Yanc Mod Under Way

schmalls · 05.09.2004, 21:42

Hello,

I have started working on a mod for YaNC and user. Some of the changes will be:

Frontend:
-users will be able to subscribe to any or all of the published newsletters during signup
-users who have already signed up will be able to change in their details section
-users with adequate permissions will be able to send newsletters from site (that way you can give someone permission to do newsletters but not change any other configuration)

Backend:
-all subscribers view which shows a check under each list the user is a member of and then be able to click their name and edit subscriptions

I have most of the database specific part finished and am just working on the administration and frontend parts.

Here is what I changed about the database:
-In #__newsletter_subscribers I got rid of the name and email fields (because it comes from the #__users database). I also changed id from an auto-increment to correspond with #__user id.
-Now when a new newsletter is created, a new field is added to #__newsletter_subscribers named with the id from #__newsletter_letters, this way all the subscriptions are under one line for eachuser, instead of a new line for each list they are a member of.

Then I just changed the code to use these facts.

Right now the mod is best used on a new site, but if there is enough need I will write a script to transfer existing users into the new database.

Oh yeah, I just thought I would say I have never written in PHP (I mostly know Java for school) or used mySQL, so I am learning a lot on the way. And also, since this changes the database structure, should it be a mod or another component?

-Schmalls

Admin · 06.09.2004, 11:02

I would release it as a new component. If you don't divide yours and the original, people could get confused. And they will have a lot trouble, if the accidentially update the old one with yours or vice versa some day.

Another option would be to contact the original author and ask him if he is interested in working together with you...

mattad · 11.09.2004, 22:04

Any more news on this? I need the front end part as you described desperately - in fact I can turn up a site until I have that very thing. I looked for other newsletter components but just wasnt satsified.

I want an authorized user to be able to login on the frontpage and send a newsletter out to the subscribers, without having to go to the back end.

Thanks!!!!

Matt

mambovince · 12.09.2004, 13:17

This is a great idea.

I would also suggest the approach mentioned by Arthur is best.

Vince

schmalls · 14.09.2004, 04:08

I have it in a useable product. Here is what is currently implemented:

Frontend:
-With a link to the yanc component it displays all of the newsletters and receive html? and has a checkbox by each one if the user is logged in and if not requests that they login or register. (It probably wouldn't be hard to make the newsletter options available during registration, but I have not done so)

Backend:
-There is a new option under the Yanc menu called "All Subscribers" which gives a list of all the subscribers and has a checkbox under each mailing list and a "change" button at the end, so you can change individual users (everyone who is a user on the site will be on this list).
-Everything else is pretty much the same except for adding users which can be done by adding a new user in the user manager.

The frontend newsletter creation is a good idea, and I think I will get to work on that. Are there any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Schmalls

schmalls · 15.09.2004, 19:50

I have started a project on mamboforge.net called "MaMML (MaMML a Mambo Mailing List)". I will put up what I have so far after I fix a few last things and write up a little documentation for it. I have not yet implemented the frontend newsletter creation part, but it can wait til version .2. Also, there are probably quite a few functions that can still be accessed from the Admin part that were present in YaNC but probably don't work, so if there are people willing to start see what those are and submitting them to the bugtracker it would be great. I plan to change the database locations so that MaMML can coexist with YaNC.

-Schmalls

divamissx · 15.09.2004, 22:54

I'm glad it will be a new component because I am about ready to take the Yanc component out back and shoot it.