Making progess!
Well, thing is with a relational database program (which is what a forum/discussion board IS), one of the ways one makes it so works in a less bloated fashion, and thus more efficiently, is to do nested structures in the program.
For example, you have your main categories that display on the index page. How that's set up with it's subsequent subcategories determines how many queries are actually USED to draw that page. The less the queries used, the more effiiciently the program itself will actually run. The forum I'm working on currently is woefully out of date. However, I'm doing the legwork NOW to make it so that when we upgrade it, it takes hours instead of days or even weeks for the changes to become apparent and useful. Not to mention reorganizing a large forum can be quite a pain in the ass, as it's got to be done in a way to minimize the actual queries used per page draw.
To do this, I actually have a working test bed that's offsite from my current project location. IT has the most current version of the software installed, so I can test and set up for when the upgrade goes live.
The main page draw I've only reduced by four queries altogether. It started with 11 queries at the index, and I now have the current forum at 9. In my test forum, the query count is 7. I don't expect to be able to get it less than that. Up to 10 is actually okay, but a bit more than I like to see.
In the categories themselves, the query count is now down to five in my test bed. In the current forum, those query counts go as high as twelve per page draw, depending upon the size of the initial category. I've gotten the query count down to 5 as well for the sub forum categories, and THEIR subforums as well. All in all, a very good thing, in that the database will handle the flow of the data much more efficiently. Makes the board run faster, and less likely to have problems. Also keeps the bloating down that one finds in any relational database program. Most importantly, it's MUCH easier on the hardware framework.
Part of the problem I'm having is strictly language related. i.e. in how php 4+ parses php 3 scripts. They don't play well together at all. Hence, the unlimited subforum modification now isn't working correctly. Neither are other ported in, major modifications that are currently in that board. The newest version of the board has that written in tho, so by creating the subforums now, once I upgrade, all I have to do at that point is make sure they're all living in the right place. That's a minor adjustment and doesn't take all that long. Even WITH all the subforums that are there now. As to the other modifications, I've simply downloaded the updated versions written in php4+, so that when the board is upgraded, those modifcations that aren't actually a part of the board can be ported back in, and actually WORK the way they're supposed to. Unlike now, where they kick unexpected errors, and such things.
And finally.....the login problem from hell.....
How that was fixed was kind of an odd thing. I'd initially set the guest view option to "on", and set up a few forums where the masks allowed guest view and access. Also had edited the guest group and mask to be sure that it work. Under NORMAL circumstances, this would've worked damn near instantaneously. However, for whatever reason, there was a snippet of code placed in a global footer element, of ALL places (this would normally be elsewhere, not the footer). Why, I haven't a clue. But in the meantime, after going through 400+ html snippets that apply to how a skin draws, I finally found what I was looking for and killed it. So, now guest view is actually a viable and working option.
For example, you have your main categories that display on the index page. How that's set up with it's subsequent subcategories determines how many queries are actually USED to draw that page. The less the queries used, the more effiiciently the program itself will actually run. The forum I'm working on currently is woefully out of date. However, I'm doing the legwork NOW to make it so that when we upgrade it, it takes hours instead of days or even weeks for the changes to become apparent and useful. Not to mention reorganizing a large forum can be quite a pain in the ass, as it's got to be done in a way to minimize the actual queries used per page draw.
To do this, I actually have a working test bed that's offsite from my current project location. IT has the most current version of the software installed, so I can test and set up for when the upgrade goes live.
The main page draw I've only reduced by four queries altogether. It started with 11 queries at the index, and I now have the current forum at 9. In my test forum, the query count is 7. I don't expect to be able to get it less than that. Up to 10 is actually okay, but a bit more than I like to see.
In the categories themselves, the query count is now down to five in my test bed. In the current forum, those query counts go as high as twelve per page draw, depending upon the size of the initial category. I've gotten the query count down to 5 as well for the sub forum categories, and THEIR subforums as well. All in all, a very good thing, in that the database will handle the flow of the data much more efficiently. Makes the board run faster, and less likely to have problems. Also keeps the bloating down that one finds in any relational database program. Most importantly, it's MUCH easier on the hardware framework.
Part of the problem I'm having is strictly language related. i.e. in how php 4+ parses php 3 scripts. They don't play well together at all. Hence, the unlimited subforum modification now isn't working correctly. Neither are other ported in, major modifications that are currently in that board. The newest version of the board has that written in tho, so by creating the subforums now, once I upgrade, all I have to do at that point is make sure they're all living in the right place. That's a minor adjustment and doesn't take all that long. Even WITH all the subforums that are there now. As to the other modifications, I've simply downloaded the updated versions written in php4+, so that when the board is upgraded, those modifcations that aren't actually a part of the board can be ported back in, and actually WORK the way they're supposed to. Unlike now, where they kick unexpected errors, and such things.
And finally.....the login problem from hell.....
How that was fixed was kind of an odd thing. I'd initially set the guest view option to "on", and set up a few forums where the masks allowed guest view and access. Also had edited the guest group and mask to be sure that it work. Under NORMAL circumstances, this would've worked damn near instantaneously. However, for whatever reason, there was a snippet of code placed in a global footer element, of ALL places (this would normally be elsewhere, not the footer). Why, I haven't a clue. But in the meantime, after going through 400+ html snippets that apply to how a skin draws, I finally found what I was looking for and killed it. So, now guest view is actually a viable and working option.