By yuriy_zubarev on
Greetings,
I saw a lot of discussion flying around dealing with a fact that Drupal 4.6.* doesn't deal with forums correctly (topics not shown under the forums), but no real resolution. I've got version 4.6.3 and it still doesn't seem to work. What's the official word? Is it a recognized bug? If so then what is the work-around?
Thanks.
Comments
I'm stuck on this same issue
I'm stuck on this same issue too.... I downloaded the latest CVS last night and yippee it worked fine but I really shouldn't be using the CVS version on a real site....
I saw that a patch went up on HEAD but I'm not quite sure if I should apply it to 4.6.3 to fix it.
Any help on this greatly appreciated.
I wish there were
I wish there were instructions on what to modify in 4.6.3 build to make this work.
It's kind of surprising why this is not being treated as fire in the house issue. I understand it's an open source and everything but "Forum" is a one of the modules people are judging Drupal by...
but "Forum" is a one of the
Indeed they are - and it's a major sticking point for many, many users. Without a forum that looks, behaves, and FEELS like a 'real' forum system (vbb, phpbb, all of the 'standard' ones), many users simply won't bother using drupal.
I'm currently working on a forum module that will (hopefully) solve this problem for most of these users.
It's being re-written at the moment for security reasons, but as soon as there's a public version ready, I'll let people know.
http://drupal.org/node/38829
http://drupal.org/node/38830
They're the 2 drupal nodes regarding it.
Daniel
Drupal forum - reason for hesitation
The number one reason (just about any reason actually) that I hesitate switching to Drupal is the lack of a good forum. The Drupal forum module is just too simple. It doesn't need to be filled with features, I actually like it clean and simple. But basic out-of-the-box features like bb code & topic subscriptions need to be there in my opinion.
Happy to hear zoro, I'll check it out right away.
Is this forum module something that's being considered as a default module to Drupal?
Is this forum module
If users want to use it as a default one then fine - but it can be run side by side with the default drupal forum, as they use completely different database tables for their thread/posts/forum information.
If you want any more info feel free to ask :)
*double posting for
*double posting for bumpage*
The code is now public! :)
Have a look at the module's thread:
http://drupal.org/node/38830
Modules
Aren't there modules for that stuff?
So you might think 'why aren't they part of the forum module?' - well they are kinda orthognal to a forum module. Why should bb code and subscriptions be limited to forum posts? Making them separate modules allows them to be used for other stuff too.
In future you'll probably find that the Drupal core will get even leaner. Chances are the current standard forum module won't be in there by default either, and will be an add on module.
There may well be multiple coexisting forum modules to choose from.
--
Anton
Aren't there modules for
I know the BBCode module hasn't been updated since 4.5...
Sure, BBCode can be used for your 'front page' stuff. For that matter, something like TinyMCE can be used for your forum. In either case, you're left to pray that the module gets updated for as long as you need the functionality for your site. One could then ask why such a BBCode module isn't one of the 'core distro' modules, but I'm not sure that's the best idea.
What I think might be a better idea for a core module is a generic filter builder. We've got a generic node-type builder (Flexinode/CCK); why not apply the same logic to filters? A system where the admin can specify a filter where something like
[url=%1]%2[/url]would get filtered into<a href="/%1">%2</a>That way the admin could define their own BBCode tags. Maybe toss in some sort of export function so people can share them with each other. Granted, you wouldn't have the full power of the filters system, as there's a certain point where you need to know regexp's and such. Still, I think it could be useful, possibly as a future core module.
A foolish and nightmarish situation, IMHO...
Open source, filters and forums
Not being a user of it, I didn't know that. Maybe nobody cares enough about it?
Well that's a classic IT dilemma with stuff being orphaned/stagnating, but at least in the world of open source we have more options - some may be painful, but at least they're options.
But the harsh reality is that if something isn't important enough for someone to keep up to date, then chances are it won't have much future. After all most of the stuff done is just itch scratching by individuals.
It kinda sounded like a good idea until I thought how complicated it would be to support users that had gone off and made their own filter sets, and how much extra trouble they could get themselves into.
I then thought maybe having a custom filter API module might be better. It would add a slight entry barrier to creating new filters which would then encourage 'more official' ones to be added to contrib and users wouldn't run off creating infinite variations of the same thing on their own sites. But then again there's probably no point as that probably wouldn't add much over the current state of creating custom filter modules (I don't know for sure though, I've never written a filter).
Who knows, maybe someone smarter than me will come up with a good solution :)
Probably, but judging by this thread it's already starting to happen. Different groups seem to have different ideas of how a forum should work. Two focussed implementations might be a better scenario all around that one monolithic implementation that struggles to satisfy everyone and is overly complex to configure.
--
Anton
it's already starting to
Starting? It's been going on for quite a while! I know of at least two sizable changes to Drupal's forum system that were posted quite a while ago. One was a largish set of patches to what was then current, the other an alternate forum module alltogether. Both were posted here, and neither seemed to get any attention from the core maintainers. At this point they're pretty much bitrot.
And now there's a couple others who are probably going to duplicate the work yet again. And the cynic in me doubts that the result will be any different this time around. Pity...
You are unclear. So far the
You are unclear. So far the vast majority of issues with forums are people neglect to enable all the modules required. Forums require taxonomy, comments and forums modules to be active. Most people forget comments and taxonomy. If they do, then they get odd effects like negative number of post and such.
As to features, you add additional modules. It is true that currently Drpal forums out of the box do not behave like phpBB, etc, but then Drupal is not phpBB either. It appears that some folks are finally starting to offer contributions to forums module to add some behavior that they desire.
-sp
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide -|- Black Mountain
-Steven Peck
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide
Sorry if I was unclear. I
Sorry if I was unclear. I didn't mean there is no forum, or problems getting the forum to work. I meant that I think the included forum module could be a bit more feature rich.
Like I said, it's good that it's not overpacked with features that hardly anyone is using anyway. But I really think some of the basic (and very useful) features should be there.
I'm sure this would get even more poeple interested in Drupal. I know it would remove one big question mark for me at least.
As to features, you add
My own experience with making the drupal forums look, feel and act like a real forum, left me with nothing but frustration.
The need to include module after module, just to get a bloody forum to work like it should (or at least as expected) was nothing short of a chore, and we (myself and Pug - at unreal.ie) simply gave up. It was a horrible experience, and one that I'd rather never have to go through again.
We spent some time trying to sort out access control, and that proved to be a major problem. It was just too difficult to do easily, so I decided to port the existing home-made forum from unreal.ie over to drupal's code structure.
The forum module that's built into drupal will, in my opinion, never work as a real forum. I've examined it in every way I can, and nothing short of a complete rewrite can remedy it.
That's all my own opinion of course - and I'm not trying to put down the creators of the module - it really is impressive, and I've drawn alot from it in my own coding practices. But the fact remains that it's not a 'standard' forum - it doesnt look, act or feel like a real forum.
Daniel
now see, this is an interesting comment
Understand, you say 'real forum' like other people understand what a 'real forum' would look like or that there is in fact an ISO standard for forums. I think a 'real forum' looks like this. :) I think it works better then others and as it is integrated into the site you can add a forum post into a book page with just a few clicks.
I use other forums occasionally (smoothwall.org, World of Warcraft and misc other sites) when I need to. For the most part, the conventions and really weird things they do to 'make it work' with the features is a hideous usability issue for me. It takes forever to find stuff, you have to look at note after forum note...
I have been using Drupal.org's forums for two years very successfully. Have I seen mention of things that might help out? You bet, but a post from Steven a while ago pointed to some of the contrib modules that would do that. I setup a test site once just to see and thought it seemed like it would work. Then again, I don't run forums on my sites on a day to day basis so like anything, improvemnets can really only help.
I will say again what I have said before. Dries has publically indicated that he will review, comment and commit acceptable patches to improve forums. Anyone who shows sufficient interest do jump in and work on improving things is welcome to do so. Period.
As a note, a new maintainer for menu module was added recently (27nov05) by Dries. Richard Archer has been a member for 11 weeks. I would link you to the post, but the archives arn't working currently.
Please note that forum module has no seperate maintainer. So if Dries doesn't have time to work on it then someone else had better be submitting patches or no one will be working on it. If you are interested, then please start submitting patches to improve them.
-sp
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide -|- Black Mountain
-Steven Peck
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide
Understand, you say 'real
Heh :) I knew I'd be pulled up on this eventually :)
Really the only 'type' of forum that I've used, over my entire history on the internet, is the kind found on http://www.boards.ie - Essentially, vbulletin clones.
I use the word clones loosely, as the standard, as I mean it, is pretty much how that forum (and those like it) work.
I understand that it's a sticky topic to talk about, as there's undoubtedly going to be massive opposition from both sides about which is better and how the other is horribly horrible :p
But no argument can disprove the fact that there's a vast amount of these 'standard' forums on the net. And they're not popular for no reason - they're popular because they work, and give users the functionality they have now come to expect from a forum.
My first impressions of the drupal forum were that it was a prehistoric incarnation of someone's idea of a forum, and not, as they have since turned out to be, quite nice to use.
I do like the forum as it is used on the drupal.org site, but if I were to use it myself on unreal.ie I'd probably be dragged kicking and screaming to the nearest mental institution - THAT is how awkward it is in comparison to the more accepted norm :)
I have to reiterate that I'm not attacking the creator of the forum module - it works, it's clean, and it's secure, but it's just not what I expect from a forum :)
Oh I knew that, but I had to
Oh I knew that, but I had to point out the if someone wants improvements, then someone better start working on it or I'd blow my reputation. :) There was nothing wrong with your post by the way and no one was offended.
It does seem from a different thread that someone is actually working on things so there may yet be hope. Also I know that at least one other person is looking at working on some forum stuff if she isn't side tracked by pretty shiny fun paying stuff in the next few months.... but nothing before 4.7 :)
In any case, glad to have you on board, stick around and have fun.
-sp
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide -|- Black Mountain
-Steven Peck
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide
Essentially, vbulletin
Really, 'UBB clone' is more accurate...
Fair enough - then "that
Fair enough - then "that type"
If that's the case ...
If that's the case with the forum module, that "Forums require taxonomy, comments and forums modules to be active," then why doesn't somebody put in error messages that run when someone is trying to use the forum with taxonomy and/or comments modules not enabled? I know that the help file mentions that taxonomy and comments modules must be enabled, but the error messages would be much easier and nicer.
No one has supplied a patch.
No one has supplied a patch. If you think it would be of value, then file a feature request and/or prefereably a patch if posible. If not, then it might make it in the next version.
-sp
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide -|- Black Mountain
-Steven Peck
---------
Test site, always start with a test site.
Drupal Best Practices Guide
Ok, if you're talking about
Ok, if you're talking about the taxonomy + forum bug - wanting to be able to edit terms in the taxomony and have them reflected in the forum, I got it fixed by doing the following:
">Make these changes and ">these :)