How to write a mod

[Zef Hemel]

How to pack your mod into a YaBB Package

• Create a directory on your harddisk for example called mymod.
• In there create a directory called Packages
• In there you put your modification.mod, modification.txt and modification.php files (the .txt and .php ones are optional)
• If additional files/images have to be uploaded to the board (additional images, sources) put them in the same directory with the standard YaBB directory structure
• Your directory structure should look something like this now:

mymod/Packages/modification.mod
mymod/Packages/modification.txt
mymod/YaBBImages/additional.gif
mymod/Sources/superlib.php

• Now with ftp create a folder in your YaBB SE directory, for example in your Packages folder: Packages/mymod and upload all the files in your local Packages folder you just created in there.
• Go to your board to the Admin > Package Manager > Create a new package
• In "Directory to pack" put the location of your "mymod" directory relative to your YaBB SE path. So in the example we gave that would be: mymod
• In "Root directory" put the same as you put in "Directory to pack"
• Choose the filename of the package you want to create, but make sure it's extention is .mod.yp
• Click "Go!", your package will be created right now
• If everything went alright you can download the package from your Packages directory now

How to create a mod

Packages/modification.mod
The modification.mod file looks much like the boardmod mods. To set the file you're currently modding you put in a <file> and </file> tag, for example:

Code Select Expand

<file>
index.php
</file>
or

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<file>
Sources/BoardIndex.php
</file>
after that you can search for a sequence of characters/lines:

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<search>
/* ### Version Info ### */
$YaBBversion = 'YaBB SE';
$YaBBplver = 'YaBB SE';
</search>
and either replace it or add text after it:

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<replace>
/* ### Version Info ### */
$YaBBversion = 'YaBB SE Zef Edition :P';
$YaBBplver = 'YaBB SE ZEF';
</replace>
or

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<add>
echo "Zef was here";
// Not very useful but who cares
</add>

The mod file consits of this multiple times typically. You can put several <search>es per file, just put in the <file> tag if you want to switch to another file.

Packages/modification.php (optional)
In the modification.php file you can put additional php commands (for instance for editing the database etc.) you can assume the database connection has already been created, so you can use mysql_query directly. Also the settings are loaded.

Packages/modification.txt (optional)
This is a normal text file with additional instructions, warnings, credits etc.

[Shoeb Omar]

does <before> and <replace> work?

[Shoeb Omar]

and i hope we will be using boardmod as the community for mods still   we better at least!

[alexrolko]

and i hope we will be using boardmod as the community for mods still   we better at least!

depends if [CV]XXL will make a boardmod program for YaBB SE

[Shoeb Omar]

alex - read this post <- seems SE has one

thing is, and i quote ehre my im to jeff:

i love boardmod and its "the open source project for yabb board modifications". sure it isnt gonna be used with boardmod (it referring to SE) but boardmod's modding community is essential for yabb se. For yabb se, boardmod, and yabb.xnull to be seperate is a crime - u need boardmod!

well im dicussing this with jeff and its not in boardmod's favor right now  

[Jeff Lewis]

Hehe I wouldn't say that.  I had already started talking to Michael about this and we will talk more.  I just wasn't impressed with your "SE needs Boardmod talk".  We have a "built-in" boardmod basically but like I said to Michael, we can see how it all fits together.

[alexrolko]

some people to though are used to the BoardMod program and some people never change.

And yes i was aware of the built in boardmod.  

[Shoeb Omar]

good

i say you need the modding community

anywayz, i ws just wondering why alex isnt as proud as usual  

[Spaceman-Spiff]

where does <add> will add the new lines?
before or after the <search> lines?

[Zef Hemel]

where does <add> will add the new lines?
before or after the <search> lines?

After.

And if people want a <addbefore> tag I'm sure I can add it to a future release.

[Dave]

Naturally, you can always do

<search>
line1
</search>

<replace>
line2
line1
</replace>

To kinda spoof an 'add before', but I'd still like to see <add before> and <add after> tags sometime.

[dOCda S]

could it be possible that IIS 5.1 can't install the packages through the packages manager? he gives me always a success message but there are no changes in the files.
if someone want's to try my mod here's the link.

It's the own moderators column from YaBB SP1.
Dunno if it works because i can't add it to my board.

[Matt Siegman]

are you trying to use an SP1 mod on you board? or have you converted it?

[Meriadoc]

i have to use a .php to modify the db, what if i blow something up?

[Dave Smulders]

Make sure you have made a backup I guess