Getting Ready For Ibp 2.1

[modetwo]

IPB (Invision Power Board) 2.1 Final was released 15 minutes ago. I'm going to upgrade this 2.04 forum to 2.1, as this will get us loads of new cool and reworked features.

 

However, we will have to re-do the skin as there are so many template changes. Just keep that in mind, the forums might look a bit odd the first couple of days.

 

I'm not sure when I will have time to perform the upgrade, might happen tonight or tomorrow.

 

Discuss in this thread.

[sparhawk]

Are there some new usefull features, or just cewl ones?

[modetwo]

IPB 2.1's new features high-lights include:

Rich Text (WYSIWYG) Editor

Allow your members to easily format their posts, signatures and personal messages.

 

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Import

Import RSS content from all over the 'net as new topics in any forum you choose.

 

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Export

Allow others to syndicate your content by setting up exclusive RSS export streams from forums of your choice.

 

Multiple Question Polls

Create new polls in our easy to use interface. Set different questions for multiple question polls.

 

Member's Display Name

Optionally allow your members to choose thier own display name which is separate from their log-in username, and change it as often as you allow.

 

Components Framework

Download pre-written components and install them with a few clicks. Create new functionality without needing to touch a line of IPB's code; future-proof your modifications!

 

Improved Forum and Topic Marking *hot*

Forum are topic markers are now stored in the database. Our comprehensive system accurately tracks all your unread topics regardless of which computer you use to access your account.

 

Topic Rating

Allow your members to rate each other's topics. This can be set per forum and per usergroup.

 

Concurrent Post Capture

Optionally merge concurrent posts within a settable time-limit. Prevent "And another thing..." from creating a new post!

 

In-line Topic Editing *hot*

An IPS innovation: Edit topics from the forum listing without a need to refresh your page!

 

In-line Post Editing *hot*

An IPS innovation: Edit posts quickly from the topic view page without reloading the topic!

 

Member Name Suggest

An IPS innovation: When composing a new PM or pruning a forum, enter part of a member's name and IPB will bring up a list of suggested matches, instantly!

 

MyAssistant Re-Designed

An IPS innovation: A combined floating palette comprising of instant notification of new PMs with the ability to cycle through recent PMs. Instant "new posts" listing, and quick search - all used without a single page refresh!

 

Re-designed Admin Control Panel

A totally re-worked ACP. A new tab system categorizes the ACP menu making it much easier to find what you want!

 

Re-designed Template Editing Screen

Taking advantage of the very latest scripting tools, we've totally re-worked the template editing interface making it much easier to find the correct template bit you need to edit and even allowing you to edit several at once.

 

Log In Authentication

Choose between different types of authentication. Use existing member databases to authenticate your users; allow a single password for your current member systems and your forums! LDAP and .Net PassPort modules being developed now.

 

 

IPB 2.1's refactoring not only increases efficiency and scalability; it also allows for our new components framework. The components framework allows modification authors to extend IPB's functionality. Using a very simple ACP / directory interface, modification authors will be able to "hook" into the core functionality such as: UserCP menu generation, ACP menu generation, Online list generation and cache pre-loading.

 

IPB 2.1 will also feature a new API (APplication Interface) allowing you to use core functions from IPB in your own software. The new HTTP-API system allows all this to be done without the need to code a single line!

[sparhawk]

That topic marking seems like a good thing to me. Especially as I use multiple computers to access the forum. If it allows to reset topics to unread, so I can keep them flagged, it would be everything I ask for.

[modetwo]

If it allows to reset topics to unread, so I can keep them flagged, it would be everything I ask for.

That's not possible, sorry.

 

But yes, the database-based marked-read system is awesome. I've upgraded the BCG Forums to vBulletin 3.5 which has the same feature, and now I can't live without it. AJAX is really usefull aswell (e.g. inline post editing).

[pakmannen]

Those rich text boxes seems to be the new-cool-thing. Been writing/stealing one for a project and they really are awsome

[modetwo]

Alright, we're now running the newest version of the 2.1 series; 2.1.1

 

First of all, if you already haven't, empty your cache for this site to ensure you get all the newest clientside scripts. This will help you to avoid any problems that might happen because of old scripts.

 

Also, you might notice that the dark skin is gone - we'll have to build a new one from scratch, and work on this will start ASAP.

 

All threads will show up as new for everyone - this is because of a new mark-read system. This new system will ensure to NOT mark any threads read that you haven't yet read - even if your cookie session times out. This is a hot new feature, and it's very welcome. You may want to use the "Mark all posts as read" link to start from scratch, you'll find it at the bottom of the index.

 

Please post any and all problems, comments or suggestions you might have in this thread!

 

 

Cheers,

~m2

[god_is_my_goldfish]

Not sure if you are aware of this, but the forums appear to be running much slower now. I've emptied my cache and everything, so I know that's not the cause.

[modetwo]

Not sure if you are aware of this, but the forums appear to be running much slower now. I've emptied my cache and everything, so I know that's not the cause.

Don't worry, I'm still optimizing things. I've cleared the server cache and it takes some time to build up again. I'm also working on the style to get all CSS settings stored in files instead of getting served in each page - which will make clients cache it.

 

This will make things much faster.

[Fingernail]

I have to say the width was better before you changed it back to the old dark mod style.

 

There's so much scrolling now, particularly the index. I guess it just needed a wide view briefly to make me notice that.

[oDDity]

You have make entirely new skins every time you up date to a 0.01 variant of a version?

[modetwo]

I have to say the width was better before you changed it back to the old dark mod style.

 

There's so much scrolling now, particularly the index. I guess it just needed a wide view briefly to make me notice that.

You want a 100% wide skin? I can do that.

 

You have make entirely new skins every time you up date to a 0.01 variant of a version?

No, this isn't a 0.01 variant of a version - this is a .1 version. But it's still given a huge work-over, and a lot of the new features wouldn't work with the old skin. Also, it's easier to make a new one than add all the new stuff.

[Fingernail]

Perhaps not 100% but I feel that it is a little narrow. Does anyone else agree or is it just me?

[modetwo]

I've set the default skin to 98% width, and added a child style with a fixed width of 900 pixels.

 

You may have to press Ctrl+F5 to see these changes.

[sparhawk]

I don't know if I like this, but IMO it is very bad software design, if you have to create your skins everytime from scratch when you upgrade.

[modetwo]

I don't know if I like this, but IMO it is very bad software design, if you have to create your skins everytime from scratch when you upgrade.

As I said, I don't have to re-create it - but it saves me a LOT of time to create a new one from scratch. Each of the templates have been changed a lot to implement features like AJAX etc - and this have to be added to be able to work.

[sparhawk]

Funnily enough the topic marksystem always worked fine for me, without any problems. It was rarely that I came home and I saw opics as unread which I already viewed at my company machine. In 95% it worked flawlessly. So what exactly is this supposed new Topic Mark System supposed to do better?

[modetwo]

It does now keep a record in the database of which thread you have read and not read.

 

What it used to do was that you had a cookie session time-out limit of 15 minutes. If you visited the forums with a lot of unread threads, then closed the browser window, all of those threads would have been marked as read within 15 minutes. This does not happen anymore. A thread is never marked as read until you actually read it.

[Darkness_Falls]

I would like it if the the "Add Reply" button (when composing a reply) were up higher than it is; so that it's directly underneath the text box that you write in. (I think it might've been directly below before the upgrade because now it seems odd that I have to scroll down to click it.)

 

You said comments were welcome...

[modetwo]

I agree, this should be default. I'll add in extra buttons soon.

[pakmannen]

Could you make a skin with the former forum width? I think it's hard to read things now.

 

Edit - oh, i see there already was one. Nevermind then

[modetwo]

I've now almost completed the skins, just a few changes I need to complete left.

 

There are 2 skin sets; one fixed (900 pixels wide) and one liquid (95% wide).

[Darkness_Falls]

The top banner graphic is huge! I wish it could be made less tall. It's been like this since the ipb update 2 times ago. It takes up half the screen and reminds me of the huge user interface panel that will likely be in the upcoming Age of Empires 3.

 

New Horizon - Extend your minimalistic powers and minimize this thing!

[modetwo]

Aye, that is up to the design/artist guys to fix.

 

[god_is_my_goldfish]

Looks good, thanks mOdEtWo.