Help needed to bridge efiction with existing smf forum

In order to bridge smf and efiction with the bridge that comes with the download, you must have smf and efiction in the same database. If I were you, I'd delete your efiction database, reupload the config.php  and all the files you replaced for the bridge from the eficiton download and start over using your smf database information when called for during the install. (If you deleted the install folder you'll want to reupload that as well.)

In order to bridge smf and efiction with the bridge that comes with the download, you must have smf and efiction in the same database. If I were you, I'd delete your efiction database, reupload the config.php  and all the files you replaced for the bridge from the eficiton download and start over using your smf database information when called for during the install. (If you deleted the install folder you'll want to reupload that as well.)

I think I understand (sort of) but I dont have much experience with databases. Do you mean that when I run the install for efiction and it asks for the database and user information, that I should give it the smf database details instead of an efiction database?  I was following the instructions were it said to create a new efiction database before proceeding with the installation, you see.  I have a separate folder for efiction and for the forum, on the server, so I'm trying to understand how they work together in one database?

Is there some detailed instructions somewhere that explains in detail how to do this and what the implications are?  Sorry but I'm new to all this.

thanks

No, there are no instructions. Just enter the information for the smf database when prompted for database info by the install and it will create efiction in the same database. The implications are that you will now be able to bridge efiction and smf. Unless you rewrite the bridge, there is no other way to do it.

(There are no negative implications that I know of. I have efiction and smf in the same database and it works fine. I suppose eventually your site could have too much content and overload the database, but if your site ever gets that big, you will have more problems than just the database.)

thanks for your help, I will start from scratch and try this again today.  So when you have enter table prefix in the install you just use the whatever one you have for your existing smf database, I think I get it now.

thanks

I wonder how big is too big re overloading the database?

It's probably over 1,000 members, but it probably depends on your server and the things you have and are allowed for your site.

I have 1000+ and when I tried to work a forum in, the forum pages wouldn't load fully. Sometimes the eFiction pages won't load fully.

It's probably over 1,000 members, but it probably depends on your server and the things you have and are allowed for your site.

I have 1000+ and when I tried to work a forum in, the forum pages wouldn't load fully. Sometimes the eFiction pages won't load fully.

oh, lol I have a long way to go then.

_________________________

OK, I have done all of the above, I followed the info in the smf bridge readme.  I can go to efiction and log in and out as Administrator but I have a couple of problems.

Minor problem:
1.  when I log in and out, it takes me to the forum.  I read some posts and it seems to be a common issue.  Not a huge deal as I have just put a link to efiction on the forum, so I can click that and go to efiction, but an easy way to login directly to efiction and not the forum would be nice

Major problem:
2.  If I log in as another member, then it takes me to the forum, I click on the efiction link and instead of displaying the efiction page (as it does for me as the Admin), all it shows is a white page with this info down the left hand side:

Site Info
This is your welcome message. It appears on the index page. Include it in your .tpl files with {welcome}.
Members: 158
Series: 0
Stories: 0
Chapters: 0
Word count: 0
Authors: 0
Reviews: 0
Reviewers: 0
Newest Member:

Random Story
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Most Recent
Site News

So it seems to be working for me as the Admin, but for other members they are just getting this white page, and can't access or see efiction.  I found sort of an answer in this thread https://efiction.org/forums/index.php?topic=4736.0 but it's not really a solution.  Seems to be first time you log in, you get the white screen with text, then after that it might be ok.  I followed the advice saying to direct them to user prefs but I can't keep doing that indefinitely.  For now I have made the link from the forum to efiction take them to their userprefs screen, but that will get annoying after a while.

Also it does seem (as per that thread) that when you change the skin, it doesnt always accept it.

3.  Installing the challenges module

I tried to install the challenges module and I got these warnings at the top of the screen:

Warning: include_once(../../languages/english_admin.php) [function.include-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/**/public_html/efiction/modules/challenges/install.php on line 11

Warning: include_once() [function.include]: Failed opening '../../languages/english_admin.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/**/public_html/efiction/modules/challenges/install.php on line 11

this is above the site name etc.  Then under that shows the usual site information and asks me to confirm the install Yes/No.

Is this safe to proceed with the install of challenges when this warning message is displayed?

How can I fix this?

Thanks for any help

It's probably over 1,000 members, but it probably depends on your server and the things you have and are allowed for your site.

I have 1000+ and when I tried to work a forum in, the forum pages wouldn't load fully. Sometimes the eFiction pages won't load fully.

oh, lol I have a long way to go then.

Actually, I think it's probably more like 5,000 to 10,000. And if you store stories in the database, efiction doesn't take up that much database space.

1.  when I log in and out, it takes me to the forum.  I read some posts and it seems to be a common issue.  Not a huge deal as I have just put a link to efiction on the forum, so I can click that and go to efiction, but an easy way to login directly to efiction and not the forum would be nice

This is just the way the bridge works. You're using SMF's login script and that's where it takes you.

Major problem:
2.  If I log in as another member, then it takes me to the forum, I click on the efiction link and instead of displaying the efiction page (as it does for me as the Admin), all it shows is a white page with this info down the left hand side:

Site Info
This is your welcome message. It appears on the index page. Include it in your .tpl files with {welcome}.
Members: 158
Series: 0
Stories: 0
Chapters: 0
Word count: 0
Authors: 0
Reviews: 0
Reviewers: 0
Newest Member:

Random Story
Categories
Most Recent
Site News

So it seems to be working for me as the Admin, but for other members they are just getting this white page, and can't access or see efiction.  I found sort of an answer in this thread https://efiction.org/forums/index.php?topic=4736.0 but it's not really a solution.  Seems to be first time you log in, you get the white screen with text, then after that it might be ok.  I followed the advice saying to direct them to user prefs but I can't keep doing that indefinitely.  For now I have made the link from the forum to efiction take them to their userprefs screen, but that will get annoying after a while.

Also it does seem (as per that thread) that when you change the skin, it doesnt always accept it.

I have never had either of these problems. Are you sure you followed the bridge instructions properly? Please provide a link to your site so we can see what you're talking about.

I don't have the challenges module installed on my site so I don't know where these errors are coming from, but it looks like you're missing a file. I'd double check the files on your sevrer to make sure everything got uploaded correctly.

Major problem:
2.  If I log in as another member, then it takes me to the forum, I click on the efiction link and instead of displaying the efiction page (as it does for me as the Admin), all it shows is a white page with this info down the left hand side:

Site Info
This is your welcome message. It appears on the index page. Include it in your .tpl files with {welcome}.
Members: 158
Series: 0
Stories: 0
Chapters: 0
Word count: 0
Authors: 0
Reviews: 0
Reviewers: 0
Newest Member:

Random Story
Categories
Most Recent
Site News

So it seems to be working for me as the Admin, but for other members they are just getting this white page, and can't access or see efiction.  I found sort of an answer in this thread https://efiction.org/forums/index.php?topic=4736.0 but it's not really a solution.  Seems to be first time you log in, you get the white screen with text, then after that it might be ok.  I followed the advice saying to direct them to user prefs but I can't keep doing that indefinitely.  For now I have made the link from the forum to efiction take them to their userprefs screen, but that will get annoying after a while.

Also it does seem (as per that thread) that when you change the skin, it doesnt always accept it.

I have never had either of these problems. Are you sure you followed the bridge instructions properly? Please provide a link to your site so we can see what you're talking about.

I don't have the challenges module installed on my site so I don't know where these errors are coming from, but it looks like you're missing a file. I'd double check the files on your sevrer to make sure everything got uploaded correctly.

Thanks for all the replies/answers.

To reply to the last two...

the problem with the white page and text displaying at login, I can't duplicate.  I have tried to log in twice as different members and it has done what its supposed to do.  As I said above, it is discussed in that thread https://efiction.org/forums/index.php?topic=4736.0 as someone else had the same problem and someone did reply to it but I dont think it was resolved completely.

As for the warning I get when I try to install challenges, you can't see that unless you are the Admin, so I have provided a screenshot of what it does.  The image below is a thumbnail so just click on it to see full size.

As you can see, it does offer me the chance to continue with the install, but I wasnt sure if I should or not.  Searching this forum, I did find some people with warning messages related to challenges and the bridge but not this exact one.  I wondered if perhaps I should have installed the challenges first and then the bridge? If it would make any difference?

Your language setting is somehow being set to "english"  It should be "en".

how do I fix it?

Here is the start of the challenges install file:

<?php
$current = "challenges";
include ("../../header.php");

//make a new TemplatePower object
if(file_exists( "$skindir/default.tpl")) $tpl = new TemplatePower("$skindir/default.tpl" );
else $tpl = new TemplatePower(_BASEDIR."default_tpls/default.tpl");
$tpl->assignInclude( "header", "$skindir/header.tpl" );
$tpl->assignInclude( "footer", "$skindir/footer.tpl" );
include(_BASEDIR."includes/pagesetup.php");
include_once(_BASEDIR."languages/".$language."_admin.php");
if(file_exists("languages/".$language.".php")) include_once("languages/".$language.".php");
else include_once("languages/en.php");
if(!$adminloggedin) accessDenied( );
$confirm = isset($_GET['confirm']) ? $_GET['confirm'] : false;
if(isset($anonchallenges)) $output .= write_message(_ALREADYINSTALLED);
else  {
if($confirm == "yes") {

It is set to en.php on line 11. 

I don't know how to fix it.

the "en" vs "english" should be set in your settings, right? Go to the admin panel and look at your settings.. look at the language one and make sure it's right.

Actually, I think it's probably more like 5,000 to 10,000. And if you store stories in the database, efiction doesn't take up that much database space.

Do you mean files here? *puzzled*

No, members. Files have no impact on the database...

And if you store stories in the database, efiction doesn't take up that much database space.

So storing files in the database takes up less space on the database than storing them in the server? This is new. So then, storing files is quicker?

This is not new, it's common sense. It's always been this way. Having story text in the database takes up a lot of room. Storing story text in files on the server would make the database a lot small because then you'd only have small pieces of data in there (characters, categories, summaries, etc.). Think about it--the text of a story is the largest part of the story.

I don't know if it's quicker for most sites. But eventually, if your database gets big enough, it will be quicker. However, storing stories in files on the server comes with its own problems...