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 Posted 10/25/2006 10:05 PM |
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Forum Administrator
Group: Forum Members
Active: 6/18/2018
Posts: 1,755 |
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Everyone, Well, we all know that this forum software is...well, adequate, but it lacks some niceties that I've just recently discovered exist in friggin' free forum software, so I'm once again tempted to switch over to this new software, which'll mean it's the third forum software we've run.  First off, try as I might to switch over, LD5 runs on a Windows/IIS web server, and remains as such because (a) I can professionally support it since I know the shit in and out, and (b) because the admin tools on Linux are still not as easy as what's available in Windows to do what should be simple tasks, so running a whole LAMP-type environment would be a pain in my ass I don't wanna blow time on. So this means I need a .NET forum solution. To give some history, we started with "Yet Another Forum" forum software, which was free, but was supported by basically a single programmer who was rather lazy and a bit uncaring about fixing problems and updating the thing. Because of YAF's suckiness, I actually spend money (a little over $100) for this current forum software, InstantForum.NET v3.4. There's a 4.something version out there now, but they want another bunch of money just to upgrade it, and the few bugs (and glaring lack of support for Firefox) make me not wanna piss more money away on this stuff. Why? Because back when I was looking at YAF, I found that the website www.asp.net had a freebie forum software, but it wasn't very mature. Well, guess what? It is now and it's better than the crap we're running right here -- even giving you a nice WYSIWYG editor like this forum software only has in IE. However, despite both systems having a SQL Server backend, I'm wondering if anyone's bothered to develop a data migration tool to go from InstantForum.NET to the ASP.NET Forum software. If so, I'm definitely doing it, but if not -- I'm wondering how everyone here would take to signing up to (pardon the pun) Yet Another Forum. At the very least, I'm going to set the new stuff up here on the weekend and give people a chance to see what they're moving over to, and I'll also investigate a data migration tool -- heck, I'll even develop my own if it seems feasible. I just wanted to put this out there and see what everyone thought. At the very least, I could leave this old forum software running in a kind of "read-only" mode for a while or even forever to keep the history of what's built up here. Would that be good enough for everyone? -------------------------------
Dinosorceror, Administrator
Lava Dome Five Enterprises |
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| Posted 10/25/2006 11:15 PM |
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Forum Moderator
Group: Forum Members
Active: 4/16/2008
Posts: 737 |
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Well, this forum software DOES have its flaws, like lacking mozilla compatibility, stupid defaults on posts per page and such that cannot be changed, buggy search function...
If the accounts and, even moreso, the posts can be ported over i say fine, lets try what the weesaur dug up in someone's slipper this time.
EDIT: As long as it keeps the edit function, since i ALWAYS have to correct a typo or missing word! (or update a link)
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Blue anthroraptor, Iconeer
Resident anthrosaur
(Linking the Faibanx muck map here hoping that helps google find it properly: http://download.lavadomefive.com/members/blue/map/main.html ) |
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| Posted 10/26/2006 2:16 AM |
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Active: 3/2/2007
Posts: 56 |
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It shouldn't be hard for me to do a Data Migration Tool using PHP 4 (or 5 if possible), provided that you know what each table and field in those tables do, in each database. And provided that you don't mind using a MySQL database for your data :]
See, what I have in mind is something as follows...
If you know EXACTLY what each field contains in both databases, then the only thing you have to do is a script that reads every field in the "Old Forum" database, and writes it in the "New Forum" database, that's EASY to do with PHP 4+, and I funnily happen to know the language quite well.
But you must know what each field contains, and if the data is encrypted, you must know where is the script that deencrypts it (or what one should do to deencrypt it), and then write it in plain text or in encrypted text on the new database using the "New Forums" encryption. Actually, that's the heaviest part of the job, but considering you bought the first software, it should contain enough documentation to be able to migrate data from it without problem; else you can shoot them in the head.
What do you think specky?
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PICO, WEA, TETA. |
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| Posted 10/26/2006 4:59 AM |
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Active: 12/11/2009
Posts: 650 |
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It is now and it's better than the crap we're running right here -- even giving you a nice WYSIWYG editor like this forum software only has in IE.
W...whuh... wiss... Wizzywig? Isn't that a Jap-pop culture store?
I kid, I kid. I'll miss my status of #2 Top Poster of All TimeTM but I suppose it's worth shifting from 84/522 to "single-digit status." And no longer having to make my own tags when I want fancy font will be nice, too.
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Dedicated to all those who stepped on this sacred ground (and its inhabitants), determined Da Dome "wasn't for them" and left without a word. |
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| Posted 10/26/2006 5:34 AM |
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Active: 12/10/2007
Posts: 308 |
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| Wasnt the first forum read only before? Im curious in how the new forum may look |
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| Posted 10/28/2006 8:47 PM |
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Active: 12/11/2009
Posts: 650 |
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HEY... where did all these RSS buttons come from?! They weren't there half an hour ago!
*clicky*
Och... the tags... so much tags... the unformatted text burns my eyes!
Forgive me. I have yet to understand what RSS means or what makes it useful.
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Dedicated to all those who stepped on this sacred ground (and its inhabitants), determined Da Dome "wasn't for them" and left without a word. |
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| Posted 10/30/2006 10:40 AM |
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Forum Administrator
Group: Forum Members
Active: 6/18/2018
Posts: 1,755 |
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Pentalis, Appreciate the offer to create a data migration tool, and no offense, but this is all Windows world stuff we're dealing with here. Sure, you can run PHP and MySQL on Windows if you really try, but I'm living in a Windows .NET and SQL Server world. But all of what you just said holds true...all I gotta do is look at the database structure, but one thing that might hold it up is I have a feeling the chode who wrote the current crap encrypted some shit. Anyway, there are a few snags and twists with the new software...turns out, it's only sorta free. I think the version I have was the last freebie version of it, and now it's a pay product. I'm still doing some investigation. -------------------------------
Dinosorceror, Administrator
Lava Dome Five Enterprises |
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| Posted 10/30/2006 6:54 PM |
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Active: 3/2/2007
Posts: 56 |
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Ok Dino
In any case, if you really plan to write a migration script yourself, and would use suggestions on what to make it like, I can still send them written in pseudo-code, provided you give a clear enough explanation of the database's structure (or send me an spreadsheet representing the origin and target databases).
Or, if that help would be more unhelpful than anything, then you you can still have my sincerest "good luck" 
Have fun.
S. Pentalis.
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PICO, WEA, TETA. |
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Active: 8/26/2007
Posts: 215 |
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Anything I can do to help, too, Dino. You got my helping arms available. I don't know squat about programming, but I do know a little bit about the postal service and how to buy money orders. So if the new software is a bit pricy and you find yourself coming up a little short...?
Think of it as a dragon's appreciation for everything you do for us.
______________
The crushingly final experience
Subterranean Nightmare
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