Joomla / SMF / Community Builder Integration - Seeking Donations

[Gregorius]

I'm currently updating my website, hxxp:www.doofcentral.com [nonactive], to Joomla (biiig job) and really want to use SMF as my forum instead of Simpleboard...

I'm wondering what sort of integration is currently available between SMF & CB?  Would it be advisable to wait a little while until the integration is better (at the level of Simpleboard), or are all the features already available?

Sorry if this has been discussed before, please feel free to point me towards updated integration posts/ resources instead of answering if the question has already been addressed.

Also, what work is being done to integrate these systems more tightly? is it in active development or is this just a pipe dream?

thanks guys
Greg

ps: i love SMF - its my favourite forum system, so really hoping the integration will reach the same level as Simpleboard has.

[Kindred]

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=57415.0

The answer is:

the bridge already works with CB, but no further, close-knit integration is planned at this point.  If you (or someone you know) knows how to code php and wants to... feel free.

[Gregorius]

That's a pity... now i guess i have to decide what is more important - the better (IMO) forum system, or the better integration.

damn decisions.

thanks for the info
greg

[Claudek]

I would recommend some patience. There appears to be a bit of work already being commenced on some sort of bridge/integration and would be a good bet that a solution will be found soon. Also check the Joomla forums as I noticed some commercial components people who are working on integrating CB,SMF,Joomla and subscription services.

[geeffland]

I too was hoping for some integration with CB 1.0 RC2 but in my test installations they do not work together well RC2 and SMF... Seemed to work on a previous test with Joomla 1.0.3 and SMF 1.1...  Really liked how they worked together but don't seem to get too many answers here about if anyone is working on a CB RC2 plugin.  Have even seen some posts which indicate that SMF has no desire for such a plugin.

I have been testing a plugin for CB 1 RC2 that will integrate phpBB.... might be a bad post here on a SMF forum but thought you might be interested.  Current plugin does not automatically start a session but I sent the author a few ideas that he is planning on integrating so that sessions will be automatically started (i.e. 1 login for both the Joomla and forum sessions)  both sets of users are currently synchronized real time just need to put the last piece in so you don't have to login in twice.  I would expect it within the next few weeks at the most.  Check the Joomlapolis forums and you can e-mail the author directly... martijn189 or martijn198... don't remember the number after his name

[Kindred]

once again, you people (who I am beginning to think might be the same person with multiple accounts... how many single post users do we have thatcome in to say this one thing and then leave?)...   you people seem to be under the mistaken impression that anyone in this section is speaking for SMF as a whole...

Just about everyone who has weighed in on this topic is a USER.

most of the USERS have indicated that CB is not a huge deal to them... (and in my personal opinion, I dislike CB)
Apart from an apparently vocal minority who have threatened to not use SMF or (as in your case) suggested theuse of another forum, most of us don't really seem to care.

The point, of course, is that Orstio, as the main developer of the bridge has indicated that he is working on bridges to other systems, supporting the current mambo/joomla bridge and that he has no current plans to increase the integration to CB any further than it already is...   This does not mean that someone else can not do so...

And, if you people are so big on it, why don't you do it?
Or, if you can not, pay someone to do so...  I (as I have noted above) have absolutely no use for CB...  but I have also indicated in previous posts that I would be willing to take a look at coding it, if people want it bad enough to pay for the development.

[Gregorius]

Hi All,

Jeez looks like i opened up a can of worms here... sorry didn't mean to get people so fired up... maybe everybody should take a chill pill or something.

anyway, I do want to use CB on my site, and i like SMF forum the best out of them all... even prefer it to phpBB.  I like how it integrates tightly with Joomla, so was really hoping i could use this forum with CB.  Thanks for the heads up on other developers doing some work to integrate them better... althought i havent had time to look into this further.

Also, thanks for the heads  up on phpBB, but i think i'd rather stick with Joomla board (which already integrates tightly with CB and Joomla) than move to phpBB.. if i make a move, it'll be to SMF or nothing at all.

Please do keep me posted if there are further developments in CB/SMF integration, but for now i think JoomlaBoard is my easiest/ best option.

Cheers
greg

[chadness]

That's all right, Greg.  Thanks for being proactive and constructive.  It's nice to see someone who wants this actually putting in some work to get what they need working.

[Gregorius]

Thanks Chad...

Unfortunatly i dont have a huge amount of time to devote to actually bridging it myself, nor the php skills to do it... i used to code php a while back, but before i got really good i switched to ASP/ ASP.NET.  I used DotNetNuke for my last client website, and must say i completely regret it.. wish i'd just stuck with Mambo.. its so much better... mainly in speed - DNN got some serious speed issues, which is really frustrating.

Anyway, if i can help anybody somehow to improve CB/SMF integration, feel free to contact me.. not sure what i could do, but happy to help wherever i can... its an important feature to me and my site, so i do hope it'll get off the ground properly soon.

[geeffland]

Knidred,

I can assure you that I am a unique poster and not some other person posting under multiple ids.  My problems that I have had with SMF are that when questions are asked about CB integration there is either no answer (refer to one of my previous posts http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=58506.0 That was posted on November 28th... 2 weeks ago... I don't see anyone posting answers there Users or developers.  As you can see I am politely asking what the status is. )

OR we get some inflammed response about how CB sucks and how anyone in their right mind would not use it.  It is this intense negative response about CB that is really pushing me away from SMF.  Show me another component that works with Joomla that allows the same level of customization for the registration process and user profiles and I will peek at it but to date I have found no better component for that.

If you don't want anything to do with CB then just say so and those of us that are waiting on that will get out of your hair.  I have not personally dug enough to see the differences between phpBB and SMF but if one works with CB and the other doesn't then that is the main difference.  At this point I am desiring the features of CB over either forum. 

For whats its worth, If there is someone making a CB plugin for SMF I would be more than happy to review and help with it as well.

Starting to get irritated with the negative responses.  In the case of my earlier post it would have even been nice to get a response that "Its not high on our priorities right now but thanks for asking"... instead of the no response I got

Greg

ps.
If most users don't use CB or dislike CB... How many is most?  Might be an eye-opening poll to post on this forum somewhere highly visible...

[Gregorius]

I have an idea... if its so low on people's priority list to integrate SMF and CB, perhaps those of us that actually want the integration can pool together a bit of cash and pay a developer to do the integration for us?

Any takers?

Any developers out there care to throw a price at us for what this would be worth?

[rlhenson]

I have not been on this site for several weeks just because of this negative attitude towards CB. Hell I don't think there was this much negativism with the Mambo Joomla split. As to donating to a developer to do it, I would but don't think it wold get any real serious development from anyone here as they are so negative. Might check back in a few weeks again to see if the hot heads have cooled down any...

[Aravot]

I for one not interested in CB yet, however if there are interested parties one could setup a fundraiser to raise money find a coder and voila!! SMF plug-in for CB is born.

If I remember correctly Kindred said he might be interested.

[Gregorius]

I like it Aravot...

So how about we start looking for a developer who can do this, and get quote on how much it would cost to do so?  Perhaps even the CB guys would do it, if we're willing to pay for it?

How about a show of hands who is willing to contribute, and how much?

SMF developers, would you be prepared to help out in some way?  After all, i think you guys have more to gain out of such an integration than anybody.

[rlhenson]

I'd be willing to pitch in $20 so long as it was a serious bug free development.

[Orstio]

Just so you are aware, Gregorius, your constructive posts on the matter are appreciated.  

It's nice to see posts from a CB supporter that is willing to do something, instead of whine about how others will not.

[Aravot]

Count me in for $10 USD

Where to look for developer(s)

Joomlancers

Before we go shopping I say lets see if any of SMF developers would be interested since they know their product.

My opinion

• The component MUST be combatible with Orstio's bridge
• Should be cleared by the developer(s) that after completion of the project the component will be release to the community for free.

[Gregorius]

Thanks for the encouragement Orstio... i'm just a guy, who runs a portal website (with absolutely no profit from it), wanting to enhance my users' experience through a better forum system and Community Builder features. I'm sure there's lots out there like me, they just don't speak up as loudly as i do.

Thanks to Aravot and RlHenson for your offers.  So far we have US$30 towards the cause... still a long way to go, but its a good start for less than an hour's appeal. 

And yes, i completely agree with you Aravot... compatible with Orstio's bridge is a good thing, and free to the community good thing too.  Provided it doesnt end up leaving any of us majorly out of pocket.

I reckon a good plan of attack would be to appeal in various places for offers of donations, collate all of these into an approximate final figure, and then go to developers with our requirements, and an offer of what we have potentially arranged through expressions of interest... sound good?  Any other suggestions?

[Aravot]

I am not familiar with CB, I checked it over at http://www.joomlapolis.com it seems it's an extension of Joomla adding's various fields like location, birth, signature and etc which are available in SMF that is why I said I have no interest in CB yet, so if this is going to happen must be coded in such a way that data modified in CB reflect in SMF and visa-versa (don't want to change birthday in two places).

One of us perhaps you Gregorius since you started it can setup an account over at https://www.fundable.org than advertise in various Joomla/SMF message boards, but after finding how much it would cost to code.

[Gregorius]

Yup i'm happy to setup and manage the fundable account, but i think its important to first get an indication of what its going to cost, and with the preliminary show of hands, if we think its possible to reach that target.

Regarding CB, the features it adds are:
1. Increased profile options - birthdate, photo, affiliations, etc etc
2. Registration workflows
3. Connections - buddy lists
4. integration wtih PMS components
5. integration with blogs components

To be completely honest, i'm not 100% sure how many of these features are covered by SMF itself... perhaps somebody could outline exactly what integration Joomlaboard has over SMF with CB??