New OOP permissions system

[phpBBInstaller]

Can someone explain the advantages of using a class for the new user permissions system rather than just using the permissions system that was in phpBB2?

[Martin Blank]

Permissions are much more fine-grained, and there need not be the hard classifications of users, moderators, and admins that there was before. Now, instead of adding in code for junior admins that have specific, largely unchangeable permissions, for example, you can create a class of users that have moderator capabilities but can also handle bans. You can create a class of users that are allowed to edit their own posts while others (troublemakers, perhaps) cannot.

I seem to recall that Paul has suggested that a simplified template system may be available by final release. This may help somewhat.

[phpBBInstaller]

I didn't mean the way that the permissions are set, I mean the coding behind them, why was a class used rather than just using functions?

[Martin Blank]

More flexibility in what you can do with the classes than with straight functions. You can declare classes that inherit the permissions classes, IIRC, for easier inclusion down the line. I've not worked with classes much in PHP, so I'm not completely up on them, but much of the code is being moved to a class-based system because of these reasons.

[phpBBInstaller]

I also understand how classes work, but the initial decision to use an auth class had to have an advantage over functions. Could one of the developers possibly explain?

[A_Jelly_Doughnut]

They are a series of related functions, which typically create a class

[phpBBInstaller]

I know what a class is. I want to know the ADVANTAGE of it.

[A_Jelly_Doughnut]

OOP is primarily an organizational system...there is nothing stopping them from using non-classed functions, but when they're classed, you know they go together...

[phpBBInstaller]

So it has nothing to do with functionality, just organization.

[Luciano]

well i was told (it could be wrong though) that when programming with classes you use less of memory.. (I meen php memory )

Luc