How do I programmatically activate a JomSocial user?

Question

I am building a SaaS platform for a client that has a Joomla site equipped with JomSocial. We have disabled the PayPlans plugin because the SaaS platform is handling its own payments and they want the JomSocial community component to be free.

I have build a sign-up process that creates the Joomla and JomSocial user successfully and even enables and activates the Joomla user, but the JomSocial part is not working. I can log in created user accounts, but I get redirected to the noaccess page if I try to access the profile, the feed or any other Joomla page.

The Joomla User Activation is set to SELF, but when I create the user in code the activation email does not get sent. I either need to activate manually or manually send the activation email.

My question is two-fold:1) Is there a way to activate a JomSocial User in PHP? or 2) How can I tell JomSocial to send the activation email to the new user?

Answer 1

I forgot to post my solution. Sorry everyone. I found this information in multiple posts on StackOverflow and also after digging into the Joomla! documentation.

// Requirments needed to build this function.
defined('_JEXEC') or die('Restricted access');
require_once ( JPATH_BASE . DS . 'includes' . DS . 'defines.php' );
require_once ( JPATH_BASE . DS . 'includes' . DS . 'framework.php' );
require_once ( JPATH_BASE . DS . 'libraries' . DS . 'joomla' . DS . 'factory.php' );
include_once JPATH_ROOT . '/components/com_community/libraries/core.php';
include_once JPATH_ROOT . '/components/com_community/libraries/user.php';

/**
 * Creates a new Joomla! user. This method throws errors so you have to
 * wrap the call to this method in a try/catch. It will also set a default
 * $name, $username and $password if none is provided.
 * 
 * @param type $email REQUIRED
 * @param string $name
 * @param type $username
 * @param type $password
 * @return boolean
 * @throws Exception
 */ 
function createUser($email = null, $name = null, $username = null, $password = null) {

  if (is_null($email)) {
    throw new Exception("Email is required to create new Joomla! user.");
  }
  $uniqid = uniqid();
  if (is_null($name)) {
    $name = 'member-' . $uniqid;
  }
  if (is_null($username)) {
    $username = $name;
  }
  if (is_null($password)) {
    $password = $uniqid;
  }

  try {
    // Create new user.
    jimport('joomla.application.component.helper');
    $params = 'com_users';
    $usersParams = JComponentHelper::getParams($params);
    $new_user = JFactory::getUser(0);
    $config = JComponentHelper::getParams('com_users');
    $defaultUserGroup = $config->get('new_usertype', 2);
    $jdata = array(
      "name" => $name,
      "username" => $username,
      "password" => $password,
      "password2" => $password,
      "email" => $email,
      "sendEmail" => 0,
      "groups" => array($defaultUserGroup)
    );

    // Automatically activate user. Comment this out if you use double
    // opt-in method.
    $useractivation = $usersParams->get('useractivation');
    if ($useractivation === 1) {
      jimport('joomla.user.helper');
      $jdata['activation'] = JUtility::getHash(JUserHelper::genRandomPassword());
      $jdata['block'] = 1; // block the user
    } else {
      $jdata['block'] = 0; // don't block the user
    }

    // Write new user to the Joomla! database.
    if (!$new_user->bind($jdata)) {
      throw new Exception("Could not bind data. Error: " . $new_user->getError());
      return false;
    }

    if (!$new_user->save()) {
      throw new Exception("Could not save user. Error: " . $new_user->getError());
      return false;
    }

    // Finally, you can return the new user Id.
    $cuser = CFactory::getUser($new_user->id);
    return $cuser;

  } catch (Exception $ex) {
    consoleLog("could not create user: " . $ex->getMessage());
    throw new Exception($ex->getMessage(), $ex->getCode(), $ex->getPrevious());
    return false;
  }
}

Hope this help someone!