xPMvb extension for Firefox - a WIP

[Samji]

Hello, everyone.

Recently on these forums, I remember there was a discussion about how some people are running out of Private Message storage space for their account and Joe Siegler was complaining that some of you folks are PM hogs.

Anyway, I have started work on a Private Message feed reader extension for Firefox. The plan is it will support all new vBulletin powered forums which allow the user to export their PMs as an XML feed. - It is called xPMvb (XML-based Private Message Feed Reader for vBulletin). Its general purpose is the archiving of PMs.

The user can then import these feeds, and they will be organised much like how Outlook or other mail client organise email messages.

Other features I hope to include are a Finding message by sender feature and tagging of messages.

Below is a screenshot of xPMvb open.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3769/xpmvbextension1ns0.th.png (http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xpmvbextension1ns0.png)

Feedback welcome :), but remember this is a WIP.

[Kristian Joensen]

This is a great idea and very much needed.

[Samji]

Thanks. Hopefully it will be useful. :D

[Samji]

I made a new logo, the other one was just a placeholder.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4514/xpmvbextension2wt9.th.png (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xpmvbextension2wt9.png)

[GodBlitZor]

Great idea, one word of advice is to make it compatible with skins etc.

[d3ad connection]

Very nice idea. I hope the XML works with the Google personalized homepage.

[Samji]

Great idea, one word of advice is to make it compatible with skins etc.

Thanks, I'll see what I can do. This extension is a learning curve for me, so I'm pretty much learning as I go along.

Very nice idea. I hope the XML works with the Google personalized homepage.

Thanks. Do you mean I should have a feature which means the contents of your xPMvb archived mail can be displayed on a personalized Google homepage? That's a good idea, that may be for a later release though. I'll have to learn about the Google module API.

[Lain]

hey the idea is fantastic, of course i will try it!

[Samji]

Thanks. ;) I'm working on the XMLSchema just now.

EDIT: I have written the schema, but it may need tweaked or rewritten as a DTD.
I have been experimenting on how xPMvb will render UBB code found in messages.

For example, "[quote]" will be displayed something like this:

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/7995/xpmvbquotewz1.th.png (http://img226.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xpmvbquotewz1.png)

"[code]" could look like:

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5603/xpmvbcodese9.th.png (http://img146.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xpmvbcodese9.png)

[GodBlitZor]

Looking good Samji, looking forward to it. I could have used something like this 3 months ago. :D

[Samji]

Cheers, GodBlitZor.

You may have a while to wait yet, I'm learning as I go along as I thought the best way to learn about developing Firefox extensions is to leap in and get your hands dirty.

Here's the WIP View Message dialog. Just using a XML file just now to get an idea of what messages will be displayed like. I have yet to write my rendering script. The messages will most likely work by dynamically generating HTML:

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/6421/xpmvbdynmessagezv8.th.png (http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xpmvbdynmessagezv8.png)

[Samji]

I'm also going to develop a stand-alone program too in Delphi as part of my college software project. :D

I'm going to develop it in addition to the extension as I had to use Delphi to create my application for college.

[Samji]

Here's an update on what I've been working on...
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/341/salmainwindowyc2.th.png (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=salmainwindowyc2.png)http://img450.imageshack.us/img450/5153/salviewmessagepi1.th.png (http://img450.imageshack.us/my.php?image=salviewmessagepi1.png)http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/9387/salaboutdialogueov4.th.png (http://img118.imageshack.us/my.php?image=salaboutdialogueov4.png)

[Samji]

Development should speed up a bit now as this part of my software project for my diploma at college.

[8IronBob]

Hmm, sweet, might want to bring this project up with Joe, he may want to adopt the project, and make it a standard plugin for the forums, wouldn't be a bit surprised.

[Samji]

Yeah, maybe something to access private messages directly to the forums or download feeds periodically.

[Phait]

What do you write extensions with?

[Samji]

What do you write extensions with?

Officially any languages supported by the Mozilla framework.
But generally XUL (XML User Interface Language) and JavaScript. Although some extensions I've seen have used some C++.