Add Prefix To Existing Vbulletin Tables

[Jeff]

If you never used prefixes for your MySQL tables on your vbulletin install and now you want to, here is a little script that will rename all the tables with the desired prefix. You must ONLY RUN THIS SCRIPT ONCE! Upload it to your forum root. After you run it, DELETE IT.

The only thing you can define is the prefix.

<?php

$prefix = 'vb_';

require_once('./global.php');

$rows = $vbulletin->db->query("SHOW TABLES");

while ($row = $vbulletin->db->fetch_array($rows))
{
    $table_name = $row['Tables_in_rib'];

    $vbulletin->db->query("ALTER TABLE $table_name RENAME TO $prefix$table_name "); 
} 

echo "Completed, delete this file immediately!";

?>

[kpmedia]

Thank you for this. I have a site that needs this done.

[34u]

What is the advantage of having prefixes?

[Jeff]

There is no real advantage. Sometimes people are only allowed 1 mysql database.. Using prefixes avoid collisions with other scripts who may have named their tables the same, or also allows multiple forum installs in one database.

[34u]

Originally Posted by Jeff

There is no real advantage. Sometimes people are only allowed 1 mysql database.. Using prefixes avoid collisions with other scripts who may have named their tables the same, or also allows multiple forum installs in one database.

Ok, thanks!

[kpmedia]

Security by obscurity, too.
Harder for an attacker to go after a table if he/she doesn't know the name of it.

[BamaStangGuy]

Got this error:

Database error in vBulletin 4.2.0:

Invalid SQL:
ALTER TABLE  RENAME TO wf_;

MySQL Error   : You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'RENAME TO wf_' at line 1
Error Number  : 1064
Request Date  : Tuesday, November 13th 2012 @ 02:46:04 AM
Error Date    : Tuesday, November 13th 2012 @ 02:46:04 AM
Script        : http://www.wiifriends.com/tool.php
Referrer      : 
IP Address    : 68.53.229.176
Username      : Brent W
Classname     : vB_Database_MySQLi
MySQL Version : 5.5.28

[BamaStangGuy]

Just an FYI: http://www.yoursitename.com/install/tableprefix.php will rename them.