split application and data into two root folders

[MartinTruckenbrodt]

Hello brunoais,
that's wrong! Not all of the data is in the database!
Not all files are application files.

English ist not my native language. Perhaps I have some problems to explain what I mean?

Bye Martin

[Ger]

the data is in the database.
the application is in the files.

Not every data is in the database. When you attach a file to a post, it's stored in the ./files/ directory. When you upload an avatar, it's stored in the ./images/avatar/upload directory. When you backup your database or upload a MOD trough AutoMOD, they are stored in ./store. If I understand Martin Truckenbrodt correctly, he would like a structure like this:

root
|-application
|--admin
|--images
|--includes
|--styles
|-data
|--avatars
|--files
|--store

Doing so could be a nice approach. Of course there are the root dir files like index, viewtopic, vieforum, etc. I think they should remain in the root. However, just having a folder called data alone should cause a user to think twice before deleting.

[brunoais]

^ Hum...
I don't really know if I understood correctly what you mean. Anyway, picking up what you wrote:
I always preferred to work in such way that all user access is made into generalist files index.php, viewtopic.php, etc... <- Seems like we both agree on this.
I always liked to separate the files that the browser user accesses (most or all .php, all .html/.htm, etc...) and the files that the browser accesses (.js, .css, .php (when accessed using ajax), etc...). The .js, .css, etc... may have the right to be in different directories depending on the number of files that exist.
I also like to send most of the program's logic into a directory for its own and block access to all access using .htaccess (in case of phpbb the use of empty .html is also a good idea. We don't know which servers do not allow .htaccess override). That separation of application and data seems appropriate for me (if I understood it right).

[MartinTruckenbrodt]

Hello Ger,
I think only a index.php (redirecting to ./application/index.php) is needed in the base root folder.

Bye Martin

[brunoais]

Hello Ger,
I think only a index.php (redirecting to ./application/index.php) is needed in the base root folder.

Bye Martin

I think it's better not to do that. We should stick with the generalist .php files in the root.

[callumacrae]

Hello Ger,
I think only a index.php (redirecting to ./application/index.php) is needed in the base root folder.

Bye Martin

I think it's better not to do that. We should stick with the generalist .php files in the root.

+1

Also, this should never have been in the 3.2 forum as it is too big a change. It should have been in 4.0.

[MartinTruckenbrodt]

Hello brunoais,
if you will not move (nearly) all of the application files to the ./application folder then the original idea has not been realized.
Also this strict solution would make website integration (without using the phpBB template system) much more easier for beginners.

Bye Martin

[DavidIQ]

I'm not sure this will accomplish preventing what you're saying. There is currently a folder named files and users will still delete it or do other strange things to it. It does make a little sense what you're saying and we sort have something similar going on in phpBB.com already but we update from github and very few users would be doing something similar so I'm having a hard time seeing how the user will not do what they already do (delete the entire folder where phpBB sits at).

Moved to 4.0 discussion.

[MartinTruckenbrodt]

Hello David,
the thing is not related to delete a folder manually. E.g. it's related to use a FTP client the wrong way or with wrong or dangerous settings. And then not to have a second backup. So no restore is possible and data is lost.

Bye Martin

[DavidIQ]

Hello David,
the thing is not related to delete a folder manually. E.g. it's related to use a FTP client the wrong way or with wrong or dangerous settings. And then not to have a second backup. So no restore is possible and data is lost.

Bye Martin

My comment still applies. All you'd be doing is changing the folder that the user would delete...via FTP or whatever other means they have to manipulate files on their server.