[RFC] GeSHi highlighting

[tbackoff]

OK, so phpBB currently uses the highlight_string function to highlight PHP code on a phpBB board. This work fine for PHP code, but the software neglects to include coloring for other programming languages (specifically for phpBB - HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc). GeSHi is a syntax highlighter that supports multiple programming language. Best of all, since it originally began as a project for phpBB, it should be easy to integrate.

With help from AmigoJack and James78, I have successfully added GeSHi to a phpBB 3.0.10 install, and I feel it would be beneficial to the community as a whole (even if a forum isn't centered around web development, but other programming, GeSHi supports those too - think C++, etc). What is everyone's thought about this?

Things to consider:

• GeSHi sometimes uses letters in the programming language file name (C++ is cpp). If integrated, do we add code so that users can enter one or the other or both?
• If no syntax is given, what do we do? I'm partial to showing the default code box.
• Line numbers. I personally despise them, but some users might want these. Do we add an ACP option? If so, global or per-forum?
• Styling GeSHi's output. I believe the default is bold and italics. Do we keep this or do we override this with some CSS?
• Removing the highlight_string function. Since GeSHi already highlights PHP code, we should consider removing the highlight_string function from the core.

Post your thoughts peeps!

[MichaelC]

I personally would love this feature and most of us at phpBB.com would. But as of late the only forums I have been around is coding ones. I think we really need to look and see, is this something the majority of boards would use? Or just something which all of us on this board would use as most of us code/post about code quite a bit (thats why we are here). Despite this we still have the existence of the code tag and even the php code tag, so why not have this?

So I'll say in my view, +1. But I'm not sure how useful this would be to the wider phpBB user base.

EDIT: Could you post a copy of your GeSHi MOD for whoever implements it into the core?

[tbackoff]

But I'm not sure how useful this would be to the wider phpBB user base.

A Google search for "coding phpbb" turns up multiple websites on the first two pages. I didn't check them all, but I recognize most of the domains.

EDIT: Could you post a copy of your GeSHi MOD for whoever implements it into the core?

I could, but why not do a pull request?

[MichaelC]

But I'm not sure how useful this would be to the wider phpBB user base.

A Google search for "coding phpbb" turns up multiple websites on the first two pages. I didn't check them all, but I recognize most of the domains.

EDIT: Could you post a copy of your GeSHi MOD for whoever implements it into the core?

I could, but why not do a pull request?

Even having 3,000 coding forums using phpBB would be a small percentage?

[tbackoff]

Even having 3,000 coding forums using phpBB would be a small percentage?

Possibly, yes. I'd be interested how others feel.

[brunoais]

I say that this is what I'd call a great extension.
I think the overhead of this does not make it worthwhile for the core. Many forums that run phpBB are forums related to coding, right.
I still believe that that is not enough to have such feature in the core.
So, -1 for core. Great as an extension
(technical stuff under this)
This is something very easy to place. This is just something that processes text.
Having that into account, I believe we just need to insert geshi into the BBcode parser (the part before displaying the post).
A nicely placed event will make the extension making simple enugh.

[callumacrae]

+1 for the core.

[Senky]

I say that this is what I'd call a great extension...

+1 for this

How big/demanding is GeSHi? Would not this rapidly slow down the page loading?

If adding to core, I would preffer not to load whole GeSHi until at least one CODE tag requires it.

[callumacrae]

I say that this is what I'd call a great extension...

+1 for this

How big/demanding is GeSHi? Would not this rapidly slow down the page loading?

If adding to core, I would preffer not to load whole GeSHi until at least one CODE tag requires it.

It's not too demanding, and it would be cached.

[tbackoff]

If adding to core, I would preffer not to load whole GeSHi until at least one CODE tag requires it.

This is totally possible. Instead of including the file at the beginning of /includes/message_parser.php, simply do something like this:

Code: Select all

if ($syntax)
{
    // some stuff

    global $phpbb_root_path, $phpEx;
    include_once( $phpbb_root_path. 'includes/geshi.'. $phpEx );

    // some more stuff
}