The issue is the 95% of users who aren't coders...

I think that all (maybe first of all me including) came out off topic. Maybe my bad English don't help me alot to move my thoughts to text. So let's try with a simple example, even if many users will not like it.
Example: When vB4 came out for a very long time (years I can say), vBulletin were continuing releasing new version of vB3 with new features and not just with bugs fixes as is the most common in software (any type of software including PC applications).
This brought a strange situations. vB3 users didn't moved to vB4 because they were getting 90% of the new features. For me, this was I***t (I added the asterics on my own).
As I'm seeing now, vB does not follows this route (something that I encourage). As long as vB5 came in life, anything new must be on this version. Didn't seen any update for vB4.
So, is this the new status? If yes, then me (and most coders I believe) will move to vB5. Simple because all vB4 users we will wish to move on. But if vB keeps updating vB4 with the new features, then will make a cicle. Endless..

Hope that the example was more clear (I want to believe).

Chris

--------------- Added [DATE]1354476556[/DATE] at [TIME]1354476556[/TIME] ---------------

As long as a product has officially reached its EOL and there is no official sales and official support, everybody has the right to release FOR FREE such patches.

It has been officially announced and confirmed VB4 will see further development. 4.2.1 will be released and even a 4.3 is planned. Also confirmed 4.x will get an update to make it PHP 5.4 compatible.

As for releasing your own patches, that can be done at anytime so long as you don't distribute already copyrighted code- the reality is it is unlikely anyone will and using such patches would nullify any official support someone had.

I'm not so sure about that... EOL or not vBulletin 2 sites who have copyright shown are still abiding by the license agreement to this day. I would check on that before simply doing so WHEN it's EOL ;).

There is no need to release anything. Some instrcutions are enought. Anybody can makes a global search and replace. Only 3 words are needing change. One of them is ENGINE instead of TYPE and some very simple changes in mysql libary.

I would hope you would release a xml Mod that automatically does this for those of us who really aren't coders and who really, really don't want to lose their 3.8.X vBulletin installation.

I'd be happy with you just releasing the words that need changing, i already knew about ENGINE, it's just the others :)

TYPE and ENGINE are changes to MySQL not PHP.

It is my understanding issues with PHP 5.4 have to do mainly with character sets and string functions, but honestly I didn't look too heavily into the issue.

Me, perosnally.

vBulletin has made it harder and harder for us coders/designers to make things new without making us spend wayyy to many hours on simple stuff.

I am pretty much giving up on vBulletin myself -- I shouldn't have to redo my skin every .0.1 upgrade and shouldn't take 20 hours to make a simple widget that pulls universal data (skinning the widget I mean)


TL:DR -- vBulletin is making it harder and harder and the pro's and easier/easier to do stupid stuff for the noobies with 0 code experience

It was just an example. By the way. I wish you fast recovery Joe. Somewhere I read that you're hospitalization.

Chris

--------------- Added [DATE]1354515432[/DATE] at [TIME]1354515432[/TIME] ---------------

Not exactly a XML file, and for sure not original vb core files. But I can release a batch processing file (.bat files runing in DOS window), or (if I've time for it) a simple window application which will automatically makes all needing changes.

Chris