RPGDX > Forums > General Discussion > About merging phpBB and RPGDX database

Bjorn

Well, they are already using the same database but I'm talking about merging the user tables. Wouldn't it be nice if an account created on RPGDX would instantly be a forum account, and the other way round?

I've been looking into the possibility this evening. phpBB encrypts passwords and has a rather complicated (but secure, I think) way of handling sessions. When merging the user tables, I think it would be better to merge session handling too because then you can browse both sites while being logged in (now that is only possible when using auto-login on both sites).

One disadvantage of doing this though is that we will be very dependant on phpBB and it will be hard to move to another forum. But then again, I don't see why we would want to do that. We'll have to watch out when upgrading phpBB though.

What about this? Are there other advantages/disadvantages I have missed? I would like to hear other peoples opinions before trying to do this.

golrien · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2002 8:52 pm Post subject:

Just be sure to BACK UP THE DB FIRST :)

Mind you, you know how much good that did Frozen whenever the GDR blew up. Each time, *something* would eat the backups too, heh...

grenideer · Wandering Minstrel Joined: 28 May 2002 Posts: 149

I originally suggested something like this when this forum first came out. There's no reason to log in to both sites.

BTW, I'm the one who was having the auto-log-in problem, and I still am. But I put up my own phpBB board and I auto-log-in fine. Maybe you guys changed the cookie settings from the default when you set up the board?
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Diver Down

Bjorn · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2002 9:37 pm Post subject:

Ok, the backup thing can be done easily with phpBB, though I don't know what effect the backup button really has. I've never been to GDR so I don't know about what happened there. I'll be very carefull and only be adding users from RPGDX that haven't registered to the boards yet, and I'll have to update the RPGDX tables to point to the new user id's.

Good thing you reminded me of the auto-login problems. I'll pay attention to the difference between RPGDX and phpBB cookie handling. We didn't change any of the phpBB PHP code (only templates) and the cookie settings look like they should be ok. phpBB is pretty secure, making me think the simple cookie system I've programmed for RPGDX can be easily hacked or something, though I don't see how without hacking the cookie itself (is that possible?).

Edit: As these forums are in a subdirectory, would it be neccesary to set the cookie path? It works for me without, but do you think that might be the problem Grenadier?

DarkDread · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2002 10:47 pm Post subject:

As everyone else said... so long as you can back things up, then sure, why not? I'd make things easier.
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"Goth is a way for ugly people to be interesting."

coldacid · Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2002 10:30 pm Post subject:

THIS IS WHY WE NEED A WEBSITE FRAMEWORK LIKE ZOPE OR SLASH!!!

Please excuse the yelling, but it's things like that that really pisses me off about webboard software. It provides it's own damn authentication system and to hell with anything else. Of course this leads to a new user list for each component of your site, and people like me bitching and moaning and threatening to go away forever.

Perhaps someone should write a user authentication suite that is built upon by other web apps. Hell, should be written in Perl, Python, and PHP so that regardless of the common CGI scripting languages, it can be used across a site.

Looks like I have yet another project now. Me and my big damn mouth... Any takers? No? $&%#...
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Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk

DarkDread · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 4:47 am Post subject:

I've never liked Slashdot's login system.
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"Goth is a way for ugly people to be interesting."

coldacid · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 8:18 am Post subject:

Yeah, but at least there was only one. :P
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Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk

DarkDread · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 4:54 pm Post subject:

Yeah... but big deal... so you have to log in twice sometimes... it's not like any of us would've done something life affirming with those 2 or 3 extra seconds anyway.
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"Goth is a way for ugly people to be interesting."

Mandrake · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 5:11 pm Post subject:

first let me say one thing:
I'm all for merging the database tables...

with that said, i haven't really seen where it's been a problem so far. not enough to chase people away from the site, i mean threatning to leave because you have to log in twice? Well, yeah, whatever. I mean, really it's uber-cool that this site has gotten as big as it has (and damn...I've never seen DarkDread or Xmark post this much before this board...heh).

the main reason why integration makes sense to me has nothing to do with the users and the concept of the site as a whole....i mena this site would be more whole if the two were integrated. to me, it just seems like a good idea from the wholeness perspective. then again, i'm an asshole....and making people log in twice never really seemed like a life threatning disease or anything like that.

coldacid · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 5:16 pm Post subject:

Well, two logins isn't reason to leave, but when there's ten different logins for one site, it's annoying as hell.
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Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk

Mandrake · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 5:22 pm Post subject:

ten diffrent? ok yeah...i could see that. that would be uber-annoying....heh, you've given me an idea :) heh, if i ever felt like being a dick, i'd change some RPGDX code so that anytime you did anything (from posting a message to updating a game) you had to re-login in you where done...heh....

i've been in such a weird mood lately....

coldacid · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 5:28 pm Post subject:

Mandrake, stop it. You're scaring the children. :D
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Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk

Mandrake · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 5:36 pm Post subject:

woah...is blaksoft.com down?

coldacid · Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2002 5:52 pm Post subject:

No... The forums are up, the rest has been dead for ages. Why do you ask?
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Chris 'coldacid' Charabaruk