Do you use a "test" board to test your hacks out first?

[Sue]

I was thinking of just making a test board for myself to play with on my site, so I don't go screwing up things on my regular board . . .

if you don't do that, how do you test out hacks you've installed or made?

[Sparkz]

Dev-version of the board is The Only Way [TM]

[Sue]

Dev? :confused:

[Sparkz]

Dev(elopment) or test-version :)
Call it what you like, but that is The Only Way To Hack[TM] :banana:

[NTLDR]

I have a few Dev/Test boards, unfortunatly I don't tend to test all the hacks and record which ones I have installed properly and use, this will change when vB3 is here, I'm going to do things properly then :D

[Rose]

I sometimes use a testboard, if the hack looks major or if I'm not quite sure how it works.

I'm definately using a testboard of vB3 before I go live with it*.

*when it comes out

[Sue]

when vb3 is here, I'm gonna have to do all my hacks (or most of em anyway) over again huh? :(

[Rose]

Originally posted by Sue
when vb3 is here, I'm gonna have to do all my hacks (or most of em anyway) over again huh? :(


Yup. Sorry. As far as I know, most of the hacks released for any previous version of vB wont' work on vb3.

[Xenon]

hmm, i think i have about 10 testboards. three on my laptop and 6 locally here, so for some greater hacks i have a complete new vb with just this hack installed.

and after testing on testboards most of my hacks are also testet on my online board then..

[Ryangel]

Originally posted by Xenon
hmm, i think i have about 10 testboards. three on my laptop and 6 locally here, so for some greater hacks i have a complete new vb with just this hack installed.

and after testing on testboards most of my hacks are also testet on my online board then.. :eek:

[Xenon]

not enough? ^^

[Ryangel]

lol thats plenty! :knockedout:

[Link14716]

I don't use a testboard. I just pop them on my regular board and ask myself if I am feeling luck ;)

[imageconstrux]

Bump - here's a n00b question - how can I go about setting up a test board? My site has grown enough in membership and content that I don't want to roll the dice like I used to with my hacks.

[Xenon]

look into the general modification hints, there is a big thread by Teck about it :)

[Cassidy]

I use one test board for everything. If i screw something up i try to fix it or a start all over again. It doesn't really bother me but i know no coding what-so-ever. I just guess it as i go along and it works ^^;

[Gary King]

Test board on localhost :)

[Erwin]

I have a few Dev/Test boards, unfortunatly I don't tend to test all the hacks and record which ones I have installed properly and use, this will change when vB3 is here, I'm going to do things properly then :D
I've been doing this for 6 months now- I have a text file documenting each PHP file change. The upgrade from RC1 to RC2 took me only 15 minutes on a fairly heavily hacked forums. :) The time consuming thing now is the bloody template changes!

[MGM]

how do you do that Erwin???

I have about 3 test boards locally and 3 online for my other admin to test things out

I used to just install hacks on my live board, but now I setup a few test boards to make sure everything runs properly before adding it to my live board

MGM out

[imageconstrux]

MGM for your online test boards - did you just install vB into a dif't, unused domain you had lying around, then import all the hacks from the live board to the test board?

[Erwin]

how do you do that Erwin???

I have about 3 test boards locally and 3 online for my other admin to test things out

I used to just install hacks on my live board, but now I setup a few test boards to make sure everything runs properly before adding it to my live board

MGM out
Have a list of all PHP files you've changed. Under the file name, write a note regarding what you've done, and how many changes.

Inside the PHP file itself, wrap all custom code with comments.

When you upgrade, use a file comparing program like Araxis Merge.

Any PHP files you have not touched can just be replaced. This way, you save a lot of time, and you avoid having to rehack your forums.

[NTLDR]

Since installing vB3 I've marked every single edit along with a short description of what the edit is for (bar all the A/MCP navbar edits). As Erwin said it really does make a difference when upgrading knowing exactly what files have changed and knowing the exact changes you have made.

[MGM]

MGM for your online test boards - did you just install vB into a dif't, unused domain you had lying around, then import all the hacks from the live board to the test board?

I just created a subdomain and new database, installed vBulletin or uploaded a backup, and made that subdomain password-protected. I then installed a hack to the test board, if everything works properly and I find no errors, I just re-add the hack into my live board, along with any changes I may have made :p easy stuff really lol, just time consuming ;)

Have a list of all PHP files you've changed. Under the file name, write a note regarding what you've done, and how many changes.

Inside the PHP file itself, wrap all custom code with comments.

When you upgrade, use a file comparing program like Araxis Merge.

Any PHP files you have not touched can just be replaced. This way, you save a lot of time, and you avoid having to rehack your forums.

Lemme rephrase that just to see if I understand correctly... you added all of your hacks to, say, a vB3 RC1 board.... hacking and modding away, correct? You added comments wherever you made a code change or deleted a piece of coding so as to know what hack that code is for and what it does. Then, when it came time to upgrade, you made a backup of your forum, and compared the files using a program to find all of the changes. You installed, say, vB3 RC2 on your board and then went back to the program and re-edited in all of the changes from the new version into the "hacked" version, correct?

*breathes in..... then out..... then in...... then out...... wax-on...... wax-off* ahem, soooooo..... am I right? :D

MGM out