Invisionboard 1.3.1 bridged with CPG 1.4.3

[Pit]

I don't know whether anybody is interested in bridging CPG 1.4.x to IPB1.3.1. But if so you can take a look at an existing installation:

My testsite

Here you will find not only a bridged CPG 1.4.2 but also a skin integrated CPG. Choose a skin from the skin dropdown list in the upper right corner and see CPG changing its outfit.

This integration is the result of my mod "Coppermine Goes Invisionboard 1.3.1" which is available at http://www.invisionize.com (only IPB1.3 and actually for CPG1.3).

Of course you will not see a genuine cpg theme. To optimize skin integration you should create a new IPB skin or a new CPG theme.

My work could be separated in two parts:

1. A bridge file for Invisionboard 1.3
2. An IPB modification to integrate CPG into IPB (like a module).

Furthermore I have tried to integrate CPG with MKPortal Singleboard. The actual state can be tested here (Work in progress)

For integration purpose I have had to change two language files to iso-8951 charset (German and French).

The German users will find my project at http://www.ibforen.de


Edit (2006-03-29)

The bridge file is attached to this post.

You will find 2 files in this archive.

./bridge/invisionboard13.inc.php is the bridge file
./bridgemgr.php is the original bridge manager with an additional section for the new bridge in order to make it chooseable.

Please do not ask for support via email or PM. Use this topic.

[Pit]

I don't like to bump this topic but I cannot believe that nobody is using ipb1.3 or nobody wants to update his cpg with ipb1.3.

By the way: at my testsite you can see cpg 1.4.3 running with ipb1.3

[Eddy Newell]

I am interested. I use both ipb 1.3 final and coppermine 1.4.3.

I've visited your site (very cool), but I don't see the bridge file that works with cpg 1.4.3.

The latest coppermine version only supports ipb 2.x. where can I get the bridge?

[Pit]

@Eddy:

You can send me your email address via PM and I will return the bridge file.

By the way: I have offered the bridge file to the dev team but I have not get any response.

[Joachim Müller]

By the way: I have offered the bridge file to the dev team but I have not get any response.

[Joachim Müller]

@Pit: sorry for replying late to the PM you sent me a long time ago - I lost focus. If you agree, I will paste your PM into my posting and give a rough translation.

Here's a short summary: Pit introduced himself as active developer on IPB-related sites. He told me about an integration of coppermine with IPB using two methods:
a) an IPB1.3 bridge file for cpg1.4.x
b) a visual integration (port/mod) of coppermine into the template/theming scheme of IPB

Let me clarify some things: we're very fond of bridge file contributions and would love to see your IPB1.3 bridge file. Bridging is the recommended method to link/integrate coppermine with other apps. We're not particularly fond of ports/mods that try to accomplish visual integration of coppermine into a third party app, as this requires coppermine core code to be edited. This was the case for the port/mod "coppermine goes invisionize" (cpg1.3.x integrated with IPB1.x afaik). There were errors/flaws/questions that were asked by users who used this mod on the coppermine support board; after a lot of discussion and support work by the coppermine dev team it turned out that most issues users experienced with "coppermine goes invisionize" were related to IPB issues or stuff related to the coppermine code changes applied due to the mod. The coppermine dev team policy therefor is: we provide support for bridges that come with coppermine (and we'd love to see your new bridge file go into coppermine's code if applicable license-wise), but we don't support any kind of third-party mods nor ports. This doesn't mean that we don't encourage other projects to use coppermine as a codebase and develop it further to work with another app - we just demand that they support the port themselves or clearly tell their users that there's no support at all when using the port.

Summary: please contribute your newly created bridge file if possible, and post what license comes with it (we can only add it to a future coppermine package/release if it doesn't contain IPB code, as IPB is a commercial app, while coppermine is being released under GNU GPL). If the license your bridge file comes with doesn't allow us to add it to coppermine's core, you're still welcome to post it as an add-on. You're welcome as well to start a thread about the mod/port that deals with the visual integration and requires coppermine code changes.

Joachim

[Pit]

Joachim, thank you for this reply.

Those things you thought to be clarified are not a problem. I have customized two files using my experiences with IPB1.3:

bridgemgr.php and bridge/invisionboard20.inc.php.

In the bridgemgr.php I have only added a section for enabling selection of the new bridge for IPB1.3 in order to let the manager create the bridging.

The other file was a good template for the new bridge file invisionboard.inc.php (or better: invisionboard13.inc.php).

In a local environment and on some external boards I have tested most of the cpg functions but it should be tested by more experienced persons. Therefore I do not want to release it here in its current state.

If it is approved to be stable then I would like to see it as a part of the distribution package (free under the same conditions as the entire package).

Concerning the visual integration I have the same point of view like you.

For the German users I can offer support at http://www.ibforen.de and for English speaking people I am supporting my mods at http://www.invisionize.com.

When members of coppermine-gallery.net are using my mod, you should be aware of the difficulties to distinguish between problems caused by cpg and problems caused by ipb. Therefore I recommend to handle those topics with patience. I will visit this site from time to time and look through the topics concerning that mod.

But I expect that mod users will visit the appropriate support sites to get help for solving problems.

What about the bridge file? Can someone of the dev team test the bridge?

[Joachim Müller]

could you zip it and attach it to your reply here please?

[Pit]

Is is not tested and I do not like to make it public.

Please give me an email address via PM where I can send the files.

[Joachim Müller]

take your time, test it thoroughly. If you think that it is mature enough to be released, attach it to this thread. There's little point in sending me a beta file, since I won't be able to test it anyway.

[all4one]

I'm interested in this

[all4one]

Are we still working on this bridge?

I like the the version 1.3 where it has the bridge for IPB 1.3. I guess I have to purchase IPB 2

[Pit]

Sorry for the late answer, but since only few people seem to be interested in this topic, I do not look very often here.

4 Users have asked me for testing the bridge but they do not give feedback. What a bad attitude.

So, if you want to test the bridge and if you give me feedback you can send me your email address.

[hondaclub]

I just upgrated to 1.4 and im using IPB1.3 can you please tell me how i can do the bridging ?Im intrested in this as well

[Joachim Müller]

then read the posting just above yours!

[all4one]

Hey Pit, You sent me the bridging files for Coppermine 1.4.4 and IPB1.3 but they don't seem to work.

I tried and it took me to the "Emergency Recovery" screen which requires me to login and disable bridge.

Sorry for the late answer, but since only few people seem to be interested in this topic, I do not look very often here.

4 Users have asked me for testing the bridge but they do not give feedback. What a bad attitude.

So, if you want to test the bridge and if you give me feedback you can send me your email address.

[Pit]

Hmmm, I have just downloaded cpg 1.44. Copied to the webserver, copied the new bridgefiles to their places and installed cpg.

Then I have called the bridge manager, selected the bridge IPB1.3, setup the bridge, activated the bridge.

Everything without problems. I was logged in, because I was logged in iin my IPB. I log out from IPB, I am logged out from cpg. I log in again in ipb, i am logged in in cpg.

What else can I do for you?

You should not call the bridge manager again, because then cpg is thinking that you have difficulties and in consequence it deactivates the bridge. This is called the "emergency recovery".

[all4one]

Then we need more testers because the only different is I upgraded to CPG 1.4.4 from CPG1.3

Downloaded your bridge and upload to the server

The only problem was when I logged in IPB, I'm not login to CPG. When clicked login from CPG it took me to IPB login screen.

[all4one]

Do IPB and CPG need to be in the same database?

[Pit]

No, IPB and CPG can be in different databases (this is the case in my environment).

But you have to call the bridge manager after upgrading CPG. Only copying the bridge file is not sufficient.