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Simple Machines is expanding

Started by Norv, February 24, 2012, 02:43:14 PM

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Norv

Hello all,

Simple Machines is pleased to announce that smCore project has joined Simple Machines, and will be the core on which SMF 3.0 will be built.

The smCore project will be working to develop a platform for development of future versions of SMF and other large modules such as a blog, portal or CMS, gallery, and other large and desirable parts of a community-based website. Currently, many of these things are hacked onto the forum and live as second-class citizens on your website. But SMF developers had always envisioned a set of website "simple machines" to do most of the hard work of the forum and all the other essential pieces of your community-based website.

What is smCore?
smCore will be a "core" of reusable code that will provide the basis for the development of future versions of SMF. It will be like a library of functions and classes. Other developers will use it to write future versions of SMF, or any other compatible module they can dream up to integrate with future versions of SMF. When you install those future versions, smCore code will be part of it. It will make customizing and maintaining your forum easier.

What smCore is not
smCore will not do anything all on its own. Forum administrators will not download it directly. It will not be any of the Simple Machines products you love using -- it will make the Simple Machines products you love work better.

The History of the smCore Idea
The smCore project is based on some ideas that have been kicking around since at least 2005. SMF Developers always wanted to redesign SMF in the future, to be written as a forum module plugged in a reusable core. More recently, a number of former SMF developers, SMF friends, and other contributors put some serious work into a "core" project. Some of you may remember the extraordinary rush of new ideas, and the brainstorming that went into envisioning a usable and reusable core for multiple web applications (including a forum). This initiative happened at the same time that Simple Machines was restructuring itself, and at the same time that the SMF team was bringing out the final version of SMF 2.0. The discussion was invigorating -- a wonderful experience and valuable source of ideas and analysis, choices and trade-offs.
The smCore project is embedding many of these same ideas and will become a platform that will support the future SMF. The smCore project will work closely with the SMF project to ensure that the core code can support the needs of the best-in-class forum software. At the same time, the smCore project will seek to encourage and work with other developers on other highly-desirable website modules. The SMF developer team has already embraced smCore as the basis for the future of SMF, and is committed to working with the smCore team to see it through.

Features we aim to provide in smCore
* Built-in extensibility and a plug-in system, to make it possible to add code to the software without editing the core files. This capability will exceed what was accomplished in SMF 2.0, with the introduction of hooks and a little API.
* Better theming system. It will be easier and build, maintain, tweak, and customize great themes.
* Ability to integrate with other essential website components -- blog CMS, gallery, etc, without writing an external integration. Modules written using the smCore platform can be instantly compatible with each other. You won't need to install any modules you don't need, but you will be able to add them on just by checking a box and clicking "install". This is a feature the community has been asking for for a long time.

To learn more about the future of SMF, please see the Development blog: The Future Of SMF.
To learn more about the smCore project, please visit the smCore website at http://smcore.org
To learn more about Simple Machines, please visit the Simple Machines website at http://simplemachines.org
To-do lists are for deferral. The more things you write down the later they're done... until you have 100s of lists of things you don't do.

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Also known as Norv on D* | Norv N. on G+ | Norv on Github

Owdy

Former Lead Support Specialist

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Looking

I like the idea of integrating the blog, gallery and so forth as part of the installation but it will mean you will have to watch out for vulnerabilities and bugs even more than before.

IchBin™

Simply awesome! Can't wait for this to all come into place!
IchBin™        TinyPortal

geek_andy


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Nitesh Kunnath

Its just awesome ...... I hope it releases soon ;)
Much eager now :)

ascaland


Dzonny


frankd

Awesome....looking forward to use it!

Happy coding! ;-)

Jakob Fel

3.0 already?? :o Lol, looking forward to seeing the products of this.
Freelance writer and advocate for security, privacy & DRM-free distribution
Support and Community Management at SMFNew Free Forum Hosting

Pause

#12
Congratulations!  :D
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Fustrate

Quote from: Jaekob Caed on February 24, 2012, 05:17:26 PM
3.0 already?? :o Lol, looking forward to seeing the products of this.

You'll have more than enough time to get comfortable with 2.1 before we pull the rug out from under you with 3.0 :P
Steven Hoffman
Former Team Member, 2009-2012

Jakob Fel

Lol, I figured that, I was just joking around. ;)
Freelance writer and advocate for security, privacy & DRM-free distribution
Support and Community Management at SMFNew Free Forum Hosting

Night09

QuoteWhat is smCore?
smCore will be a "core" of reusable code that will provide the basis for the development of future versions of SMF. It will be like a library of functions and classes. Other developers will use it to write future versions of SMF, or any other compatible module they can dream up to integrate with future versions of SMF. When you install those future versions, smCore code will be part of it. It will make customizing and maintaining your forum easier.

What smCore is not
smCore will not do anything all on its own. Forum administrators will not download it directly. It will not be any of the Simple Machines products you love using -- it will make the Simple Machines products you love work better.

Am I missing something here ?  If theres no core to install what do the modules hook onto? We will initially need the core to use wont we? It sounds good mind but this is confusing a bit!

Thantos

Quote from: nightbre on February 24, 2012, 06:18:16 PM
QuoteWhat is smCore?
smCore will be a "core" of reusable code that will provide the basis for the development of future versions of SMF. It will be like a library of functions and classes. Other developers will use it to write future versions of SMF, or any other compatible module they can dream up to integrate with future versions of SMF. When you install those future versions, smCore code will be part of it. It will make customizing and maintaining your forum easier.

What smCore is not
smCore will not do anything all on its own. Forum administrators will not download it directly. It will not be any of the Simple Machines products you love using -- it will make the Simple Machines products you love work better.

Am I missing something here ?  If theres no core to install what do the modules hook onto? We will initially need the core to use wont we? It sounds good mind but this is confusing a bit!

The plan is for core to be included with the forum.  So it wouldn't be a separate download.

Night09

Ah right i see.  I got the impression that the smf forum was going to be an addon too for the core like the rest of the possible modules going to be created. :)

Adish - (F.L.A.M.E.R)


Fustrate

#19
Quote from: nightbre on February 24, 2012, 06:22:05 PM
Ah right i see.  I got the impression that the smf forum was going to be an addon too for the core like the rest of the possible modules going to be created. :)
I don't want to re-confuse you, but that's technically correct. It's just that >99% of the users will just download a package that's "SMF 3.0 + smCore" without even having to think about it. You'll just see it as installing SMF, which just happens to include smCore. Kind of like your car includes an engine, but you don't have to buy both separately :)
Steven Hoffman
Former Team Member, 2009-2012

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