Forum Basics: What You Need to Know

[Leaping antalope]

Can anyone tell me how does a forum work? What are the hardware and software needed? What kind of databases are used? And what informatoin do they stored? I also heard that there is no encryption when our informatoin is transmitting...
I am interested in this, can anyone tell me? Thanks

 

[Anttech]

The language is what ever one you want to code in, The DB the same, however you need to use a language that will be able to talk to you DB...

This Forum is coded in PHP with prolly a mySQL DB
You could write your Forum with ASP and have a M$SQL DB
You can even write it in flash and have this speak to a DB

This page is a HTTP page so there is no encryption when you submit your information, but why would you want this? COnsidering you are about to sumit a message for anyone to see.

Here is a link to the populare phpbb

phpbb

 

[exequor]

Good question. Before I thought that forums had very intricate coding behind them until i wrote my own (which you can use on my website at www.dematrix.net) . Its really simple once you get to understand how it works. I wrote mine using php as the scripting language and mysql as the database. If you want a more detailed explanation you can consult with me on my forum.

As for encryption there is no need for it. However if you want you could encrypt the data using php (which is very easy to do).

 

[mattmns]

Is there a way to integrate flash with php(and mysql) in forums? For example if I had a site that was all flash, would I be able to put php forums in them, know what I mean?

Lets say a 1024x768 flash doc, but have inside, like a frame in html, a php forum. And this flash doc can receive and send info with mysql?

 

[graphic7]

Is there a way to integrate flash with php(and mysql) in forums? For example if I had a site that was all flash, would I be able to put php forums in them, know what I mean?

Lets say a 1024x768 flash doc, but have inside, like a frame in html, a php forum. And this flash doc can receive and send info with mysql?

I've never worked with flash before, however, PHP and HTML can encapsulate one another (which is very, very nice). To put simply, you should be able to include the flash into a PHP page using the regular HTML code that would be required to do so.

The nice thing about PHP is that it's pretty much database independent (something Perl was able to do a long time ago, whereas, PHP just received it recently). You could set a variable declaring what the database type is, and use it everywhere for all the database functions, so if you moved your PHP site from MySQL to Oracle, just change the variable that contains the database type.

Edit: The reason they can encapsulate one another is that the web server (most likely Apache or Sun One) can take the PHP code on the page, run the PHP code through the PHP interpreter, and superimpose the new HTML code on top of the HTML code that originally was in the PHP page.

 

[mattmns]

you should be able to include the flash into a PHP page using the regular HTML code that would be required to do so.

Of course, thanks. I thought so, but I have just never seen a flash/php forum. Now to get better acquainted with php so I can make one

 

[chroot]

This site is based on the vbulletin software, with a mysql database backend. You can see information about vbulletin at the bottom of every page.

- Warren

 

[Anttech]

Use Macromedias DB coldfusion, with flash then there is no need to encapsulate php within Flash.

 

[graphic7]

Use Macromedias DB coldfusion, with flash then there is no need to encapsulate php within Flash.

There's a need considering the cost of `Macromedia DB Coldfusion.'

With PHP you just include all the HTML that would normally be required to do so. I fail to see how that could amount in the cost of that propiertary product.

 

[Anttech]

Play in the "sand pit" then

AFAIK Flash and PHP server side scripting would be difficult to do...

Graphic7 I never said BUY Coldfusion. Typically people (End users) purchase HOSTING from ISP's and Web hosting companies with DB/tools etc on there servers, well there are plenty Hosting companies that offer coldfusion...

If you want to use flash ard create a very funky WWW Applications that are dynamic then you would be better of using a application server that was built for Flash, ie Coldfusion.

for example http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/americas/04/vote_usa/map/html/default.stm

However I do aggree, for a forum use php and mySQL... There is no point in cracking a wallnut with a sledgehammer as the saying goes!

 

[graphic7]

AFAIK Flash and PHP server side scripting would be difficult to do...

If you read my above post, it's the same as with regular HTML - absolutely no difference.

The question that I was responding to concerned someone wanting to implant a flash graphic in a frame or such, no web applications.

 

[exequor]

Is there a way to integrate flash with php(and mysql) in forums? For example if I had a site that was all flash, would I be able to put php forums in them, know what I mean?

Lets say a 1024x768 flash doc, but have inside, like a frame in html, a php forum. And this flash doc can receive and send info with mysql?

Sure you can do it. The thing is I don't want to be the one to do something like that because if would definitely be a very big project. Plus coders wouldn't really make a php/mysql/flash forum and have it popular as vbulletin or phpbb because it would be very large (in physical memory size) and it would take too long to load (on my computer, dialup). But its possible to do it because i have some flash games that use php to add scores to a mysql database.

 

[futb0l]

It is possible to have php in Flash but it wouldn't be wise IMO. I think you should just concentrate in making the PHP script and then have a flash banner on top or something like that.

Why would u want to have a PHP forum framed in flash anyway?