"You're absolutely right with your assessment about the need for Simplicity, but I guess, you've missed the XOOPS extension called "Common Utilities" (http://rmcommon.com/en/) :)

So I invite you to download the latest version of XOOPS 2.5.8 (https://xoops.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6762), the Common Utilities extension, incl. some of the modules created with this new architecture (http://rmcommon.com/en/modules/)
and take it for a spin and let us know what you think.

The Common Utilities will be part of the upcoming "next generation" version of XOOPS - see more on our XOOPS Roadmap: https://github.com/XOOPS/XoopsCore/issues/252 "

MyTextSanitizer has become Xoops\Core\Text\Sanitizer.

Highlights:

- Single unified configuration file

le="color: #000000"><?php xoops_data/configs/system_sanitizer_prefs.yml

- Extensions (i.e. YouTube) are now a SanitizerComponent, a base class that also includes Filters (i.e. Xss)

- Each SanitizerComponent auto-configures, and configuration is automatically updated with new additions

- Custom components can be added via response to core.sanitizer.configuration.defaults event

- ShortCodes (WordPress style) are now the basis of XoopsCode and extensions

- Custom ShortCodes can be added via response to

le="color: #000000"><?php core.sanitizer.shortcodes.add

event, or by directly accessing the ShortCodes engine with

le="color: #000000"><?php Sanitizer::getShortCodes()

- All built-in components and shortcodes can be overridden with same named custom replacements

- Some extensions have updated syntax. For example:

le="color: #000000"><?php [youtube=640,385]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxS5E-kZc2s[/youtube]

can now be:

le="color: #000000"><?php [youtube url="JxS5E-kZc2s" width="640" height="385" /]

(It also can use virtually any known YouTube URL as the url attribute.)

- Another example is SoundCloud, which now can directly support the "Wordpress code" option offered in the Share/Embed dialog on soundcloud.com.

The old styles are still accepted for compatibility with existing content, and not all extensions have conversions to new styles, yet. There is more work to be done, but the backing code is now in place.

First stage of localization refresh #261, and other misc cleanup - Implements localized date and time handling. PHP DateTime objects used extensively in all date processing. Localization is provided by [Punic](https://github.com/punic/punic) - Add `Request::getDateTime()` Returns a `\DateTime` object from `Form\DateSelect` and `Form\DateTime` input. The form classes can also receive DateTime objects as values. Form dates are now local to the user, or system default if no user. - Timezones are now PHP `DateTimeZone` names, not float offsets. PHP DateTime and DateTimeZone objects are used to implement all calculations. This makes handling of things like daylight savings or summer time automatic. - Add `Dtype::TYPE_TIMEZONE` to store and restore \DateTimeZone objects - Add Smarty `datetime` modifier, allowing both unix timestamps and DateTime objects to be processed by XoopsLocale::formatTimestamp(), allowing date and time formatting to be controlled in the presentation layer with tags like `<{$datevariable|datetime:'short'}>` - XoopsList class broken into individual classes in `Core\Lists`. These class are expected to implement `Core\Lists\AbstractList`. These can interact directly with form fields, reducing code complexity and duplication. - Add select_editor 'formtype' for $modversion['config']. This removes the need for active code to load editors in a module's xoops_version.php. All editor lists now originate from one point, Core\Lists\Editor - New subclass of Form\Element, OptionsElement which provides the standard option methods. List classes can interact with any extender of OptionsElement, see Core\Lists\AbstractList::setOptionsArray() - `Xoops_*` classes moved to actual `Xoops` namespace. These *PSR-0*, pseudo namespaces are obsolete. Their removal allows us to move to PSR-4 based loading for the Xoops namespace. - CountryFlag service no longer delivers bare URL to resource, only HTML to display flag. This allows more flexibility on how the flag is presented. - Accept `Trowable` in `Core\Logger::handleExeception()` (PHP7)

I've given a lot of consideration to modules, and have a few ideas I want to present. If you have comments, alternatives, objections or other feedback, please respond. Baring objections, I would like to move on this quickly. Namespaces Add a namespace column to system_module table. This would be the PHP namespace for the module's code. It would map to the module's class directory in PSR-4 fashion. This would be implemented automatically for all active modules with a namespace specified. Note, this will be separate from the composer maintained loader, since composer has no way of knowing if a module is "active" in XOOPS. Autoloading components from modules which are not installed or inactive could create lots of issues. With the namespace enabled, most of the old directory positional naming constructs can be replaced with objects. For example, instead of using the $modversion['onInstall'] entry to locate a file to include, then building function names based on the module name, the code would look more like this:

le="color: #000000"><?php if (class_exists($moduleNamespace . 'SystemInstall')) { $install = new $moduleNamespace . 'SystemInstall; $success = $install->postInstall($module); }

Our current preloads directory, with possibly multiple files, would disappear, and everything would reside in the$moduleNamespace . 'System\Events' class instead. In this scheme, the class/System directory would be reserved for the system specified classes. Each would have a specific interface defined. There are more details, but this should illustrate the concept. Modules vs. Extensions Based on some thoughts from @bitcero and some more consideration, I propose eliminating the extension concept as is, and moving to a module category system to make management cleaner. Categories would be something like this: Category: Usage ------------------------- Content: articles, blogs, calendars, forums, etc. Developer: module builders, schema tools Extension: service providers, system enhancement Locale: i18n resources, language packs Theme: for the new module based themes This is not carved in stone, but the idea is to create a limited, high level taxonomy to categorize modules. The defined categories would be enforced, as we don't need a free for all. The module listing functions would be adapted to deliver lists of individual categories. A category column on the system_module table would hold this item. To support subtle differences, each category would be backed by a sub class of the system module class, but all would offer the same functionalities. Add a modinfo column to system_module Caching of the $modversion array has been suggested many times. Adding a single column set on install and update can accomplish this, and the existing getInfo() and related methods will be able to use the column data as the source, eliminating the need to hit the filesystem. With this information in the database, all the module object access can be fully cached, which should speed thing up a bit.

Conversion of kernel classes to Doctrine DBAL

The conversion required lengthy testing, and a variety of other changes that cover the same space have been included:

- User passwords hashes now use bcrypt ("blowfish") for increased security
- Module update process now automatically performs schema updates
- Patchwork UTF-8 libraries added to implement a "Unicode all the way" approach
- SQL prepared statements and bound parameters implemented in core classes
- Unified preloads/preload.php file now used reducing the number of files involved
- Several improvements for some debugging tools

Note: running composer update is required for these changes as several packages were added and/or updated. (see this info to learn more about Composer, and how to install it. There is also this good article here)

You can merge this Pull Request by running
git pull https://github.com/geekwright/XoopsCore master
Or view, comment on, or merge it at:

https://github.com/XOOPS/XoopsCore/pull/42

Commit Summary
- Add cURL to the recommended php extension list
- Doctrine conversions, and Bcrypt ("Blowfish") password encryption.
- Schema conversions comments and images modules
- Fix a few inssues introduced in doctrine conversion
- Implement a unified preload file in some modules
- Allow absolute urls in button links
- Add RotatingFileHandler option for logs versioned by date
- Doctrine conversion missed earlier
- Declare classes as abstract
- More unified preload file changes
- Start conversion of kernel classes to namespaces
- A few module updates for recent namespace changes
- A few fixes for issues found in testing of recent changes
- Convert userconfigs to module from extension
- Add caller info to deprecated message
- Add transaction to add and update. Fix pass by ref error.
- Fix incorrect grouping of some where clauses.
- Move userconfigs from extension to module list
- Fix namespace issues
- Fix an odd expression case involving a null 'IN' clause.
- Add schema synchronize step to module update process
- Fix issues introduced in recent conversion.
- Add Patchwork UTF-8 support
- Update for PHP 5.5 compatibility

Hi, I'm Richard Griffith and here is a brief history of me.

I've lived in lots of places in the USA, and have landed recently in a small town in Iowa, where the challenges of a more than a century old house became a temporary full time job. Spoiling my granddaughter also keeps me busy.

I studied Computer Science in college, and spent more than 2 decades inside a Fortune 100 company as a contractor and consultant. Over the years I have programmed everything from handhelds to mainframes, using whatever languages were needed, and held roles and responsibilities ranging through project development, change management, database administration and many others. My favorite role was always the programmer analyst; there I got to identify the problem, define how software could help and then build a solution.

While there were lots of valuable lessons learned in that environment, it was obvious that real growth and innovation occurs in smaller, more agile environments. Sifting out the most valuable lessons from the large conservative corporation approaches and deploying that value as an asset in smaller organizations became my focus.

I was very attracted to XOOPS when I was first introduced to it many years ago. The module structure really appealed to my view of how things should work. Over time, I've offered up many solutions based on XOOPS or some of its derivatives. While I continued my endeavors for the benefit of existing clients, I was eagerly awaiting some much needed modernization. Conversations with the XOOPS evangelist you know as Mamba led me to realize I was not alone in wanting a powerful, modern web application platform based on the XOOPS model. I agreed to a more direct involvement, and one thing led to another. I was scared, humbled and honored as we entered into the discussions that lead us to this point.

I hope that XOOPS can benefit from my experiences in the same way XOOPS has benefited me. Together I think we can create a powerful platform that exceeds our dreams and still retains that character that makes us XOOPS.

UPDATE: If you're reading this for the first time, please be aware that the XOOPS 2.6.0 Development is taking place on GitHub and that there has been tons of changes between this Alpha 2 and the upcoming Alpha 3. You can read about some of them here:

https://xoops.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6538
https://xoops.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6557

Please fork the XOOPS 2.6.0 code from GitHub and help us in testing and development!

The recent Project of the Month on SourceForge, XOOPS was designed from the very beginning as an object-oriented CMS, which is even reflected in its name: eXtensible Object Oriented Portal System. Michael will present the OOP oriented architecture of XOOPS, and show how OOP makes development of XOOPS modules easy and fun, promotes reuse of code, and keeping GUI consistent across all modules.

In the "Basic" category of the competition to goal is to run on Windows Azure a ready PHP code.

The participant chooses one of the prepared PHP frameworks and modifies it to run on Windows Azure. Number of changes as compared to the original version has an impact on scores. List of available frameworks:

Gallery
Joomla
Magento
phpBB by Przemo
Sugar CRM CE
TomatoCMS
XOOPS

What can we do as XOOPS community to help XOOPS to move back into the focus of potentially interested users?

1) We need to actively promote XOOPS in Social media!

I did the start and set up a Facebook - fan page and a Twitter - Account.

Now it is important that you all now, if not done already, press the "Like" - button on Facebook, or follow our channel on Twitter.

Only then can your friends and fans be alerted and informed about XOOPS, and be supplied with continuous, interesting news. In time, through viral marketing, we'll achieve a noticeable increase in popularity of XOOPS!

2) We need to actively promote XOOPS on CMS-related blogs and Websites!

A few days ago I got an email from http://www.contenmanger.de. I was asked for an interview. There are many important CMS-related portals/Websites which would be glad to release XOOPS News. Now we just need to start supplying them with information.

3) Promote internally to our members and via email marketing

We have a large http://www.MyXoops.org community that needs to be re-activated to certain extent. It should be also possible to reach our target audiences through external advertising campaigns, such as an email campaign.

4) Translate XOOPS modules & Core releases, create documentation and design new themes

A CMS lives and dies with modules, hacks and themes. There are many professional XOOPS modules, which unfortunately are not known in Germany. We need to change that!

Leading the way for me personally, are modules from [Eduardo Cortes]:
http://code.google.com/p/bitcero-modules/downloads/list


Bleekk and Sinnemax already provide the community already with reliable and good themes. It would be obviously great if we could also win for XOOPS module developers of Alfred's caliber.

5) Help us!

If you have time and desire, you're more than welcome to join us in getting attentions of potential users for XOOPS! You don't have to be a theme designer, or PHP programmer. In principle, any help to make XOOPS more popular is welcome. We are looking for:

- Theme designer
- Module programmers
- Translator
- Tester for modules, core versions and themes
- promotion experts
- Documentation writers
- Moderators
- or whatever you want to do to help XOOPS become more popular

This should be just a general outline. Please use this thread to discuss further these issues. Interested parties should not hesitate to contact me via PM and be part of our motivated XOOPS Germany team.

Do you have other suggestions? Well, then just tell us, because XOOPS is powered by YOU!

I love that this project has been around for so long, and continues to succeesfully reinvent itself. I feel confident that it will only continue to grow and prosper as the years go on.

Supported by a large international developer community, XOOPS continues to prove that it can compete with the fast growing new comers like Drupal and Joomla.

There are a lot of CMSs today that web developers and designers could choose from. But when it comes to free, successful, and user friendly CMS, there would only be 3 names for it, Drupal, Joomla!, and XOOPS.

Xoops is an innovative extensible open-source platform that allows you to create a social network with everything you need. You can actually just begin by creating your own blog and then upgrading it to a social network through the use of several community modules.

After several years of suffering a development drought, Xoops is quickly regaining its hold on new webmasters and pushing to become a premier open source CMS once again.