I've seen website that have their own private messaging system, that is, the capability to message members of the same site.

Take this forum's PM System for e.g. How do you create such systems for website, instead of forums?

Are there any free [PM System] scripts allready available?

I have one on an RPG game I run. Just have a database table for the messages. It will show the time, status, from, to, etc....If the status is new it will show you have a new message. You click on your mailbox and it will display your messages according to your #. The one's that are new you click on and then it switches them to read. To delete set status to delete and just display the one's that are new or read. If new messages alert() new messages.

did u create the pm system ur self? could i have ur website url so i can see what you've done or how you've done it

Take a look at http://pmsys.uni.cc/.

I ran the demo http://phps.biz.ly/ and it seems to be what you're looking for.

Thank you sea otter for your excellent suggestion.

Although, the structure of the script seems a lil too complicated for me to start bulding my own PM System based on it...

Are there any simpler script than this?

i'm building one i started yesterday evening when its done (in around a week as i go back to school wednesday so i doubt i'll finish it before then and school wastes time) i'll post a thread on it in the programming forums when all is done, if goes well it should even have a "attach poll" system. So i'll PM you when its done. Also latheesan judging by your last post your trying to code one your self based on a script why do that when you can just used theres already done?

That was the only standalone script I could find. The rest are all combined with help desk systems, forums, CMS systems, etc.

To be honest, I'm not sure if a PM system could be written any simpler. There's actually quite a bit of management, security, form handling, etc. going on behind the scenes!

Let's wait and see what maddudemike cooks up!

Originally posted by maddudemike
i'm building one i started yesterday evening when its done (in around a week as i go back to school wednesday so i doubt i'll finish it before then and school wastes time) i'll post a thread on it in the programming forums when all is done, if goes well it should even have a "attach poll" system. So i'll PM you when its done. Also latheesan judging by your last post your trying to code one your self based on a script why do that when you can just used theres already done?

I kinda hate going through the entire script and modifiying it so it fitz my website perfectly, so instead, i have an existing script opened in notepad and see how its structured and what kind of php/mysql functions they are suing, then visit php.com/manual and get started. So far, i found this easier than using existing scripts :D

Also, thank you in advance for your PM... and im back to school now :( lolz

I go back to school on wednesday (tommorow) which is not that bad. And what sorts of customisations are you looking to make post them here and i'll see if i can make my script customisably friendly

what sorts of customisations are you looking to make post them here and i'll see if i can make my script customisably friendly


Im not sure weather you asking what features i there could be on the script or how im going to customize it... lolz

well, if you mean what features that PM System could have, how about these suggestions

1. very simple to use (simple navigation)
2. member search form (if someone entered lateesan, it could try to do some kinda spell check or something similar and find the actual username, which is latheesan)
3. as you enter the website, a java script that opens a alert(); that says, you have a new pm, would you like to read it on a popup or on this same page
4. hotmail.com like richtext formatting or plain text PM
5. similies
6. ability to create signatures with text/html (certain html tags only, like <i>, <b>, <a href=""></a>) that appears on every PM that is sent
7. how about a small content box that shows whose online and gives the member the option to send 'request' to chat with the online member via a PM and if the member accept the chat from his PM by clicking on a special link, e.g. chat.php?accept=yes&from=david&to=latheesan, chat.php file can popup and the two members can chat (just for fun, works well if your site is famous and you have ads on it)

if you were asking how id customise it after u made it, well, firstly i wud try to skin it, so it matches my site theme.

Secondly, i would try to implement the above 7 ideas my self if you havent done it :D

Lolz

lol i actually meant what bits do you want to customize for your script.

im not too sure yet,

btw, could i see how your script is comming along? im really eger to see it in action :)

Nah sorry im doing GCSE revision and stuff so i havent got much done wait till saturday and i'll have a BETA version.

ohh, goodluck for your exams man n i'll wait, it aint a probs for me =)

create own - just 2 tables - users and messages. According to php tutorials, you can write it very fast

Originally posted by xelav
create own - just 2 tables - users and messages. According to php tutorials, you can write it very fast

You would need at least a third one, no? To map user IDs to message IDs.

You're right, the table part is easy. Managing the notification, expiration, etc. of messages is only a little harder. The tough part --on all such projects-- is the ADMIN section. Ugh! I hate writing those! 80% of my work always goes into that - error checking user input, creating good-looking forms, etc. etc.

exactly, thats why i wanted to wait and see how maddudemike's script is comming along so i can implement it into my site wihout major coding, because im such a noob at php programming. I've only started about a month ago, i've got so much more to learn...

Well, we're all here to help out :)

Thats very true, without everyone help from the start, id still be coding my website in plain html, which suck :p