Simple Machines Community Forum

Customizing SMF => Modifications and Packages => Topic started by: hchute on December 05, 2008, 04:00:24 PM

Title: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on December 05, 2008, 04:00:24 PM
Link to Mod (http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1541)

This mod provides an Amazon MP3 button in your posting template. It converts selected text into an affiliate link that searches for that text in Amazon's MP3 store. 

Amazon allows and encourages these links that draw traffic to its site. The mod is designed to make it easy for your forum members to make clickable links in their posts when they reference an album title, song track, or artist.

If you are in Amazon's affiliate program, your affiliate code can be automatically embedded in the link, so that you get credit for any resulting purchases.

Screenshots:

Posting button:
(https://www.simplemachines.org/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi363.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo71%2Fhchute%2Fsmf%2520mods%2Famazonmp3-button-01.jpg&hash=099b598c5b3e294cf7679796156fb8f602e20533)

Posting page (close-up):
(https://www.simplemachines.org/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi363.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo71%2Fhchute%2Fsmf%2520mods%2Famazon-buttons-01.jpg&hash=395a2ade503fd414394477f5310f0cc3ebac6282)

Posting page:
(https://www.simplemachines.org/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi363.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo71%2Fhchute%2Fsmf%2520mods%2Famazonmp3-screenshot-01.jpg&hash=b1e3580625b0af2a5b466891ac3dcd51fcd7691d)

How it's used:

When creating or modifying a post, your forum members can select text in that post and click on the Amazon MP3 button. The selected text will become a clickable link in the post. When visitors to your forum click on that link, a new browser page will open with the Amazon MP3 search page results for that string.

The mod also provides an easy way for your forum moderators to modifying existing posts to convert text to Amazon links.

After running the automatic install, copy the included amazonmp3.gif to your Themes/Default/Images/BBC folder. And, if you are part of Amazon's affiliate program, edit Subs.php in your Sources folder and replace the string "affiliate-id" with your affiliate ID assigned by Amazon.

Changelog:

1.0 - 11/28/08
- initial release
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on December 05, 2008, 07:10:54 PM
Hello all,

This is my second SMF mod, and is an Amazon-affiliate-link mod, similar to my first one.

One of the forums I run has a music slant to it, and I find that many posts include song names, names of artists, and album names. This mod allows forum members to select any of those, press a 'musical note' bbcode button, and the text becomes a link that searches Amazon's MP3 download store for that text.

My forum members have really taken to using it. They like the convenience of it and they encourage new members to use it as well. Everybody's use of it drives up my affiliate sales, so everybody wins with this mod.

It's a simple mod, to install and to use. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. And do let me know how well it works for you in your forums!

- Harvey

PS You may also be interested in other mods that build Amazon affiliate links. Here are the ones I've developed so far:

Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on December 07, 2008, 02:44:22 AM
Thanks for the response; this has hit over 50 downloads in the past couple of days.

If you want to see the mod at work, you can view it at either of my gadget sites: http://www.kindleboards.com and http://www.zunerama.com.

Here's a screenshot of the Amazon MP3 bbcode button, and the bbcode that it adds to a post.

(https://www.simplemachines.org/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zunerama.com%2Fblog%2Fgraphics-08%2Famazonmp3-screenshot-01.jpg&hash=5a85bd1cf67306511b365e7a4a79821ca3d3f079)
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: bernholdt on December 07, 2008, 04:53:15 PM
Hi were exactly do i put m affiliate link ?

'content' => '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D15%26ref%255F%3Dnb%255Fss%255Fgw%26y%3D11%26field-keywords%3D$1%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Ddigital-music&tag=affiliate-id-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_BLANK">$1</a>',
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on December 07, 2008, 05:25:07 PM
replace the string "affiliate-id" with your affiliate ID. I've bolded it below. Just replace that text with your Amazon affiliate ID.

Quote from: bernholdt on December 07, 2008, 04:53:15 PM
'content' => '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D15%26ref%255F%3Dnb%255Fss%255Fgw%26y%3D11%26field-keywords%3D$1%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Ddigital-music&tag=affiliate-id-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_BLANK">$1</a>',
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: bernholdt on December 09, 2008, 06:08:55 AM
Got an error in the gallery after installing this any idea how to fix ??
Quote
8: Undefined index: amazonsearch_post
File: /root/Themes/Theme/Post.template.php (mgallery_form sub template - eval?)
Line: 785
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on December 09, 2008, 12:14:05 PM
Check that your Modifications.english.php file was modified properly. (You'll find that file in your Themes > Default > Languages folder.)

It should have the following text string in it:
         $txt['amazonsearch_post'] = 'Amazon Search';]


(If you are using a default language other than English, you may have to make a similar change to the Modifications.XXXX.php file, where XXXX is your default language.)

A couple of questions that will help:

- Did you run the automatic install, or did you install it manually?
- What version of SMF are you running?
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: bernholdt on December 09, 2008, 03:12:14 PM
Quote from: hchute on December 09, 2008, 12:14:05 PM
Check that your Modifications.english.php file was modified properly. (You'll find that file in your Themes > Default > Languages folder.)

It should have the following text string in it:
         $txt['amazonsearch_post'] = 'Amazon Search';]


(If you are using a default language other than English, you may have to make a similar change to the Modifications.XXXX.php file, where XXXX is your default language.)

A couple of questions that will help:

- Did you run the automatic install, or did you install it manually?
- What version of SMF are you running?

I used the automatic installer
Version Information:
Forum version: SMF 1.1.7
Current SMF version: SMF 1.1.7

Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on December 09, 2008, 03:26:49 PM
OK. You should be okay - it sounds like you may using a different languages file.

Are you not using English as your different language in your forum setup?

Check the Modifications.english.php file that I mentioned above, and see if it has that code in it.
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on December 16, 2008, 01:39:43 PM
You may also be interested in other mods that build Amazon affiliate links. Here are the ones I've developed so far:

Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on February 09, 2009, 12:05:22 AM
Update: I've updated the mod for compatibility with SMF 2.0 RC1, and SMF 1.1.8.

Existing users of the mod won't have to make any changes to keep using it. If you're upgrading SMF or newly installing the mod, this new version will ensure compatibility with the latest SMF versions.
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on December 26, 2009, 10:25:54 PM
Update: Mod updated for compatibility with SMF 1.1.11, 1.1.10, and 1.1.9. Also for compatibility with SMF 2.0 RC1 and RC2.

Existing users of the mod won't have to make any changes to keep using it. If you're upgrading or newly installing SMF, use the newer version of this mod (v1.1).
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hartiberlin on March 01, 2011, 08:04:25 PM
Could this MOD please be updated to SMF 2.0RC5 ?

Many thanks.

Regards, Stefan.
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on March 01, 2011, 10:32:42 PM
Yes - will update it this weekend and will post in here when it's done.
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hartiberlin on March 23, 2011, 01:32:55 PM
Any news on the update date ?

Many thanks.

Regards, Stefan.
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: hchute on May 21, 2011, 07:40:33 PM
The mod page has been updated to indicate that the mod is compatible with current 1.1.* and 2.* releases of SMF. Existing users of the mod should not have to change anything.
Title: Re: Amazon MP3
Post by: Arantor on January 26, 2014, 04:51:41 PM
Moved to the BBC category of mods.