Extension:AWC's Forum

Status
This page is a 'placeholder', for the pending release of AWC's Forum extension v2.0

The download link currently links to v1.2

An example of the fully working v2.0 on Mediawiki v1.11 can be found here

What can this extension do?
This extension allows the display of a standalone forum within Mediawiki.

It uses Mediawiki's user authentication system so the forum users details are identical, and the logon process is transparent and perfectly integrated.

Users, can create new threads/topics, where others may posts replys to. Users may also quote posts, and edit their own posts (permissions dependent).

Moderators, can edit, delete and move threads. Moderators can also make these threads 'stickys' or 'locked'.

Admins, can give and remove the permissions required to be a moderator, and may add and remove many restrictions on users forum accounts. Admins may also make changes to the forums, such as add and delete category's and forums, make 'announcements', make changes to many forum configuration settings and do general 'maintenance'.

Feature List
This feature list is just a highlight, it is not all-inclusive
 * Traditional forum style layout
 * Wiki Forum Tag - for displaying latest forum posts anywhere in wiki
 * Permission based restricted forums (All, only Members, only Moderators/Admin, only Admin)
 * Stickys, Announcements, Lock and Moving of threads
 * New activity indicators
 * User thread, post and wiki edit count displayed in threads (Wiki edits depend on MediaWiki ver.)
 * Forum search - including thread/forum and user specific
 * Preview, edit, quote
 * Multiple page numbered tabs, forum and thread based
 * Admin section
 * Maintenance: thread pruning, forums display of thread and post count recalculation
 * Easily edited Language file
 * Configuration: guest viewing signature and avatars, cut-off limits; thread title lengths, number of posts in thread, number of threads in forum, displaying post, thread and Wiki edit counts, 'ROBOTS' META info, min search chars, search word filter and more...
 * Moderator ability's
 * Lock, Sticky or Move threads
 * Edit threads
 * Delete threads
 * User ability's
 * Add/Change Signature
 * Add/Change Avatars (only URL based)
 * Option to view Avatars, Signature or Signatures only once per-thread.

Successful Testing
MediaWiki Versions: 1.11 should work with 1.9 and 1.10 with no problems, but un-tested should work on 1.8 with alternative installer, but un-tested 1.7 (requires alternative installer - included) 1.6 (requires alternative installer - included) 1.5 (requires small edit to one file and alternative installer - included)

PHP: 4.4.8 (cgi) PHP: 5.2.5 (cgi) PHP: 5.2.1 (isapi)

MySQL: 5.0.45 MySQL: 4.1.18

Download & Installation

 * 1) Download the AWC Forum extension
 * 2) Add/copy and paste the 'awc' folder into you Mediawiki 'extensions' folder
 * 3) Add/copy and paste the 'SpecialAWCforum.php' to your Mediawiki 'includes' folder
 * 4) Add the following to LocalSettings.php:
 * 5) Add/copy and paste the 'awc_forum_installer.php' to your Mediawiki 'root' (main) folder, then run installer by going to: www.your_wikis_web_address.com/awc_forum_installer.php
 * 6) Delete the awc_forum_installer.php file after the tables are installed
 * 7) Go to your "Special pages" and you will now see a link to your forum

Configuration parameters
More content required here

User rights
More content required here

Support

 * Working example of v2.0 can be found here
 * AWC's Mediawiki Forum extension webpage can be found here
 * Forums discussing AWC's forum extension as well as other Mediawiki extensions made by AWC, can be found here