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[questbg Friend questbgJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1912Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 146 Thanked: 339 times in 197 posts]

#137778

Hi Y’all

I’ve been approached by a client to build a web site using Telline II and she would like an integrated forum.

What I’d like to do is have one of the menus link directly to the forum (probably in a subdomain) and this to load in JA News position (is that even possible?).

Also, the site login and forum login should be the same, for instance, if a user logs into the site, then that user is automatically logged on when they enter the forum (Community Builder?).

The only forum software I’ve ever used is SMF so I would be happier if this could be incorporated in the way described!

Many Thanks
Chris

[bennitos Friend bennitosJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1717Downloads:0Uploads:39 Thanks: 39 Thanked: 474 times in 407 posts]

#289488

If you like and prefer SMF then you can keep on using that.

Set it up like normal and then install Jfusion on your joomla install
http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions/bridges/authentication-bridges/3723/details

It helps you integrate the forum and sync users and all that kinda stuff.

It also helps for visual integration into your joomla install, they have a SMF demo running on their website http://www.jfusion.org.

Direct link to SMF integrated demo:
http://www.jfusion.org/index.php/demo/smf

This is all quite doable and i think everything that you need.

1 user says Thank You to bennitos for this useful post

1. questbg

[questbg Friend questbgJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1912Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 146 Thanked: 339 times in 197 posts]

#289492

Thanks bennitos

I’ll go and check this our and report back later!

Chris

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#289493

Chris,

I like SMF too. It has very advanced permissions system for various users, even more advanced than Joomla itself. I have examined the features and it is almost comparable to that of commercial forum, such as the one used by sites like Joomlart; the kicker is that SMF is open source and free.

However, what I am finding is that the more extensions you add to Joomla, the slower it gets. There is the case also that if the extension to port SMF is not update immediately with respect to the latest version of Joomla, the incompatibility may render the extension unusable. I have experienced this already with several extensions I used, some took several months to a year before it is upgraded, if at all.

More importantly, there is a dispute between Joomla and SMF in the interpretation of what would be considered open source, so that SMF decided to go its separate ways. I am not sure if this has been resolved. There is still however an extensions (I think developed by someone else to allow porting of SMF to Joomla (but refer to the above for problems with third party extensions).

The alternative to this is to use a software that will allow “single registration” for multisites, There are several extensions — both open source and commercial — posted in Joomla for this feature, some with advanced persmissions systems.

What I find appealing with this alternative approach is that the extensions version and the Joomla version are independent of its other irrespective of the update version of each. All they have to be would be compatible with the “single registration” for multisites software.

Overall, I think this is a better solution. Ir I am not mistaken, Joomlart may use a similar approach. Note that its vBulletin forum is separate from its other sites. In fact, it has a number of independents sites for its various sites.

I hope Joomlart will shed light on how they do this.

In fact, most large sites have multiple sites — even Joomla does have multiple sites. And sites with very active forums, keep their forum separate so that it has its own database. A bloated database because of too many ported extensions contribute to sluggish sites.

The bottom line is that there are softwares out there that allow integration of multiple sites to permit single registration and login.

I started looking at this alternative but I got sidetracked by other more pressing stuff. You might consider exploring this and please share your findings, if you are successful.

Cornelio

[questbg Friend questbgJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1912Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 146 Thanked: 339 times in 197 posts]

#289494

Thanks for the input Cornelio. Allow me some time for further investigation and I’ll report back with my findings!!

Chris

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#289501

Chris,

As a public service to its customers, I hope Joomlart shares their mode of doing this integration because Joomlart does have multiple sites. It is obvious that the Joomlart Forum is not integrated at all, i.e., as an extension, to any Joomla website. It is a standalone, and integration to achieve single registration and login is achieved in a different manner.

Apparently, there is some integration in Joomlart but it is not complete. Sometimes I can go from one site to another, but then there are times, when it requires me to login again — depending on what site I came from. Rather strange.

Cornelio

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