Types of boards

Started by Arantor, April 09, 2022, 09:31:34 AM

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Arantor

Right now there are loosely three types of board in the system: standard, redirect, recycle.

What we should do is really restructure these so board types are a strict concept rather than an afterthought; there are certain actions that should never be happening that are currently possible - you can use quick moderation to move topics into a redirect board, for example, as well as in and out of the recycle board (which for reasons you really shouldn't)

I think this should be expanded to allow for board types to be defined, such that a board can indicate whether it can receive topics, how its content/stats should be displayed on the board index, and so on.

For example I'd have loved to have had this for SimpleDesk back in the day to create a 'helpdesk board'. I sort of implemented my own instead.

I'd also want to support a proper 'pseudo-category' style of board whose only existence is to be a container of other boards. Yes, you can sort of get there with a board that has no permissions but you still get the presentation of it being a regular board - I'd cut that. The only thing I'd show would be the list of sub-boards, none of the fluff.

To support this I'd revisit the admin area for boards such that instead of 'create board' then pick a type, I'd have it be a popup asking what kind of board I wanted to make - and I wouldn't let people change it after. I'd even use this for letting people add a recycle board (and autoconfiguring it to be the recycle board once added so you can't just randomly create multiple recycle boards), with 'do you want to enable recycling for newly deleted messages' be one of the config items for that board. (I've outlined before that I'd totally rethink deleted messages but that was apparently too wild. This is a refinement of what we currently have, not a rethink of entire concepts.)

Senkusha

I like this idea.  To piggy-back on it, I would also like options built in for sorting the topics, say alphabetically, or by number of replies.  Also while visiting a boards "redefinition" why not directly add support for unique board icons?
--Senkusha
The Anime Brigade
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(SMF v. 2.1.4, PHP v. 8.0)

Arantor

Quote from: Senkusha on June 07, 2022, 07:55:00 PMTo piggy-back on it, I would also like options built in for sorting the topics, say alphabetically, or by number of replies

Separate feature, not related to what I'm actually talking about here, since it only by definition affects one *type* of board. You wouldn't apply the same concept to a 'category' board, or other kinds of boards, in the same vein as XenForo's other board types.

Quote from: Senkusha on June 07, 2022, 07:55:00 PMAlso while visiting a boards "redefinition" why not directly add support for unique board icons?

Also a separate feature, though there is some overlap. Not every board type would have an icon, and not every board type has the same icon requirements, e.g. category boards typically need no icons, redirect boards need 1 icon, page boards need 1 icon, forum boards need at least 2 if not 3.

Steve

Quote from: Senkusha on June 07, 2022, 07:55:00 PMI would also like options built in for sorting the topics, say alphabetically, or by number of replies.
There is this mod: https://custom.simplemachines.org/index.php?mod=1677

But I have no idea if it will work on a 2.1.x version ...
DO NOT pm me for support!

vbgamer45

Would be great. I had to do some code changes to make it happen in my Classifieds system.
https://www.smfhacks.com/demos/classifieds-board-test/  customized the board view and post display areas of that board.
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Oldiesmann

Quote from: Steve on June 08, 2022, 11:07:55 AM
Quote from: Senkusha on June 07, 2022, 07:55:00 PMI would also like options built in for sorting the topics, say alphabetically, or by number of replies.
There is this mod: https://custom.simplemachines.org/index.php?mod=1677

But I have no idea if it will work on a 2.1.x version ...

If it were compatible with 2.0 final or later it might, but given that it's only compatible with 2.0 RC1 I'd be surprised.
Michael Eshom
Christian Metal Fans

Sir Osis of Liver

Quote from: Arantor on April 09, 2022, 09:31:34 AMI'd also want to support a proper 'pseudo-category' style of board whose only existence is to be a container of other boards.

One of my client forums is doing something very similar.  If you go here and look in FREE E-BOOKS category, parent boards are empty, they are containers for multiple child boards.

Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend,
 we were all equal in the end.

                                     - R. Waters

Arantor

Sure, but there are still edge cases - you could accidentally move topics into that board; the whole point of a "category style board" is to fix things like that.

live627

A category style board seems like a cool idea. My site has two boards that are effectively categories.

Arantor

XF does this, category/board/redirect board are all nodes that you can place anywhere.

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