Google Analytics specific solution for SMF

[Briankbc]

Hi

The Google Analytics solution question comes up all the time. There are so many messages about it.

So I wrote a blog post with the solution.

Actually, it gave me the idea for the blog itself, called Analytix Specifix.

The code and the solution are at:
Simple Machines Forum Software and Google Analytics [nofollow]

I have not used it on 2.x but it should work in exactly the same way.

Please leave feedback there in the blog comments.

Brian Katz
Google Analytics Consultant

[vbgamer45]

Any reason for using the require instead of just including the javascript code in the template?

[glennk]

Having recently had this problem I think inserting the code into the template causes an error. I will be watching your answers with interest

[vbgamer45]

It would only cause an error if you do not escape the javascript properly.

[glennk]

How is this done ?

[aldo]

Why do you need a "specific" solution..? All you need is to be sure to escape the ' in the code and paste it... O.o

[H]

Why do you need a "specific" solution..? All you need is to be sure to escape the ' in the code and paste it... O.o

Indeed it makes sense to just hardcode it in the index template .

If people would rather not mess with code, then they can use the ad mod

/edit: grammar

[glennk]

At the risk of sounding really thick. How do you escape the code and can someone give me something to copy and paste and tell me where to put it in the template. Obviously I will add my own tracking code number.

[Kermit]

Escaping single quotes means that

eg.

without escape

Code Select Expand


<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-#######-#");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>


with escape

Code Select Expand

<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src=\'" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js\' type=\'text/javascript\'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-#######-#");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>

I hope,it's clear now,what escaping means

After escaping you should put your code in index.template.php and right there

Code (find) Select Expand


</body>


and add before your analytics code

[glennk]

Thanks Duncan

As a non programmer its difficult to understand sometimes. By looks of it, it is a matter of sticking a \ in front of every '  ?? Not sure what the reasoning is but ill just copy and paste yours and add the right code.

Best wishes - Glenn

[vbgamer45]

The reason is SMF displays everything using the echo statement which uses '

Code Select Expand


echo 'Hello World';
[code]

If you add an extra ' such as in the following it will break the code
[code]
echo 'Hello World's';
[code]
Since PHP will read that line and see an opening and closing ' but then there is extra s' afterwords to fix you just escape it

[code]
echo 'Hello World\'s';
[code]
Now this works since you are escaping the extra '


[KahneFan]

The easiest way I've found for this is to use the Global Headers and Footers mod...

http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=351

And simply insert the code into your global footer.

[spaceboy]

Thanks Duncan85, that worked perfectly.  Thanks for showing exactly what to do.  I freaked out when I got the error and frantically reloaded the original index.template.

Thanks again!