page.

So we are looking at activating 2 blocks for a 2 hour time period, 4 times a week.

So its total of three center blocks we need to automate.
1. For the video feed Sun and Wed. 2. a different video feed on Wed night, and 3. The chat block with each.

This would be a top center main page of nuke block with a embedded video player, then right below it a chat block.

Sorry, dont know what would be considered simple on the schedule. its all difficult for me Smile

Thanks,
Michael

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:00 pm

Aright been a long day, I got the table done the main problem Im having is with the time. For starters the time would be accurate only to a matter of minutes. What I mean is cant really see a way to add every single entry for the hour so what I can do is calculate some examples and maybe create a pop-up with a list of numbers for days/hours so you don't have to re-calculate every time, then you can add to the list as you see fit.

Also just incase you need it I'll mark exactly what needs changed in the blocks.php file if you wanted to add extra entries for more specific times.

Of course, it would probably be simple to do the entire list, for now Im aiming on finishing the rest and getting the count down to display better.

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:39 pm

Ok so after a while Ive realised that I dont have enough expirence and the only way to get it working is to re-write this existing "active" and activate code, which I have to admit isnt as easy as I though.

I was hoping I could just define a new variable like $auto but it took me a while to figure out that would have to interact with $active and would also need a new variable for $activate and even if I just work on testing it for days it might not ever work the way I thought...

Well since I dont have the knowledge Im wondering if anyone would be seriously willing to take this on, this is the for hire section after all. I would personally be willing to compensate, along with others.

Sorry for wasting your time and all, hopefully I learn from this. Maybe one day Ill figure it out? For now you could still use a script to activate several blocks at once, just have to run the scrupt manually. And then you could make the simple edits to change the time when they deactivate, if so Ill post the changes.

Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:42 pm

This Mod is done.

Expect Public Beta Test soon.

This Mod was built and tested on RavenNuke 2.30.1

There are modifications to a few core files along with additional files to add.
The Mod uses GCalendar for Scheduling events and then in Blocks Admin you can schedule the Activation Deactivation of the block based on a scheduled Event in Gcal.

The Mod adds only 1 table with 2 fields and as well modifies the nuke_config table to add 2 fields.

The config table modification was added so that users can choose to enable scheduling thru Admin Preferences (this way anyone concerned about extra queries or code expense when not using need not fear) and also choose the path to gcal install for inclusion of files needed.

Modified core files are:

mainfile.php
header.php
admin/modules/blocks.php
admin/modules/settings.php
admin/language/lang_english.php

In addition there are a few include files to be added to the includes folder.

This is all packaged with full instructions for installation including SQL

The mod should work on other versions of Nuke as well as long as the blocks admin doesn't differ too much (ie ajax blocks admin would take more work to make it work).

Once final confirmation is Made I'll announce the Demo site as well as where to download the mod.