Web Applications

Free Smart Guest Book 2.0 Installation

Installing Free Smart Guest Book 2.0 for MS SQL Server Database

Free Smart Guest Book 2.0 Installation

Installing Free Smart Guest Book 2.0 for MS SQL Server Database

A. Contents of the zip file

You will find the following files:

  • SmartGuestbook.sql (SQL Scripts file)
  • SmartGuestbook.swf (Flash Interface)
  • SmartGuestbook.asp (ASP file where the Flash interface is placed)
  • SmartGuestbookCode.asp (ASP file accessed by the .swf file)
  • scripts.js (Javascript code)
  • badwordfilter.txt (comma delimited bad words list)
  • CloseWindow.htm (to automatically close the window)
  • Readme.txt (content similar to this page section)

B. Installation Steps

  1. Place all the above files in a folder called SmartGuestBook under your site root.s
  2. To create the required table and stored procedures run the sql scripts file (SmartGuestbook.sql) if you know how to do it. Alternately you can also simply open the file in Notepad, copy the contents of the file, paste it into your SQL Server Query Analyzer, choose the correct database into which you want the Guestbook data to go and then run the queries. It is better if you first create the table and stored procedures in an offline dummy database check if everything is fine and then export the table (tblGuestBook) and the two stored procedures (insp_guestbook and selsp_guestbook) to the remote database through the Microsoft Transaction Server(MTS).
  3. Important: To make your SmartGuestBook work you need to give the connection string to your SQL Server Database in the SmartGuestbookCode.asp page. Open the code view of this page and you will immediately find the following lines clearly marked out for your convenience.
    '-----------Place your Database connection string here in place of the existing dummy one----------

    strDB="Driver={SQL Server};Server=yourServerIPAddressOrName;UID=yourUserID;PWD=yourPassword;DATABASE=yourDatabaseName"

    '-----------Place your Database connection string here in place of the existing dummy one----------
    Substitute the following with your SQL Server database details, that would have been assigned to you when you bought the database space, as listed below:
    1. yourServerIPAddressOrName - this is your SQL Server database IPAddress or Name.
    2. yourUserID - your SQL Server database's User Name.
    3. yourPassword - your SQL Server database's Password.
    4. yourDatabaseName - your SQL Server database Name.

    If your database connection needs to be a DSN type then give your DSN name as an additional clause in the above connection string. Just replace 'yourSystemDSNName' or 'yourFileDSNName' according to your DSN type with your assigned DSN Name like in the example string below and place it in the code.

    For a System DSN the connection string will be:

    strDB="Driver={SQL Server};Server=yourServerIPAddressOrName;UID=yourUserID;PWD=yourPassword;DATABASE=yourDatabaseName;DSN=yourSystemDSNName"
     For a File DSN the connection string will be:

    strDB="Driver={SQL Server};Server=yourServerIPAddressOrName;UID=yourUserID;PWD=yourPassword;DATABASE=yourDatabaseName;FILEDSN=yourFileDSNName"

  4. Now you are ready to call your Guestbook from anywhere in your site. To do this, use the following link in your page (Hint: If you are using dreamweaver, copy and paste the following link in the Code View):

    <a href="javascript:{var xwin=window.open('/SmartGuestBook/SmartGuestbook.asp','GuestBook','width=350,height=350, resize=no')}">Guest Book</a>

  5. If you wish to keep the guest-book inside one of your site pages (i.e. the guestbook will be visible always on the page instead of popping out on clicking a link), you should place the SmartGuestBook.swf file and related scripts in your page body by adding the following code wherever you want the Guest-Book to appear (do not copy the 'Start of Code' and 'End of Code' lines). After you copy-paste the code please follow the important directions given below it.

    <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="VBScript">
    Sub guestbook_FSCommand(ByVal command, ByVal args)
    call guestbook_DoFSCommand(command, args)
    end sub
    </SCRIPT>
    <script language="JavaScript">
    var moviecolor = '#000000';
    </SCRIPT>
    <script language="JavaScript" src="scripts.js"></SCRIPT>
    <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#5,0,0,0" width="350" height="350" id=guestbook><param name="MOVIE" value="SmartGuestBook.swf"><PARAM NAME=bgcolor VALUE="#4B88C4"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="QUALITY" value="high"><param name="LOOP" value="false"><embed src="SmartGuestBook.swf" name="guestbook" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="350" height="350" bgcolor="#4B88C4" menu="false" loop="false" quality="high" swliveconnect="true"></embed></object>

    Important Directions:
    1. Place this page of your site inside the SmartGuestBook folder only.
    2. Change the path to the SWF file in the param tag named 'MOVIE' and embed tag 'src' value for a site hosted by another site.
    3. Change the background color of the guest book in the param tag named 'bgcolor'.
    4. CAUTION: Do not change any other part of the code in any other place as the guest-book will not function properly.
    5. DO NOT place the code inside a form i.e., in between a <form> </form> tags (since the guestbook add new entry page will not work).
  6. The CloseWindow.htm page can be used to close any web page in your site. Use it if required by using a simple link as below.
    <a href="/SmartGuestBook/CloseWindow.htm">Close</a>

Troubleshooting Smart Guest Book 2.0

  1. If your Smart Guest Book is stuck i.e., just displaying the "loading guestbook entries" frame, then please check if the URL : http://Your_site_path/SmartGuestBook/SmartGuestBookCode.asp?size=50 is giving an error. If yes please recheck if you database folder is given write permission.
  2. If your guestbook is still not working please check if your site supports ASP (Active Server Pages) and MS SQL Server databases. If yes check if your installation steps were correct.
  3. If you have any other problems please visit our FAQs page or email us (admin@smartwebby.com). Your suggestions and comments are always welcome :-)

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