CBX Plugin Bridge For EQDKP
Version
1.0 (last update on Aug 14, 2008)
Rating
Compatibility
Votes
Favoured
4
License
GPLv2 or later
Commercial
Type
Views
19888
Date Added
11 August 2008
Editor's Note
- This extension requires registration to download.
CBX Features:
- Controlled registration
- Easy Install . No hacking of databases
- Seamless integration
- Auto Login and Auto Logout controlled from your Joomla Guild Website
- Can merge your existing Joomla registered to EQDKP/Plus
- Safe to install
Benefits of using CBX:
- Custom guild registration forms in CB with admin approval
- Single registration and Login - Avoid Confusion
- Does not interfere with your existing forum like Fireboard or other bridged forums
- Capture guild/clan members registration with custom Joomla forms
- Guild Leaders automatically logged in to EQDKP/Plus admin parameters
- Present to your guild members a more integrated and "Finished" Guild site.
Technical Requirements:
Supported System:
Community Builder 1.X
JOOMLA 1.0.X or 1.5.X
Supported EQDKP System:
EQDKP Plus v0.4.4.5 stable
EQDKP Plus 0.6 Beta
EQDKP 1.3.2f.zip
EQDKP 1.4.0b1
This is an awesome straight forward plugin that just works. It does what it suppose to - Bridge Joomla/CB to EQDKPlus. This in itself is worth it's price in gold. Don't know why all the fuss about not able to do this do that.
Once it's bridged, you can basically control everything with Joomla and CB component. We use CB login module to block and approve users to our Guild. Since we disable registration in EQDKPlus, it's now a one way street where we can control registration.
We love it! and it plain just works. Highly recommended to all. Great solution for those of you who are looking for a bridging solution between Joomla - CB - EQDKPlus!
Once it's bridged, you can basically control everything with Joomla and CB component. We use CB login module to block and approve users to our Guild. Since we disable registration in EQDKPlus, it's now a one way street where we can control registration.
We love it! and it plain just works. Highly recommended to all. Great solution for those of you who are looking for a bridging solution between Joomla - CB - EQDKPlus!
I would love to say that this is a wonderous component, as its target is something very dear to my heart. I cannot, unfortunately. While it does perform its task well enough, it does so only under certain circumstances and much of the marketing is smoke and mirrors. This is a "buyer beware" situation if e'er there be one, and I hope I have enough space to get it off my chest. Let's start with the good points.
* This plugin will syncronize your user login information between Community Builder and EQDKP.
* ...
Alright, moving right along.
* If you have installed your EQDKP database under anything other than the default "eqdkp_" prefix, you'll need to open the PHP file for the plugin and replace every instance of it with whatever the actual prefix for your database is. This is interesting because there are parameters for this in the plugin configuration. On top of that, in the file itself, there's a variable for the database prefix. But only tidbits of the plugin seem to use the variable. Most of the rest of it is apparently hard-coded. This holds true for your host, your database name, your database user and your user's database password. Maybe it isn't necessary to change all of this. If it isn't, this is either very inefficient coding or I'm doing it wrong. Whichever the case, the plugin wouldn't work until I changed it... All of it. Or would it?
* The documentation doesn't mention it, but after you install the plugin, get it configured in the back-end (not sure that this matters) and make all of the physical changes in the files, purge your Joomla cache. It took a couple of exchanges with support, consisting of "Read the documentation" or "Contact EQDKP, it's not our problem" before I figured this out. Even then, it's not guaranteed to work for you.
* It's still, apparently, hit or miss. Maybe it's a session thing between Joomla/CB and EQDKP that's actually to blame. I have some users who say it works, some who say it doesn't. Some who say it works in one browser, others who say it only works in another browser. I don't think this is purely the fault of the plugin. However, I do think there needs to be a better way to overcome it.
* The marketing documentation is smoke and mirrors. This plugin does NOTHING but bridge your CB with your EQDKP. This is not a disappointment. However, their website talks about making all these really cool custom guild applications, registration by admin only, custom Joomla forms, et cetera. Please be aware that none of this has anything to do with this plugin. I didn't expect it, but in hindsight, I believe it could be misconstrued that this component does more than just bridge CB to EQDKP. This is not the case. Please do not purchase this under this delusion. While WoWInstaller is perfectly correct that all of these claims are possible, and they don't say that their plugin enables this functionality, the way it's presented seems to tie it into something their plugin can do. It can't.
* All of the tooltips in the back-end are for "cscart". I'm just being nitpicky, here. But if you're going to make a derivative of another piece of software, even open source, shouldn't you brand it properly so it doesn't look so... ripped off? This is purely cosmetic.
* Doesn't work with the latest version of CB, apparently. I, as a Super Administrator, log in just fine. Regular users, when attempting to log in, get an error that a NULL password field is trying to be sent to the database. At this stage of the game, this probably isn't the developers' fault. It's new and I'm sure they'll patch it. But it worked before I updated CB and it doesn't work after. So I had to unpublish it.
* Zero community support. No forums. Nothing. Just an email to them. To their credit, the response was lightning fast. Much faster than I expected, a definite kudos to them. But as I said, it was a whole lot of "not our fault" and "insert canned response here" and "call someone else". Maybe the issues were my fault. Maybe not. I'm not asking you to cast stones, I'm asking you to give me a little insight.
Here's the bottom line: I do not, in my personal opinion (and this is ONLY an opinion, others may find more value in this plugin) believe this is worth $30. I don't expect everything I download to install and work flawlessly. That isn't how life works, so software certainly shouldn't be any different.
All in all, I'm not disappointed with the plugin. Even though it's useless to me now, since it doesn't work anymore. All of the DKP information that needs to be displayed can be displayed without a user ever logging in. In hindsight, very few of our members ever did log into the DKP site.
This should be a free component. But it isn't. So please be aware of what you're buying before you buy it and don't expect anything more than what the plugin is intended to do. Don't pay any attention to the marketing. If you NEED a solution that bridges CB to EQDKP, for whatever reason, this is the only thing I've found. Because of that, you'll pay whatever they want you to pay unless you can write one yourself. All I'm saying is that you should really think about whether you NEED it before you shell out the money for this. I'd pay ten bucks tomorrow if they dropped a new version that worked with the current CB, without a second thought. But $30...? Not for what it does and what you have to do to get it there.
* This plugin will syncronize your user login information between Community Builder and EQDKP.
* ...
Alright, moving right along.
* If you have installed your EQDKP database under anything other than the default "eqdkp_" prefix, you'll need to open the PHP file for the plugin and replace every instance of it with whatever the actual prefix for your database is. This is interesting because there are parameters for this in the plugin configuration. On top of that, in the file itself, there's a variable for the database prefix. But only tidbits of the plugin seem to use the variable. Most of the rest of it is apparently hard-coded. This holds true for your host, your database name, your database user and your user's database password. Maybe it isn't necessary to change all of this. If it isn't, this is either very inefficient coding or I'm doing it wrong. Whichever the case, the plugin wouldn't work until I changed it... All of it. Or would it?
* The documentation doesn't mention it, but after you install the plugin, get it configured in the back-end (not sure that this matters) and make all of the physical changes in the files, purge your Joomla cache. It took a couple of exchanges with support, consisting of "Read the documentation" or "Contact EQDKP, it's not our problem" before I figured this out. Even then, it's not guaranteed to work for you.
* It's still, apparently, hit or miss. Maybe it's a session thing between Joomla/CB and EQDKP that's actually to blame. I have some users who say it works, some who say it doesn't. Some who say it works in one browser, others who say it only works in another browser. I don't think this is purely the fault of the plugin. However, I do think there needs to be a better way to overcome it.
* The marketing documentation is smoke and mirrors. This plugin does NOTHING but bridge your CB with your EQDKP. This is not a disappointment. However, their website talks about making all these really cool custom guild applications, registration by admin only, custom Joomla forms, et cetera. Please be aware that none of this has anything to do with this plugin. I didn't expect it, but in hindsight, I believe it could be misconstrued that this component does more than just bridge CB to EQDKP. This is not the case. Please do not purchase this under this delusion. While WoWInstaller is perfectly correct that all of these claims are possible, and they don't say that their plugin enables this functionality, the way it's presented seems to tie it into something their plugin can do. It can't.
* All of the tooltips in the back-end are for "cscart". I'm just being nitpicky, here. But if you're going to make a derivative of another piece of software, even open source, shouldn't you brand it properly so it doesn't look so... ripped off? This is purely cosmetic.
* Doesn't work with the latest version of CB, apparently. I, as a Super Administrator, log in just fine. Regular users, when attempting to log in, get an error that a NULL password field is trying to be sent to the database. At this stage of the game, this probably isn't the developers' fault. It's new and I'm sure they'll patch it. But it worked before I updated CB and it doesn't work after. So I had to unpublish it.
* Zero community support. No forums. Nothing. Just an email to them. To their credit, the response was lightning fast. Much faster than I expected, a definite kudos to them. But as I said, it was a whole lot of "not our fault" and "insert canned response here" and "call someone else". Maybe the issues were my fault. Maybe not. I'm not asking you to cast stones, I'm asking you to give me a little insight.
Here's the bottom line: I do not, in my personal opinion (and this is ONLY an opinion, others may find more value in this plugin) believe this is worth $30. I don't expect everything I download to install and work flawlessly. That isn't how life works, so software certainly shouldn't be any different.
All in all, I'm not disappointed with the plugin. Even though it's useless to me now, since it doesn't work anymore. All of the DKP information that needs to be displayed can be displayed without a user ever logging in. In hindsight, very few of our members ever did log into the DKP site.
This should be a free component. But it isn't. So please be aware of what you're buying before you buy it and don't expect anything more than what the plugin is intended to do. Don't pay any attention to the marketing. If you NEED a solution that bridges CB to EQDKP, for whatever reason, this is the only thing I've found. Because of that, you'll pay whatever they want you to pay unless you can write one yourself. All I'm saying is that you should really think about whether you NEED it before you shell out the money for this. I'd pay ten bucks tomorrow if they dropped a new version that worked with the current CB, without a second thought. But $30...? Not for what it does and what you have to do to get it there.