• Cereal
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Topic: Ajax framework

hi,

i really love punbb, and i would love to help move punbb to the next level. Thats why i was thiunking of integrating a ajax (or more specifick an ajaj) framework into punbb, so all information could be get assynchronously from the server.

I think this would give punbb a verry nice facelift, certainly in these web 2.0 times.

i'm willing todo this, but i'm not going to reinvent the wheel, so is anyone already working on this?

what do you guys think of it?

~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

  • User33
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Re: Ajax framework

Cereal tongue lol...

Seriously, that's a good idea.

  • Cereal
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Re: Ajax framework

yeah,

in my opinion it would take punbb to a new stage, but i'm not going todo the work if it isn't used later on

~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

  • KeyDog
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Re: Ajax framework

1. how long do you think it would take you?
2. have you got any examples of what you think it would look like (any other sites / webapplications out there using it you're thinking of)
3. have you considered it being a "fork" - kind of hard to convince punbb to say they're going to use something they haven't seen working / have no idea when would be ready? - if it's a fork and prooves popular it will be used automatically and live on.... ?

i think you should definitely go ahead!

  • Cereal
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Re: Ajax framework

well thats exactly why i'm first posting on this forums, so i can have a talk to the devs about how they like to see it working, then i can start designing the framework for it and it can be implemented.

this way its exactly like the devs want it to be, and i don't do useless work.

And about a fork,
i don't have the time to fully run a fork of punbb

about the timeframe:
i think in 2 weeks a basic ajaj framework should be ready to be implemented into punbb, from this point on parts of the forum can be adepted to use the framwork.

~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

  • KeyDog
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Re: Ajax framework

Cereal; while were waiting for punbb to get back to you...

I have a question; Im not sure if this is what youre framework would allow ...
If I hover above a users name I would like information like no. of posts, registered and his/her avatar to appear in a box (on my testsite www.punbb-b.keydog.info you can see why Id need it) - which was next to post on left hand side in normal punbb.

I think this is a function your framework would allow?

Or am I talking and needing something completely different?

  • User33
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Re: Ajax framework

I don't think you really need AJAX for that, just JS and absolute-positioned boxes.

  • Utchin
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Re: Ajax framework

KeyDog wrote:

Cereal; while were waiting for punbb to get back to you...

I have a question; Im not sure if this is what youre framework would allow ...
If I hover above a users name I would like information like no. of posts, registered and his/her avatar to appear in a box (on my testsite www.punbb-b.keydog.info you can see why Id need it) - which was next to post on left hand side in normal punbb.

I think this is a function your framework would allow?

Or am I talking and needing something completely different?

You want something from this site here.

No-one else is working on a modification to Punbb like this one, and hasnt really been done before. So this would be a good way to move Punbb.

Sorry. Unactive due to personal life.

9 Reply by KeyDog (edited by KeyDog 2009-01-04 00:42)

  • KeyDog
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Re: Ajax framework

@ garciat: I guess then for search functions it could be used?
A list being populated as one enters search criteria....

Or forum board auto refreshing latest posts info...

Stuff like that. Would be cool....


@utchin
EDIT: okay cheers utchin will check out
http://jqueryfordesigners.com/demo/coda-bubble.html  <-- that one would be cool for what I need... will try and look at it. or get help big_smile
EDIT2: after looking at it - see its commercial...  so no good for  free extensions for bb . but the feel i personally like of it.   but cereal is talking about a larger picture and that should be followed up by punbb devs.... (in my opinion)

10 Reply by Utchin

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Re: Ajax framework

What exactly would this allow Punbb to do? I dont know much about ajax and JS its a gray area for me..

I have always thought that incorporating Punbb with something like http://extjs.com/ which is an amazing yet nice kit for Ajax which I though would be cool (but probably completely useless in the real world) as a forum.

Sorry. Unactive due to personal life.

11 Reply by Cereal

  • Cereal
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Re: Ajax framework

what this woul allow punbb todo ...

1- have all content loading in the background, this way only one pageload is required, once the first page is loaded all otehr requests will be done async with ajax.
2- add some visiual effects like fading, hovers, .... and stuff like that to the forum
3- basically anything thats used in web 2.0 and even web 3.0

I don't think you really need AJAX for that, just JS and absolute-positioned boxes.

well yeah this can be done with simply js, but this will need a lot more querys to display a topic (for every diff user one), if you do this async, you only do a query when the gui (browser) requests this query. this way the site will generate a lot faster and the server load will go down.

About extjs, well i personally don't like it, i'm more a protototype (http://prototypejs.org/) guy, i really like prototype because its a lightweight framework and doesn't really slow down the webbrowser.

~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

12 Reply by KeyDog (edited by KeyDog 2009-01-06 09:40)

  • KeyDog
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Re: Ajax framework

i really think this should be GREENlighted in whatever way possible.
it's exactely what user will want (i think)

just example - I now have a forum with 3 categories and 9 forums total. I'd like to be able to set it so that when users come to page they just see  3 categories (maybe total number of forums and total posts)   THEN they click on category and the forums show/expand below it.

i believe that is something which would be easier with your framework right cereal?

PS: and i think this should be fork/branch whatever... i'm pretty confident it would generate interest fast and prove successful.... IMHO.

  • Registered: 2005-03-07
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Re: Ajax framework

Are you thinking of making this into an extension ( big_smile ), or wanting to discuss having this in the core? ( hmm  )

Punbb mods & styles

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14 Reply by KeyDog

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Re: Ajax framework

extension is fine in this specific case of course! smile
as punbb core is all about simplicity
but for all this stuff to work fast etc like cereal says wouldn't certain things be in core to call upon afterwards?
on ajax topic;
assuming i have a forum open - an active one - and i'm monitoring posts as an admin - it would be great to have the cells showing posts auto refresh - using something ajax'y ? kind of like screens you see betting sites or stock quoting sites use?

15 Reply by Cereal

  • Cereal
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Re: Ajax framework

downliner wrote:

Are you thinking of making this into an extension (  ), or wanting to discuss having this in the core? (   )

i don't see a way todo this with an extension, or there should be hooks to create a whole page ....

KeyDog wrote:

i believe that is something which would be easier with your framework right cereal?

yeah and you can take it a step further, in the inital pageload on the 3 cats are pulled from the db, when you expand the specifick cat, only the forums that belong to this cat are pulled from teh db, so we get some speed improments.

About making it a fork, well dunno, i don't think it would be a good idea, because i can not maintain a full fork ....

~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

16 Reply by KeyDog (edited by KeyDog 2009-01-06 12:00)

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Re: Ajax framework

well if you think someone like me with help can maintain a fork - i say go for it! I have time - just not much knowledge big_smile / i can provide a domain, forum etc.... just can't code smile

and yes that with just the forums of one of the 3 cats being called is exactely what i was talking about....

17 Reply by KeyDog (edited by KeyDog 2009-01-09 00:19)

  • KeyDog
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Re: Ajax framework

RE: the expansion of content.
I've found this (macminds link below) forum using some mod, js for punbb ... to allow expanding of their cats . (javascript  toggletcat)
Now is that the best way to do such a thing? Is there a performance issue or other limitations to such an approach, or setting it.

-->   http://www.macminds.net/index.php?p=forum    <---  (click on the minus on the RIGHT of forum topic there)


and also

considering search:
there i really think/can imagine ajax could bring nice effects

EDIT: plus that macminds has some hover effects going...



EDIT2:

ANOTHER ADVANTAGE of that framework for things like this:

http://punbb.informer.com/forums/topic/ … ne-status/    ?????

18 Reply by KeyDog

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Re: Ajax framework

Enhancement: Smart AJAX auto-refresh on the conversation view, based on how long ago the most recent post was.

What this means is that if the conversation has had a recent post, esoTalk will use AJAX to check for new activity every few seconds, increasing the period between checks the longer the conversation remains without new activity. Results: decreased server load while AJAX-loading new posts with less delay.

would like to see that as extension....
possible?

19 Reply by Cereal

  • Cereal
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Re: Ajax framework

yeah that would be possible smile

let me see if i can get this done easely smile

~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

20 Reply by Cereal

  • Cereal
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Re: Ajax framework

well i have to say ...

it won't be possible todo this with punbb in the current state sad

punbb in the current state is relaying to ahrd on static files (like viewtopic.php, ..)

to be able to do this a basic db wrapper around the db has to be written, something like

class punbb {
public function getForums()
public fucntion getPosts( topicid )
public function getTopics( forumid )

}
~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

21 Reply by KeyDog

  • KeyDog
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Re: Ajax framework

Well now what would be great:

If you could change the files that need it
Log the changes
Zip them all up and post a link

then include your extension which makes it possible

1.3.2 Cereal   plus your "RealtimeAjax(Post)TopicRefresh" Extension

Would be great step forward.

Kind of Mod crossed with Extension making a better user experience.

22 Reply by Cereal

  • Cereal
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Re: Ajax framework

i'll have a look at it, but this will take time smile

since i'll have to write some sort of punbb class, that will be the basic api for this extension ...

~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

23 Reply by KeyDog

  • KeyDog
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Re: Ajax framework

Fine by me. Your definition of "takes time" is closer to days than months big_smile So that's cool. Thanks a lot! Appreciated!

24 Reply by Cereal

  • Cereal
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Re: Ajax framework

hmm, if i have to do this by my own, this will more like months smile

i have some other projects running that require qttention to smile

~Cereal
I've finally learned what "upward compatible" means. It means we get to keep all our old mistakes.
The limits of language are the limits of one's world.

Cereal's Website

  • Registered: 2008-11-16
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Re: Ajax framework

request:
keyboard shortcuts such as

GI - go to index
GPM - go to private messages
NT - create new topic
S - search
HT - hide this topic

A bit like Gmail shortcuts