The Hack Tracking Log - now's the time for all your questions! Come here and ask!

[KuraFire]

Originally Posted by Dan

Ok... I got a question

How hard is it to actually keep your board up to date with it? Like when I upgrade to a new version of vBulletin do you think it will not mess up much of the HTL?

It's not hard at all. The feature "List all Modifications" that comes with the Hack Tracking Log will show you exactly all file- and template edits required for all of your installed Hacks. When you upgrade your vBulletin, you can open the page in a new tab (or window) and then simply overwrite all your files with the new vB files and work off the list to re-apply every file edit. It works much easier than trying to upgrade and then re-apply hacks the way everyone used to do with vB 2.x (those that chose to upgrade at all, anyway).

Originally Posted by Dan

Well here is another good one... how exactly will hack making be done with HTL (I already know a bit of how but not all the ins and outs)?
Thanks Kura!

Hack making is mostly just doing what you would usually do, except instead of putting your file- and template modifications in a text file or a custom install script, you enter them in handy dandy form fields that make things so much easier. Same with queries.

More details on creating hacks is in the documentation, so just some patience for that

[eXtremeTim]

Im going to state right now that this sounds wonderful and that when it is out i will be adding all my current vb3 custom/private mods into it. I will also be adding all my public vb3 hacks and releasing them in that format.

/me wonders just how long it will take me to add all my private changes :-/

[trafix]

Im exctied about the HTL

I have been playing with a beta version for a couple of days to build the install files for the VB Trader ....

ITS MAGNIFICENT .... and i have decided that all of my hacks will use the HTL

Great job Kura

[M1th]

I got only one thing to say...


w00t!

[eXtremeTim]

We need to get vb.org itself to push the hack installer. I think we should push for 100% of hacks to use this format.

[KuraFire]

Originally Posted by eXtremeTim

We need to get vb.org itself to push the hack installer. I think we should push for 100% of hacks to use this format.

Feel free to make a public poll a week or so after the HTL is released.

I doubt you can get vB.org to enforce using the HTL, but I'm fairly sure that they will endorse it actively - they already said that they would recommend it officially, so..

[13th_Disciple]

ok, since i don't write hacks, let me see if i got this right, because i am not entirely sure i understand.. but like the sounds of it all even if i don't know what it may or may not mean to general board admins..

so if i have my vb3 boards set up, install HTL, then install the hacks that come out using the HTL method, HTL will keep up with all of the hacks i've installed, the file edits associted with the installed hacks, as well as templates, template modifications, new tables in the database, tables that are modified, phrases (which i don't entirely understand either) that the installed hacks use, and code specifically associated with the installed hacks.. as well as the abilty to upgrade your boards as new vb releases are done by allowing you to basically compare files with the necessary code changes that need to be made?

also, will it keep up with style modifications.. let's say i modify my style, install an upgrade version of vb3, it rewrites the style.. will i be able to compare my old style with the new stlye to be able to make the satisfactory changes that will help me revert to what my existing look was/what i want it to be?

if even the majority of this is true, then i am completely interested..

and since i have been trying to learn the vbulletin design to start my own hacks, i am assuming from what i have read, that the HTL will output what changes i have made, as well as an installer that one could use to install via the HTL, should i choose to release any of my own hacks.. is that also roughly correct?

[TheComputerGuy]

Originally Posted by 13th_Disciple

ok, since i don't write hacks, let me see if i got this right, because i am not entirely sure i understand.. but like the sounds of it all even if i don't know what it may or may not mean to general board admins..

so if i have my vb3 boards set up, install HTL, then install the hacks that come out using the HTL method, HTL will keep up with all of the hacks i've installed, the file edits associted with the installed hacks, as well as templates, template modifications, new tables in the database, tables that are modified, phrases (which i don't entirely understand either) that the installed hacks use, and code specifically associated with the installed hacks.. as well as the abilty to upgrade your boards as new vb releases are done by allowing you to basically compare files with the necessary code changes that need to be made?

also, will it keep up with style modifications.. let's say i modify my style, install an upgrade version of vb3, it rewrites the style.. will i be able to compare my old style with the new stlye to be able to make the satisfactory changes that will help me revert to what my existing look was/what i want it to be?

if even the majority of this is true, then i am completely interested..

and since i have been trying to learn the vbulletin design to start my own hacks, i am assuming from what i have read, that the HTL will output what changes i have made, as well as an installer that one could use to install via the HTL, should i choose to release any of my own hacks.. is that also roughly correct?

Well my review hack will defintly use this when I release it!

[KuraFire]

Originally Posted by 13th_Disciple

ok, since i don't write hacks, let me see if i got this right, because i am not entirely sure i understand.. but like the sounds of it all even if i don't know what it may or may not mean to general board admins..

so if i have my vb3 boards set up, install HTL, then install the hacks that come out using the HTL method, HTL will keep up with all of the hacks i've installed, the file edits associted with the installed hacks, as well as templates, template modifications, new tables in the database, tables that are modified, phrases (which i don't entirely understand either) that the installed hacks use, and code specifically associated with the installed hacks.. as well as the abilty to upgrade your boards as new vb releases are done by allowing you to basically compare files with the necessary code changes that need to be made?

also, will it keep up with style modifications.. let's say i modify my style, install an upgrade version of vb3, it rewrites the style.. will i be able to compare my old style with the new stlye to be able to make the satisfactory changes that will help me revert to what my existing look was/what i want it to be?

if even the majority of this is true, then i am completely interested..

and since i have been trying to learn the vbulletin design to start my own hacks, i am assuming from what i have read, that the HTL will output what changes i have made, as well as an installer that one could use to install via the HTL, should i choose to release any of my own hacks.. is that also roughly correct?

Pretty much ALL of that is correct, yes.

The HTL does not automatically track your style modifications, HOWEVER, if you make your style modifications normally, which means NOT modifying the MASTER STYLE, then any vB upgrade will not delete your style. It will leave your customized templates intact, and you can see if they have been updated in the new version of vB that you upgraded to by using the Find Updated Templates tool (this is part of vB3 itself).

So you can revert back to your customized look using vB3 itself already. Additionally, what you can do with the HTL is just keep track of all template modifications you make for your style, as if they are for a 'hack'. Then, the HTL has complete records of EVERY change you make, and after a vB-upgrade you can easily list all of them again.

[13th_Disciple]

thanks for the explanation.. that sounds very good.. almost the equiv of a version control/tracking system.. i have actually thought about something like that, but it's too ambitious a project for a n00b like me.. thanks kura.. looking forward to the release.. which i think you said may be tonight.. hope it is.. wanna get all the stuff i need dl'ed to prepare for for an upgrade and rollout next weekend..