[RFC] Logical Permission Ordering

[Pony99CA]

I started the Permission Order topic on phpBB.com because the order of permissions in the ACP made no sense to me. As explained there, they're ordered alphabetically by their internal name, which won't make sense to most people.

For example, here are the forum advanced permissions for posting:

Can post announcements
Can use topic/post icons
Can see forum
Can start new topics
Can read forum
Can reply to topics
Can post stickies

Wouldn't it make more sense to have them like this:

Can see forum
Can read forum
Can start new topics
Can reply to topics
Can post announcements
Can post stickies
Can use topic/post icons

To post, you must first be able to see the forum, then be able to read it. You first must have a topic, then be able to reply. Announcements, stickies and icons are modifiers and so should be last, although they could be between Can start new topics and Can reply to topics because they apply to the first post (in general).

Or consider the content permissions:

Can attach files
Can use BBCode
Can download files
Can use [flash] BBCode tag
Can use [img] BBCode tag
Can use signatures
Can use smilies

Wouldn't the following make more sense:

Can attach files
Can download files
Can use BBCode
Can use [flash] BBCode tag
Can use [img] BBCode tag
Can use smilies
Can use signatures

You can't download unless a file is attached, all of the BBCode items are grouped together and signatures are the last thing on a post. (Maybe you'd put attachments last, as those are at the bottom of the posting box.)

I think that rearranging these and the other permissions would help make permissions a bit easier to find and understand.

If you disagree with my suggested ordering, please provide your own for discussion instead of just giving a -1; a -1 should only be given if the whole idea is bad. Ideally, we'll have suggested orderings for all permissions in here.

Steve

[brunoais]

I also think your RFC makes sense. Not that I even needed it in that order but It would probably be better if it was.

[imkingdavid]

IMO announcements would come after stickies because announcements are one step above stickies in visibility. The way topics are currently ordered are Announcements at the top, Stickies beneath them, and normal topics after that. So the permissions should be set up in reverse of that: topics -> stickies -> announcements.

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As for implementation...

There is currently a commented out block of code in includes/acp/auth.php on line 1116 down to 1130. When uncommented, permissions are ordered as they appear in the language file. The comment says that uncommenting it slows execution down, but I did not see a significant difference in load time when I uncommented the code and the memory consumption remained consistent regardless.

IMO, the way to go is to uncomment that section and then reorder the language/en/permissions_phpbb.php array to the order we want.

[Senky]

+1

[Vinny]

+1

[MichaelC]

+1 but i think implementation might be easier with extensions if we have a weighting system (of say 100) is introduced, then mods can choose numbers inbetween the default ones. If they clash with another extension then its not the end of the world, the two with the same weight would fall back to displaying in alphabetical order.

[Pony99CA]

I like the idea of being able to support extensions with weighting,

Steve

[EXreaction]

Can use topic/post icons should probably be under content as well.

[Jessica.]

+1

[brunoais]

IMO announcements would come after stickies because announcements are one step above stickies in visibility. The way topics are currently ordered are Announcements at the top, Stickies beneath them, and normal topics after that. So the permissions should be set up in reverse of that: topics -> stickies -> announcements.

I think more as:

Code: Select all

           topics
             |
stickies <-    ->  announcements

Stickies are at the same level as announcements. You don't need permission to watch announcements in order to watch stickies and vice-versa