Some issue with Giveaway of the Day Feed Service, Javascript import code?

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Some issue with Giveaway of the Day Feed Service, Javascript import code?

(16 posts) (2 voices)

Started 6 years ago by xprt007
Latest reply from xprt007

xprt007
Member
Hi there

I have been using this service for a number of years to embed GOTD offers on 2 sites, preferably with the PHP import script.
Unfortunately, after changing the host, they have the necessary include php function deactivated, allegedly for security reasons. It's not possible to make them change their mind on this at least in the near future.

So I tried the javascript method, but unfortunately, in spite of copying and pasting the complete script at Download template`s sample, which is supposed to result into something like => "See it in action" for some reason, all content below the table with system requirements to price, that's to say "Download .... (the days Giveaway)", the download links, up to the Terms & Conditions does not get printed!

I have no single idea why, because I'm copying & pasting and if you look at the source of this page => http://bit.ly/2FAc74r , you will not that nothing is missing from the code from that GFS javascript code.

This is part of the code from that bottom part that should print the links + terms from my Wordpress page:
<script type="text/javascript">
if(gaotdObj.active){
document.write( '<ul class="download_links"><li class="main_link">Download ' + gaotdObj.title + ' now');
if(gaotdObj.download_mirror1)
document.write('

Mirror link #1

');
if(gaotdObj.download_mirror2)
document.write('

Mirror link #1

');
document.write('<div class="instructions"><p>Unzip the package you\'ve downloaded, and carefully read the instructions which you can find in the readme.txt file. This readme.txt file is included with all our downloads. Follow the instructions carefully to install and activate the software.</p></div><div class="terms"><h3>Terms and conditions</h3><p>Please note that the software you download and install during the Giveaway period comes with the following important limitations:</p>

No free technical support

No free upgrades to future versions

Strictly non-commercial usage

<p>THIS SOFTWARE PRODUCT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WITHOUT LIMITATION, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWABLE BY LAW, END USER ASSUMES THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE DOWNLOADED SOFTWARE PRODUCT.</p></div>');
}
else{
document.write('<div class="na_notice"><p>This software was available as a giveaway on ' + gaotdObj.date + ', this giveaway is not available any more.</p></div>');
}
</script>
So what could the problem be? This is on a Wordpress site, just like GOTD.

I would appreciate some guidance to solve this.

Thank you.
Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

Any response?

I actually also requested for assistance via the GOTD contact form, but no reply yet ...

Posted 6 years ago #
ChrisS
Administrator

I think you started your "cut and paste" a bit late. You should have started around line 446 with:

<p><script src="https://export.giveawayoftheday.com/index.js"></script></p>

If the above is included then make sure that all of the sections begin and terminate correctly. I think you need the lines 446-538 (give or take a line or two)

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

Hi

Thanks for the response.
Assuming I get you right, the code pasted above is rough I agree, but the text describes what exactly is missing.
I also included the link to site page with the code so one can look at the source code, which must include everything from GOTD. The only portion I excluded was the CSS bit as I wanted to use that of the site.

Actually before that, this
<script src="https://export.giveawayoftheday.com/index.js"></script>
was around the top of the GOTD code within page content. After looking again at the sample-js code, this specific bit is between the headers, where I have now placed it.

It makes no difference though, as the mentioned parts with the download link options + terms & conditions are still missing.

I assume you can see no difference if you look at the source code of http://bit.ly/2FAc74r and the sample code above from GOTD, other than the missing CSS & title in sample-js code (<h1>Sample Giveaway of the day single item page generated from imported Java Script object</h1>).

Before sending off this post, I copied and pasted the complete sample-js code minus the title again onto that page in case I left out something, but as you see ...

Posted 6 years ago #
ChrisS
Administrator

I'm not really sure that I understand what you're asking but try pasting the following and see if it gets you close to what you want:

Go to the Sample GOTD page, copy line 8; scroll down and copy lines 104 - 116. Paste and save as an html file and should see the links and the text notifications.

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

Hi again

Well as said, that code you are talking about is part of the complete code from the GOTD sample code, beginning with line 47 - 116, that when inserted into the page, somehow ignores printing what line 104 - 116 has. That's why there's a problem. All content above is printed.

I did however insert the code you are talking about again below the line made with hashes (#####) at http://bit.ly/2FAc74r. As you can see, it's mysteriously does not print the download links + terms.
You can look at the source code and you will note all that code, again 104 - 116 as you suggest is there.

I do not get why everything else in that GOTD code gets printed, but not that last bit.

If you save that sample code as a separate html file outside, it prints everything, but this code is embedded in a Wordpress-based site page, where the problem is. As said, before I used the php version for 3, 4 years with no problem until I changed the host, who claims the necessary include php function is a security risk for them & will not allow it.
This is what brought me to the GOTD JS code. I have no single idea why only this specific potion of code will not get printed.

Actually same issue on another Wordpress and Drupal site all sharing an account ... and on a Wordpress site hosted elsewhere.

If you have a separate Wordpress somewhere site, mind trying it out?

Mysterious and annoying.

Posted 6 years ago #
ChrisS
Administrator

You might need to look at the structure.

I took your file, deleted everything except the first line, added everything between <body> - </body> in the GOTD sample page and I get the links and all of the text. Of course, that might be no different than just running the GOTD base script so try it and see if you get the same result.

If it works you should delete the references to the mirror links since they no longer do anything.

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

Hi there

I have been planning to try out out your suggestion, but have yet to get the time.

Meanwhile, today, at least as of 8:40am GMT I thought it's only on my site that the Javascript-based sscript is not working since for some unrelated reason, I changed something on the site yesterday, but even if you check on GOTD where the sample code is, whereas the PHP-based example https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/gfs/sample/ is working, the JS-based example => https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/gfs/sample/js/ is somehow NOT.

It seems something was changed over there and I hope it gets corrected soon.

Regards

Posted 6 years ago #
ChrisS
Administrator

I've noticed in the past that the js version doesn't always work.

I should have mentioned in the above that the "one line" I used was 21,511 characters according to my text editor which makes it 6-7 pages long. The formatting of that "one line" has been stripped somewhere along the way which makes it impossible to follow the program flow.

If you don't have a version with the correct formatting then maybe it would be quicker to just rebuild the site instead of troubleshooting. My text editor will highlight the next "{" or "(" but it's not smart enough to flag mismatches; it's fine with either "{ ( ) }" or "{ ( } )" and only the first one will run correctly. I still think you've got a program flow problem but whether it's with the sections or other separators I can't say.

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

Hi ...
Thank you for the reply.

Actually I'm no coder and would not be able to do much to the code if the one offered by GOTD is NOT working. As you realize, today's post was NOT a continuation of the above discussion, we have been having. To that, I had said I had not got time try out your last suggestion.

Today, even the code at this Link => https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/gfs/sample/js/ which is supposed to be GOTD demonstrating how their code works is not working. That is NEW.
I actually check my site where I use the code in https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/gfs/sample/js/ and had actually settled to go without the download links until further notice and I am quite sure it worked EVERYDAY. That's why I rushed to check at https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/gfs/sample/js/ and what I see on my site is what you see on this GOTD page ... only this text:

Sample Giveaway of the day single item page generated from imported Java Script object
Giveaway of the Day -
System Requirements:
Publisher:
Homepage:
File Size:
Price:

and nothing more. ... unless in the course of the day, something at GOTD is corrected to make it work, like the PHP-based code.

Is that what you are addressing in your response?

Regards

Posted 6 years ago #
ChrisS
Administrator

That is NEW.

Actually, that the js page doesn't work is not new. It's happened periodically in the past. You probably never noticed it since you previously used the php version.

Is that what you are addressing in your response?

The answer was intended to convey that the js pages hasn't historically always worked and to provide some additional comments on the original issue.

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

Hi

I guess I never noticed it as you say that the JS version periodically does not work.
After the forced change of the host about a month ago, to where the PHP version is currently inapplicable, I switched to the JS version, which I'm sure though in this time, until yesterday and earlier on today, other than the mentioned issue of the lower section with download links not getting printed, functioned. I'm sure about this, because I literally visit that page at least once each day.
A couple of hours ago (local time) it still malfunctioned, but as of now, the whole feed with today's Giveaway up to "Active Giveaway time left: ... hours ... minutes." is there.

As long as the malfunction is not permanent, one can live with it. I only hope my current host sees the light and allows the PHP include function which for some strange reason is deemed to be unsafe.

Thanks & regards

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

Hi there

I know this is a bit old, but wanted to ask if you know any php function that could be used instead of
<? include "http://www.site.com/giveaway/single.php; ?>.
As said, the quite arrogant current host has include blocked, supposedly for security reasons.
I'm currently using javascript to insert GFS code into page on shared hosting. At the old host server php include used to work.
JS has some disadvantages.

Regards

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

This might help someone sometime:

To solve the problem above, I've just got this code from a helper in Wordpress forums and it's working:

$request = wp_remote_get( 'http://www.blablabla.com/giveaway/single.php' );
if ( ! is_wp_error( $request ) ) { $response = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $request ); echo $response; }

It's used together with a plugin enabling inserting php code in posts/pages.

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

Hi

Thank you for the suggestion, though as you note, the code you are suggesting does not appear, possibly stripped because you did not surround it with the code tag.

In my last post, I say

To solve the problem above, I've just got this code from a helper in Wordpress forums and it's working:

$request = wp_remote_get( 'http://www.blablabla.com/giveaway/single.php' );
if ( ! is_wp_error( $request ) ) { $response = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $request ); echo $response; }

meaning the code is working and so I got what I need.

Briefly, I was using some php code [from https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/gfs/, which requires the php include function available on the server to pull GOTD onto my site.

After changing the host, I discovered the new host did not allow using this php function, meaning I could not embed the Giveaway with the provided code.

I however knew GOTD provides alternative javascript code for the same task.

This worked, but mysteriously left out printing the bottom portion with the price, terms of service and download links. On some random days, the code did not work at all.
The php code never ever failed to deliver in the 4 or so years I visited the page, virtually everyday.
At that point, I turned to this forum and that's what is addressed in the original post and responses. I gave up and settled for what I was getting.

About 2, 3 weeks ago, I decided to find out if there's alternative php function, which allows embedding this GOTD without using the blocked php include code, hence my post. At the same time, I turned to the Wordpress support forums with the same request.
I got that code which promptly worked.

To sum it up, instead of

<? include "http://www.mysite.com/giveaway/single.php"; ?> inserted into a page, ...

I have

<? $request = wp_remote_get( 'http://www.mysite.com/giveaway/single.php' );
if ( ! is_wp_error( $request ) ) { $response = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $request ); echo $response; } ?>

That inserts the days Giveaway into a site page or post.
;)

Posted 6 years ago #
xprt007
Member

For someone yet with a similar problem:

For a reason I am yet to discover, the above code which I have been using for the last almost one year ceased working within the last 2 weeks, although I had changed nothing on the site.

I had been forced to change the host yet again for one of the 2 sites without the required fopen & include PHP functions.

Yet at the new host, where I was sure at least the fopen function was there, it mysteriously did not work as well, making me think something was changed at the GOTD source.

Then today this came to my salvation, of course with the scripts in /giveaway:

<?php include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']."/giveaway/single.php");
?>

So now I have the full GOTD back.

May be it could come in hand for someone, sometime.

Posted 5 years ago #

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