For the standardization of the MODs / HACKs ...

[Bastox]

Hello every one.

Sorry if I post this topic at the wrong place. I could post it in General discussion (no support!)
Not a problem. Admins or moderators will move it if they judge it util.

I would like open a discution about the standardization of the MODs and HACKs, and why not open a database of MOD and Hack. Where each Hack is validated by the team after the installation file meet the standard and the HACK has been checked on the last version.

I wanted to "install" a couple of MODs recently, and I was a bit lost sometimes in the topic. In some of them, I could fine pieces of code a bit everywhere or Update in the middle of the pages. I don't want to be rude, and I respect the work of the devellopper. But a bit of order will help coppermine. I sure of it.

Unfortunatly, the only on exemple I can give you is phpbb. Where you can download all the MOD on a txt file.
On the first post, you find the name of the Mod,
The description,
The autor,
The version,
A link for DL the MOD. in the zip, you find as well the change log for updated.
Some screenshots (sometimes)
A demo (sometimes).

Maybe a standardization of the term will be good as well.
In MODs topics we can find differents terms for same action...
below add
just before

and change it to
replacewith

above add
Just after


I reckon more the installation is clear and easy, less the devellopper have to take time in support.

Cheers mates

[SaWey]

I think you may have a point there.
I'm also for a more standardized  way of offering the mods.

I love the way phpBB has that modX format, with the template for easy readability of the mods installation notes.
Maybe we should also have some standards for this, as well as for posting new mods (showing all related things like description, version, demo, ....)

[Bastox]

I had a quick look on the new MODx format. I'm more familiar with phpbb2. Even this one is very clear. The txt file are all the same. And you can keep it as a archive.
I do keep every mod of PHPbb on my server as a backup and as a historic log. If I want do that with coppermine, I must copy and paste the topic.
Not really serious.

Anyway thank for you reply. I thought to be alone... 

Cheers

[Joachim Müller]

The main reason why we don't have a standardized mod section: someone needs to do the work. We simply don't have the manpower. PhpBB has got a number of mod team members who maintain the mods. We don't have a huge number of dedicated, skilled users around who could possibly become mod team members. If someone is ready and willing to accomplish this (means an awful lot of work and continued effort to maintain), you're welcome to come up with detailed suggestions.

[Bastox]

I did raise the point so I ready to help. But I can not manage it for a couple of reason.

I don't know the coppermine code well enought,
I'm travelling and I not sure to get a connexion everytime,

For sure it's a big job, above all at the begining. But every developer can help and must help by providing a clear and standadized install file.

In phpbb for exemple each MOD is validated by the team. If the MOD is not, the team doesn't provide the support. To be valiated, the MOD must be useful, clean and the install files must be standardized. That could be a way.
But for sure there is no point to do this job for all the MODs. Sometimes for the same job, you can find more than 3 MODs.
If a mod is safe, clean, works well, there is no point to develope a other one. But on the top of it there is no point to provide a support at all of them. It's waste of time/resource.

After you're right, it takes people to test each MOD when coppermine is updated.

[Joachim Müller]

We (the coppermine dev team) are not very fond of mods, as they require users to re-apply it every time they upgrade their gallery. Applying (even if there are standards) can be tricky for newbies. That's why we have the plugin API that comes with coppermine and that's why we encourage contributors to come up with plugins instead of mods - they are re-usable, easier to test and maintain. Only drawback is that there is only a limited number of plugin hooks, so you can't come up with all sorts of plugins (at least not compared to what is possible when using mods). Bottom line would be for me: instead of spending a lot of time on mod maintenance I rather suggest coming up with plugin documentation improvements and converting existing mods into plugins.

[SaWey]

You have a very good point GauGau, I think I oversaw some things...
Maybe this is a good time to spend some work on the plugin docs & hooks.