Chat Plugin for Elgg

Shortinfo
License: GNU General Public License
Version: 1.7.0
Requires: >= PHP 5
Description: Integrate an Ajax-Chat in the Elgg-Environment.

PhpFreeChat in Elgg
PhpFreeChat in Elgg Zoom

General

Elgg is a very flexible and powerful OpenSource - Social Network. This PlugIn integrates a slightly modified version of PhpFreeChat (OpenSource too) in that environment. With v1.2.2 there are a lot of new options in the admin interface to customize your chat in the way you like.

Please check the required configuration for PhpFreeChat before installing the plugin.

Customizations

You're able to customize your chat plugin via elgg's tool administration page. If that is not enough for your intention and you have to touch code, please keep following points in mind.

  • In order to avoid conflicts between jQuery and Prototype, the $-function had to be overwritten with a function named proto(), which provides the same functionality. Please keep this in mind when you install new phpfreechat themes that access to the $-function of prototype.
  • When you want to display the real name (not the username) in the chat, you could do that by changing the assignment to $params['nick'] in chat/pfc/index.php (by using name instead of username). However please note that the profile link in the buddy list won't work anymore.

Versioning

Since version 1.2 the version of Elgg and this plugin are synchronous. This means that the Chatplugin 1.x.y is the y-th release under Elgg 1.x.

Download

Changelog

  • 1.7.0 (Download *.tar.gz - 548 KB)

    • Upgrade to pfc 1.3
    • Fix autojoin issues in ie8 when not using the embedded mode
    • You can now choose the language via chat tool settings
    • Remove conflicts between prototype and jquery (fixes some IE-related issues)
    • Compatible with elgg 1.7.1
    • few spelling mistakes
  • 1.2.3 (Download *.tar.gz - 512 KB)

    • Choosing container was broken
    • File is the default container now
  • 1.2.2 (Download *.tar.gz - 512 KB)

    • Extend admin page: choose container (MySQL or flat files)
    • Chat can be opened embbeded in page or in a new popup window
    • Choosing chat theme in admin interface
    • Define default chatrooms in admin interface
    • For logged in user: remove from common menu and add to topbar
    • color chat icon in topbar if there was chat activity
    • Add access settings for the chat to the admin interface
  • 1.2.1 (Download *.tar.gz - 508 KB)

    • User not logged in could access the chat.
  • 0.2 (Download *.tar.gz - 490 KB)

    • Compatible with Elgg 1.2
    • Upgrade to PhpFreeChat 1.2
  • 0.1 (Download *.zip - 931 KB)

    • This version has the same functional range like v0.2, but it is compatible with older Elggversions like 0.8.x.

Comments

Update of elgg chat (PHPfreechat)

Hi bro please please please help. I need your phpfreechat which you made for elgg 1.7 to run on elgg 1.8.... Hope you'll help :)

Show number of users in chat... ( in elgg )

How do i show the number of online chatusers in elgg 1.7.1 in the top menubar calling the chat?
I can see that you wanted to implement that back in 2009 for PhpBB, but i cant get it to work.

issue

I need help..I installed the zip file in the mod folder, unarchieved the files, then enabled it under administration tools. Now, I do not see the chat anywhere on my page. Any help would be appreciated? thank you

Error showing 'nick' parameter must be a charatere string

Hi

I m using Elgg version 1.7.10 with wamp server.
When i load chat plugin it shows message :

phpFreeChat cannot be initialized, please correct these errors:

'nick' parameter must be a charatere string

How can this be fixed ?

Database creation error

i have edited the mysql.class.php to suit my database host and account. but still i get this error

Mysql container: create database error 'Can't create database 'xxxxxx'; database exists'

xxxxxx is db for the elgg site. how can i overcome. pls help

Clear History

is it possible to easy create a button for clearing the chat history?
thx

timeout

Hello.
Please excuse my English.
I have a problem with plugin for Elgg chat.
My version of Elgg is 1.7.1.
My problem is that in a random chat room users are disconnected from the chat.
I have set the timeout to 60000 ms, but anyway my chat users are disconnected from one randomly.
Can you give me some tips to avoid this?
Thank you very much.
perojo7@gmail.com

Chat Plugin for Elgg

I am using version 1.7.1
I installed the Chat Plugin for Elgg and get this message:
phpFreeChat cannot be initialized, please correct these errors:

filemtime php fuction is not usable on your filesystem. Please do not use the 'file' container (try the 'mysql' container) or swith to another filesystem type.

It doesn't give me a place to switch to mysql container.
Can this be done manually? If so, how?
Thanks

Container

Hi,

consult the settings page of the plugin. You'll find this option on the first place.

regards

IE 8.0 Quirk Status

As of 3/9/10 the current version 1.2.3 of this plug-in running in Elgg 1.6.2 fails with Internet Explorer 8.0 due to the bug described here: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=2790822&group_i...
This causes the online user list to display over the message entry box, which makes it not usable.
This bug primarily affects running the plug-in in Embed mode. If the plug-in author updates to the latest version of phpFreeChat the bug is fixed, but there is a work around described in the link above.

Another bug in IE7 and IE8 still persists as other users have reported -- it will not automatically connect to the default chat when the pop-up window opens, as works correctly with Firefox. I'm searching the phpFreeChat site at http://www.phpfreechat.net to see if anyone has a fix or workaround on that, or whether the bug is within the Elgg plug-in version itself.

Jonathan, AtlantaWebDesignGA.com

Is there a way?

Is there a way to be able to chat with just one person, so kind of like have a private room with just another user?
Is there a way for a user to send an invitation to another user so that they can chat privately?
Thanks,
Marco

error..

all the chat plugin loads well on my elgg site but after that i get this error message just after the text area "Missing parameter (/join {channelname})" .

I really need this to work. Please help me. thanks

Version 1.2.4?

Hi,

I read in a reply to another comment that version 1.2.4 may fix the autoconnect problems. It seems that also using Firefox the connection sometimes is not established correctly. I only had this problem once, but I got feedback from users who have quite a lot of problems (although I haven't asked yet what browser they are using).

Are you still working on the next version? It would be really nice to have a fixed version. Hopefully soon.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the chat plugin. It really is quite useful.

Odd Problem

I've just set this up on my Elgg install, and it never gets past loading the chat.

Error please help

Hi all the chat plugin loads well on my elgg site but after that i get this error message just after the text area "Missing parameter (/join {channelname})" . what could be the problem please if you can post solution or a link. even better please email me pakonawala@gmail.com

Thanx in Advance

REMEDY

Hai,

I have faced same problem this morning. I have found solution.
In admin module, under the label Default Chatrooms one text box is there.
You should type some name like "BEST FRIENDS".
Then chat functionality works.

Bye
Rama Krishna

For Elgg 1.5 or other version

To run this plugin into different version just view and read this link http://openedweb.com/blog/tag/elgg/. see the More Elgg 1.5 Tweaks

On Elgg version 1.5

Hi how to work on this at Elgg version 1.5? I cant see or populate the settings, under Tool Administration>Chat. any Help please.

Thanks,
jess

Show number of users in chat...

Hi - I am trying to add to your plugin to show the number of users in chat next to the chat icon.
I am finding people don['t enter chat unless they see activity.
I am attempting to mod the code posted in this thread: http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=1411395&start=15

start at the 3rd or 4th entry down.

I can't seem to get the code to properly count users in chat... my demo code is as follows:

<?php

require_once "pfc/src/pfcinfo.class.php";
$info = new pfcInfo( md5("phpfreechat") );
// NULL is used to get all the connected users, but you can specify
// a channel name to get only the connected user on a specific channel
$users = $info->getOnlineNick($channel = NULL);

$info = "";
$number = count($users);
if ($number == 1) {
$info = "$number user in chatroom ";
} else {
$info = "$number users in chatroom "; }
$in_chat = $in_chat . sprintf($info, $number);
foreach($users as $name)
{

if ($counter == 0) { $comma = ": ";}
if ($counter > 0) { $comma = ", "; }
$counter++;
$in_chat = $in_chat . $comma . $name ;
}
echo $in_chat;
echo $number;
?>

code is placed in: /mod/chat/showonline.php

I put the echo statements in to see if values are indeed changing... and they are not.

Any thoughts?

RE: Show number of users in chat...

I will check that and implement it in the next version coming September

Greetings

configure

I'm just trying out elgg for the first time and this is the first plugin that I'm testing. I like it but a couple of questions:
1) Is there a way to setup private chats or to associate chat only within an elgg group?
2) How would I use special characters in the Chatroom names like a tilde over the n in Espanol?

thanks
Paul

Not working correctly

Hi! I'm using Elgg 1.2, and when I hit the Chat button, there is an error:

phpFreeChat cannot be initialized, please correct these errors:

* 'theme' parameter must be a charatere string

I'm not sure what could be causing this. I downloaded the plugin and simply installed it in the "mod" folder, ran it, and got this error.

just go to Plugin Listings

just go to Plugin Listings and click on settings for this "chat" plugin and save it.

IE Autoconnect

Felix,

I noticed that IE does not autoconnect to the default chat room when popup is enable, firefox works just fine.

Any insight on this?

Re: IE Autoconnect

Well, sometimes there seems IE issues in 1.2.3.. I'll try to fix it with 1.2.4

Thanks

I am using this and it is working great. I just thought I'd say thank you for a job well done

Pictures not showing

Hi,

I have added the chat and it works with the userdatabase fine and the chat is working. However the icons at the bottom are showing as text not pictures,

any help would be greatly appreciated..

Thanks

Re: Pictures not showing

Hi,

However the icons at the bottom are showing as text not pictures

thats strange. Did you try different browsers? If you right click the pictures and copy the address, is it like

<path-to-your-elgg-install>/mod/chat/pfc/data/public/themes/default/.....png

Maybe you have some rewrite rules defined in .htaccess files or in the webserver configutation that matching the urls? Please check them..

Otherwise I have no idea..

greetings Felix

permissons

hi i like your elgg chat plugin, my you can include this in you install instructions:

CHMOD 777 /mod/chat/pfc/data/private
CHMOD 777 /mod/chat/pfc/data/public

keep up the good work. may you can make an option to make the chat available to loggedout users too. getting the menu entry alway visible isn´t a problem but i dont get an alternative to $params["nick"] = $_SESSION['user']->username; // setup the intitial nickname

Re: permissons

hi i like your elgg chat plugin, my you can include this in you install instructions:

CHMOD 777 /mod/chat/pfc/data/private
CHMOD 777 /mod/chat/pfc/data/public

keep up the good work. may you can make an option to make the chat available to loggedout users too. getting the menu entry alway visible isn´t a problem but i dont get an alternative to $params["nick"] = $_SESSION['user']->username; // setup the intitial nickname

Thanks, I'll include both points in the next release.

Private Chat

I have seen the question asked several times but never seen an answer.
Is there any way to implement a private chat or private chat room??
I would like to see one if possible and it seems others would too.

Thanks

www.barespace.net