What happens now is that one gets an error page for newer topic ids that have been merged to an older one. Instead, it would be much more useful if one was redirected to the topic id where the posts were merged.
Wordpress does something similar when one edits the URL via its redirect API.
In the olden times, a new topic id was created to merge two existing ones. This has been improved. What I suggest is I think a further improvement.
Just my 2 cents.
2.1 actually lays a decent amount of groundwork for this, by making moved topics handle as redirects, and we can certainly create a new post into that topic as a merged notice (a topic *must* have a message at present), but otherwise have it as a redirect.
So you mean that in 2.1 redirects work by default so that one does not see an error for topic ids that have been merged into?
No, I mean *precisely what I said*: in 2.1, moved topics handle as redirects. Merged topics appear to be unchanged vs 2.0 (there are a surprising number of changes under the hood that I haven't fully grokked yet)
I *think* I stared doing it in 2.1, then I had some problems implementing it and so I stopped...
In 2.1 there is the option that when you move a topic, the moved notice could be a redirect, I started considering using it, the problem I think was that the merge topic function does also the cleanup (i.e. it deletes the "old" topic), so in order to implement that feature there is either to avoid the topic is removed, or create again the topic with the same id.
And both options are not so nice in different ways... at least that's what I seem to remember.
But I think I stopped at a duplicate error while creating the new topic... don't remember the details...
Sorry, Arantor, I get it now. I always believed that moved topic notices were actually a wrong way to go about it (I have changed the default so that no notice is left) since the actual URL does not change, only the board (unless, of course, one uses some sort of SEF system affecting board URLs).
As far as emanuele's effort, I think this idea might be worth a second take. Just imagine the improvement in terms of people always getting to a topic, rather than some sort of error page (speaking of merged topics).
Lainaaso in order to implement that feature there is either to avoid the topic is removed, or create again the topic with the same id.
Well, you just don't delete the topic so it's an empty topic container, insert the new message and then fix up all the values for it.
The side effect of the redirection business that I'm worried about is 'what happens if you redirect to a board that now can't be seen?' For example if we move a topic here into the 'devs private discussion' board (e.g. security), the moved notice will now be a redirect to a topic that no-one can see.
But that's also true with the current "MOVED" "topic". This topic is created, disregarding if, in the destination, it can be accessed or not...
I think you can't guarantee that... If you redirect, there is always the possibility that some user (guests?) end up with a "not allowed" error...
Ah, but there's a difference.
In 2.0, the moved notice is naive but can be edited if it's a problem. It isn't an instant redirect.
In 2.1, you probably won't see the moved notice, because it'll just redirect you.
But:
1) you don't need to create a moved notice at all,
2) you don't have to make the notice a redirect.
[OT]
Not to appear snarky I'm not going to comment saying that deltree exists and takes care of FTP too (if needed). O:)
Lainaus käyttäjältä: Arantor Beeblebrox the First - marraskuu 26, 2013, 11:44:06 AP
In 2.1, you probably won't see the moved notice, because it'll just redirect you.
I need to spend more time with 2.1 :P
But it can happen that it redirects you to a place some members can't access, if the topic is moved somewhere closed to access, right?
I'm just saying that the concern about the "availability" of the redirected topic is probably impossible to eliminate...
2.1 is more scary and complex than I realised. There's still all kinds of neat nooks and crannies that I haven't fully investigated yet... you guys did an awesome job when you worked on it.