Better integration into a CMS in phpbb 2.2 ?

[valiant]

Hi there

As you're developing a major new release of phpbb and so many professional content management systems (CMS) lack of a very sophisticated forum, it's definitely time to ease the integration of phpbb into these CMS.

What does integration mean?
- phpbb uses the authentication (user & groups) and session management of the CMS
- the phpbb search is integrated into the CMS search engine (provide an interface)

People are trying to copy phpbb for *nuke, xaraya, typo3, ... but there would not be the need to change so much code if phpbb provided the means to ease an integration.

I found the following in the phpBB 2.2 feature list:

Permissions Engine
# OOP based auth permission system
# Simple API for setting and obtaining permissions
# Caching of user permissions
# Ability to add new permission options through simple INSERT (API provided)
# Yes, Unset, No based system, No takes precedent when set
# Greater flexibility than 2.0
# Plug-in authentication modules
# Standard are; DB, LDAP and Apache
# Plug-in structure allows addition of plug-in specific options

How exactly will these features ease the integration into a CMS?
Perhaps you should take a look at G2 (gallery 2, sourceforge), they're developing a stand alone application which will integrate into existing portals/CMS/forums quite easy.

cheers - Andy

ps: dublicate post as someone in phpbb.com thought this would be the right place.

[Roberdin]

phpBB have their own portal project lined up which will be fully intergrated. I highly doubt that they're going to strip out all of their highly advanced permissions system just to please a few people that want to use nuke

[valiant]

It's not about integrating a portal system into phpBB, it's about integrating the best forum into the best CMS' because a phpBB portal will never be as sophisticated as the (API of) modern CMS, nor will the bulletin boards of the CMS have all the features of phpBB.

[Roberdin]

Fair enough, but it's up to the portal developers to decide how they'll modify phpBB for them. The Group have clearly spent a lot of time designing and implementing this new permissions system. They like it, we love it; it gives the admin control over just about everything they could want. They aren't going to remove it just so a few portals can work better.

[Skeleton]

tbh they would get better results coding their own forums, simply because phpbb is not designed for CMS, its a forum. They would save time building their own!

[valiant]

Of course an integrated phpBB in a CMS would result in a lot of redundant features and functionalities.
But who cares if they don't use the same API as long as there is only one single user management?
There's absolutely no need for dozens of bulletin boards, all trying to imitate phpBB and vbulletin.

[psoTFX]

Why should we give up functionality in order to become another "Nuke" module? Have you actually looked at just how functional our API's are in 2.2? You are absolutely correct, why write yet another bulletin board for Nuke et al? Given boards are frequently the "core asset" to such systems it suggests to me CMS's would do well to do more to integrate with the forums

I think this response probably answers your original question Btw are you the same valiant who once got most upset because we wouldn't code the CMS/portal first and have phpBB as a hang-on module? If so I guess I should reiterate that our major application is a forum and I don't think anyone on any team wishes to see that change.

[valiant]

@psoTFX:
Thank you very much for your reply.

Probably the phpBB portal can parallel a phpnuke, but not a xaraya or typo3 if CMS functionality counts. I'm talking about a great framework and API, event/hook system, workflow management, modularity, etc.
Most of the sites driven by these modern, comprehensive CMS don't need ultimately a forum. They are content based, not community based.
But there are community based sites that need CMS functionality and there are content based sites that could very much profit of a feature rich forum.

If you ask me what's easier, to integrate a CMS into phpBB or the other way around, then I'll definitely vote for the latter.

If you think it's not feasible without losing some new permission features, I'll not ask you to try it. But I guess it's possible.

ps: no, i'm not the valiant you're referring to. my account on phpbb.com is "nei.ch" and i'm not interested in a phpbb portal, wanna go for xaraya or typo3, but not without phpbb

[Skeleton]

Plainly put: PHPNuke and POST nuke suck severly. There are no ways of uninstalling irritating story modules which just get in your way.

PHP nuke uses so little of the phpbb engine its ridiculous, they might as well make their own one.

Just wait fot the PHPbb portal!

[valiant]

@Skeleton:
Please keep it on topic and factual. As I pointed out, phpBB portal may parallel the original phpnuke and other community based solutions, but not a typo3 or xaraya.