Automatic MODs Pack Creation

[Mighty Gorgon]

Hi,
I'm trying to create a tool to assist MODs authors in creating their mods.

The goal is to have an almost "automated" tool which creates mod package and instructions to help modders in the "boring" stage of creating mods.

How it should work...

• Install a new board on your local test server
• Make all the modifications you like to phpBB files and DB
• Click a link and the tool should create a new folder with all you need to create a MOD package:
  
  • Correct folders and files structure for a mod pack
  • ModX file
  • DB structure
• Review the package and apply the needed changes which have not being created automatically
• Submit the zip file to the MOD DB

Before going over... remember that this is intended as a "DEVELOPMENT TOOL" so it should not be used online.
Remember also that this is a basic working version, but not completed yet.
In any case, use this tool at your own risk.

Remember that this tool work only with MySQL (and at the moment it won't detect changes in KEYS).

A little guide on how to use it:

• Download and install the package located here http://www.icyphoenix.com/_cvs/phpbb3_quickinstall_mod_20080824.zip: this is a modified QuickInstall tool created by evil<3
• Edit properly includes/qi_config.php and apply CHMOD 0777 to boards, cache and mods folder.
• Install one (or more) new board using the QuickInstall control panel and start modding it.
• When you want to create a mod go to "Manage boards" section and you will see two new links:
  
  • DB Diff: which outputs to screen the differencies in DB structure (only structure) respect to a clean phpBB 3.0.2 installation.
  • Create MOD: which creates a new folder into mods with all the new files and the XML with the modifications to apply to standard phpBB 3.0.2 files.

Some screenshots:



Of course the output won't be perfect... it will still require some manual editing... but this tool will help at least to double check all the changes.

Last but not least, thanks to Igor (evil<3) for both QuickInstall and MOD Diff Renderer which I have used as the starting point for this package.

Thanks for reading and for the feedbacks you may provide.

[mtotheikle]

Very nice idea, I will definitely be checking this one out.

[Mighty Gorgon]

Package and first post updated.

[ewelin]

Hello,

Just would like to clarify something on this creation.... What does it compare the new forum and database against? Will I need to create a default install that isn't changed in any way for the building of the MOD?

[igorw]

It's matched against the default database structure (of phpBB 3.0.2) stored in tools/db_structures/phpbb302_structure.php.

[ewelin]

I take it the file structure also matched against default file structure?

[igorw]

Yes, using the MOD Diff Renderer.

[ewelin]

I'm going to have to give this a wirl later! Sounds like an extremely impressive tool and if it works like it's suppose to, it's going to make creating MODs even easier!

[ewelin]

Installed and works well.... but I used it on a MOD that didn't change anything to the DB and I got the following for a DB Diff:

Code: Select all

ALTER TABLE phpbb_confirm CHANGE confirm_id confirm_idvarchar(32) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL;

ALTER TABLE phpbb_confirm CHANGE session_id session_idvarchar(32) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL;# Table: phpbb_mods
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS phpbb_mods;
CREATE TABLE phpbb_mods (
  mod_id mediumint(8) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment,
  mod_active tinyint(1) unsigned DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
  mod_time int(11) unsigned DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
  mod_dependencies mediumtext DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_name varchar(100) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_description text DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_version varchar(25) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_author_notes text DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_author_name varchar(100) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_author_email varchar(100) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_author_url varchar(100) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_actions mediumtext DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_languages varchar(255) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_template varchar(255) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  mod_path varchar(255) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (mod_id)
);



ALTER TABLE phpbb_sessions CHANGE session_id session_idvarchar(32) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL;

ALTER TABLE phpbb_sessions_keys CHANGE key_id key_idvarchar(32) DEFAULT '' NOT NULL;

ALTER TABLE phpbb_users CHANGE user_topic_sortby_type user_topic_sortby_typechar(1) DEFAULT 't' NOT NULL;

ALTER TABLE phpbb_users CHANGE user_topic_sortby_dir user_topic_sortby_dirchar(1) DEFAULT 'd' NOT NULL;

ALTER TABLE phpbb_users CHANGE user_post_sortby_type user_post_sortby_typechar(1) DEFAULT 't' NOT NULL;

ALTER TABLE phpbb_users CHANGE user_post_sortby_dir user_post_sortby_dirchar(1) DEFAULT 'a' NOT NULL;

Any idea where this is coming from?

Also on the style sheet changes... it produced the following:
Find

Code: Select all

/* Links for forum/topic lists */
a.forumtitle {
   color: #105289;

After Add:

Code: Select all

}

a.forumtitle.unread{
   color: #BC2A4D;

Not sure if you can adjust it so that it looks for the close bracket so that's not the first part of an addition as it could break some people's design changes. Outside of those two things, I must say this is very impressive and you just made my life on writing up MODs so much easier! I love that it generates the xml files and everything! Great Job!

[Mighty Gorgon]

I must say this is very impressive and you just made my life on writing up MODs so much easier! I love that it generates the xml files and everything! Great Job!

Thanks, I'm glad that someone (who is not myself ) is benefiting from this.

Regarding your two errors:

• Part of the first one is due to Blinky which I guess you have installed. I have coded the file part to skip blinky files but I still need to fix the DB part, thanks for reporting. The other differences I guess are related to your MySQL. I have only tested this package with my configuration, so I can't confirm how is working on different configurations and MySQL versions... can I have your full TABLE schema (only the schema) so I can make a comparison? Can you also provide a schema from a brand new installation by exporting it just after installation?
• The second error is really strange, can you provide that CSS so I can test it on my own?

Thanks for feedbacks and reporting... and of course thanks again to Igor for providing the basics tools for this stuffs to work.

[ewelin]

Sure thing, I'll try and get you those later today.

[igorw]

I'm not sure if it's possible to adjust the brackets, it's just how diff works. Diff is not really meant for humans, so having it rendered as a MOD file is not always so beautiful and may need some adjusting.

[BetaDevil]

I'm not sure if it's possible to adjust the brackets, it's just how diff works. Diff is not really meant for humans, so having it rendered as a MOD file is not always so beautiful and may need some adjusting.

I can confirm that, I needed to add some lines to the diff to make it possible to get it viewed by users, although I tried a lot of things, adding 2 lines was the best way to get it right

[ewelin]

Sure thing, I'll try and get you those later today.

Sorry I was unable to provide you witht he file. I've gotten swamped with some other projects. I'll try and get them to you tomorrow, if I don't, it'll be sometime next week before I can.

[ewelin]

Regarding your two errors:

• Part of the first one is due to Blinky which I guess you have installed. I have coded the file part to skip blinky files but I still need to fix the DB part, thanks for reporting. The other differences I guess are related to your MySQL. I have only tested this package with my configuration, so I can't confirm how is working on different configurations and MySQL versions... can I have your full TABLE schema (only the schema) so I can make a comparison? Can you also provide a schema from a brand new installation by exporting it just after installation?
• The second error is really strange, can you provide that CSS so I can test it on my own?

MG here is what you requested. new.sql is the db structure from a new board just created. modded.sql is the db structure from my modded board. Note no sql changes were made. colours.css is the modded file that generated the results.

Sorry for the delay.

I also have a new question, how do i change the default MOD template? I edited the tools/_empty_mod/install.xml file but when i generated a new MOD it still used your template.