Icy Phoenix

Hi all.

I'm just back from Oktoberfest and after so many beers I'm ready to expose here some news about Icy Phoenix.

Before going further on what I'm planning about Icy Phoenix Development I would like to point out that I still don't know if the future version of Icy Phoenix will be similar to the current one. I'm also considering the opportunity to release a small package which contains only the CMS and to all the other stuff is currently included into Icy Phoenix. I'll let you know further on during the development phase.

Having said that... I would like you to know that I'm re-coding some core files of Icy Phoenix to improve performances and scalability. I have ported some phpBB 3 features which I find useful and I have also coded some new ones. If the local testing phase will be successful I will upgrade this site with a brand new version (I mean the core part) which should improve performances noticeably.

Just to give you some extra flavour about what I'm working at, here are some details:

• DB Connection Module has been improved (many functions ported from phpBB 3) and I have added a better errors tracking using backtrace (similar to phpBB 3).
  
• More than 3800 queries has been revised to comply with the new connection module, it took me 2 weeks to review all of them... that's a lot of work, and it's highly likely that some errors have been introduced. That's the price to pay for improvements. We will fix them.
  
• I have definitely integrated phpBB 3 Cache System and rewritten some of the old caching functions integrated into Icy Phoenix. The objective is to manage cache in a more efficient way, because under certain conditions cache may result in extra and unwanted CPU charge. I have completed about 30% of this stage.
  
• I'm working at the Forum Structure mainly for 2 objectives: optimize the charge when generating the tree structure and increasing the compatibility with phpBB 3.
  
• SEO is also on my priority list, and I'm also working in improving how pages are generated, mainly links, meta tags and core html tags. I have finished some of the main features, but I still need to complete a couple of extra things to improve how pages are indexed.

That's all for now, I will let you know when I will upgrade this site, so you can help me in debugging all the new features... there will be a lot to do!

Thanks for reading, and if you have extra questions I will try to answer if I can.

[FIRST !]
Holy shit !
SO SO SO GREAT NEWS !

Sounds great...can't wait!

Didnt think Icy Could get better !!

Cant wait !!

Great!

Chaotic wrote: [View Post]

Sounds great...can't wait!

Me too

Hopefully I find the time to help more on this project next month

This sounds great. I can't wait.

Unfortunately some of the latest modifications will require more time than expected to be completed...

Icy Phoenix has too many files and modifications, I'm thinking about removing some code to speed up things.

I'm seriously planning a new version with less features.

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

Unfortunately some of the latest modifications will require more time than expected to be completed...

Icy Phoenix has too many files and modifications, I'm thinking about removing some code to speed up things.

I'm seriously planning a new version with less features.

and that is the point why i don't try to learn the icy phoenix 1.3 structure

but maybe you should make icy phoenix a modularly cms - provide one feature in one modul - this can make the developing and maintenance easier for you

did you understand what i mean?

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

I'm seriously planning a new version with less features.

Is KB the 1st that go away?

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

I'm seriously planning a new version with less features.

So, it will not update IcyPhoenix anymore ...

New Player wrote: [View Post]

and that is the point why i don't try to learn the icy phoenix 1.3 structure

but maybe you should make icy phoenix a modularly cms - provide one feature in one modul - this can make the developing and maintenance easier for you

did you understand what i mean?

I understand perfectly... but who will mantain the modules then?

That is the main reason why I didn't do that yet... unfortunately there are no good coders here who are willing to actively help projects development.

Now that phpBB 3 is almost a mature product I'm trying to make Icy Phoenix compatible with phpBB 3 mods, and that will allow me to drop some old and resource consuming features in favour of phpBB 3 brand new mods which should be written in a better way than the old phpBB 2 ones. The album is just the main example.

I could integrate any phpBB 3 mod into Icy Phoenix now, it's just a matter of few hours of work, but then the main problem will be updating old Icy Phoenix sites to the new version... Even if I can port phpBB 3 mods easily it will require many days of testing the upgrade script and make it work under most configurations and web servers.

So the point now is just in updating Icy Phoenix core code and write on purpose code to easily upgrade old DB structures. After I have finished with the core code and CMS, I will then focus on features and try to understand what I can remove and what not. I will recode features which I think are important and I will make less important features as modules.

New version will likely be Icy Phoenix 2.0...

Template system will remain almost the same, even if I'm thinking about just changing how header and footer are included, just to make coding tpl variables easier for users and designers.

Anyway this is a huge work and a tough winter is expecting me...

I will keep you updated.

Informpro wrote: [View Post]

So, it will not update IcyPhoenix anymore ...

Well... don't tell me that you are using all the features Icy Phoenix has...

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

That is the main reason why I didn't do that yet... unfortunately there are no good coders here who are willing to actively help projects development.

On what are you basing to say this ? ... I have skills PHP for doing great things, but I'm not wanting to coding something like IcyPhoenix, because the core is not very stable at this moment: Every version, I do some correction when I check modifications, but ... There is some MOD using phpBB2 core, and others using phpBB 3 ...

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

Informpro wrote: [View Post]

So, it will not update IcyPhoenix anymore ...

Well... don't tell me that you are using all the features Icy Phoenix has...

Think me or not ... Tell me what are feature that you want remove ... I well find a usage ... Everytime ...
I think there is alot of feature that have to be totally recoded for respect the phpBB3 core ... But remove feature is not a great idea ...

You have messed up things in your quote, please check your post... I will answer later.

I have not said that "THERE ARE NO GOOD CODERS HERE"... I have written a different thing which is "THERE ARE NO GOOD CODERS HERE WHO ARE WILLING TO ACTIVELY HELP" which is a really different thing.

Please read carefully.

(editing during your posting ...)

Ok ... But as I said before, we are in a very instable phase: moving core ! When I Modify some functions, I'm not sure that I will modify all features who are using this functions, and when I modify a 2nd function, if the feature was using a phpBB2 function, I will surely get a error ...
Exemple:
- Feature 1: Download
- Feature 2: Album
I modify a function for ... generate structure hierarchy, in phpBB2.
Download use this function, but Album use the phpBB3 function.
After, I modify a function for ... get the number of clicks. The download work, but the Album have errors because the 2nd function (get number of clicks), is now recoded for work with the generator hierarchy structure of phpBB2, and not with the phpBB 3 ...

I do some modifications everytime on the files, but I can't touch to the core or things like this, because I'm not sure of the Bug who will appear because of phpBB2/3 core ...

Informpro wrote: [View Post]

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

That is the main reason why I didn't do that yet... unfortunately there are no good coders here who are willing to actively help projects development

On what are you basing to say this ? ... I have skills PHP for doing great things, but I'm not wanting to coding something like IcyPhoenix, because the core is not very stable at this moment: Every version, I do some correction when I check modifications, but ... There is some MOD using phpBB2 core, and others using phpBB 3 ...

What do you mean the core is not very stable? Do you have errors or you are experiencing blackouts? If so, please use the forum to post your issues and I will look into them.

Regarding your coding skills I just quote my previous post...

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

I have not said that "THERE ARE NO GOOD CODERS HERE"... I have written a different thing which is "THERE ARE NO GOOD CODERS HERE WHO ARE WILLING TO ACTIVELY HELP" which is a really different thing.

Please read carefully.

This is open source world... if you want to contribute to the project, you are very welcome.

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

Think me or not ... Tell me which feature are you wanting to remove ...
I think there is alot of feature that have to be totally recoded for respect the phpBB3 core ... But remove feature is not a great idea ...

I still don't know which things I will remove, currently I am updating the whole thing, but I think I will drop something during the way, especially old MODS which code I don't like and which doesn't fit well in the package.

I can't tell anything more about that yet, because no decisions have been taken and I have to evaluate things properly before deciding about the new package structure.

What I'm taking care of now is just modularity, performance and SEO.

For "the core is not very stable", I have edited my post, and there is in the quote this sentence: "There is some MOD using phpBB2 core, and others using phpBB 3 ..." It's a big problem (@ edited post ...)


Actually, I'm not working on IcyPhoenix for one reason: I'm working on the translation ...

No problem... we are open source, so you decide the priority of what you would like to do here!

I'm not asking you to be active here, this is an hobby after all.

We can speak further about develpments in another specific topic if you wish.

Thanks for your feedback so far.

Yes, I know that It's an Open Source Community - And that's why I'm here

Yes, this is an hobby, and I know that u have never ask somebody to be active here - Just in case that you can assure support, by exemple. And you just ask, not impose ...

MG wrote: 

We can speak further about develpments in another specific topic if you wish.

It's a good idea ... I think there is alot of things to say (not bad !)

MG wrote: 

Thanks for your feedback so far.

IcyPhoenix is very important for me, I like this CMS (and the community, lol), and when I have opinion, I say my opinion

Thanks for reading

I would like to contribute more to this project, because I think icyphoenix has a great future.
But to be honest, I don't know a lot about php, I am only familiar with html

But, I am currently busy with posting the most important important mods in a support forum on my board, and busy with making a separate page which shows cool mods, themes et cetera for dutch people!

In regards to the changes in future versions: would be cool!
Maybe customizations/ modifications could be made something like the acitivity mod.
If users just have to upload some files in the right folder, and have a minimal of codes to edit (just one file for the activity mod!).
This way people who like a certain customization, for example knowledge base, link mod or other mods who are a bit old, could be activated using the ACP, and with downloading the correct package.

Thanks for doing the hard stuff MG, no IP without you!

A Constant switch :O ?

OwnageWorld wrote: [View Post]

Maybe customizations/ modifications could be made something like the acitivity mod.
If users just have to upload some files in the right folder, and have a minimal of codes to edit (just one file for the activity mod!).

Yes, but that doesn't change things, as I am the one in charge of updating Activity MOD as well...

If you notice there are also other features in Icy Phoenix which are constants or switch driven, so when you disable the constant or the switch no DB or CPU charge will be affected by those mods, only memory required to execute the script will be a bit higher.

I will think about the best way to go and I will let you know what I will decide about extra features which are not so popular and could be moved apart from the main package.

If someone would like to help with those packages it will be highly appreciated.

Mighty Gorgon wrote: [View Post]

If someone would like to help with those packages it will be highly appreciated.

I am always willing to help.. you know my capabilities just need to point me in the direction you want help with...

As my work is on the shelf for now.. as I have enrolled in college.. to learn more i have more free time...

which i am at present... updating and making mods and more themes for icy...

Thanks for the offer, currently I just need debugging.

As soon as I have finished with basic modifications to the core files I will update SVN, so you can help me with some tests.

IP forever!