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What's new in SMF 2.0 Beta 4?

Started by karlbenson, September 07, 2008, 07:07:36 PM

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Nolt

#160
Quote from: Motoko-chan on December 27, 2008, 06:57:01 PM
(anyone notice the new postbox resize feature in the post form?).
It's useful thing. I like it and I use it, also like WYSIWYG editor :)

Quote from: uberjon on December 28, 2008, 01:59:45 AM
features in the core files that enable easier writing of themes
features in the core files that enable easier writing and installing of mods
features in the core files that (wow i sound like a broken record!) let people integrate custom setups into the forums (i.e. through SSI)

Yup, creating a themes for SMF it isn't easy.
Installing mods? Most of them you install in ACP automatically (ok, for some of them you must change files manually but... with it you learning somthing).

I hope that SMF 2 will have build in option like Global Annonuncements (not with additional mod like 1.1)(visual warrning it is and Im happy).

W. Riker

When stable non beta version of smf 2.0 will be created will it be possible to upgrade smf 1.7 on 2.0 or what will be the procedure?

青山 素子

It will be the same procedure you would use to upgrade to the latest 2.0 beta. There will be no package-style update because of the huge changes.
Motoko-chan
Director, Simple Machines

Note: Unless otherwise stated, my posts are not representative of any official position or opinion of Simple Machines.


ianus

  Greetings!

Two things I like to mention.

First is about stable software and update frequency.
I don't think the idea is correct, that "new" software is better and quick releases of new versions is crucial to become more important (keep users interest and aquire new users) - at least not in the long term.
While choosing "the right" software, I am interested in things like, it is stable, quick, secure and server-friendly.
To run a webside is time consuming and I don't want to spend time in reading error-logs or "how to avoid this bug"-threads or run updates.

With this in mind and a well working SMF 1 up and running, it's easy to wait for a new version.
It's not a waste of time to wait for something new while using something old successfully.
But it will be a waste of time, if SMF 2 is released (in a hurry) and users run into errors, supporter have to pacify and coders have to write hotfixes.
Stable software which is released when it's ready is the key to attract interest and not to update more often than others.
So, take your time.


The second part are the features and benefits.
(At this point, I don't want a discussion about mods which should become part of the core. I will mention some mods as examples to make clear what I am talking about.)

Existing features:
The SMF offers some features which aren't self explaining and so users won't notice or use them. Others are everything but simple – and we all want SMF as simple (=easy to use) as possible.

Examples:
The new sizeable wysiwyg postbox – way to complicated
You need two buttons for a feature which requires not a single one.
Why not display the wysiwyg text in the preview field while typing?
This way you get rid of both buttons. The user who knows (and type) bb-code get an proper preview without switching modes and the newbie gain some experience.
And there are some problems with c&p of already formated text.
The resize idea is nice, but I can't change the wide of the box. So I never see the final product because my text-field is smaller than the final post.
So, why not use a preview-field which displays the hole post, with formatted text, username, title, icon, etc. and  a text-field with the same wide as the text-part of the thread?
No need for buttons, no need to switch view, no c&p problems and a real wysiwyg - simple (post) machine.

The "Highlight word(s) in a message and move them with the mouse into the postbox.
Nice feature, but nobody will notice this option. Why not build in a button [Quote selected] next to [Quote-button]? (And the text should be inserted with [.quote] tags of course).

The new [Remove formatting] button.
First time I saw it, I thought it adds [.nobbc] and lost all my code-tags. I don't understand why I start to write plain text, add bb-code and finally have an option to turn it into plain text again.
On the other hand I have to build in the button for [.iurl] or [.nobbc] by hand.

Not existing features:
Than there are some functions which must be in the core, simply to avoid problems with lawyers (Custom Copyright, The Rules, Advanced Contact Form) or to make things easier for new users (Permissions Info) or a marker which informs the user about an external link (no mod yet but heavily missing).

After this little things, there are some which should be added "only" to be up to date.
A  turn on/of  option:
- for some advertising (Ad Management mod),
- for easy contact with the rest of the www (AddThis Social Bookmarking, Social Bookmarks v2)
- for the f** world dominating search engine (Pretty URLs, Google Verification META Tag)

Finally. There must (could) be some features, others don't offer, to make SMF special.
Threads like Re: uBBC help needed and Re: [SEARCH] tag
are good sources, because things seems to be done already or show the direction to a unique feature for a message board:
Quote from: Eliana Tamerin on December 11, 2008, 08:00:19 AM
camelCasing and [bracket] support would be nice as well. Especially the ability to create pages by linking to a yet-uncreated page within an article then navigating to that location and creating it.
Also I can imagine rowspan & colspan inside a [.table] tag, integrated color and fontsize switch, ...

Why not use the linked mods instead?
Because I don't know how long a mod or theme is supported and if they will be compatible with a SMF 3, 4, ... and I plan to use this beautiful software for a long time.  SMF is a really outstanding product at the moment, but could become better with only a few tweaks.
 
Kind regards     

mgk


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poolhall

Quote from: ianus on December 29, 2008, 05:04:41 AM
The "Highlight word(s) in a message and move them with the mouse into the postbox.
Nice feature, but nobody will notice this option.
Where is it? :)


gtron

This thread is very long so I'm not sure if this has been asked but is there a projected release date for a final stable release? 

I'm really looking forward to this upgrade but my community wouldn't be too happy if I installed a beta for them to use.

shadow82x

Quote from: gtron on January 01, 2009, 01:10:52 PM
This thread is very long so I'm not sure if this has been asked but is there a projected release date for a final stable release? 

I'm really looking forward to this upgrade but my community wouldn't be too happy if I installed a beta for them to use.
When its ready. :P
Colin B
Former Spammer, Customize, & Support Team Member

Nao 尚

Quote from: gtron on January 01, 2009, 01:10:52 PM
I'm really looking forward to this upgrade but my community wouldn't be too happy if I installed a beta for them to use.
As I always say -- when it behaves better than the official non-beta stuff, it's no longer "beta" software to me. It's just a matter of terminology at this point.
The only case against updating is that if you have lots of mods installed, it'll be complicated for you to update everything in order.
I will not make any deals with you. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered.

Aeva Media rocks your life.

Antechinus

So are you saying that in your opinion 2b4 behaves better than 1.1.7 on the whole?

JOSHSKORN

Quote from: gtron on January 01, 2009, 01:10:52 PM
This thread is very long so I'm not sure if this has been asked but is there a projected release date for a final stable release? 

I'm really looking forward to this upgrade but my community wouldn't be too happy if I installed a beta for them to use.
Quote from: ShaDow82x on January 01, 2009, 01:16:29 PM
Quote from: gtron on January 01, 2009, 01:10:52 PM
This thread is very long so I'm not sure if this has been asked but is there a projected release date for a final stable release? 

I'm really looking forward to this upgrade but my community wouldn't be too happy if I installed a beta for them to use.
When its ready. :P
I'm wondering when it'll be done, too...and I heard this exact same answer 7 months ago.  Rather than repeating the same answer, is there any sort of guess when a final version will be ready?  If not, then explain what in general needs to be done until a final version is released?  Like, is there another BETA to release, how many release candidates?  Based on previous trends when SMF 1.0 was released, can you just take a guess when we'll see SMF 2.0?  Do you anticipate it being done in 2009?  Which quarter?  Can you say SMF 2.0 will not be done until at least some date past (for example) April 09 (or some other month)?

I just think some of us (like me) want a better idea as to when it'll be finished, or at least a better idea how much longer we'll have to wait until a final version...depending on how you look at it.

青山 素子

When you are a project where your developers contribute in their spare time. This affects the actual work output since the time they can contribute is affected by things like their full-time job, family issues, and other outside incidents.

I'll try to sumarize some of the things said in this very long topic.

Things got delayed a bit because of the security updates we made for 1.1.7 and an additional security audit for some areas in 2.0.

We do anticipate a first RC as the next release, but depending on the status of certain dependant items, we may issue a beta soon. It depends on how quickly a few things are completed.

I know one huge item we are working on is making our templates semantic. We've recently added one additional member to work on that effort and things are moving smoothly in that area.

I personally anticipate a release in the first quarter, but as I said above, it depends a lot on the free time our developers can make.
Motoko-chan
Director, Simple Machines

Note: Unless otherwise stated, my posts are not representative of any official position or opinion of Simple Machines.


Fustrate

Reason #517 why I couldn't be a team member: you're amazingly patient with people asking the same question every single day.
Steven Hoffman
Former Team Member, 2009-2012

Nao 尚

I don't have the time to reed all of the crap in this topic so: when are you releezing the final version?

@antechinus> yes, but your mileage may vary.
I will not make any deals with you. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered.

Aeva Media rocks your life.

searchgr

Forgive me but i don't see any 'crap' in this topic! Do you mean the different opinions? It's obvious that Simple Machines failed to reach their time target in regards to smf2, any critisim must be acceptable.

metallica48423

#177
Failure is not, in and of itself, the act of falling behind or being knocked down, or even not meeting a goal.

Failure is the denial, or refusal to admit something is wrong and learn from the past, and allow those situations to continue to occur.  None of us are denying that things need improvement.  Such things are in the works.  People are now rising to the plate to ensure things continue in the future.  It'll take time for the fruits of that labor to come to fruition, however, as with the planting of all seeds.  You can't put a seed in the ground and expect a tree by morning.  Jack and the beanstalk, after all, is a fairy-tale ;)

Take it for what its worth, but I'd/we'd rather fix the overarching problem than throw a patch in and pray that it holds, only to end up with the same result.
Justin O'Leary
Ex-Project Manager
Ex-Lead Support Specialist

QuoteMicrosoft wants us to "Imagine life without walls"...
I say, "If there are no walls, who needs Windows?"


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JOSHSKORN

Quote from: Motoko-chan on January 01, 2009, 11:39:28 PM
I personally anticipate a release in the first quarter, but as I said above, it depends a lot on the free time our developers can make.
That's a good enough answer for me, for now.  First quarter means Jan through March.  So, I'll just check back in April and see if there are any updates to SMF 2.0.  Maybe (if necessary), I'll ask the same question again at that time unless someone else beats me to it.  Thanks! :)

Nao 尚

Quote from: searchgr on January 02, 2009, 04:49:00 AM
Forgive me but i don't see any 'crap' in this topic! Do you mean the different opinions? It's obvious that Simple Machines failed to reach their time target in regards to smf2, any critisim must be acceptable.
I dun't have time to reed your answear. When is the noo version releezed?

Oh my, it was just a joke, wasn't it obvious? Me being a beta tester and everything...
I will not make any deals with you. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered.

Aeva Media rocks your life.

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