Few Easy Questions About Advanced Poll

I have been working with it for the last month, and it has been great.

I have a few questions.

1. I currently have version 2.02. What are the differences between this version and the newest, 2.04? Is there any way to upgrade without losing my info (I'm using textfile, not db?)

2. I first tried to test out advanced poll with text files because I didn't want to bother with databases, but now I realize that this is a great script and that I want to switch to database. Is there any way to switch without having to type in every question one at a time?

3. I saw the code on how to show comments under every poll, but is there a way to have a link right beneath "Submit Comment" that says "View Comments" which opens in a new small window?

Thank you all!

1. I can't answer that.

2. You are using the textfile version now. Your data is stored in files located in the directory called polldata. For each poll question there should be 3 files based on question number. For question number one, the files are:

1 ------ poll question, date timestamps, selections, votes by selection, bar colors
1.dat - poll comments
1.ip --- visitor ip, timestamp

(If no comments have been submitted, perhaps there will be no file named 1.dat - I don't know.)

With the database version, the data gets stored in database tables. Read the following post and you will see the structure of the database tables:

http://proxy2.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=19980&highlight=#19980

If you want to avoid typing in all of the poll questions, you would need to keep a copy of the files in the polldata directory. Then you could copy and paste the information into a .sql file and add it to the database. However, unless you have a huge number of questions to input, I think you will find it much easier to just redo them in the database version's Administration area.

If you want to try copy and paste, you should probably install the database version in its own directory (keeping the textfile version). If the textfile version is in a directory called "poll" just put the db version in another directory - maybe pollphp or something. That way, your textfile version stays intact and working while you are installing the database version.

Once the database version is installed and you can sucessfully log into the Admin area, make an .sql file of the database. In the instructions in the post below, just substitute poll for guestbook.

Guestbook MySQL database transfer:
http://proxy2.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5819&highlight=#5819

Once you have saved the .sql file, you can open it in a text editor. Upon examination, you will see the code for creating tables and inserting the data in those tables. It's a good idea to backup your database regularly. I export the .sql file at least once a week. If anything goes wrong, I can always get my data back.

You will see that the poll questions are located in the `poll_index` table. Here is the default showing there are currently three polls:

You could copy and paste your poll questions over the questions here, making sure not to delete any of the commas or semicolons. But you would need to delete the existing entries from the database table before adding these. You would also need to change the timestamps. Then you would have to paste the selections in the `poll_data`table:

If you do try to do something like this, remember that the poll's tables have already been created. So, using a copy of the .sql file you originally made, you will delete all references to creating tables. You only want to include the new dumping data in the .sql file that you run in PhpMyAdmin.

Hope this writing hasn't confused you too much.

My suggestion would be to use the script's Admin panel to add your questions if you are not familiar with Php. You are far less likely to mess up.

3. I believe this involves templates. Read the posts about templates.

Changing the template:
[list:8b902227d3]http://proxy2.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15567&highlight=#15567
http://proxy2.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=17432&highlight=#17432

Create a New Template:

http://proxy2.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5192

[/list:u:8b902227d3]

How to include previous poll link
[list:8b902227d3]http://proxy2.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3797&highlight=poll+results

[/list:u:8b902227d3]