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27 Comments
Posted by
Matt 
Works is progressing well on the next version of our blogging software. A lot has already been completed and I wanted to take a moment to share some of the improvements.
Efficiency and Extensibility
I've put a lot of effort into refactoring a few core classes to make them more useful and extensible. The ultimate aim is to remove function duplication and consolidate common actions into single functions or classes.
I've also introduced more caching to lower the query count and remove some of the more intensive queries. This has seen a reduction of nearly 60% of SQL work on a few page views alone.
Categories Return
During the development for IP.Blog we converted the categories system into tags. We felt that being able to apply several tags to a single blog entry was more useful than putting it into a category. This worked well but I felt there was still a need for 'fixed' categories. I've added categories back in and you can select multiple categories to file an entry in as well as as create new ones on the fly.
The following screen capture shows the new interface when making an entry:
This screen capture shows the blog list with the new "Categories" widget showing available categories with the number of posted entries in each.
UserCP Improvements
I've put a lot of work into making the UserCP more functional for the blog. Currently, you can create a new blog and edit its settings.
The new version allows you to do that as well as quickly mass-moderate comments and entries.
This screen capture shows the new UserCP Blog dashboard:
This screen capture shows the new UserCP Manage Comments screen:
These are just a few of the features already completed. We'll follow up with some more next week.
Efficiency and Extensibility
I've put a lot of effort into refactoring a few core classes to make them more useful and extensible. The ultimate aim is to remove function duplication and consolidate common actions into single functions or classes.
I've also introduced more caching to lower the query count and remove some of the more intensive queries. This has seen a reduction of nearly 60% of SQL work on a few page views alone.
Categories Return
During the development for IP.Blog we converted the categories system into tags. We felt that being able to apply several tags to a single blog entry was more useful than putting it into a category. This worked well but I felt there was still a need for 'fixed' categories. I've added categories back in and you can select multiple categories to file an entry in as well as as create new ones on the fly.
The following screen capture shows the new interface when making an entry:
This screen capture shows the blog list with the new "Categories" widget showing available categories with the number of posted entries in each.
UserCP Improvements
I've put a lot of work into making the UserCP more functional for the blog. Currently, you can create a new blog and edit its settings.
The new version allows you to do that as well as quickly mass-moderate comments and entries.
This screen capture shows the new UserCP Blog dashboard:
This screen capture shows the new UserCP Manage Comments screen:
These are just a few of the features already completed. We'll follow up with some more next week.
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27 Comments On This Entry
Lewis P
30 October 2009 - 03:32 PM
Oooh - looking very nice. Seems a whole lot more useful now!
**raises hand** Can we also get reputation added into the blogs?... It still seems a bit alone only being in posts...
**raises hand** Can we also get reputation added into the blogs?... It still seems a bit alone only being in posts...
Matt
30 October 2009 - 03:35 PM
It's on the list 
I've already integrated IP.Board 3s proper item marking which saves a bunch of queries.
I've already integrated IP.Board 3s proper item marking which saves a bunch of queries.
Lewis P
30 October 2009 - 03:38 PM
Great! It gives me another reason to persuade my other admin on why blogs are easier than a forum for personal story updates! 
ΑndyF
30 October 2009 - 05:32 PM
Excellent.
I particularly like the change to the control panel, it looks a lot better and tidier regarding ease of management of multiple Blogs, and the recent comments is a welcome addition to this screen too.
I particularly like the change to the control panel, it looks a lot better and tidier regarding ease of management of multiple Blogs, and the recent comments is a welcome addition to this screen too.
.Ian
30 October 2009 - 08:12 PM
would be great if blogs could remember a users font selection etc., to save them from reformatting text on each entry.
Kfir
30 October 2009 - 08:36 PM
Looking great!
I hope that the tags system will make itself into IP.Gallery too.
I hope that the tags system will make itself into IP.Gallery too.
Mat (FDNZ)
30 October 2009 - 11:25 PM
Oooh, nice. Is this one going to play nicely with the major third party desktop blogging tools (Live Writer is a popular one)? Because 2.0 doesn't. It feeds kludges back in response to some XMLRPC queries (for example, according to Live Writer, my blog is located at http://server/SRGFSg...FSDGFGDfsdgfsdg==), and doesn't do any parsing of the HTML it's given.
Hatsu
31 October 2009 - 12:50 PM
Will it be possible that an admin defines "global" categories and sets user permissions for them?
liquidfractal
01 November 2009 - 07:18 AM
looks pretty slick......but i'm still wondering about that formatted printout option!
nabludatel
01 November 2009 - 03:03 PM
Will we have the sidebar on blog start page (which lists all blogs)? It will be a very usefull feature (the new vb has something like that on their blog start page).
Is it also possible to add the "numbered voting" system: as seen on sites like Digg, Mixx or Reddit - "to let users submit and vote on news articles. Vote on stories that interest you and articles that receive enough votes will appear on the homepage of the site".?
Is it also possible to add the "numbered voting" system: as seen on sites like Digg, Mixx or Reddit - "to let users submit and vote on news articles. Vote on stories that interest you and articles that receive enough votes will appear on the homepage of the site".?
AtariAge
01 November 2009 - 11:27 PM
I'm elated to see work being done on a new (significant) version of IP.Blog. Thank you for adding categories back! One of the Blog's current weaknesses is the ability to find new comments posted in blogs. I'd very much like the ability to subscribe to individual blog entries and then get email when new comments are posted. I'd also like the ability to get new emails when ANY new comments are posted to an individual's blog, as opposed to just individual blog entries.
Also, I would love to see the main blog page revised, as the blog list view lost a ton of information and abilities when the blog was "Upgraded" with the last major revision (1.4 I think?) Please go back and revisit all the information that was removed, as well as the ability to sort by each column (which was also removed).
Can't wait to hear about other improvements being made.
..Al
Also, I would love to see the main blog page revised, as the blog list view lost a ton of information and abilities when the blog was "Upgraded" with the last major revision (1.4 I think?) Please go back and revisit all the information that was removed, as well as the ability to sort by each column (which was also removed).
Can't wait to hear about other improvements being made.
..Al
krang
02 November 2009 - 11:10 AM
I've to admit, you did again the best software (or it looks like at least) for blogging (as well as the forum). I love it. I'm looking towards 2.1 to actually buy the Blog-software for me and some of my friends and get rid of this freeware crap!
When will it be available? I can hardly wait!
Great work again, Matt!
When will it be available? I can hardly wait!
Great work again, Matt!
benfromaix
02 November 2009 - 03:51 PM
Hello Matt,
Thanks for this new development.
Our 13k blog users will love
* to see categories re-appear.
* to have the ability to see new comments in one place.
* to handle easily multi-blog.
I payed IPB for a custom mod to re-include friendly url.
But I would love to see it built-in.
I thinks friendly URL (I mean friendly for users, not for seo), is a pre-request for a strong blogging plateform.
Bloggers needs to communicate their url, print it on newpaper, business card...
This is the only big lack in IPB blogs.
Ben
Thanks for this new development.
Our 13k blog users will love
* to see categories re-appear.
* to have the ability to see new comments in one place.
* to handle easily multi-blog.
I payed IPB for a custom mod to re-include friendly url.
But I would love to see it built-in.
I thinks friendly URL (I mean friendly for users, not for seo), is a pre-request for a strong blogging plateform.
Bloggers needs to communicate their url, print it on newpaper, business card...
This is the only big lack in IPB blogs.
Ben
Matt
04 November 2009 - 12:55 PM
Spent some time making sure that multiple blogs are mapped out properly. This screen capture shows that I have 3 blogs listed, 1 I own, 1 I am an editor on and another is a private club blog set up by another member.
