The next generation of the discussion board software Burning Board is unveiled and can be purchased now! The new version sets several new standards and distinguish itself by a modern and secure technical implementation as well as a user-friendly user interface.
WoltLab Community FrameworkThe backbone for Burning Board 3 will be WoltLab Community Framework (WCF). The framework will be the basis for all future products from WoltLab in the area of community development. It is completely object orientated programming using PHP5, and includes support for module packages. The first product to make use of these functions will be Burning Board 3. The forum software will be comprised of smaller packages to be able to integrate into other programs at a later stage.
WCF will have a function that can run automatic updates of installed packages. Included is a process to update installed packages / modules from the originator (e.g. WoltLab) into the package database, thus creating a live update system for future versions. You will be able to have update packages automatically download and install. It will also be possible to manually search for updates and install individual packages / updates. A larger selected package will automatically download and install any smaller packages that it requires in order to function. You will be able to individually uninstall any particular package, so long as it is not in use by another larger package, commonly know a "Dependency Packaging" and can be achieved with the click of a mouse button.
Documented API and interfaces
One of the most important aspects of developing Burning Board 3 is the users' ability to adapt the program to their own specific needs. The forum software has a detailed API documentation and an event interface. This interface allows alterations of the software at basic levels without having to directly alter the source code.
A new accessible standard style
In the development of Burning Board 3 the coding will have new and improved standards. The HTML edition of the software will contain pure semantic source code. The design will be created completely by using CSS, overcoming previous restrictions imposed by styles that have been coded in other ways. Through CSS modification, users are provided with extreme control over the visual aspect of their forum. More changes will be possible without any template modification. As a result of the new coding style, a completely new standard style will be developed. Among these changes will be simplifying certain areas of the user interface. Hopefully this will make using the forum easier, especially for new and inexperienced users.
Use of standards
The forum software will naturally use templates for the HTML edition. The template engine used will already be included into the Community Framework. We have decided to use an engine based on that of Smarty. Smarty already offers a number of reliable programs and is a known developer within the community.
With Burning Board 3 we want to continue supporting the use of standards that have been set for such development. In addition to XHTML and CSS, we will aim to import and export data using XML.
Through better use of caching, Burning Board 3 will drastically reduce the number of database queries used. The start page of the forum can be produced in the same time frame as now, but only using 4 queries. Simultaneously the load of a single query would be considerably diminished through the optimization of the database structure.
Multi-language support
Burning Board can be run with multiple languages. Users may choose a language for writing messages in, or for filtering content. At this time, you can choose three different languages for the user interface (German, English, Italian). Further languages will follow.
E-mail support ticket system
With the release of Burning Board 3 we will also begin offering e-mail support via a ticket system. Access to e-mail support is given to owners of the new Burning Board 3 license. Furthermore the support forums are still in place for your technical questions.