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Posted 07 May 2007, 10:02 PM

Rating:

#31450 (In Topic #7178)

Chris Graham

ocStaff (admin)

Hi,

We've put together a new version, 3.2.0. Before you get excited, this isn't something with a lot of new features – instead, we've chosen to clean up a few things, and add some of the simpler suggestions that have recently been made.
We're releasing it as a beta to make sure any new bugs get found before it becomes the next patch release. There are no database changes, but there are some fairly substantial changes to PHP core running at the core of the system.

So without further adieu, here is what we've changed…
(p.s. sorry this is all thrown together – I might have time to clean it up later)

1)

A new menu is automatically maintained, named zone_menu; the menu is automatically updated when zones are added/edited/deleted. This menu can be shown in place of the hard-coded zone-menu, by typing:

Code


:set_value('use_zone_menu','1');

into OcCLE. Note that this will only work with our new default TOP template. If you have a customised TOP template and want this functionality, you may want to look into ours. The key line that displays the new menu is:

Code


{$BLOCK,block=side_stored_menu,param=zone_menu,type=zone}

This all builds on what was added to 3.1.x, and required template changes to activate. This all basically moves things a little closer to where they will be in version 4.

2)

The 'Awards' add/edit screen is slightly more user-friendly.

3)

IIS users (the Microsoft web server software) may now benefit from short URLs. To do so you need to be a server administrator of your server, and to install the free IIRF ISAPI module available from:
http://cheeso.members.winisp.net/IIRF.aspx
ocProducts cannot take responsibility or provide support for this feature. We're happy to answer questions, but fiddling with your web server is only for those in the know. It is best you try things out on a test website before your live one.
Basically to install…
a) Copy IsapiRewrite4.dll into your Inetpub folder
b) In IIS manager add the dll as an ISAPI filter, but only to the website that runs ocPortal. This means that the IIRF plugin will only affect the ocPortal website, which is important because the IIRF configuration file is not modular – if it were applied to all websites on the server, it could cause serious problems.
c) Make an IsapiRewrite4.ini file in your Inetpub folder containing the following:

Code


RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/s/([^\&\?]*)/index\.php$ $1index\.php?page=cedi&id=$2 [U,L]

# These have a specially reduce form (wide is implied)
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/galleries/image/([^/\&\?]*)/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=galleries&type=image&id=$2&wide=1&start=$3&max=$4&$5 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/galleries/video/([^/\&\?]*)/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=galleries&type=video&id=$2&wide=1&start=$3&max=$4&$5 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/iotds/view/([^/\&\?]*)/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=iotds&type=view&id=$2&wide=1&$3 [U,L]

# These have a specially blogging rules
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/blogs/view/([^/\&\?]*)/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=blogs&news_filter=$2&$3 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/news/misc/([^/\&\?]*)/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=news&type=misc&filter=$2&$3 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/blogs/view/([^/\&\?]*)$ $1index.php?page=blogs&news_filter=$2 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/news/misc/([^/\&\?]*)$ $1index.php?page=news&type=misc&filter=$2 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/blogs/view/([^/\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index.php?$3&page=blogs&news_filter=$2 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/news/misc/([^/\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index.php?$3&page=news&type=misc&filter=$2 [U,L]

# These are standard patterns
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?]*)/([^/\&\?]*)/([^\&\?]*)/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=$2&type=$3&id=$4&$5 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?]*)/([^/\&\?]*)/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=$2&type=$3&$4 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?]*)/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=$2&$3 [U,L]
# This one is weird... apache strips out // and turns to /, thus requiring an extra pattern...
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/index\.php(.*)$ $1index.php?page=$3 [U,L]

# Now the same, but without any additional parameters (and thus no index.php)
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/s/([^\&\?]*)$ $1index\.php?page=cedi&id=$2 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/galleries/image/([^/\&\?]*)$ $1index.php?page=galleries&type=image&id=$2&wide=1&start=$3&max=$4 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/galleries/video/([^/\&\?]*)$ $1index.php?page=galleries&type=video&id=$2&wide=1&start=$3&max=$4 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/iotds/view/([^/\&\?]*)$ $1index.php?page=iotds&type=view&id=$2&wide=1 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?]*)/([^/\&\?]*)/([^/\&\?]*)/$ $1index.php?page=$2&type=$3&id=$4 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?]*)/([^/\&\?]*)/([^\&\?]*)$ $1index.php?page=$2&type=$3&id=$4 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?]*)/([^/\&\?]*)$ $1index.php?page=$2&type=$3 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?]*)$ $1index.php?page=$2 [U,L]

# And these for those nasty situations where index.php was missing and we couldn't do anything about it (usually due to keep_session creeping into a semi-cached URL)
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/s/([^\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index\.php?page=cedi&id=$2&$3 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/galleries/image/([^/\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index.php?page=galleries&type=image&id=$2&wide=1&start=$3&max=$4&$5 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/galleries/video/([^/\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index.php?page=galleries&type=video&id=$2&wide=1&start=$3&max=$4&$5 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/iotds/view/([^/\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index.php?page=iotds&type=view&id=$2&wide=1&$3 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?\.]*)/([^/\&\?\.]*)/([^\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index.php?page=$2&type=$3&id=$4&$5 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?\.]*)/([^/\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index.php?page=$2&type=$3&$4 [U,L]
RewriteRule ^(.*)pg/([^/\&\?\.]*)&(.*)$ $1index.php?page=$2&$3 [U,L]

d) Reset IIRF

e) Test a short URL (e.g. http://mybaseurl/site/pg/downloads) – if it doesn't load, you've got a IIRF/IIS configuration problem.

f) If things go wrong, you can disable short URLs via an emergency shut off option in the config_editor.php script. Make sure you see where it is before proceeding to the next step.

g) In OcCLE, type:

Code


:set_value('ionic_on','1');

to cause ocPortal to generate short URLs for links within the website.

4)

The Theme Wizard now generates the background-image graphic as used on the login page. Also, the permissions administration vertical usergroup header images now take theme colouring into account.

5)

ocPortal will output deferred errors if content (for example, image banners) is added by URL, and the URL is broken.

6)

Images may now be added to galleries by URL (previously they had to be uploaded). Also, videos that are added by URL may now still have their width/height/length autodetected.

7)

Mozilla have fixed the multiple-WYSIWYG crash in recent versions of Firefox. Therefore Firefox users may now enjoy multiple WYSIWYG editors on edit screens that have multiple Comcode fields.
In addition, the inbuilt Firefox spellcheck function will now work within WYSIWYG editors, but to reach the WYSIWYG right-click menu you now need to hold down ctrl whilst right-clicking.

8)

The feedback and comment blocks now can operate in custom forums. All content types may now operate in their own comment forums, via setting hidden options. See the pinned topic in our 'Developing' forum for details of all the options. As an example, to make download comments appear in a forum named 'Our Downloads', you would type the following into OcCLE:

Code


:set_value('comment_forum__downloads','Our Downloads');

9)

There is now a 'quote' button in the Comcode editor. In addition, the 'code' button now actually generates a 'codebox', as this is usually a better choice.

10)

As we found users always entered things like 'Mr' into the 'Your title' field on things like support tickets, that field has now been renamed 'Subject/title'.

11)

There is now a link to search for a members posts, within the OCF forum profile.

12)

Gallery image thumbnails are picked from for use as gallery 'rep-images' (thumbnails), if no rep-image is specifically chosen. The first image thumbnail in the gallery was previously used. Now you can use the most recent image instead, by typing the following into OcCLE:

Code


:set_value('reverse_thumb_order','1');

13)

Short-URL support has now become much more advanced. You can now make it so you have a single ocPortal site that runs across different subdomains. You can also make it so that zones appear to be structured hierarchically. This is an advanced feature, and requires server administration access to work (i.e. it's unlikely to work on most shared webhosts).
The procedure is as follows:

a) It is strongly recommended, for simplicity and user-friendliness, that you operate ocPortal from the root of your domain name.
b i) For multiple sub(domain) names, each representing a different zone…
Set up multiple website profiles in IIS manager (or the Apache configuration file, if you're using Apache). These profiles must all point to the ocPortal installation directory.
b ii) For complex hierarchies:
Set up virtual directories in IIS manage (or the Apache configuration file, if you're using Apache). These virtual directories must all point to the ocPortal installation directory.
c) ocPortal is now set up to receive requests on the various domain names / paths that you have configured. Extra stuff needs adding to the ocPortal info.php, to tell ocPortal how to map these individual source locations, into zone accesses.
Let's pretend we've added a new subdomain 'forum.mydomain.com' (for the forum zone), and a new virtual directory under our normal website entry, under 'example/path' (for the xyz zone). You would add this to info.php

Code


$SITE_INFO['ZONE_MAPPING_forum']=array('forum.mydomain.com','');
$SITE_INFO['ZONE_MAPPING_xyz']=array('mydomain.com','example/path');

d) Now ocPortal links point to the proper complex URLs, and the complex URLs are properly recognised as zones.

14)

Download galleries may now be stored somewhere other than under the root gallery, by defining a new parent forum using OcCLE:

Code


:set_value('download_gallery_root','downloads_go_under_here');

15)

To turn off CAPTCHA noise (making them a bit easier to see), type the following into OcCLE:

Code


:set_value('no_noise','1');

16)

If you wish to see any empty galleries within the gallery system, type the following into OcCLE:

Code


:set_value('show_empty_galleries','1');

17)

If you wish to see a different number of thumbnails, per row, in the gallery system, type the following into OcCLE (this example is for 3 per-row):

Code


:set_value('thumbs_per_row','3');

Please note that some of the new configurability is implemented as 'hidden options' (the set_value stuff), so as to prevent us having to make database changes. Our intent is to make these proper options for version 4.

Become a fan of ocPortal on Facebook or add me as a friend.

Was I helpful?

If not, please let us know how we can do better (please make suggestions that are economically viable and scalable, not just requests to do more for free).
If so, please let others know about ocPortal whenever you see the opportunity.

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If I answered something that you think should be in the documentation, please take the initiative and add it to the community documentation. We really need people to help out here and build a well-organised large support resource.

Posted 07 May 2007, 10:12 PM

Rating:

#31453

Chris Graham

ocStaff (admin)

The upgrader is attached to this post. ocProducts cannot guarantee the stability of this release – use at your own risk. It's recommended you test this on a fresh installation, and therefore you'll need the quick installer, which will be in my next post.

Attachment

» Download: 3.0.0-3.2.0.tar (5 Mb, 252 downloads so far)

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Was I helpful?

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If so, please let others know about ocPortal whenever you see the opportunity.

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Posted 07 May 2007, 10:18 PM

Rating:

#31454

Chris Graham

ocStaff (admin)

Attachment

» Download: quick.zip (10 Mb, 227 downloads so far)

Become a fan of ocPortal on Facebook or add me as a friend.

Was I helpful?

If not, please let us know how we can do better (please make suggestions that are economically viable and scalable, not just requests to do more for free).
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Posted 08 May 2007, 6:32 AM

Rating:

#31457

amichan

Community saint

These are a lot of options I have wanted specially the gallery and firefox ones. Although I would like to not have to hit control but thats ok.
You still did good work and I am greatful.
I will be testing this out as soon as I can as of late it has been really busy and I have not had time for much.

I run Otaku Play Ground and am hopping to make themes and other things for ocportal even though I no longer use it for otakuplayground.com I still love it and feel it could go far with the right help. It needs themes and needs people to advertise for it.

Posted 08 May 2007, 6:39 AM

Rating:

#31458

amichan

Community saint

so will all these hidden features be none hidden features in 4?
It would be cool if they were.

Posted 08 May 2007, 9:05 AM

Rating:

#31463

OneRingRules

Community saint

All noted and will commence some testing… The big change we would like to see in ver 4 is to allow much easier cut/copy paste from HTML pages into the Comcode editor WYSIWYG text boxes where text flows around the image and HTML formatting code recognised. Typically News, Forums, and CEDI. We are finding our new users are struggling a bit with text / image wraps and ComCode error codes. Good work on the steady progress to date. :thumbs:

Posted 08 May 2007, 2:52 PM

Rating:

#31465

amichan

Community saint

OneRingRules said

All noted and will commence some testing… The big change we would like to see in ver 4 is to allow much easier cut/copy paste from HTML pages into the Comcode editor WYSIWYG text boxes where text flows around the image and HTML formatting code recognised. Typically News, Forums, and CEDI. We are finding our new users are struggling a bit with text / image wraps and ComCode error codes. Good work on the steady progress to date.

Thats some thing I would like as well.
I also would still love comments in the cedi.

Posted 08 May 2007, 3:53 PM

Rating:

#31466

Guest

Non-joined user

A few things that might be nice that I would like to see are:
1. when installing and you get an error and have to go back, make it so it does not forgot the passwords you had typed in.
2. A random password generator for the,

Code


Password
Choose the administration password (this is used for configuration file maintenance regardless of the forum you use: it is not attached to any username)

Posted 08 May 2007, 4:08 PM

Rating:

#31467

Guest

Non-joined user

Forgot to mention one more thing.
It would be nice if the step 10 of the set up wizard could be a check box on the installation page. It will save one step and make setting up the site a little faster because you will only need to enter the ftp information once.
I am talking about a check box that could be placed on the installation page where it asks for the ftp information.

Thanks

Posted 08 May 2007, 7:26 PM

Rating:

#31482

Chris Graham

ocStaff (admin)

so will all these hidden features be none hidden features in 4?
It would be cool if they were.

That is our current plan, yes.

I also would still love comments in the cedi.

Please explain a couple of things, to help me understand:

why is it catalogues aren't suitable for what you're doing?
why is it that the 'WIKI-mode' isn't suitable? (where the posts become comments, and the page-text becomes the main article).

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Was I helpful?

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Posted 08 May 2007, 8:28 PM

Rating:

#31486

amichan

Community saint

I will have to show you. Just give me a little bit of time to be able to show you. I am at work at the moment and its been pretty busy.

Posted 09 May 2007, 6:32 PM

Rating:

#31519

amichan

Community saint

Code


 :set_value('use_zone_menu','1');: 

Error: The command you entered does not exist.

 :set_value('use_zone_menu','1');: 

Error: The command you entered does not exist.

 :set_value('use_zone_menu','1'): 

Error: The command you entered does not exist.

 :set_value('reverse_thumb_order','1');:

Error: The command you entered does not exist.

Posted 09 May 2007, 6:39 PM

Rating:

#31520

Chris Graham

ocStaff (admin)

The line ends with a single semicolon (;), and starts with a single colon (:). The semicolon is PHP for "the line ends", and the colon is OcCLE for "this is a PHP command". It's best just to copy and paste from my code posts if unsure.

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Was I helpful?

If not, please let us know how we can do better (please make suggestions that are economically viable and scalable, not just requests to do more for free).
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Posted 09 May 2007, 6:41 PM

Rating:

#31522

amichan

Community saint

Chris Graham said

The line ends with a single semicolon (;), and starts with a single colon (:). The semicolon is PHP for "the line ends", and the colon is OcCLE for "this is a PHP command". It's best just to copy and paste from my code posts if unsure.

Umm I was coping what your posted.
Copied it exactly then I tried to figure out what was wrong and tried to remove some stuff but it still did not work.

Posted 09 May 2007, 6:46 PM

Rating:

#31523

Chris Graham

ocStaff (admin)

Oh, I see, I misread, I see OcCLE is actually adding that colon to the end of the line when it quotes an error.

When you copy, make sure you don't accidentally copy any whitespace onto the front. It's very easy to misdrag the mouse and get a space on the front, which seems to be what has happened here.

So to clarify, the first character is the colon, and there are no spaces on the front.

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Was I helpful?

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Posted 09 May 2007, 6:52 PM

Rating:

#31524

amichan

Community saint

ah you should make it so if a space is in there it still works.

Cuz I just tried every one of them and no matter how I drag the mouse when I post it the space gets put in there.
I know I am coping it right because when I paste it into keditor it shows no space but the space gets put in there on your system.
Its either a firefox issue, ocportal issue, or mybe even a centos 5 issue.

Posted 09 May 2007, 6:58 PM

Rating:

#31526

Chris Graham

ocStaff (admin)

You're right, I will.

It's Firefox being weird. If you click at the end of the string, then hold down shift whilst pressing the left arrow, and then ctrl+c that, it copies correctly.

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Was I helpful?

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Posted 09 May 2007, 7:01 PM

Rating:

#31527

amichan

Community saint

no worries I got it to work and I do like the new zone menu system. Much better then the old and much better then the 3.1 version.
Things are comming along good and I will continue to test this. Am I the only one testing it, I see only one person downloaded it.

Posted 09 May 2007, 8:05 PM

Rating:

#31529

Fletch

Community saint

Sorry to appear to be unenthusiastic, but I have too many sites to administer (friends and family), too many blogs to 'monitor' (friends & family), and certainly not 'gung-ho' enough to try things out on my live site.

When things ease up I may well run it through my testbed site as some of the features look promising for my own use!

Take my advice. I'm not using it!

View my working ocPortal site (version 9.x.x) at Anglo-Indian Portal

Posted 09 May 2007, 8:54 PM

Rating:

#31534

amichan

Community saint

Fletch said

Sorry to appear to be unenthusiastic, but I have too many sites to administer (friends and family), too many blogs to 'monitor' (friends & family), and certainly not 'gung-ho' enough to try things out on my live site.

When things ease up I may well run it through my testbed site as some of the features look promising for my own use!

No worries my sites busy too but one of the sites I worked for closed down as the owner no longer has time for it.
She got a job recently and has been busy with that.