Information Technology Light Polling System

ITLPoll help version 3.2

Thanks for choosing our easy-to-use, powerful polling and survey program.



Intoduction

 This is a powerful system to easily manage website polls.

    With ITLPoll you have the following features:
  • Add unlimited polls
  • Add unlimited choices for any poll
  • Active polls whenever you want!
  • Show inactive polls in every page you want!
  • See your archived polls!
  • Easily install the poll system
  • Change and choose different templates
  • Choose different languages for ITLPoll
  • Disable the system whenever you want
  • Create public or private surveys using voters management (new)
  • Create , delete, edit and manage unlimited users (new)
  • Create, delete , edit group permissions for users ( including roll definitions ) (new)
  • Show results with dynamic 3D pie and bar charts (new)
  • Change easily password and username
  • Show results with dynamic images
  • Lost password recovery
  • Uses OOP programming system
  • Can use hijri (jalali) date format for the system
  • Other features too numerous to mention...

This script is very secure. you can install it on your website without the need for additional security.

You can download this software from : http://wwww.sourceforge.net/projects/itlpoll
Demo and testing is available here : http://itlpoll.sourceforge.net

If you find a bug in this script or have a question, please visit our forum at:  http://wwww.sourceforge.net/projects/itlpoll


Installation

Installing this script is very easy. You only need to cerate a database for this system. Then upload all files and folders in ITLPoll system and run index.php in root ITLPoll system. You automatically will be redirected to installation page.

To install you should set permission of the config.php file to 777
In windows operating system, set write permission to all users.

The installation page has several fields to complete. first is host the default is localhost and then username and password for mysql database and finally database that you created before.

Then you should choose a username & password for the administrator of ITLPoll system. Other boxes are default for english users!
 

New fields are provided to enable jalali and maxchoices and are important. You can only set maximum choices one time. It can't be changed from administrator and is permanent. You can't set bigger choices than the originally designated number after installing the system. So, please be careful when setting this item and set how many choices you need for each poll. Jalali date format has been added specially for persian users and persons who use hijri date format. If your default date format is georgian do not change default selection of "no".

After installing the ITLPoll system you should delete the install folder from your server

O.K. ! now your ITLPoll system is ready to use!


Using ITLPoll admin system

If ITLPoll system is on ITLPoll folder and your site for example is example.com you should enter this address :

http://www.example.com/itlpoll/admin/

On this page you should enter username and password that you entered in installing page. If your username and password are correct you will log into the admin system. With add new poll link you can add new poll. When you click this link a page will appear asking for the number of choices for the new poll. Then, you should enter that number. Then you should enter the questions and choices of the new poll.

Notice : you should enter the date with format yyyy-mm-dd. Example : 2008-02-20 - If you leave the date blank there will be no expiration of the poll.

If you activated jalali date format please enter dates in this format.

Notice : when you add a new poll you can't see it until activiated in the Edit or delete exist polls page.

For edit or delete exist polls you should click edit or delete exist polls link. In this page you can activate not actived polls by clicking option in active column. For edit polls you can click the each poll icon that is under the numbers column (tooltips will help you!) For delete polls you can click the icons under the delete column.

In new version 2.6 you can see polls in different pages for navigate easily. With next button will see the next page contain next polls and back button will show the back button. Under the table you will see the current page from total pages.

Notice :  After deleting you can't restore polls.

There are two columns after number, delete and subject : Named : Start date and Expire date that will show the start date of poll and expiration of poll. Note that dates will show in the date format that you selected in the installer page. Note that date 0000-00-00 means that this date not setted for poll.

How to change date format : For changing date format from hijri to georgian you should open config.php and set $usejalali variable to "0" value. And to change from georgian to hijri you should set $usejalali to "1" value.


How to add this script on my homepage

Adding ITLPoll to your website homepage is very easy in version 2.7 (and higher !)

Only you need to change $itlpoll_path on line 7 of this code (Under here! you can see this code on example_include.php file in this folder too!) to your ITLPoll folder! Then copy this code on your home page document on first line !
Notice : This 9 lines must be copied at the first line of your home page or the page you want to add ITLPoll system. If you don't do it the program can't work properly with cookies.

Update : In Version 3.2 and higher you can only embed ITLPoll on your homepage when Voters Management is disabled and just one poll is actived.

After adding this codes on the top of your home page you can add this line every where you want to show the poll :

Just this !


How to show not actived polls

In new version of ITLPoll you can show not actived polls. But you can only show the results of inactive polls because they are not actived! and any user can't vote the not actived polls. You can show them only for archiving.

For showing not actived polls you should add "?pollid=your poll number" after index.php file. For example :

http://www.yoursite.com/itlpoll/index.php?pollID=numberofyourinactivepoll

(replace numberofyourinactivepoll with your number of poll)

For finding number of polls you can help your administrator ITLPoll system. Please note that if the number you are choosing is not actived the ITLPoll system only will show the results of that poll.

If you are using the include_itlpoll.php file (means that you have a file in your homepage that includes the include_itlpoll.php file) you can add ?pollID after your file that includes include_itlpoll.php


Dynamic colors, pictures and forgotting password system

We have very special image resulting in version 3 ( and higher ) : 3D charts such as 3D pie and 3D bar. and still we have old 2D bar chart. For change between this situations go on "edit configurations and users&groups" and change "default graph" section as you want!

In new versions dynamic colors (version 2.00), pictures (version 2.5) and forgotting password system (version 2.00) had been added to ITLPoll system. You can set dynamic colors in admin panel -> Edit the ITLPoll configurations by changing the color1 and color2 fields. The colors help interface link in after each fileds. These colors are used for html viewing of results and choices.
Dynamic pictures will produced by old_image.php in the includes folder. The color of bar choices are random and when you refresh the page you will see the diffrent colors. You can view image results by static link : index.php?ImageResult . Alhough the link of this showing in under each poll. Enjoy it!
Fogotting password system actived in admin panel in version 2.00 and is more secure in current version for accessing thi you should type this address "pathtoitlpollsystem/admin/?action=forget". Because of the system can't show current password will reset it for you. For reseting password you should go on forgot password system page and enter the administrator username and email of it. If your gived information be correct the system will send an email for you that contains a link that when you click it your password will reset. And your new password will send you after a few seconds.

Notice : probably the hackers and malicious users try to reset your password and hack you. If you received an reseting password email from ITLPoll system and you doesn't request it, Don't worry! Leave this email and don't attention it. Until you don't click the link your system works with old password.

In version 2.6 and higher the new ability that will separate the polls in different pages in edit and remove page in admin panel system is using the number of archive as the max numbers of poll showing in this page. For increase or decrease number of showing polls you can change this integer;


Create, edit, delete and manage users

In version 3.0 ( or higher) there is an ability to create, edit, delete and manage users. 'users' word doesn't mean users that votes but users that are probably administrator of system. And is probably because of permission groups that described in the next section.

Unlimited users can login to administrator panel and do administrator works such as 'add poll' or 'edit poll' and so on. For using this ability you should go to "edit configuration and users&group" link at the top of the panel. In other word this ability is under config.php file. and in this file you should click "manage and create users" link. In this page you can change username, password, permission ( see next section ) or block user and don't let the specific user to login ! For doing this things the requirement is clicking the update link. You can delete the user by click delete icon in it's row. But NOTE THAT THIS DELETE WORKS WITH NO CONFIRMATION.

If you want to create new users you should click the "create new user" under the table. In it's page you should enter new user information and new account will create. But note on the permission box and select it carefully ( see next chapter ).


Create, edit, delete and manage permission groups

In version 3.0 ( or higher ) there is an ability to create permission groups and set them to users.

Permissions are :

- Ability to add new polls (can add)
- Ability to edit polls (can edit)
- Ability to delete polls (can delete)
- Ability to change configuration (can config)
- Ability to manage users and groups (can group)

With first ability the users that are belong to this group will be able to add new polls to database. Second ability is to changing exist polls only. Third ability is about delete exist polls. Fourth ability is about change configuration variables such as default result , colors and so on. Fifth ability is about that can create, edit, delete users and groups.

Any user that have all of this abilities will be GOD. And any work can do ( like users on older versions ) .

For create, edit, delete and manage permission groups go to "edit configuration and users&group". And click "manage and create permission groups" link. This page is just like users page. With update link you can update changes to groups. And with delete icon you can delete groups. NOTE THAT THIS DELETE WORKS WITH NO CONFIRMATION.

To create new users click the link under the table and enter new group information. Please note that you can't set same names to groups. And this will causing error !


Use ITLPoll as survey application

In ITLPoll Version 3.1 (and higher) you can change the polling system into complete survey system by activating more than one poll in the same time. for this purpose go on "edit or delete exist polls" page on ITLPoll administrator.  If you have been activated more than one poll, you will see this help under this page :

Survey Tip

It means your polls can be on different situations. If you see Plus Icon icon in the specific poll row, means that poll not actived and will not show on the front page (user page) but if you click on it will change to Actived Not Confirmed icon which means this poll activated but this change will only show in the front page , when you click on the save changes button under current page. If you click again on theActived Not Confirmed icon, changes will be discarded and situation icon will reset to Plus Icon.

We have same operation for not actived polls. If you see Actived
                  Confirmed icon in the specific poll row, means that poll actived and confirmed and are showing currently in the users front page. but if you want to deactivate it you should click on this icon and will change to Not Actived Not Confirmed icon which means that poll temporary deactivated ( but will show on the users front page ) until you save changes by clicking on save changes button under current page.

Summary : If you have more than one poll in the "edit or delete exist polls" page and there is more than one Actived Confirmed icon , it means you have activated ITLPoll survey system. If there is only one Actived Confirmed icon, means you are using single poll system. ( Take a look at the other pages if you have more than one page result )

As you might undrestand, when you activate ITLPoll survey system a textarea appears on the "edit or delete exist polls" page. On this textarea you can add you title text for survey page which will show at the top of page.

Important Notice : When you hit the "save changes" button all numbers of results of selected polls to be actived will reset to zero (0) and this operation can't be undone. when you do this action you'll get a confirmation dialog for assurance.



Voters Management Feature

In ITLPoll Version 3.2 and higher you can create private surveys as well as public surveys. You can enable this feature in admin panel from file named voters.php titled "Voters Management". If this features is disabled then you can press "Enable Voters Management" and only registered voter users can vote in the ITLPoll survey or poll. For registration, voters email is used.

ITLPoll stores voters different information and it's easy to control them. and with this feature you can get more real results from users. because one voter user only and only can vote once.

You can see who is voted already or whom users are waiting for admin confirmation.

For deleting voter users you should enter it's email in the search and edit box and select "Remove this voter" from next form.

Note : You can enable/disable admin confirmation for voters register. If admin confirmation is disabled then voters can participate in the survey or poll after their email verification. But if admin confirmation is enabled, after voter verification by themselves, you or one of admin users ( who has can_group permission ) should confirm voter or ignore them easily. When ever you confirm a voter, an email will send to him/her email.



Designer and legals

This script programmed by : Bahram Bahrambeigy. This program is free and any one shouldn't sell it. You can download it free here : http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/itlpoll or http://www.itlpoll.com .

Speacial thanks to simorgh-ev security group for securing this script. 2 sql injection bug founded by this group. (Unfortunately this group ended their works )

Please don't remove the http://www.itlpoll.com link from footer of the program.

All right reserved to ITLPoll system - programmer : bahrambeigy

Iran - April 29 2011