add a new function to scheduled tasks

[busterone]

SMF 2.0.1
This would be simple to do a cron for but for this particular forum, cron is not available. 

What I want to do is add a function in /Sources/ScheduledTasks.php which will simply access the db and update the smf_messages table
with this sql command -

Code Select Expand

UPDATE `smf_messages` SET `body` = '.'     every 6 hours

It may seem like an odd request, but this is a spambot trap forum that is cloaked to humans, so only bots register and post.  I usually do this once a day in phpmyadmin, but would rather automate it and forget it.  I do not want the spammers all over my live sites, so I have a separate cheap package just for the bot traps, hence, no cron. 

I thought about just editing an already existing function that is not used in this particular environment, but they are all rather detailed, so I wondered if just adding a new function would be the better way to go.  I am not much a coder myself. 

[Ricky.]

Or you may go other way, write a phpscript, include this sql command and run it through OS cron every 6 hours.

[Illori]

SMF 2.0.1
This would be simple to do a cron for but for this particular forum, cron is not available. 

[Ricky.]

hmm.. I overlooked.. .. 

So new answer would go like ..

In that case, make it publicly accessible and call cron from other server, I have done that in many case.

and if that is not acceptable, you may see this topic : http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=329894.0

[busterone]

Yep, I am concerned about the file being publicly accessible, even though it is only a bottrap. I have already written a  standalone php file that does what I want it to do, unfortunately, it is publicly accessible and the mysql connection credentials are in it.  I could write the cron on my other server to do it auto, but I don't think I will leave the file public for security sake. I will just alter it to use SSI and require admin login to be able to run it, but I still have to run it manually.

I looked through arantor's topic you linked to, but truthfully, most of that is a bit over my abilities. I found the topic informative, but I need to study a bit more before I attempt to tackle adding it in as a scheduled task. Perhaps I can simply alter one of the existing tasks to run the file I have already created.

For now, I will leave it alone and come back to it after I have studied arantor's topic some more. Thanks for the link, I somehow missed it in my search.   

[Kays]

Adding a scheduled task is relatively simple. The main requirements are the row in the database which defines the task. Arantor provides a query which you should be able to use in phpMyAdmin. And a function with the task name in ManageScheduledTasks.php.

[busterone]

Yep, I see that, I think. 
I am still trying to wrap my head around it all.
What I am leaning towards is to simply add this in to the scheduled_daily_maintenance function
I can live with it being just once a day.  I have this so far, but am not even sure if it is correct. I haven't added it in yet to test it.

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$smcFunc['db_query']('', '
UPDATE {db_prefix}messages
SET body = {some_variable_here},
)
      );

[Kays]

If that's what you want to run, then you need to wrap that with a function and add that to ManageScheduledTasks.php. Something like:

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function my_update()
{
  global $smFunc;

  $smcFunc['db_query']('', '
UPDATE {db_prefix}messages
SET body = {some_variable_here},
)
      );
}

With "my_update" being the name of the function. That gets added to the "task" column for that task in the scheduled_tasks table.

I hope that's not the query you intend to run. As it is, it'll replace the body of all messages.

[busterone]

LOL, yes it is the task I want. It is for a spambot trap, and all I am collecting for reporting is the ip,email address, and username.  I do not allow any bbc so the bots post what would be a live link in a normal forum, but isn't live on my trap. I replace the body of them all in phpmyadmin with the query from the first post at least once a day. The bots never return to even look at their posts, they simply know that their bot-ware says that it was a success when they post.  I do not allow any search engines to index the site either, but prefer to not have all that pseudo-spam sitting there in the topics. This way, they think that there is a lot of activity and successful spamming, not realizing what they are actually doing.   

I will give your code a shot a bit later tonight. Thanks. 
edit---
There is an issue here that I can't see, probably right in front of me though. I added this at the end of ManageScheduledTasks.php
and am getting this error when I attempt to access scheduled tasks in admin

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /xxx/xxx/xxx/htdocs/xxxxxxx/Sources/ManageScheduledTasks.php on line 564

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558 function my_update()
559 {
560  global $smFunc;
561
562 $smcFunc['db_query']('', '
563 UPDATE {db_prefix}messages
564 SET body = {'x'},
565          )
566     );
567 }
568 ?>

[Matthew K.]

It should be...

Code Select Expand

SET body = {string:body_str}',
array(
'body_str' => 'x'
)

[busterone]

ahh, that took care of the parse error. Thanks. 

I still need to insert the db row, but will post back when finished.

[busterone]

DB info added and it appears to be set up correctly. I changed the frequency so it will run before I retire for the night so I can verify that it works.
Thanks everyone. I think I have the concept down finally. 

[Kays]

I just hope that you're doing this on a test forum. Or have made a database backup first. Since that will replace the text in all messages.

[busterone]

See my earlier post. I want it to do that deliberately.  There are no humans posting, nor any bots' post content worth keeping.
I do have it on a test forum first though. Once I verify that it is working as I want it, I will implement it on the bot trap forum.

[Kays]

Ok, just want to make sure.

You can run a scheduled task manually if you just want to check if it works.

[busterone]

There must be something in the $smcFunc query that is not quite right.
I just ran it manually twice, and both times the screen returned with All selected tasks were completed , but when I looked at the posts, nothing was done to them. There are no errors in the error log either.
Here is the final function from ManageScheduledTasks.php

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function my_update()
{
  global $smFunc;

  $smcFunc['db_query']('', '
UPDATE {db_prefix}messages
SET body = {string:body_str}',
array(
'body_str' => 'x'
)
   );
}

[Kays]

Off hand, I can't see anything wrong with that query.

Something to try. Add the following to your function and run the task. If your function is properly called then you should see a message in the error log

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log_error('My update was successfully run');


[busterone]

Odd, nothing in the error log, also nothing in the task log for that task either. I ran the optimize database task, and it reflects that it ran successfully in the task log.

[Kays]

So it didn't run then. Is the task name in the database the same as the function name?

Did you add the language strings. I don't think they matter, but...

I'm off to bed so good luck with it.

[busterone]

I figured it out. Simple- the function name was the issue. I changed it from function my_update()  to function scheduled_my_update()

worked as it should then.

Thanks for the help. Have a good night sleep.
Marking this one solved.