Implementing a Forum

Hi everybody!

This week I've fighting hard to integrate a forum in my web page. My gosh was that hard....

I first tried with phpBB, which is the most commonly used free forum, but I found one big problem:User autentication! If you already have a users database, integrating it in phpBB is nearly an imposible mission! I know I' a newbie but I googled all the way around and couldn't find anything to do it... Have any of you been able to do it?

Finally I decided to use a Message Board from PhpJunkYard. I have been able to costumize a little bit but.... I still want my Forum!!!

Any idea?

Thanks all!

Why don't you make your own forum (software)? (Basic ofcourse).

Original from G-Projects

Why don't you make your own forum (software)? (Basic ofcourse).

Hi G-Projects,

Well, I don't think that I'm able of programming a forum... At least not yet...  I think it would take a lot of time and, moreover, I will surely be not aware of possible SQL injections, forum attacks and things like that... That's why I was searching for an already built solution to avoid having problems with my database and, of course, not having to develop the whole software which seems like a black hole to me! 

Original from PaulSimon

Well, I don't think that I'm able of programming a forum... At least not yet... 

If I were you I'd write the forum by myself. If you don't want to start from scratch install a phpbb and write the forum yourself. You've got a DB-Structure and a Script-Reference you can check if you don't know how to solve things. Plus, you can leave behind what you don't need and add things you do.

That's what we did and we've got a pretty good Forum optimized for our needs. Although one reason we did it this way was, that we had a phpbb before and wanted to continue using this DB and not writing a converter.

I think it would take a lot of time and, moreover, I will surely be not aware of possible SQL injections, forum attacks and things like that... That's why I was searching for an already built solution to avoid having problems with my database and, of course, not having to develop the whole software which seems like a black hole to me! 

If you're willing to go "our way" feel free to contact me.

Thanks Darken for your reply.

I see that you agree with G-Unit.

I have a Message Board running so I will start reseraching some information about the php board and try to see what's inside... Let's see if I can understand the code! 

I think it's gonna be a long journey... I'll keep you informed!

Original from PaulSimon

Thanks Darken for your reply.

I see that you agree with G-Unit.

I have a Message Board running so I will start reseraching some information about the php board and try to see what's inside... Let's see if I can understand the code! 

I think it's gonna be a long journey... I'll keep you informed!

I'm not a rapper :p, I'm G-Projects haha!
Good luck by the way :)

Original from PaulSimon

I have a Message Board running so I will start reseraching some information about the php board and try to see what's inside... Let's see if I can understand the code! 

It might be easyer writing the code "from scratch" without checking your board-files, but just thinking about the Database-Structure. For me this was the easyer approach. But I do not always choose the "logical path" if you ask other people. At least it makes sense for me.

I'll keep you informed!

I hope so.

EDIT: typo

How about SQL space? Do you think it's going to take a lot of Mb? A nice forum with, for example, 1.000 users how much would it need? 150 Mb? Anyone has experience with that?

Original from PaulSimon

How about SQL space? Do you think it's going to take a lot of Mb? A nice forum with, for example, 1.000 users how much would it need? 150 Mb? Anyone has experience with that?

That depends on the topics/reactions, my basic forum with +- 84.000 reactions is 14,5MB (reactions table). And the table of the topics (3,551) is +- 1,3MB.

yes my forum is also only a few MB, so dont worry about space.

Original from BasTijs

yes my forum is also only a few MB, so dont worry about space.

You have a very nice forum...

Did you made the software by yourself or did you start from a phpBB or something like that? You can see that G-unit recommends to start the forum from scratch but I'm still shaking about the idea of having to programm everything, worry about SQL injections and the whole stuff... Did you go through all that?

You don't program you own game? It took me 1 year to program my game and only a few days to program the forum, so programming a forum is nothing compared to building a game ;)

Original from PaulSimon

Original from BasTijs

yes my forum is also only a few MB, so dont worry about space.

You have a very nice forum...

Did you made the software by yourself or did you start from a phpBB or something like that? You can see that G-unit recommends to start the forum from scratch but I'm still shaking about the idea of having to programm everything, worry about SQL injections and the whole stuff... Did you go through all that?

Read some articles about SQL injections

Original from BasTijs

You don't program you own game? It took me 1 year to program my game and only a few days to program the forum, so programming a forum is nothing compared to building a game ;)

Yeah BasTijs, you are probably right... I hope it takes me only a  few days like you! Anyway, I find it quite amazing that there is no built-in solution available somewhere. There is a bunch of code in the internet for nearly everything but not for a nice forum?!?! Isn't that strange?

G-Unit: I will google more about SQL injections. The problem is that I see so many security holes that, the more I read, the more frightened I am!! 

or turn magic quotes on, but thats not 100% save and better to do it by coding ;)

I learned php from recoding a phpbb forum (intergrating with main site user system) alot of years ago ;)

Original from BasTijs

or turn magic quotes on, but thats not 100% save and better to do it by coding ;)

I learned php from recoding a phpbb forum (intergrating with main site user system) alot of years ago ;)

That was my first thought. I suppose you did that with the phpBB v2.0? I have checked the php codes for the new release, version 3.0, and still working on that... I have googled every possible post but still found no answer. I would like to start from scratch as you and G-Unit recommend but, on the other side, if I was able to "link" my actual user-database with phpBB 3.0 it would be much easier... Well, I guess I will have to keep on researching and googling, but knowing that you were able to modify the phpBB code to fit in your web page, gives me new hopes!!! :-)

No clue which version it was, think it was in 2001.

Its probably easier to recode your site to the same user system as the forum, instead of the other way around.

I'd rather go with Invision Power Board than using phpbb :)

2001 !?!?! How long have you been in the business BasTijs?!? It seems you were already developing an broswer based game even before there was Internet!!!

Docjay, thanks for the tip. I've visited the site and will give it a try!

Hehe that was not for a browser game, I started making a browser game a year ago.

Original from BasTijs

Hehe that was not for a browser game, I started making a browser game a year ago.

Only 1 year? Well, you've done a great work!

By the way, related to the original post reason: Building a forum.

Finally I've decidede myself to integrate a phpBB based forum on my game. I'm done with user login integration, but still working on some points. As you all recommended, I'm doing some php reprogramming which turned out to be easier than I expected.   I hope by the end of the week I'll have everything "fix and ready".

Thanks all for your help guys!!

Just to letting you guys know: The first browser games have been launched around 1997 in Germany

Original from docjay

Just to letting you guys know: The first browser games have been launched around 1997 in Germany

Long time ago .
I started playing in 2003 or something (i'm 18 atm), and now fulltime busy with (browser-based) games & development
.

Original from docjay

Just to letting you guys know: The first browser games have been launched around 1997 in Germany

Deutsche sind schlau... 

Hi everybody!

Just wanted to let you know that I have finally been able to integrate login phpBB in the webpage! I'll work a little more in the design point of view but the forum does work...

Thanks all for your help and support!!

Original from PaulSimon

Hi everybody!

Just wanted to let you know that I have finally been able to integrate login phpBB in the webpage! I'll work a little more in the design point of view but the forum does work...

Thanks all for your help and support!!

Thats good to hear! :)

It seems that the forum phpBB.com has been hacked...

http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=598717

Doesn't that make you feel somehow nervous... ? If they are able to hack THAT forum they can hack anything!