Integrating Community Builder with Kunena

Now that Kunena is fully installed and operational I can continue on to adding Community Builder.

I'm following this website:

http://docs.kunena.org/index.php/Integration_Kunena_and_Community_Builder

but will take you along for the ride - as things are never that simple are they?!

The documentation summary is as follows:

1. Install com_comprofiler component
2. Install mod_cblogin module
3. Install mod_comprofilerModerator module
4. Install mod_comprofilerOnline module
5. Enable CB Login, CB Workflows and CB Online modules
6. Select Name Style parameter from Community Builder Configuration and Save. Run Community Builder Synchronize Users tool.
7. Disable Joomla/Mambo login modules
8. Add new Public menu item to Community Builder component
9. Add new User List menu item
10. Run Load Sample Data tool (optional)
11. Adjust Community Builder and Joomla/Mambo CMS settings to allow registrations only through Community Builder
12. Done!

This seems to be lifted from theNew Installation Readme file for the Community Builder Suite, CB 1.8. That's great, but the Readme file has more details, so let's follow that from now on.

Even though the zip file I downloaded from Joomlapolis (http://www.joomlapolis.com/downloads/cat_view/77-free-member-download-area) is called cb_1_8_0-unzip1st.zip, I failed to unzip it and got a JInstaller: :Install: Cannot find XML setup file when I tried to install it - doh!

Anyway... unzipping it gives me lots of files, and makes the Summary steps 1-12 make more sense (I did spend time looking for all those files on their site and wondering what was going on).

Apparently the com_comprofiler.zip package is over 2M in size, so sometimes you get a Joomla message: "There was an error uploading this file to the server." if your upload_max_filesize is too low in your php.ini file. Check that your upload_max_filesize is at least 4M (recommended 16M) in your php.ini file. Mine was 128M by default so no problems there!

The Readme warns that it can take ages but mine happened in 2 seconds - so fast in fact that I didn't have time to Print Screen the first component, so here's the second:

 

 The next step is to install mod_cblogin module (also known as the CB Login module).

 

The Readme file says: "IMPORTANT if you use the core Joomla or Mambo login module the users will become out of sync with community builder. NOTE: Go to Joomla/Mambo Admin->Components->Community Builder->Tools And use the synchronize users tool to synchronize your user database if this happens."



Synchronize Users This will synchronize the Joomla/Mambo User table with the Joomla/Mambo Community Builder User Table.

Please make sure before synchronizing that the user name type (first/lastname mode choice) is set correctly in Components / Community Builder / Configuration / General, so that the user-synchronization imports the names in the appropriate format.

I checked out the Components / Community Builder / Configuration / General section and it's scary! Let's do another blog post on Configuration after I've finished installing it and reading the documentation!


Next up is mod_comprofilerModerator.zip This is an optional module also known as the CB Workflows module and it is used to manage front-end moderation actions. If I don't have it I won't know if I'll need to use it or not, so I'll add it and have a play. I think that with most of these things, you don't realise what's handy unless you have a large thriving community and need help moderating it, by which time you could be tearing your hair out. Not me, be prepared is my moto (ok I know... it's the scouts :)



Step 4 is mod_comprofilerOnline.zip This module is also known as the CB Online module and it is used to produce and display a list of currently logged in users with links  back to their CB user profile page. It's also an Optional Module.




Next we need to enable the cblogin login module (CB Login), and other CB modules  from the administration backend. Go to Extensions > Module Manager, then click on publish red cross or click on module name to set params. NOTE: On Joomla 1.7/2.5 the 'left' module position will not show-up in the default template. You need to set the module to position-7.






Next we need to go to Components > Community Builder > Configuration and at least choose the user name type (first/lastname mode choice) corresponding to how you want to split or not split the existing users'  name during existing users synchronization of the next installation step. Make sure to click "Save" on the configuration page.

This didn't make much sense to me either, but I guess most people would want First/Last names.



Next go to Components > Community Builder > Tools and use the "Synchronize users" tool to synchronize CB with Joomla. Damn it, I thought I could ignore this in Step 3, oh well, I'll do this and no more configuration until I can understand what the heck I'm configuring.



Step 7 involves disabling the Standard Joomla Login Module. To do that, go to Extensions > Module Manager and unpublish all instances of Login module.



In Step 8 we add a new user menu item to the "User Menu" for Community Builder (this will be the link to the user's profile page). For this, go to Menus > User Menu, click New. I didn't have a User Menu as I didn't install any sample data, so I just created a new menu called "User Menu" of type cb_user_menu. I then added a new menu item. Click the Select button next to the "Menu Item Type" field to reveal the  "Select a Menu Item Type:" pop-up window. Select the "User Profile (mandatory)" item in the comprofiler section.




The User Profile (mandatory) is the main menu item of Community Builder. Please create only one of them and make sure that this menu item is of public access and published.

Give it a Menu Title (example: "My CB Profile") and set the "Access" drop-down field to "Public". Then click "Save & Close".


   
KNOWN ISSUE: When you create any CB related menu item in Joomla 1.7/2. the Menu item type field always shows 'Logout action' This is a Joomla 1.7/2.5 bug which has been reported and you can safely ignore this as the populated link is the correct one. NOTE: This is not a security issue, CB checks access. As you don't want this menu item to appear publicly, you can put it in the User Menu as explained in this step, or another menu with Registered access level at least.

So basically, I wasn't going to have a User Menu (I hadn't thought about it to be honest) but it looks like I need one for the "My CB Profile" menu item. Thinking about it, I'll need one for shopping and other stuff too, so I'll just run with it. I can always change things later.

Step 9 involves adding another menu item - a list menu item that will be the link to the searchable users-listing. For this, go to Menus > User Menu (for non-public lists) or  Menus > Main Menu (for public lists), click New, then in Joomla 1.7/2.5 select "Users lists" item in the comprofiler section when selecting a "Menu Item Type *" for your menu.




NOTE: if you want the list to be accessible publicly, make this menu entry public (and make also public the one under point 8) NOTE: if you make the menu being the first of the main menu it will become the site's homepage.



Step 10 is an optional sample data installation, to pre-populate fields with standard user contact fields (address, phone, etc), and also create a default users list. Go to Components > Community Builder > Tools
and use the "Load Sample Data" tool.



Load Sample Data This will load sample data into the Joomla/Mambo Community Builder component. Precisely, an additional information tab (that you can change, unpublish or delete in CB Tabs manager) will be created containing fields for: location, occupation, interests, company, address, city, state, zipcode, country, phone and fax (you can then change, unpublish or delete those fields which you don't need in CB Fields Manager). Also a users-list will be created, that you can edit from the CB Lists manager. This will help you get started quicker with CB. 



The new "Members List" can be found under Components > Community Builder > List managementand is published by default.




NOTE: To edit this default users list/add other users lists: Go to Components > Community Builder > List management and change/add list(s) with the corresponding access level. Make sure they are published.

Again, this is a configuration issue for another day!

The last recommended step is if you want to allow registrations only through Community Builder. To do this go to Components > Community Builder > Configuration > Registration and set "Allow User Registration" to "yes, independently of global site setting".



Then go to Users > User Manager click the Options button and set 'Allow User Registration' parameter to 'No'.




Finished! Now for the Configuration and playing about...

The Readme says: "Please consider supporting the CB team by becoming an Advanced or Professional member or purchasing CBSubs - the most powerful membership subscription management solution for Joomla!." If it works for me I'll happily support. Devs need to eat too!


Well looks like this WAS simple - excellent!