Topic: README: About feature requests

I'll start by pasting the text from the about page:

The idea of PunBB was first born when I wanted to install a discussion board to a website I was tinkering with. I looked around quite a lot, but all the boards I found were either "over-featured" or too graphic for the purpose they would be filling. I wanted a package that

- was fast.
- had a simple layout and design.
- was easy to administrate and moderate.
- didn't output huge, non-valid, HTML pages.
- had source code you could read and understand.

I looked and I looked, but it was nowhere to be found. Thus, I started working on PunBB, or just Pun as it was called back then.

Developing software to "please the masses" isn't difficult. Just cram in every possible feature you can think of and most people will love it. Some people, however, will hate it and look for alternatives. The problem with developing for that other group of people is having to make decisions on whether to implement a feature or not. What is a "must-have" and what is not?

Some features that I have so far chosen not to implement are: private messaging, file attachments, polls, linking to off-site avatars, advanced text formatting controls, subforums etc etc. The jury is still out on some of these features, but don't expect them to pop up anytime soon. It should however be noted that most, if not all of these features have been realised in the form of third-party mods.

What I was trying to communicate when I wrote that was that the whole idea behind PunBB was to create a forum that didn't have all the fancy features like avatar gallery, post icons, polls, private messaging etc.

I am fully aware of the fact I am therefore aiming PunBB at much smaller "market" than, say Invision Board or phpBB are doing. PunBB is for the people who are tired of "the feature race" and just want a fast and simple forum. Also, please note that I have no intentions of ever making any money off PunBB. If I make any money as a result of me creating PunBB, it will be in the form of salary if/when I get a job as a software developer :)

So, please bear this in mind when you make feature requests. If it isn't an absolute "must-have", I will most likely say no. However, me saying no to a feature request in no way stops someone from creating a mod for that particular feature. Mods are good! We like mods :)

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

2

Re: README: About feature requests

well, peoples just can post ideas and other can decide
to do or not to do a mod, if u don`t add it as a feature

Re: README: About feature requests

Yeah, I just wanted to write this down so that people don't get mad or irritated when I tell them no.

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

4

Re: README: About feature requests

Rickard wrote:

Mods are good! We like mods :)

Then lets focus on the mods. Let's make it easier to create mods. Let's make it easier to install mods. Let's make it easier to update mods for newer versions of PunBB. Let's make it easier to find mods. Please post your ideas here.

Re: README: About feature requests

Urgh... i hate mods! Modules is still ok, but mods? No thx....
It makes the upgrade process really painful.
Am I right? :<

~About the PerFect Things~

Re: README: About feature requests

hyapadi wrote:

Urgh... i hate mods! Modules is still ok, but mods? No thx....
It makes the upgrade process really painful.
Am I right? :<

you are right that it would make he upgrade painfull and time consuming. cuz youll have to do the update than hope that the mods work with the new virsion, than youll haveto install thoes mods....and youll have to do that with ever PunBB update.

but mods are still kool and funn cuz they give you more stuff for your forums that the basic PunBB doesnt. so im only for the mods that are great. but thoes ones will probly end up in the next update of PunBB anyways.

7

Re: README: About feature requests

A choice between sendmail/mail()/smtp for mail would be very useful for those of us who host their forum on a mail() disabled and/or safemode hosts.

ie; the sendmail method uses system(/usr/sbin/sendmail), mail() is in php, and smtp via fsockopen()

[the code to implement this can be found in the latest release of Mambo Open Source]

Re: README: About feature requests

you can use smtp in options in admin

MTP server address
The address of an external SMTP server to send e-mails with. You can specify a custom port number if the SMTP server doesn't run on the default port 25 (example: mail.myhost.com:3580). Leave blank to use the local mail program.

Re: README: About feature requests

NinjaMonkey wrote:

A choice between sendmail/mail()/smtp for mail would be very useful for those of us who host their forum on a mail() disabled and/or safemode hosts.

ie; the sendmail method uses system(/usr/sbin/sendmail), mail() is in php, and smtp via fsockopen()

Like Connorhd pointed out, you currently have the choice of using PHP's mail() or SMTP via sockets. However, I fail to see how calling the sendmail binary directly would help. That's exactly what PHP's mail() function does.

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

10

Re: README: About feature requests

It would be useful on servers where mail() and fsockopen() are both disabled, but safe mode is off [thus you can exec/system the sendmail binary]

Those are rare, but they exist.

Re: README: About feature requests

Ok, I'll consider it. I'm not making any promises though :)

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

Re: README: About feature requests

only thing is maybe (just maybe) if both of them are disabled then the hosts really don't want you to send emails and therefore its probably a bad idea

Re: README: About feature requests

Well yes, but then again, if your host has disabled both mail() and fsockopen(), you should switch to a different host anyway :)

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

14

Re: README: About feature requests

You can't really ask much from a free host nowdays wink

it's either having half of your screen shoved with ads, or getting nothing-but-the-basics host.

Anyways, thanks for considering smile

Re: README: About feature requests

yeh i suppose - if you want hosting though try www.smamhosting.com free hosting with php mysql whatever you want really assuming he accepts your membership

16

Re: README: About feature requests

what about a basic help page on how to use punbb for those users that arent so clued up on forum usage

Re: README: About feature requests

Better documentation is in the works.

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

Re: README: About feature requests

new to programming. can't find the install.php in the package. how and where? thanks

Re: README: About feature requests

well you upload the contents of the upload folder to your host and install.php is located in that folder

Re: README: About feature requests

Definable user groups and post previews are in the original post smile

Re: README: About feature requests

can i create hidden forums?(visible and post-able only for specific groups of users)

Re: README: About feature requests

Yes

Re: README: About feature requests

can you add this thing:
clicking on the username will add such code into quick_answer field

[b]username[/b],

same thing present in AdvancedQuickReply for phpBB...
here is a code for this:

#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------
#
{postrow.POSTER_NAME}

#
#-----[ REPLACE WITH ]------------------------------------
#
<a href="javascript:emoticon('[b]{postrow.POSTER_NAME}[/b], ')">{postrow.POSTER_NAME}</a>

Re: README: About feature requests

..and about "emoticon":

       function emoticon(text) {
                if (document.post.message.createTextRange && document.post.message.caretPos) {
                        var caretPos = document.post.message.caretPos;
                        caretPos.text = caretPos.text.charAt(caretPos.text.length - 1) == ' ' ? text + ' ' : text;
                        document.post.message.focus();
                } else {
                        document.post.message.value  += text;
                        document.post.message.focus();
                }
        }

Re: README: About feature requests

That's a shame that you don't plan to add a messenger, because it's a nice way of communicating, since you can tell when they're online to recieve it, they can't get untraceable spam , etc. PunBB looks really good but I don't think I'll use it if it lacks such a thing.