Modifying phpBB CHAPTER 1 1 (Yahoo web space)
Modifying phpBB CHAPTER 1 1 One of the key advantages of using a package such as phpBB to power your forum solution is that you can add modifications to the software. Your modifications can range from small changes to the software s behavior to adding entirely new features that you can offer your members. The hacking scene not the scene commonly associated with malicious users breaking into computer systems, but rather the community of forum administrators who author and release such modifications commonly known as hacks has thrived for each major piece of forum software for years. Some hacks add features so popular that they are officially added to subsequent releases of the software. This chapter covers two aspects of modifying phpBB. The first section will discuss the mechanics of installing modifications to your phpBB software, and the second section will detail how to create hacks for your board and prepare them for release to the community, if you so desire. Installing Modifications A vast number of modifications are available for the phpBB software. The advantages to using existing modifications are numerous. You do not need to be an expert in PHP coding to install these modifications, and they have likely been put through a series of tests to make sure they work as advertised. Plus, you will have a whole community to consult if something goes wrong, which may not be possible if you write your own modifications. Getting Ready to Install a Hack Before you jump into modifying your board, you should perform a few tasks to make the modification process as smooth and uneventful as possible. You will be delving into phpBB s underlying source code now, so it does not hurt to be prepared! Making Backups When you install modifications, you change the behavior of your phpBB setup in some fashion by editing the source code. The gravity of this task means that you should make a backup of your existing phpBB script files and store it in a safe location. If something goes wrong, you can revert to the old copy immediately. It also is a good idea to make a backup of your database s structure and data, as described in Chapter 10, as some modifications alter the database s tables. Nothing angers a member
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