File storage providers

[Senky]

If I do not miss something, there is only one way of handling uploads in phpBB - plupload. Right?

I think we should, in a world of cloud computing and remote data storages, start to discuss on how to make phpBB handle different upload providers.

The idea is like this:

• provide an abstraction over file uploads in phpBB
• provide a default provider - plupload
• enable extensions to add custom providers (Amazon S3, Dropbox, Azure, ...)
• phpBB would only be a mediator between enduser and the provider - it would take a file from the user and forward it to the provider
• provider class would be responsible for permanent file storage and permanent accessibility of the file, giving phpBB only unique identification of the image (that would be used to link file to post/avatar)

What are your ideas about this?

[Paul]

S3/Dropbox are storage providerd, how is that related to how the file is uploaded? What you want is storage providers, not upload providers.

[Rhino.Freak]

I actually like the idea of cloud storage linking but how would that work?

[CHItA]

I actually like the idea of cloud storage linking but how would that work?

You implement the filesystem interface with the clouds API or with something like flysystem + swap out the basic PHP filesystem functions in the core to use the filesystem interface.

[Senky]

S3/Dropbox are storage providerd, how is that related to how the file is uploaded? What you want is storage providers, not upload providers.

Sorry, I was maybe just confusing. CHItA explained it clearly. We would implement the filesystem interface and let various providers handle the files in their way. As I think of it now, it has nothing to do with uploading process

[david63]

Is this not something that could/should be handled with one or more events with extensions customised for the various storage facilities?

[Senky]

Is this not something that could/should be handled with one or more events with extensions customised for the various storage facilities?

It's also the way, but the same can be told about cache providers, auth providers, avatar providers, etc.

[Marc]

I'd like to point out that there is already a ticket for splitting the file storage in the classes used for uploading files:
https://tracker.phpbb.com/browse/PHPBB3-14169

[rubencm]

This is almost working now, you can test it and report bugs