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RosterMaster(PostNuke) 0.97 and TaskMaster(PostNuke)x .xx   (News)

For example, from a gaming perspective, a guild or a clan can have have members on many servers within the same game and RosterMaster will accommodate this with different Rosters, and character to user associations, for each of those servers. Not only that, but the same guild or clan can also have different rosters for the different servers of the different games they play.

You will also be able to create rosters from either single user groups, or groups of user groups, as well as rosters of the entire user base (for controlled sites). If all works as I would like it to, you will be able to have a roster of user groups that acts like (using the above gaming environment example) another roster of that particular guild.

As should be obvious by now, roster objects will not be limited to any one 'Guild' as the last RosterMaster was and one can build many different roster objects based on many different roster needs.

The current architecture (NOT final) looks like this (I won't claim this is the best setup, but it works with my current aspirations):

ObjectTable MemberTable User(assoc.)Table
ObjectID(prime) ---------- ObectjID(idx) rmUID(prime)
ObjClass MemberID(prime) --------- MemberID(idx)
Name Name pnUserID
etc... etc. etc.

The ObjClass field of the Object Table is a suffix for the module object class called. In the case of Everquest II I used 'EQ2' as the value and named my classes PNRosterMasterEQII and PNRosterMasterEQIIArray calling them with a combination of DBUtil::selectFieldByID([ObjectClass by ObjID) and Loader::loadClasFromModule() with a derived php string as the 'base_obj_type'.

Along with this is a vars table with API functions that work identical to PostNukes' pMod[Get|Set|Del]Var() but requires an ObjID instead of modname so that different sets of vars can be associated to each roster object.

The logging functionality will also be ObjID oriented, and as such care must be taken when setting up logging as to avoid unnecessarily bloated log tables. Accordingly all loging will be set by default to 'off' except in the case of an upgrade from RosterMaster(PostNuke)0.96.

RosterMasters current status is a working upgrade script along with all the functionality of the 'main' RosterMaster display (although the func is now display (ya I'm learning)) for Everquest II. This includes table header reverse sort as well as advanced sort allowing two fields to be sorted in individual directions. The rest is forms and options. Once the EQII class is fully functional I'll begin to set up the other classes and refine the API.

My vision here is to have RosterMaster act as an extensible roster module suitable to organizing and maintaining roster and roster member profiles in association with, or indifferent to, the user base with consideration of user groups.

TaskMaster has the same goals but with reference to levels of accomplished tasks,

All of this has been made possible via PostNukes' 'adambaum' pre-release... this module will not work with anything prior and WILL BE COMPLETELY UNSOPPORTED until the adambaum release (other than beta testing).

Once the EQII class has been made fully functional I'll commit the project to the current PostNuke NOC project SVN for beta testing.

RosterMaster(PostNuke)0.97 and TaskMaster(PostNuke)x.xx naming policy will be dependent on the official release name of the adambaum

Generated on September 25, 2007.

pnFlashGames Vulnerability   (News)

Thanks to Devin Hayes (aka InvalidResponce) for the information. He also posted a solution. See this thread in the forums. I have modifed the file and also made it available here. This patch is unoffical and comes with no warranty or support.
Anyone, using pnFlashGames should secure their websites.
Happy PostNuking,
David Pahl (aka AmmoDump)

Generated on May 3, 2007.

Call for Gamer Interest - Users and Devs   (News)

If you are a gamer with a Postnuke site or your are module programmer looking for a new challenger, you should get in touch with Topiatic.

Links:

Call for Gamer Interest - Users and Devs

Generated on March 16, 2007.

pnFlashGames Redesign Launched   (News)

We are also using a third party forum called Vanilla. We've integrated it into PostNuke so it remains a single sign-on forum.

There are lots of great new features at the site so please come by and check it out. (More details about the new site)

www.pnFlashGames.com

Generated on March 20, 2006.

Case Study - www.eurojamlive.org   (News)

So, how does eurojamLIVE! fit in?
eurojamLIVE! has been designed to allow participants and event organisers to communicate before, during and after the event.
There will be 10,000 people at the event, so the website has the potential to receive a great deal of traffic over the coming months.
eurojamlive.org as a PostNuke website
PostNuke was chosen for the eurojamLIVE! website. We needed a solution that could be deployed quickly, with only a limited amount of
modifications. The websites for Scouting 2007 are run on an entirely volunteer basis, and PostNuke's ease of use and open source code
was ideal for this.
Constructing the website
The website initially began as a standard PostNuke install. All the extra core modules that were not needed were removed, and the
tables for each of these modules manually removed from the database. The decision was made to use pagesetter
for most of the content, including the news functionality. We needed the workflow and template functionality provided by pagesetter
but not available in the core News module. Additionally, PNphpBB2 was used for the forums, due to its extended feature set.
In the end, the site's configuration looked like this:
PostNuke Version: 0.760
Although at the time 0.760 was still in the RC stage, it was considered important to use the latest version to take advantage of
sessionless anonymous users (for a performance increase) and also recent improvements in Xanthia's full page caching, which in the end
proved important for the website.
Module List

pagesetter
photoshare
EZComments
PNphpBB2
Downloads
pnFlashGames
Weather

Blocks

dp-StaffStatus

Theme

pnfr-vx - courtesy of Chestnut, pnFrance

Custom Developments
Although nothing revolutionary was needed, a few custom developments were used.
Block Management
A fairly simple module making it easier to change the news stories appearing on the homepage. Instead of the default pagesetter block,
which requires the story ID, this module allows the user to choose the story title to show, rather than having to know the ID.
Profile integration - PNphpBB and PostNuke
Better integration between PostNuke's profiles and PNphpBB profiles were needed. As a result, all the forum profile settings were
moved to a link in the 'Your Account' section, the profile link in the forums now redirecting to user.php. One further change was
needed for everything to work as expected - the profile information had to be updated each time the user visited the forum index,
incase they had changed any part of their profile.
The First Day
Although the site was launched on the 3rd of June, it's existance was not advertised until the 5th June
at 2pm. Between this point, and 9pm, the site received 55,000 hits and served almost 1GB of traffic. This level of initial
support was not initially anticipated, and there was a slowdown for a few minutes until Xanthia's full page caching was enabled.
This had the effect of reducing server load by more than 50%, and the site consequently confortably rode through the initial spike in traffic.
The server itself already ran the Scouting 2007 network of sites, before the eurojamLIVE! launch. In an ideal world the eurojamLIVE!
website would be on its own seperate server, however this is not the case, and therefore performance in paramount. In the end,
I would say the server and the PostNuke website stood up to the demands quite well.

Visit eurojamLIVE!

Generated on June 14, 2005.

pnFlashGames Tops 5,000 Users   (News)

At pnFlashGames.com, website owners can download the pnFlashGames module and try out new games. As pnFlashgames continues to grow with traditional web users, SourceKit has seen an increase in businesses and educational institutions incorporating Flash technology and Web games onto their websites. PnFlashgames supplies games that are being used as learning tools, vehicles that drive corporate branding goals, and entertaining added-value features meant to drive traffic to websites.

“We were excited to see that pnFlashGames maintained its popularity among webmasters, website owners and the Flash game community and has gained new users from other industries,” said Drew Adams, managing member of SourceKit, LLC. “Now that pnFlashGames has passed the 5,000 member milestone, we are enhancing its capabilities to meet the Flash trends, which are growing to become more widely used in business and educational formats. We are excited to see how our relationship with these communities continues to grow into the future.”

In January of this year, SourceKit acquired pnFlashGames.com. The site averages over 150,000 unique visitors each month with over 5,000 website owners registered. Once installed inside a portal system, the module enables webmasters to host Flash games and keep scores of each user. This creates new Internet communities, and increases hits to webmasters sites. Flash technology allows developers to create a web application that can communicate with the web server or database without having to reload any web pages. Flash also allows for a rich user experience, with flowing animation and sound without the clunky overhead.

Generated on June 6, 2005.

Interview: Lee Eason   (News)

Tell me about your postnuke "career".
Well, when I first started with PHP it was to build an object translator for
a Flash based order management application I was building. The key was to
keep cost low, so we were using all open source stuff. I liked PHP because
it was fast and very easy to use. Then I started seeing how much PHP was
being used on the web as a language for dynamic sites. That led me to the
open source CMS world, which is where I found PostNuke. I liked how easy it
was to install and extend. I messed with some other systems but PostNuke
was the one I settled on because of its flexibility.

What is your task in within pnCore?
Good question, lol. I don't really know for sure. I'm pretty sure it has
something to do with an article I wrote a while back outlining a PostNuke
module development SDK I have a vision for. It would include a couple of
modules that would work together to help people develop PostNuke modules
rapidly with documentation and support tools all built in.

When did you start programming for PostNuke?
I have not actually started programming for PostNuke yet. I suspect most of
my contribution to the core will consist of input on the project's direction
whenever I can help, and in the writing and development of the SDK's
modules.

What is your development like?
I hope it will be huge. I'd like to see more of the "average joe" be able
to developer, deliver, and support modules they have a need for and can pass
on to the rest of us.

What is the biggest difficulty in your development?
The most difficult thing about developing is trying to create cutting edge
features that will work on any server configuration. I found with
pnFlashGames that subtle differences in PHP and mySQL versions can really
throw a monkey wrench in the works.

Which route will Postnuke in your opinion go in the future?
I think that with the introduction of Xanthia the doors have been opened
wide. The upcoming .76 release also shows us that the developers are
thinking in practical terms, which is great. I would like to see PostNuke
go towards a more business oriented platform, but that is greatly dependant
on module developers providing the functionality to make that work.

What is the weakest/strongest point in PostNuke?
I think PostNuke's greatest weakness is also its greatest strength: the
modular nature of the system. PostNuke relies on third party modules to
deliver a good bit of functionality that every site needs or wants. As a
result, users are at the mercy of the developers of these modules. So if
the modules are buggy then it makes PostNuke look buggy. Conversely, if
they are written and supported well then it makes PostNuke look all the
better. This is another driving force behind my vision for the SDK.

Anything else you always wanted to say about Postnuke?
It never ceases to amaze me how no matter what you do or where you go,
everything is run by individuals. Everyone has their own personality,
complete with their own set of characteristics. This simple fact is what
makes working in a global community like PostNuke so exciting. But you
know, even with all the different cultures and languages the pnCore has to
deal with, module developers and the pnCore team alike all just has to
provide good quality customer support and that will guarantee PostNuke's
continued success. I have always been impressed with the pnCore's customer
support. I strive to offer a high level of support to my module's users as
well; staying positive and trying to be helpful has helped me to establish a
good reputation and a successful project. I only wish we could see more of
that with the third party module developers.

Tell me something about your module work?
I am the author and director of pnFlashGames and pnFlashGames.com.

When did you start working on your own module?
When I first starting using PostNuke I wanted to build a website for my
company and have some tools to help our customers get downloads and
information they needed quickly and efficiently. I could not find modules
that did what I needed so I set out to learn how to make my own modules. I
thought that the best way to do that is just to make my own. So I chose a
fun and easy subject for my first module, a flash games gallery. I found
some flash games to start out with and it just so happened they had a common
high score system (they came from the same author - Paul Neave). So then I
though, if Paul Neave can store high scores in a text file with a common API
for his games, I can make my own API and store the scores in PostNuke's
database for any flash game. Thus, pnFlashGames was born. I never thought
it would become as popular as it is now. I still chuckle when I look back
at my first release.

What features should the Postnuke .8 core have to simplify your
work?
:lol: an automatic conversion script that will take a pnHTML module and
convert it to pnRender.... Seriously though, I'd love the ability to load a
"light" version of the PostNuke API that gives me access to the database and
module API for only the parts I need. This way, I don't have to load the
entire application just to store a score. I only have to load just enough
to get to the pnFlashGames API and make a database call.

Which route will your module in your opinion go in the future?
My community is so fantastic. They are always providing me with great
suggestions and very cool ideas for features and direction. We are working
on multiplayer games, global high scores (site vs. site competitions),
enhanced team functionality (team vs. team competitions), and better quality
and more port projects for other CMS. Currently, pnFlashGames has been
ported to Xoops, Mambo, Invision, and just recently to PHPNuke.

Recently a wonderful thing has happened with pnFlashGames as well. My
company, SourceKit, acquired pnFlashGames and pnFlashGames.com. It's great
news and means that big things are happening with our project. I believe
this is the first time a PostNuke module has been purchased by an
independent company. It says a lot about PostNuke and a lot about
pnFlashGames that a company not involved with PostNuke would see enough
potential and value in a module project to invest like they have done. Best
of all, I still run the project and it is still open source. :) For full
details you can go to the press release on
pnflashgames.com.

What should users of your module regard?
Well, the weakest part of my module is the pnHTML I think. However, I have
addressed that in the short term by using CSS classes in the output whenever
possible and documenting how to use them to customize their look and feel.
I think they are happy with that for now. Eventually I'll port it to
pnRender, but its going to be a lot of work. The strongest part of
pnFlashGames is the traffic generation that comes from it. People like
being on the score board and they will come back to check and make sure
their rank is held. pnFlashGames is an automatic community builder. I
think it is even more effective than a forum because more people will play a
game than post in a forum. Every feature I write is done with that thought
in mind.

Thank you very much for your patience

Generated on January 14, 2005.

Icehockey WCH 2005 Site - PostNuke Based   (News)

from the official site of the Icehockey WCH 2005. Besides latest news the site offers information on ticketing, packages and the game schedule.

PostNuke was used with slight modifications by handling the theme and some modules, necessary to fit the needs.

More information at:

Generated on May 26, 2004.

pnFlashgames Beta sites   (News)

Generated on January 9, 2004.

Web Accessibility - An introduction   (News)

Accessibility - In General
According to the German federal law on equality of treatment of handicapped
persons (BGG §4) ", constructions, means of transportation, technical
commodities, systems of information processing, accustic and
visual sources of information and communicative systems are accessible when they
are accessible and usable for handicapped persons unaidedly, in the usual way
and without special difficulty."
Basically, accessible web pages aren't only accessible for the average user
at his desktop pc with the latest browsers. Web-accessibility is not only considerate
of the various utilities that handicapped persons use to perceive a web page,
but also of users with older browser versions or with special access hardware.
Some figures to give an idea of the size of this group (statistics from Germany):

10% of the male population is color-blind. Web pages with low contrasts
(eg. black fonts on dark-blue background) is for them practically unreadable.
"Press the green button to verify" is meaningless to them.
5% of the population is blind or visually handicapped. They use special utilities
and hardware like Braille-displays or screenreaders.
11% of the population is older than 65.
5% of internet users don't use Windows, but MacOS, Linux, PDAs or cellphones.
Numerous sites, especially large ones, still have up to 20% users visiting them through 4th generation Netscape
browsers.

If you don't only aim at gamer kiddies with 19" displays, you should start
thinking about whom you exclude with your killer design. A blind person for example,
who cannot use a company`s internet pages, will choose another vendor. But what
can a blind person do when his registration office's internet site is not accessible?

 
The Legal Side
Since May 1st, 2002, the ordinance for accessible information technology
(BITV) became effective. All federal institutions are obliged to make their internet
sites accessible - in the sense of the word used in this article. Governments are called to work out
similar state laws which oblige state and municipal institutions to follow accessibility guidelines.
BGG and BITV are based on the EU action plan "eEurope 2002", initiated
in 1999 and finalised in 2000 by the European Council. eEurope aims at 3 main goals:

A cheaper, faster and more secure internet
Advancement of internet use
Investment into persons and abilities

The latter comprises the participation in information technology of as big
parts of the population as possible. Summarised under the term "eAccessibility",
access to eCommerce, eGovernment and so on is to be made possible. This was to be
implemented with the adoption of the Web
Accessability Initative's guidelines.
 
Guidelines for Practical Use
Already in 1999 the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released the Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 and made it quasi-standard for accessible
internet design. Since then many of the rules have proved too restrictive,
irrelevant, incomprehensible or simply not representative of the state of technology
anymore. Some of them even turned out to be not internationally applicable.
For these reasons a version 2.0 is in the making. Since v. 2.0 is still in development, this
text will only relate to WCAG 1.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1 are split up into 3 priorities:
Priority 1: A Web content developer must
satisfy this checkpoint
Priority 2: A Web content developer should
satisfy this checkpoint
Priority 3: A Web content developer may satisfy
this checkpoint
If you violate a regulation of priority 1, many people will be excluded. A violation
of priority 3 regulations excludes only few. There are 14 main regulations, with
the priorities attached to all of their subcategories:

1. Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.
2. Do not rely on color alone.
3. Use markup and style sheets, and do so properly.
4. Clarify natural language usage.
5. Create tables that transform gracefully.
6. Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully.
7. Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes.
8. Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces.
9. Design for device-independence.
10. Use interim solutions.
11. Use W3C technologies and guidelines.
12. Provide context and orientation information.
13. Provide clear navigation mechanisms.
14. Ensure that documents are clear and simple.

There is also a W3C-list of suggested Techniques
for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.
 
Testing Accessability
Several tools exist for testing the accessibility of your website:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG1AAA-Conformance
http://bobby.cast.org/
http://www.cynthiasays.com/
As a result you receive 3 levels of conformance:
Conformance Level "A": All Priority 1 checkpoints
are satisfied
Conformance Level "Double-A": All Priority 1 and
2 checkpoints are satisfied
Conformance Level "Triple-A": All Priority 1, 2,
and 3 checkpoints are satisfied
Internet sites of German federal instititions have to fullfil Double-A conformance.
Recommended is Triple-A.
 
Not only for handicapped persons
A main problem with accessibilty is that a web site must cater to the needs of two different interest groups: On the one
hand, handicapped persons that already have to use the latest browser version
in cooperation with their hardware and utilities, and on the other hand, users
with old browsers.
This problem is however a perfect focus area for the idea behind CMS-es: The separation
of content and layout. It becomes possible to detect the user browser client, and in a manageable way offer
a classical HTML 3.0 page or a modern HTML 4.01 page, with the same content.
Practically speaking, modern web design means above all to do without tables for layout
use. Tables have always been a crutch when it comes to creating layout, and more so today than ever.
Modern layout is created via CSS. A nice example of how accessible
design can be created can be found at http://www.inknoise.com/experimental/layoutomatic.php.
This also shows that accessible web sites do not have to be plain text.
Tables should only be used the way they were originally intended: For example
as an address table with columns and rows, column heads and so on. Used this way, also
the tools of blind persons can make sense of them.
 
Accessibility and Postnuke
Making a Postnuke site accessible is practically impossible: While themes can
easily be created with CSS, you will fail at the modules, which excessively
use hardcoded tables. Not until the introduction of the Xanthia Templating Engine
in Postnuke 0.8 will it be possible to make your site accessible for everyone.
Then you can start developing accessible templates for all API-compliant modules,
something which is currently possible only with third-party modules that use smarty, like
PostCalendar or pnCommerce.
Until then the possibilities are limited when it comes to making at least some of your content
accessible: The AvantGo module - originally designed to make the News accessible
for PDAs - can also be used for accessibility. There seems to be an extended
version of the Avantgo named Extravantgo, but during my researches the download
page was inaccessible ;-)
German version of this article: post-nuke.net

Generated on October 8, 2003.

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