Thread

Are there any features missing from EE’s Discussion Forum compared to a standalone application, such as PHPBB or SMF?

I’m considering using EE as a replacement in a site that currently uses Joomla/SMF.  Currently Joomla/SMF are integrated fairly well together, but that will not be the case in future updates.

TIA

A tit for tat feature comparison is often not productive, as typically it’s the whole experience that matters most to both administrators and end users.  Every forum application is different, and it’s generally not X or Y feature that makes one forum application a better choice for your site, but larger over-arching operational facets (such as having a single log in for your site).  If you have some particular features that you are interested in, feel free to list them, and we can let you know if the ExpressionEngine forum module allows it, and of course, the forum module is included in the hosted trial for you to give it a try.

Is there a calendar available for posting events?  Does this integrate with the forum?

Thanks for your response, Derek, but really I’m interested in hearing from users of EE’s discussion forum, particularly those who have some experience with standalone forum applications.

TIA

I understand, carvingCode; incidentally, I have been employed with EllisLab full time for just over a year, and prior to that time used vB extensively, so I definitely fall into the category of user you are looking for.  And you’ll find a pattern here in the forums where we do not promote our tools as the be-all end-all of all software, and often point people to outside solutions if we think it’s a better fit.  But I’m happy to answer your question and then bow out of the thread. :-D

For the calendar: in ExpressionEngine, you would simply create a weblog for the purpose of your event calendar, which can be displayed however and wherever you like (including the calendar tag).  Weblog entries can be linked directly to a forum topic in the Publish screen; either to an existing topic, or can create even one for you automatically if you are publishing a new event.