Joomla and eFiction Bridge - JFiction

Hey Brat!

This component you're working on may JUST be the the thing I'm looking for.  I'm still working on my site.  I just restarted everything, so I've got a fresh copy of Joomla 1.5 and some other components for my site.

Since I'm still ironing out some details, I'd like to see how well this works.

I'm more than willing to report any problems I might get.

email me, let me know.

I'm totally excited about beta-testing this bridge. Brat, you're amazing!

Hello all. I've been quiet because I'm busy trying to wrap up this beta release.

Why has this project taken so long? Well, real life never behaves itself. Also, the advent of eFiction 3.3+ and its stricter code security necessitated lots of little changes in my prior code. On top of that, what started out as a simple connector bridge is now a comprehensive package that contains the following:

Core component (com_jfiction - it comes CB-ready out of the box)
Core mambot (keeps eFiction synched with Joomla registration, login, logout and account updates)
Modules (including Last Added, Last Updated, Most Read, Highest Rated, Featured and Most Read)
Community Builder eFiction Author Plugin (shows last X stories submitted for each author, sorted by date)
Modded eFiction files (only four actually changed plus the addition of a Joomla class file that you just drop into your user directory)
Plus - the JMenu eFiction block, which pulls Joomla's main menu into eFiction when installed and activated (top level menu items only for this release)

I am in the middle of a Community Builder code marathon. I am testing the new eFiction Author plugin. Then, I'm dealing with the nastiest bit of all - unified profiling. The webmaster will have the option of redirecting to the member's CB's profile (this is a parameter in the core component's administrator). Basically, I will have to make a CB eFiction profile tab. This is going to push out the project a few days, but I believe the resulting functionality is worth it.

Once CB coding is done and debugged, I've got to do code cleanup and replace all the hard-coded language with the proper calls to language files. I'm basically looking at the eFiction language files already out there and will pipe as much of that language as possible into the extensions. Cross your fingers!

Sorry for the long silence. The Community Builder profile tabs are taking a little longer than I expected (not to mention that Real Life has been crazy over the last several weeks). Also, I have to be sure the package works on eFiction 3.3.1.

Closed beta testing will have to commence around mid-December. Again, I am sorry about the delay.  😐

OMG! Now that is what I was waiting for!

I made a small fan site using Joomla and some months later I heard about efiction. I even thought about migrating, but since I love Joomla and the main point of the site wasn't the fiction - and letting users post their work- I gave up.

I was wondering about how nice it would be to have both systems working together, but didn't really think someone was actually doing it! It's just amazing news. Now I can actually start to  plan the huge fiction and fanarts site I always dreamed of!

Thank you very much for your hard work.  😆

Lifesaver! *claps*

I didnt think in a million years there would be a joomla/efiction bridge. I've been working with joomla for web development and just 2 days ago decided to go ahead and replace my entire website with a joomla application. However, I love my efiction archive and my IPB forum and refuse to replace them. Therefore, an author on my site would have to register in joomla's CB, in the archive, and also in the forum. Who in their right mind would register 3 times for one site?? I saw somewhere that some guy bridged his IPB to vB and then bridged vB to joomla (as there are a million extensions for joomla/vB and none for IPB) and I will not be doing that. My only hope was a joomla/efiction bridge, especially since these are the major parts of the site. (Only a fraction of users register in the forum and I dont mind a separate registration for that so much.)

My joomla site wont be moved to my server right away, so I have a little time to wait for your finished product. I love love love you for creating this! I'll be installing your bridge the day you announce its completion. Good luck!

NOTE: I am hoping it will be configurable? I dont want to share skins. I don;t want the joomla menu to show in efiction. I only want a universal user/password/CB profile so will turning off the other functions be an option?

Spookymulder, JFiction was developed for users like you.  😀

Your description is an almost perfect breakdown of what this solution will do. The core installation (component plus mambot) synchronizes datatables, login/logout, and registration. The Joomla menu block (Jmenu) is purely optional. It is set up like any other eFiction block. You can have it - or not. Jmenu is not required for JFiction to work.

Community Builder compatibility is built into the core installation. In addition, I am programming several (six or seven in total) CB plugins (trying to handle the "faves" stuff is really nutty). You can use as few or many of these plugins as you wish.

In all other respects, Joomla and eFiction function exactly as they would standalone. Both sets of member tables are populated, etc. You can remove the bridge and they would work just as they did before. The bridge does not depend on a forum (nor does it look for one). If you're using IPB, SMF, Fireboard, whatever, that is irrelevant to the bridge - all it cares about is synchronizing Joomla and eFiction.

And no, they do not share templates. Each system retains its own separate templating system. Without going into a lot of technical detail, eFiction simply was not designed to be embedded in Joomla without some serious rewriting - and what's the point of that?

As a matter of fact...

I will have the core ready for testing this weekend. As I said before, this is a closed beta as I really need to work closely with a few people to fix any bugs. Anyone who wants to participate in the beta test please contact me ASAP with a valid email address.

Thanks!

Excellent. This really is the perfect solution I was hoping for! Good luck with the testing. (Wish I could help but, as I said, I'm still on the test server with a half-finished site.) I'll be waiting lol.  Thanks for answering my questions  🙂

I've just released the JFiction bridge for beta testing under a separate topic, so please direct all discussions there. Moderators, please close this topic. Thanks!