fork

Hi!

First off, I like MLF. It's of course one of the better-looking and user-friendly forum systems in existence.
Actually, the user interface makes MLF that interesting. There are however a few sore spots about the code, makes me currently reluctant to set it up for one of my projects.

So first wanted to ask around, if any of the users migrated from or to another forum software lately. Is there anything similar like MLF? A lookalike with threaded discussions, or at least support for unregistered users?

So, what's suboptimal about My Little Forum ?

mysql_query(): An absolute no-go in regards to security. I will NOT run any software, that doesn't use prepared sql statements / PDO.
Smarty: Another templating language above PHP doesn't make much sense. But if that templating "engine" doesn't even bring localization, output encoding, and not even more readable template code with it, then... words cannot describe it.
configuration data != application data: Yeah, everyone does it. Doesn't make it right. Configuration data doesn't belong into the database. Point.
localization: Okay, everyone tries this out. But string constants / text lookup are not state of the art. Use gettext. And get over it.
GNU GPL: Not very novel. And if there is zero actual code reuse, what is the point of the license again?

Yeah, sorry. Just what crossed my mind. Most other forum/board software will have the same problems, I guess.
So what can I do?
The code is too convoluted with Smarty calls and mysql_query() intermingled. If I wanted to fork MLF, I had to start with a much older, Smarty-clean version.

Thought about running MLF and writing a new frontend for its database scheme. But then, the entries table doesn't look all too reusable either. There seem to be a few too many meta fields (ip, marked, views, sticky, edit_key, spam, ...). Don't know if that makes sense. And starting a fork is a real waste of time anyway.

Back on topic; Does anybody know a good alternative?
Similar UI, slimer backend?

Best,
mario

Hi,

Does anybody know a good alternative?

Write your own software.

An alternative is e.g. cForum.

regards
Micha

--
applied-geodesy.org - OpenSource Least-Squares Adjustment Software for Geodetic Sciences

Hello

There are some points which I can second, some others wich I disagree, but your posting is --IMHO and all in all-- unpolite. Nobody forces you to use this software. Nobody forces you to fork it if it does not fit your needs. And: Where the heck you know anything about the no reuse of code?

As said: Technically you have some points but that can be said with another tone.

Tschö, Auge

--
Trenne niemals Müll, denn er hat nur eine Silbe!

Yes, I was being rude. :-(
But don't care much. :-P

See, there is no law against offending open source coders. And second I already wasted a little time on the futile effort of trying to rip the mysql_query() **** out. Futile.
Of course, in such situations you could just swallow the disgruntlement. But then I also felt a little entitlement to voice my bit of wasted time.

My fault, your code. And free speech.

(Would have sounded way more "impolite", if I had tried with Smarty.)

Anyway, no sorry.
But just delete it then if it's so unjustified.

And: Where the heck you know anything about the no reuse of code?

I'd happily stand corrected.
Yes, stock images. And obviously there are the modules/. And for sure I have seen a bit of lovely Smarty calls nicely sprinkled throughout the application logic. But these are just libraries. That ain't not no code reuse.
I was thinking about imported non-utility code from another forum/board software. Are there any shared code parts? Is any of the database tables compatible to anything else, for example? That would be interesting.

Hello

See, there is no law against offending open source coders.

On the other side, there is no need to do it (that way).

My fault, your code. And free speech.

yes, no and yes.

(Would have sounded way more "impolite", if I had tried with Smarty.)

Smaty is another story. But there is also no need to be rude.

Anyway, no sorry.
But just delete it then if it's so unjustified.

That's not my decision. When this was my forum, I would say "said is said", I reacted and that's it.

And: Where the heck you know anything about the no reuse of code?

I'd happily stand corrected.
Yes, stock images. And obviously there are the modules/. And for sure I have seen a bit of lovely Smarty calls nicely sprinkled throughout the application logic. But these are just libraries. That ain't not no code reuse.

I don't know much of the code of mlf2. There are some libraries and classes from other authors, wich uses different licenses. As examples: the BB-Code-Parser-Class from Christian Seiler: GPL2, Bad Behaviour: GPL, Akismet: MIT, Geshi: GPL and so on and on and on.

If you want to distribute your own software wich uses this scripts (this is IMHO code reuse), you have to make a decision for a compatible license. That's a point you can't get around. Ahh ... point.

I was thinking about imported non-utility code from another forum/board software. Are there any shared code parts? Is any of the database tables compatible to anything else, for example? That would be interesting.

Yes, there is at least one function I have seen from another source (as said: I don't know the whole code).

[edit]: Two sentences about gettext: Gettext is not delivered as a standard library for PHP. What's about the questions of forum admins "Why the heck it don't work?"?

Tschö, Auge

--
Trenne niemals Müll, denn er hat nur eine Silbe!

Smaty is another story. But there is also no need to be rude.

I beg to differ. The use of Smarty calls for all sorts of name calling.
Yes, it sells itself as the nonplusultra. But again, it doesn't contribute
anything useful. I would go so far and suggest MLF2 as a good example
against the use of Smarty.

[edit]: Two sentences about gettext: Gettext is not delivered as a standard library for PHP. What's about the questions of forum admins "Why the heck it don't work?"?

Doing it wrong then. There are at least two drop-in replacements for native
PHP gettext support (https://launchpad.net/php-gettext/). Just include a lib,
and support is there. Either native or emulated.
PhpWiki also has a very clever gettext variant __().

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