User download stats

I really didn’t want to create a new thread, but the ones related were closed. I am needing advanced download stats for music royalty reporting. I’ve pretty much figured out the CODEX and have some things working.

Basically, I need a couple of things.

1) How many times a particular file was downloaded within a certain period (in my case, each “QUARTER” of the year.

The closest I found was:

File:example-file.zip, has been downloaded a total of times; collectively, among all Users/Members, in this Period only (includes all duplicate downloads of the same file by the same User/Member).

But I don’t know how to select the “PERIOD” or ‘DATE RANGE’

2) a list of files downloaded by EACH MEMBER in their back end page.

i.e.
Here are the files you have downloaded:

example-file1.zip – 1 time
example-file2.zip – 1 time
example-file3.zip – 3 time(s)
etc

I have also tried this for my user id:

but it returns nothing, just blank. Should produce the number “11”.

3) Finally, how would I incorporate their own user id to appear on their page:

File:example-file1.zip, has been downloaded by User ID# 123, a total of times; for all time, since they first became a User/Member of the site (includes all duplicate downloads of the same file by this User/Member).

The example has “123” in the code. I would need their id dynamically entered for something like this to appear to THEM for their own logs. I’m sure that can be done but would require combining of codes/shortcodes that I’m not experienced enough to figure out.

thanks in advance
Vin

Thank you for your inquiry.

The best way to track downloads would be to add a PHP function to hook into the processes in this file:

/s2member/includes/classes/files-in.inc.php

This hook should do well for you:

ws_plugin__s2member_before_file_download_access

See: Knowledge Base » Hacking s2Member® Via Hooks/Filters

Sorry Bruce, I am not following you. Am I supposed to go and write a php function? i don’t understand this or what to do with it even after adding a “hook”.

What Bruce is saying that you’d require a customization to have that feature you asked about, and pointed you to a couple of resources that will help achieve it. If you don’t know how to code it yourself, you can hire a freelancer to do it for you instead, just post the job in a site like jobs.wordpress.net, odesk.com or elance.com.

As great as s2member is, it is really lacking in basic features such as the ability to track downloads. I was really hoping it would work with Easy Digital Download, but it doesn’t. I read on another forum if EDD could be compatible with s2member, but EDD said it could be, but they are working on their own membership plugin.

I believe the features are somewhere built into your plugin to do what I originally asked above but my questions were really not answered. You also spoke in the forums last year about integrating some kind of “cart” system, but it looks like that hasn’t happened. That’s fine, and I think the ability to do what I need is in there with your codex already.

But without the ability to incorporate tracking downloads without the need to hire a developer, I would be unable to utilize this.

thanks

But without the ability to incorporate tracking downloads without the need to hire a developer, I would be unable to utilize this.

Sorry to hear this. s2Member is working on expanding several areas of its structure. As for tracking downloads, this is really something that needs to be set up on a site-by-site basis, which is why we haven’t ventured into setting up the ability to display tracking information. I’ll put this on the list of things for us to cover either in the next major version of s2Member, or with a Knowledge Base article.

I believe the features are somewhere built into your plugin to do what I originally asked above but my questions were really not answered. You also spoke in the forums last year about integrating some kind of “cart” system, but it looks like that hasn’t happened. That’s fine, and I think the ability to do what I need is in there with your codex already.

This is a system we’re hoping for in the next major version of s2Member as well. We can confirm that this is coming, but not when we might see this, sorry.

I understand that. You have been saying that for a long time as I have read that response in older posts.

But going back to original forum post up top, I believe the solution is already here. I already have things partially working ok. Can you take a look at my original questions and see if you can help? It’s already in the codex.

thanks

But going back to original forum post up top, I believe the solution is already here. I already have things partially working ok. Can you take a look at my original questions and see if you can help? It’s already in the codex.

I’m not seeing anywhere in your original reply that you’re referencing a Codex function, or showing us custom code that you’ve put together. Could you be more specific in the problem that you need us to help with please? Do you have a way that you’re trying to use that works?

Let me switch gears for a minute.

There is a lot of talk on Easy Digital Downloads.
This forum post asked about it with no response: http://www.s2member.com/forums/topic/easy-digital-downloads/

I would like to elaborate on the user’s questions.

EDD allows me to add products to database, and keeps track of sales, downloads, provides reports, and many other features. It is really good (and free). But it doesn’t implement s2member restrictions.

Example:
I have different levels of membership, each with restrictions on number of downloads.

Using a link like: http://www.website.com/?s2member_file_download=example-file.zip works perfectly and brings up an alert telling user he/she has 9 downloads left this month (or whatever time period)

EDD allows you to put a LINK for the product, so I put the product link as the s2member link.

Unfortunately, when the user click the download button, the link looks like:

http://www.website.com?did=226&vp_edd_act=show_download

and when clicked, it looks for the product’s URL:

http://www.website.com/?s2member_file_download=example-file.zip

But it just brings up the save/open dialog box and bypasses s2member restrictions.

Both are using the same link in the end, the process is just a little different. Curious to know why this behavior occurs, and if you can think of a way to get this to work. If you can, you will solve a TON of problems that many of your users have.

thanks

Thanks for your patience.

EDD allows you to put a LINK for the product, so I put the product link as the s2member link.

Unfortunately, when the user click the download button, the link looks like:

I’d recommend trying the Mod-Rewrite style linkage and see if you can get s2Member to show notifications that way first:

Dashboard -› s2Member® -› Download Options -› Advanced Mod-Rewrite Linkage

If that still doesn’t work, I’d ask the developers of the plugin you’re using if they know why this might be happening. I’m unfamiliar with the plugin myself so I couldn’t tell you, but they may be able to narrow down the issue on their end.

Thanks, but they won’t help because they are developing their own add-on “plugin” to compete with “s2member”. I’m sure it won’t have all your bells and whistles, but have some of the basic features we (and many others) need to implement s2member downloads with a shopping cart.

I would think it would be of interest to you to study it a bit and say a step ahead of them.

thanks

Thanks for the info.

We’re actually also in the middle of development of the next major version of s2Member, which will have many more features and (last I heard) support for a cart itself. Thanks for the heads up, though!

Bruce
I had read in posts from last year that this was planned. I am hoping you guys roll this out soon as I really cannot proceed until I find this solution

thanks
Vin

I had read in posts from last year that this was planned. I am hoping you guys roll this out soon as I really cannot proceed until I find this solution

We’ve been planning on getting the next major version of s2Member released “soon” for quite awhile now. The biggest thing that’s holding up the release of this is all of the recent changes to the payment gateway’s APIs. Over the past year we’ve been forced to add changes that allow Authorize.Net to work in different countries, update the integration with Google Checkout, and check many integration problems with CCBill. On top of that PayPal has been releasing new versions of its services, Payflow, PayPal with Payflow, Payflow Plus, PayPal Pro + Payflow, and we have to be able to support as many of these services as possible in both the current release and the future release.

That being said things seem to have quieted down now and we are making headway on our next major version. However we cannot really give an estimate of the time that it will take to get it released because at any point something could change with the various integrations s2Member has to work with and cause a drastic stall in production.

If I could offer you a valid estimate of the time s2Member I would, but currently it’s just not possible. We’ll let you know when it’s ready. :-)