A typical day writing code for MyBB

I’ve just finished coding (Well, Chris wrote the base of the code) a new feature in. MyBB 1.4 will now feature MySQL & PostgreSQL slave drivers. (Yes We’ve added PostrgreSQL and SQLite 2 & 3 support for MyBB 1.4). This will come for a great boost in speed on large forums that run on multiple servers (think if MyBB ever ran Gaia Online).

Using a MySQL/PgSQL slave driver allows us to separate SELECT queries from queries that modify the database (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE etc). Allowing that will let each server be tuned to select or modifying to get the maximum performance out of each server and over all have a speed increase on the servers.

Not to mention we’ll be the first free forum software (afaik) to do it. In addition to this, we’ve made many other optimizations to MyBB 1.4 and we are continuing to do so. We just hope this continues to show how dedicated we are towards making you a product that is fast, free, and efficient!

For those of you know don’t know, I’m taking a vacation. I’ll be up at Tahoe for a week. I’ll post pictures if my camera doesn’t screw up again (like last time )

See you guys back in a week!

A long while ago Chris had made a blog post on “Bitwise Operators“. Now, just to make it crystal clear, Bitwise Operators are not in MyBB 1.4. MyBB 1.2 was more focused on the code. MyBB 1.4 is focused more on features. Sorry folks, but there isn’t just enough time in the world!

However, I’d like to bring them up again and revisit the idea of what they are and how they work.

To re-iterate what Chris stated on his blog post, Bitwise operators are operators that work on a bit-level. You can assign “levels” to a number. This number indicates the level and later on, will be able to provide us with what users have what permissions. In turn you have an array of users each assigned a specific value.

We’ll use Chris’s crisp and clean example to show how bitwise operators work:

<?php
$notices['can_view'] = 1;
$notices['can_post_threads'] = 2;
$notices['can_post_replies'] = 4;
$notices['can_edit'] = 8;

$testers[1] = 1;
$testers[2] = 5;
$testers[3] = 9;
$testers[4] = 14;

foreach($testers as $key => $tester)
{
echo “$key”;
foreach($notices as $key => $notice)
{
if($tester & $notice)
{
echo ” - $key”;
}
}
echo “<br />”;
}
?>
Now this code will print out the following:
1 - can_view
2 - can_view - can_post_replies
3 - can_view - can_edit
4 - can_post_threads - can_post_replies - can_edit

Now you may be asking how  we got that? In case you missed it, tester 4 has a value of 14. Now look at what the tester got: “can_post_threads - can_post_replies - can_edit". can_posts_threads has a value of 2, can_post_replies has a value of 4, and can_edit has a value of 8. Now what does that all add up to? 14! And so on and so forth; See? Simple!

This system can make our most difficult permissions night-mares as easy as the above example. If our course doesn’t change, I believe you will be seeing a lot more of Mr. Bitwise in 2.0 than ever before.

Just wanted to let everybody know, I have completed an interview with tmhai and DrPoodle. Check out the interview here: http://mybbgames.com/2007/05/11/an-interview-with-tikitiki/

Enjoy

After reading the blog posts on Dennis’s “Removing the copyright is a bad idea”, specifically WJ’s blog post, I decided to bring up his point in the staff forum. Resulting will be a new copyright for MyBB 1.4.

The current copyright

Powered By MyBB
Copyright © 2002-2007 MyBB Group

Will now become

Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2007 MyBB Group.

Both Chris and I feel this new copyright should ease up the constroversy and please more people by making it look less like it’s ours and more like it’s yours.

Next up on MyBB, and the first new 1.4 feature to be revealed on my blog, is…
Drum roll please

Plugin Version Checking!

Yep, the new ACP now has a way of checking updating for plugins. It will connect to the MyBB Mods server and returns a list of plugins that need updating.

How is works?

1. GUIDs (globally unique identifiers) are assigned to a plugin after it is submitted. Authors have the option to update their plugin with the option of adding the GUID to their plugin.
2. A list of plugins with GUIDs in the plugin directory and sent to the MyBB Mods Server
3. MyBB Mods validates that list and sends back a list of plugins which includes the latest version number and download URL for each of the installed plugins
4. The MyBB admin CP checks to see the list and compares the versions of plugins you have with the latest versions returned by the server

In an effort partly driven to keep this blog at least 5% active I am trying to blog a little more. Here I will be talking about MyBB’s very own “Sexiest Developer“! Which of course, as you all know, is me!

Recently, it came to my attention that the next contest for MyBB Fans didn’t have enough prizes in the case that the date was guessed before the MyBB 1.4 beta starts. I gladly came to the rescue! I am a prize… Well, Sort of.

The prizes listed above will be increased if and only if the winner submitted the winning guess before the MyBB 1.4 beta program starts. In this case, the winner will have the choice of ONE of these prizes:

• $20USD via PayPal and an additional $10USD and a signed photo of Tikitiki, the “sexiest developer” by mail
• One 3-Year new domain registration (choice of .com, .net, .org, .info, .co.uk)
• Three 1-Year new domain registrations (choice of .com, .net, .org, .info, .co.uk)
• One 2-Year, and One 1-year new domain registrations (choice of .com, .net, .org, .info, .co.uk)

These will be accompanied by a 2-year premium membership and one or two email addresses (winner’s choice).

Of course the team loved the idea and were jealous that they weren’t eligible for the prize. Some even thought about quiting if I didn’t send them their own personal copy! I know I’m just soo irresistible huh!
And once again Tikitiki saves the day