Small Guestbook

[3PRIMATES]

Hi, I should have the source up in about ten minutes..
Just adding a final section in the installer to create a .htpasswd so the person installing doesnt have to go looking for an .htpasswd creator.

Also added bad word filtering and database table installer..
Be back in a few..

3PRIMATES

[3PRIMATES]

Well, here it is...
If you are going to use my source,please beta test it and direct questions, comments and bugs to this post..

DOWNLOAD NOW -128KB

Hope it works well for everyone..

3PRIMATES

[PaintMeAPixel]

Hey 3PRIMATES,

Firstly thanks for posting the code - I can't wait to get it working :-)

Secondly, you are gonna have to bear with me asking loadsa questions up to the point that I do get it working ;-)

You seem to have explained everything really well throughout the various files, but there are some basic principles I obviously don't have a clue about... so here goes first questions...

When reconfiguring the connection details in the dbConnect.inc.php file, are we talking about entering login names and passwords that grant access to the server (ie. the username/password setup in my ftp program so i can connect to my web space), or are we talking about the login name and password that we create later in the htaccess file? And what do I name my database?

Sorry if these seem dumb questions...

THankyou and best regards

Donna

[PaintMeAPixel]

ok, so ignore my last post... i figured that bit out and successfully installed without error through the install.php file.

However, beyond the successful first phase of the install.php... my password/login don't work to access the tinyBB admin section and when i go to messages.html it is static on the 'loading data...' frame. So there is no content in the area where messages go, and no button to post a new message...

With the intention to first get the application working on my server, I have not touched ANY of the files bar the database connecction and password files like you outlined in your install guidelines.

Advice?

[PaintMeAPixel]

I have now got the guestbook working on its own, however having now added it to my main page movie, the scroller buttons don't work - the messages load, but you can;t scroll them :-( I presume this is because I have contained it in another MC

I have also tried loading the guestbook as seperate movie on top of my main page using the loadmovie command. Now doing this I thoguht would guarantee it working, however in this case it never gets past the 'loading data...' phase of the movie.

If you want to see how the dynamics of my site are now working please see:

LINK

Each section table (ie. message board/news/info) is its own MC. So I need to be able to put your messageboard application within my messageboard MC, on the frame after the box has finished animating to full size. Obviously there is conlict in the code somewhere with the messageboard being contained in all these movie clips.

One thing I do not understand is why the application wont work at all on the loadmovie command, bringing it in as an external swf. file on another level?? WHen I access the messageboard in its own swf. it works fine, but as soon as I access the main page, it doesn't work...

Oh and I gave up trying to get access to the tinyBB admin panel - my password still not working... is accessing the admin panel the only way to delete messages? If not - how can I do it otherwise??

I am sorry to hog the thread with all my queries!
And many thanks again for your help...

Donna

[PaintMeAPixel]

I can't for the life of me figure out why the box for entering a message has this brown tint across it. I have been searching the movie but can't find the thing!! lol :-)

can u direct me to it?

[Musicman]

Hi,

once you want to load an existing movie into a clip or a level, there should be no more _root or _level0
So, this movie is loading data into level0 via a loadvariablesNum, from within a clip
You should change that to load into this (then the clip will hold the data) or into _parent (then the current main movie will hold the data). The difference between these options: when the clip is ever removed from stage and reloaded, it will lose its data one way and keep them the other way. Since your movie does not remove the individual sections from the main stage, you can use both.
Now, actions within clips within clips ...
if you decided to load the data into the _parent, then the code that populates the links (which is inside another clip) will find the data at _parent._parent
Likewise, the scroll buttons are within a clip of their own, so most of the references should also become _parent._parent.something
Once there is no more _root or level / loadVariablesNum in the movie, and it still works, it will continue to work within a clip

Musicman

[mngn9drb]

@ 3PRIMATES

Fantastic contribution!

[PaintMeAPixel]

Hey thanks for your help Musicman - I really appreciate it because I am running into major deadlines and am anxious to get everything up and running.

I have gone over your post several times and looking at my movie code in an attempt to understand what’s going on, but I just ended up getting confused at certain points when I was unsure of what exactly you were referring to. Sorry…
Ok, so lets say I keep the guestbook movie clip within the main movie (not loading it as external swf.), and just deal with making the scrollers function within all those movie clips...

So on my main (home page) timeline (only one frame) I have my MESSAGE_BOARDBox movieclip. That movieclip possesses a timeline where the box animates from small to large and stops, and on the last frame I have added the guestbook_MC movieclip on another layer.

The guestbook_MC movieclip contains the entire movie that 3PRIMATES posted – it’s timeline being a one frame duration, with the ‘scrollerMC’ movieclip (the guestbook) on one layer, and a frame with actions telling the clip to go and play the frame of ‘scrollerMC’ which loads all the posted messages into the guestbook.

stop();
scrollerMC.gotoAndStop("load");

The 2 scroller buttons are contained on the 3rd frame (labeled ‘start’) of the scrollerMC, along with 2 other movieclips containing actions for the buttons to function.

Here is all the code concerned with the scroller buttons/functions:

Buttons

Movie clip name: arrowbutton_up
Instance Name: buttUp

Actions:

on (press) {
with (upSCROLL) {
gotoAndPlay(2);
}
}
on (release) {
with (upSCROLL) {
gotoAndStop(1);
}
}

Movie clip name: arrowbutton_down
Instance Name: buttDown

Actions:

on (press) {
with (downSCROLL) {
gotoAndPlay(2);
}
}
on (release) {
with (downSCROLL) {
gotoAndStop(1);
}
}

Movieclips containing functions for buttons to scroll:

Movie Clip Name: upcontrol
Instance Name: upSCROLL

Frame1:
stop();

Frame2:
startTop = _root.scrollerMC.scrollbg._y;
if (_root.scrollerMC.roller._y <= startTop) {
setProperty(_root.scrollerMC.roller, _y, _root.scrollerMC.roller._y +20);
} else {
gotoAndStop(1);
}

Frame 3:
gotoAndPlay(2);

Movie Clip Name: downcontrol
Instance Name: downSCROLL

Frame 1:
stop();

Frame 2:
startTop = _root.scrollerMC.scrollbg._y;
scrollWin = _root.scrollerMC.scrollbg._height;
if ((_root.scrollerMC.roller._y+_root:dupH)<=((startT op+scrollWin)+(_root.scrollerMC.roller.dup._y))) {
gotoAndStop(1);
} else {
setProperty(_root.scrollerMC.roller, _y, _root.scrollerMC.roller._y-20);
}
Frame 3:
gotoAndPlay(2);

('roller' is the instance name for the messages that are loaded into text fields.
'scrollbg' is the area in which all the messages are scrolling)

So which part of the code am I editing in order for the scrollers to function? I am confused with all this _parent_parent stuff you were mentioning. Do you mean change every part of the code that says '_root' to '_parent._parent'??

I am real sorry to bombard you with all this code. I realise it will take time to assess the problem, but I really will appreciate any help.

Best regards
Donna

[PaintMeAPixel]

Jeez I just looked at the size of my post. I apologise sincerely... I hope I don't scare you all away!

[Musicman]

Hi,

I was trying something like

startTop = _parent._parent.scrollerMC.scrollbg._y;
if (_parent._parent.scrollerMC.roller._y <= startTop) {
_parent._parent.scrollerMC.roller._y += 20;
} else {
gotoAndStop(1);
}
and a few similar ones.in other places.
So far, this is just a plain translation following the paths.
Now, when you have a close look, you will see that, e.g. those scroll buttons are movieclips inside scrollerMC themselves, so you can simplify the above code to
startTop = _parent.scrollbg._y;
if (_parent.roller._y <= startTop) {
_parent.roller._y += 20;
} else {
gotoAndStop(1);
}

The important point when doing this kind of transformation: make one change at a time and check if the movie still works, then go on to the next

Musicman

[PaintMeAPixel]

Hiya

When you say 'and a few similar ones.in other places' where actually do you mean?
I tried replacing all the '_root' parts of the upcontrol/downcontrol movie clip actions to _parent._parent - with failure.

I even copied and pasted your code directly for the upcontrol, but I can;t test whether it actually works until the messages have been scrolled down (to scroll back up again).
What would you put for the downcontrol script?

Sorry I really am an actionscript newbie

[Musicman]

Hi,

just sent you some mail to your paintmeapixel.com address

Musicman

[PaintMeAPixel]

Hi Musicman,

Thanks for the mail - unfortunately your code adjustments didn't work. Yes the adjusted movie you sent works fine on its own. But when I add it to my movie it just doesn't happen. The scrollers didn;t work, and yeah, like you mentioned the text didn't appear (or was white).

Probably the fact that when it is added to my main movie, we are dealing with the scroller buttons+upcontrol/downcontrol MCs being within 3 other movie clips on the main timeline:

Main Timeline > MESSAGE_BOARDBox > guestbook_MC > scrollerMC > upcontrol

Well, I will persevere for the moment at going over my code...

Or option 2 - bringing it in from an external swf... hmmmm... now why couldn't get that working in the first place again?... doh

What do you think is the best way of me going about this? Painfree?

[Musicman]

Hi,

I was not complaining about blank buttonsM I was complaining about flash acting up on me... I started adding a few trace calls to the movie, like
trace('scrollup clip '+this)
as my usual way of checking things, and flash opened its output window (so there was something from the trace) but I could not read it. I could try to make my copy of the movie work when loaded into a clip, but certainly not before 24 hours, so I suggest you make another try first
use trace in all sorts of places, and use the "show variables" and "show object" features. If you dont get it to work, please mail ne through the board or pm me tomorrow.

Musicman

[PaintMeAPixel]

Okey dokey, I will persevere, and get back to you at some point today...

Thankyou so much for all your time

[3PRIMATES]

Hi,
sorry all, I ust got back in to town..Ill review the messages here and supply all the help that I can..

Be back soon...
3PRIMATES

[PaintMeAPixel]

Hey Primates... welcome back

Please ignore the most part of my ramblings on. Everything is working for me bar integrating it into my site structure... problems with scrollers etc. etc.

Only other query was admin passwords are still not working for me?
And where the heck is that tint on the message input box? lol

My current layout(again):
Donna's Working Layout

Apart from that - wicked application you have put together for all our usage. You deserve much credit! Just itching to get the baby fully working on my site!

anyway back to looking over my code...

[PaintMeAPixel]

You can get a link to download my fla. file:http://www.maciocia.co.uk/donnahomepage.fla

I left the messageboard section and deleted the rest of my design. Probably helpful if you can actually see my file.

[3PRIMATES]

Hi Donna, Im still working on it..
I have the update prob fixed and am working on the scroller targeting.. As soon as I get it done Ill post it for you..
Promise I wont sleep until I have it working for you..

3PRIMATES..

Musicman..
Thank you so very much for fielding questions and taking the time to try and get it working..Much appreciated..