1 Topic by StevenBullen (edited by StevenBullen 2008-02-11 16:05)

  • From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Topic: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Ok guys/girls...

For the past few weeks I have been writing the new demo site for 1.3 and its extensions (will be on pundemo.org). Will be released in a few weeks.

Anyway from the above I come up with the following idea.
Basically in a few days I will release an extension that will be a sub-menu in your extension panel. It will list all mods with version numbers but also will list current version numbers. Basically this info (the current version numbers) will be contained on pundemo.org next to the above. wink

What I would like is any feature requests? or ideas to improve this functionality?

I see this as a must in the future. Especially as most people probably didnt update there mods on 1.2.16. Well this way not only can you be told you need to update... It could be possible to add a severity on that update.

What do you think? and like I say... any feedback is welcome.

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2 Reply by yemgi

  • yemgi
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  • From: Crawley, West Sussex
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
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Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

I already use a plugin that does it in 1.2, it seems a good idea. Wha I miss on the one I have is the link to downlod the latest release of each mod

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  • Smartys
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Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

There's already a plan to have such an extension for integration with PunRes, I think Bekko was developing it smile

4 Reply by StevenBullen (edited by StevenBullen 2008-02-11 16:22)

  • From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Erm.. Mine will be released in a few days... tongue

Sorry but if no one shows there intentions, I cant read minds.

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  • From: Leuven, Belgium
  • Registered: 2005-06-14
  • Posts: 2,653

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

I had the idea, yes, but without any sort of API from PunRes I can't get started tongue

6 Reply by yemgi

  • yemgi
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Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Here is the plugin for 1.2 if it helps: http://www.punbb.fr/mods/telecharger.php?id=65 The comments are in French but the code should be easy to understand.

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  • Jansson
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  • Registered: 2003-01-06
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Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

PunRes will be ready when 1.3 is, currently, it's not smile

PunRes is aimed at the end-user of 1.3, or at least that's the direction we're heading. 1.3 right now is for developers and testers.

  • Smartys
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Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

StevenBullen wrote:

Erm.. Mine will be released in a few days... tongue

Sorry but if no one shows there intentions, I cant read minds.

My point was simply that an extension with integration with PunRes would be the ideal here, since all extensions should be released there (and that Bekko had talked about developing it before).

  • From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

So where do I stand.

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  • Smartys
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Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Obviously, you're free to develop whatever extensions you want. If you want to develop your extension, you can certainly do so. However, you should keep in mind that an extension that integrates with PunRes should eventually emerge, be it from you or from someone else.

  • From: They call it Tvärred
  • Registered: 2007-09-15
  • Posts: 89

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Why not do it apt-get style and allow third party repositories? There's already functions available in PunBB for reading XML files and retrieving files from other servers, so some of the work is already done.

  • From: Leuven, Belgium
  • Registered: 2005-06-14
  • Posts: 2,653

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

That was my plan, yes.

  • Registered: 2007-03-25
  • Posts: 960

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

by the way i sam some signatures like jassons signatures  which have image that is up to date number op posts topics etc ... how its done ... look http://www.punres.org/img/banner.png

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14 Reply by StevenBullen (edited by StevenBullen 2008-02-12 13:53)

  • From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Forum Statistics Image
have never downloaded/tried it though.

Also dont post question that have nothing to do with the topic. tongue

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  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

The current plan is to add a new optional field to the extension manifest that points to a location where PunBB can fetch update information about the extension (kind of like what Firefox does). We haven't decided on whether this should just be a simple text file with the latest version or if it should be an XML file. The latter would take a little more effort from the extension author, but it would also be more useful. It could, for example, contain a link to download the new version of the extension.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

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  • Registered: 2007-03-25
  • Posts: 960

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

StevenBullen wrote:

Forum Statistics Image
have never downloaded/tried it though.

Also dont post question that have nothing to do with the topic. tongue

sorry and thanks ... ha ha ha

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  • Registered: 2006-07-31
  • Posts: 254

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Rickard wrote:

The current plan is to add a new optional field to the extension manifest that points to a location where PunBB can fetch update information about the extension (kind of like what Firefox does). We haven't decided on whether this should just be a simple text file with the latest version or if it should be an XML file. The latter would take a little more effort from the extension author, but it would also be more useful. It could, for example, contain a link to download the new version of the extension.

As this is still in discussion.

Would it be better to make this an on demand check rather than making it automatic. If many different servers are to be checked then the possibility of a very slow page is introduced.

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byUsers forum
  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Rich Pedley wrote:

Would it be better to make this an on demand check rather than making it automatic. If many different servers are to be checked then the possibility of a very slow page is introduced.

Whether to do it automatically or not will of course be optional.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

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  • Registered: 2006-07-31
  • Posts: 254

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

thanks, that makes sense. It's ok when they are all hosted in one place, but opening it up to a myriad of servers around the world ...

Plus of course when you have more than a few extensions installed  - oops sorry preaching to the converted.

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byUsers forum
  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

For people using a reasonably recent PHP version (or any PHP version with curl enabled), we do have the option of timing out the attempt. Right now, the timeout for checking for updates against punbb.org is 8 seconds. We could lower than a bit for extensions.

A potential optimization would be to check if there are multiple extensions that check for updates against the same domain and if there are, group them together into one call.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

  • Registered: 2006-07-31
  • Posts: 254

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

That would help, 8 seconds per call to a server is a fairly long time, even if it is necessary. 7 extensions could equate to almost a minute!

my mind is on a permanent tangent
byUsers forum
  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Rich Pedley wrote:

That would help, 8 seconds per call to a server is a fairly long time, even if it is necessary. 7 extensions could equate to almost a minute!

That's if none of the 7 servers responded within 8 seconds. Quite unlikely.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

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  • From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

Maybe this (general idea of auto update) could work both ways... so that via punres you could have a page and check one of your domains and see all the mods running and what version.

This would make more sense if you run 13 different punbb installs. I currently run about 11. lol.
But if you did have lots them you could have a single page on punres that covers updates for all your domains.

An idea... havent looked at or even thought about how it would be applied.

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Re: Auto-Check Extensions (Your input!)

StevenBullen wrote:

Maybe this (general idea of auto update) could work both ways... so that via punres you could have a page and check one of your domains and see all the mods running and what version.

This would make more sense if you run 13 different punbb installs. I currently run about 11. lol.
But if you did have lots them you could have a single page on punres that covers updates for all your domains.

An idea... havent looked at or even thought about how it would be applied.

Are you thinking of an automated solution, where PunRes would magically detect this? That assumes all the mods you installed are done via PunRes. And that PunRes could identify a unique install of PunBB. Certainly possible with an extension, but not (as far as I know) without one.