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

[KuraFire]

The Hack Tracking Log is almost done!

All that is holding back its release now are two non-code related issue. And with one of them, you people can help! In fact, in a way you will even have to help, and you automatically will! Because, you see, the next step that will bring the release of the HTL closer is finishing the Documentation. And for this documentation, I need you guys' help.

"How can we be of help?"

By doing exactly that!

What is necessary is for you all to write your questions about the HTL in here. If you're one of the lucky private beta testers, then you're free to ask questions like "how can I do this?" or "I tried to do so-and-so but I can't seem to get it to work, what am I doing wrong?"
If you're not a private beta tester, you can ask even the most simple questions like: "what IS the Hack Tracking Log?" and "what can I do with it?" etc.

Anything -anything- related to the Hack Tracking Log is good. The more diverse your questions are, the better.

If all goes well, the HTL Gold release will be this weekend for real.

So let's have it, people!

[KuraFire]

Additionally, keep in mind that this thread will be used later on for new How to questions and the like, once the HTL has been released. So it's a good idea to keep an eye on this thread even after the HTL releases!

[Natch]

Originally Posted by KuraFire

Additionally, keep in mind that this thread will be used later on for new How to questions and the like, once the HTL has been released. So it's a good idea to keep an eye on this thread even after the HTL releases!

Statement: I have already applied a number of hacks to my vB3 RC2 board (/me, vBindex RC3, and a couple of others).

Questions:
1. Will I be able to easily (or not so easily) insert these to the HTL ?
2. Will the HTL manage to detect hacks already installed (if so, w00t) ?
3. Will the HTL be able to say "these changes have been made to the default, please create a new 'hack' entry, and assign these changes to their appropraite hacks" (more likely than 2 above) ?

PS. Great job - a much-needed addon

[KuraFire]

Originally Posted by Natch

Statement: I have already applied a number of hacks to my vB3 RC2 board (/me, vBindex RC3, and a couple of others).

Questions:
1. Will I be able to easily (or not so easily) insert these to the HTL ?
2. Will the HTL manage to detect hacks already installed (if so, w00t) ?
3. Will the HTL be able to say "these changes have been made to the default, please create a new 'hack' entry, and assign these changes to their appropraite hacks" (more likely than 2 above) ?

PS. Great job - a much-needed addon

Answers:

1) you can manually recreate them into the HTL. As long as you have the file- and template edits, and any further hack data, you can quite easily input that data into the HTL. However, keep in mind the chance that the Hack author might be releasing his hack as an HTL-compatible hack, and his .htl installer might contain more data than yours (which is likely - think about the automated phrases and templates and settings processes);
2) The HTL can't detect whether any hacks are installed. To do so, it would have had to do a very intricate diff-check routine, which is just not worth the processing power (nor effort to write). It also cannot possibly detect what database changes you've made on your DB compared to a stock vB3 install.
3) uhm.. not sure if I get you entirely, but from what I think you mean, then no. It can do some rudimentary version checking for Hack version and vB version, and before installation starts it will do that for you so that you'll be aware of that. But that's more or less the extent of it...

[MGM]

here's one: what IS the hack tracking log

lol, jk. hmm..... does the hack tracking log literally TRACK changes made or do we do that ourselves. Also, what exactly does it automate?? I know that it automates the phrases and templates, but does it change templates that already exist (such as adding a small change to the postbit template) or do we do all those manually as well?

MGM out

[sowen]

I'm really looking forward to this

1. Will the HTL automatically edit template, php files etc.
2. Will the HTL have a Hack rollback facility
3. ... and will it be automatic

[KuraFire]

Originally Posted by MetalGearMaster

here's one: what IS the hack tracking log

lol, jk. hmm..... does the hack tracking log literally TRACK changes made or do we do that ourselves. Also, what exactly does it automate?? I know that it automates the phrases and templates, but does it change templates that already exist (such as adding a small change to the postbit template) or do we do all those manually as well?

MGM out

The HTL does not actually perform any 'tracing' or 'tracking' tasks on your software - this is not only because it's much more complicated to make and perform and utilize, but also because many people may not want it (privacy, plus the majority prefers to do some things manually)

Any file- and template edits will have to be performed manually, but that's the only thing (in general - a hack may require you to make a new usergroup, for instance, but then, the hackmaker can automate that as well...)

What it automates:
the Install routine is 75% automatic, in that it automatically inserts the Hack phrases, templates and settings, as well as automatically runs queries and Custom PHP code for hacks (if they need that).
Additionally, the HTL automatically generates menu items for Hacks that have them (in the Admin CP, that is!), and on top of that it also automatically creates Template Groups for Hacks that come with many templates.
You can even specify for each single hack whether it should have the Menu links and/or Template groups to be automatically generated, though in the case of the menu links, if you don't let them be generated, you will not see them unless you edit admincp/index.php (but WHY would you do that when it's automated? )



@ sowen:

The HTL does not do automatic file- and template edits. A bit of research showed that the vast majority of hackers here does not like automated file/template edits. Manual edits were highly preferred, and so the HTL will let you (force you) to do file- and template modifications by hand. It does, however, make things easier for you - any File / template edit will be surrounded by Hack Identifier Lines, so that you can easily spot code that belongs to a Hack, when you read through files/templates that are modified. Also, the HTL makes a very simple, standard, clear distinction for modifications:

Add ABOVE
Add BELOW
REPLACE with

Instructions on what to do and where, are less likely to be confusing, this way.

And no, there is no Hack Rollback - this would be a lot of work to implement/create, and it's generally much easier to do yourself anyway

[Mephisteus]

have any authors of popular hacks said they would use it?

And I am assuming that I won't ++++ up like vBhacker did with the (back)slashes

Also, when you have initiated the installation of a hack, will there be a status checked that (just guessing here) changes the color of the hack that is listed to green (installed) instead of red (not installed) or yellow (installation aborted) or something like that (it would own )

[KuraFire]

Originally Posted by DarkSSJ3

have any authors of popular hacks said they would use it?

Yup, several hackers (popular ones) have already said to only release Hack Tracking Log hacks for vB3. Additionally, many also have said that they would probably convert their existing (released) hacks to HTL-hacks once it's out. And chances are good that they will discontinue their non-HTL version after that (mainly cos it's SO MUCH EASIER to make hacks with the HTL).

Originally Posted by DarkSSJ3

And I am assuming that I won't ++++ up like vBhacker did with the (back)slashes

Yup, it won't f**k up with backslashes, nor newlines. The .htl files are (to be) treated as binary files, which ensures full safety against newlines being treated differently across unix/windows/mac.

Originally Posted by DarkSSJ3

Also, when you have initiated the installation of a hack, will there be a status checked that (just guessing here) changes the color of the hack that is listed to green (installed) instead of red (not installed) or yellow (installation aborted) or something like that (it would own )

All hacks will appear on the Hack Management page in one of the three methods listed below:

- Normal hack that is installed (white link, unless you have a deviating CSS theme for your AdminCP)
- Imported Only (not installed, but put in the HTL on your database for reviewing/analyzing, useful if you want to see what it does during install, first (RED links);
- UNINSTALLED HACKS section, separate from the other hacks. Also lists at what step during Installation you stopped / got disconnected / closed your browser / quit. Allows you to pick up where you left off.

[MGM]

I don't understand how exactly the HTL KNOWS whether a hack is a "normal," imported," or "uninstalled" hack. Is it like a page where we can "add" hacks just like we can add styles and input all the info ourselves, and then we can select whether it is a normal hack or an imported hack? and then if we ever uninstall it, click on uninstall in that same page?? something like that at all?

and what's the difference between Normal hacks and Imported Hacks? My guess is that normal hacks are those that are done with a .htl file, but then whats an imported hack???

MGM out