Thread: Major Forum Changes Ahead

@BenFenner ...I have absolutely no authority but I command you to take a vaca/weekend away from this "forum stuff" ...although I commend your enthusiasm, don't be skipping the beach w/the fam for this...!!! IJS...too short..

Update

I've hit my first actual snag. I'm trying to find the database table that holds some poll information, and it's taking some real time. There are hundreds of tables in the database (one reason this shit needs to be re-written) when there should only be 20 or so. I have to look through hundreds of tables trying to find the data I'm looking for, or look through the source code which sometimes helps find the table. Hopefully doing that will bear fruit this weekend. Sorry for the delay. =(

Update

I found the poll information I was looking for. Can't believe it ended up being right "next" to the other main poll info I'd already found.
Onward and upward!

Update

I got the polls sorted out and converted in the database. Next up are the posts, which shouldn't be too bad. That will be the last thing to convert on the back-end, then I can work on the front end stuff for it.

Update

I hit a bit of a snag trying to do some of the back-end updates to the posts. I wanted to avoid having to process the over 1 million posts more than I had to, or find efficient ways to get it done so that eventually when the conversion happens, it won't take all day. Sadly, after looking into it for a while, it's just not going to happen. So it turns out the posts need to be processed once, which takes about 2 hours, and then likely again, which might take another 2 hours (but hopefully less).

So I've decided I just can't save the time, and things will just have to take hours.
I have moved on getting the rest finished.

I also found another table I really need to convert, so next up I will be tackling the post edit history table. That should go well, and likely by this weekend I'll be ready to start on the front-end stuff for sections, threads, and posts.

...and you're doing a fine job!

Update

I got the post edit history converted over. In doing so, I noticed I should probably also get the 750 post attachments converted over. But I'm not finding them where I expected to. I'll keep hunting for them and hopefully find them soon. I have Monday and Tuesday off work, so I'm hoping to make more good progress in the coming days.

Edit: I believe I've found the actual attachment file data now. I should be able to make good progress over the next couple days.

Update

I've converted the attachments, so I'm finished with the back-end work.

Now I can get started on the front-end work for forum sections, threads, posts, posts with polls, and posts with attachments.

Update

I've basically finished the pure forum section display stuff (think the main page).
Next I will work on the hybrid section/thread display stuff (think sub-forums like this).

Update

Well, my goal was to finish the hybrid display stuff this week, but I did not. I got lots of good work done, but there was much to do that I wasn't expecting. Don't worry, it was all good work that needed to be done and no snags anywhere. I just underestimated what it would really take for this step. I hope to have the hybrid display stuff done soon. I'll update again later.

The site is really starting to come together now. It looks and behaves so much like the current site I have a hard time telling them apart sometimes.