Currently, installing mods in not convenient: you have to know how to patsh files, how to upload and so on.

It whould be nice to facilitate such process.

There is solution like a Mod Installer, but it's now enouth popular due to absence of centralised support.

It whould be very good in include similar to MI system to IPB distribution.

Can I know official opinion about?

would be Usefull. Coding mods for this would need to be Easy though. Also, the Modinstaller should be a Optional, but free for customers Module.

I agree. Isn't there going to be something like this in the next vB?

It would help installing some mods, but the mod creator would have to provide the proper instructions to the mod installer. Also, it should have a auto-backup feature because it acts. :thumbsup:

And it should support skins and languages modification :)

The problem is not how to create compatible mod. I can do it once without problems. But it's very irriating to check and fix mods after each forum upgrade, without good mod installer :(

By the way, I've checked vB 3.5 docs, their idea of forum plugins is very interesting to. In most cases, that make mods compatible with all future forum versions.

By the way, I've checked vB 3.5 docs, their idea of forum plugins is very interesting to. In most cases, that make mods compatible with all future forum versions.

I second this.
http://forums.invisionpower.com/index.php?showtopic=169714

Yep. a Modules system would be better and more workable than a Mod Installer.

It's more dufficult to implement it in really flexible way. I think, it should be better to have both :)

By the way, vB announced feature to track change history for skins. Very interesting and useful.

By the way, vB announced feature to track change history for skins. Very interesting and useful.

That feature is already present in our CMS product, IPDynamic which is in alpha testing - imagine it will work it's way over to the board software eventually.

We already have a limited modules system in place in IPB however not many modification authors seem to make use of it at the moment.

I see a mod program installer difficult since mods need sooo many different changes, it would be hard to make one that works for all mods.

That feature is already present in our CMS product, IPDynamic which is in alpha testing - imagine it will work it's way over to the board software eventually.

We already have a limited modules system in place in IPB however not many modification authors seem to make use of it at the moment.

Is there a link that gives any further information on this, not only for us to read, but perhaps to see how many of the modders know about it?

Thanks.

Sorry to bump.

This is really needed. I know SMF has a 'packages' system going really well for them, and I find it very convenient. If IPS doesn't make an effort in this aspect, I feel that even though they probably won't lose customers to a free board they'd lose complete approval from many people. In their system you download a package via your Admin CP and install it after inputting your FTP vitals. That's a COMPLETE modification, essentially autoinstalled. I don't how it's possibly done, but if they can do it I don't see why we're still finding and replacing bits of code in IPB.

I agree with Alex... how come barely any modders make use of the modules system?

Installing mods is simple if you learn how to do it through a tutorial then you will understand.

I know how to install mods. :)

It's for convenience. When there's an easier method possible as seen with SMF, then why not?

I don't see the point for a mod installer, I prefer doing it myself... Also, all's you have to do to install a mod is read the README.txt, and you're good to go.

some mods are harder to install then others though. Like the grage database mod. that requires some things and requires you do some diffrent things then installing some of deans, Fuysoa's or someone ele's mods.

Yes, but most of it is just simple PHP.

Installing mods is simple if you learn how to do it through a tutorial then you will understand.

Sure it's easy, but it's time consuming, and also human error is usually greater than computer error.

I don't mind so much about the PHP editing, but a system to edit all skins at once for a mod would be usefull.

Their is a mod to edit all/add something to all skins, the mod is broken I think though. I think you get PHP fatal error errors. or something similar.

I want a mod that will clean my room, cook my steak, massage my back and wipe my butt.

:lol:

A mod installer. Like the idea.

All it would have to do is be able to modify all the php files. Making a mod for the autoinstaller would be easy...just tell it to insert xxxxx code into admin.php at line xx. I can see a potential for this. Of course, it would have to be optional, as I guess some people like installing their own mods.

Now someone only needs to make it :P

Be more complex than that.

Any previous mod's installed = lines may be different, thus rendering it useless.

It'd have to be a combination of match #, line # & smart detection. (Match # when it's know to be more than 1 match, line # to verify by general location)

The smart detection would need to use a 'regular expression' search, then a more exact search (but filtering the tabs for comparison). Anything different and it would need to show it's closest match with what it was looking for, then if it gets approved to change, have the option to tweak it a little more (in case it affects another mod).

Unfortunately, I don't have the know-how to design such a system.

:lol:

Yeah... I don't know how the eff SMF did it... it's awesome.

It would be much smarter to just write your modules to run out of the Module Loader. You have full access to all of the global elements of IPB, so why not? You can use all of the global commands, and everything else, so use the module files. Then the files would only need to be updated when the IPB classes change like they did in 2.1

That way you wouldn't have to waste all your time making 'Smart Detection' for IPB Source.

Module Loader = Easy install. Think of how Gallery and The Blog system work. You can access them using the adress http://forums.w/e.com/index.php?automodule=YOUR_MODULE

Much more simple. If you want it to integrate into the interface, just edit the template bits. You can also have the installer do this. Simple.