Thread

I’ve just upgraded a second site running EE1 to EE2, and while the main EE upgrade went relatively well, the Forum Module upgrade has gone less well.

Upgrade was a 1.69 to 2.52 with corresponding forum builds.

The forum itself is working when used with one of the prepackaged theme, the issue have is with a custom theme.

I used the script to convert all the Module 2.* themes to the 3.* standard, but I am having a few problems with a couple of custom includes.

Trying to access the forum homepage:

The following errors were encountered

The page you requested was not found
<hyperlink to my forums homepage>

In my forum_index folder my forum_homepage.html looks like this:

{include:html_header}
{include:page_header}
{include:main_forum_list}
{include:bottom_panel}
</div>
{include:right_panel}
</div>
{include:html_footer}

Trial and error shows me that it’s the bottom_panel and right_panel causing the issues (these are custom). The page renders fine without these. However, I am not sure how these are causing issues.

Both these files reside in the forum_global folder, and contain HTML like the below (i.e. nothing special):

<div class="content_right fltright">
    {if logged_in}
    <div class="welcome">
     <h2>Welcome Back</h2>
<p>    </p><h3>{screen_name}</h3>
<p>     <ul><br />
      <li><a href="http://{path:your_profile}">{lang:your_profile}</a></li><br />
      <li><a href="http://{path:your_control_panel}">{lang:your_control_panel}</a></li><br />
      <li class="active"><a href="http://{path:logout}">{lang:logout}</a></li><br />
     </ul><br />
    </div><br />
    {/if}<br />
    {if logged_out}<br />
    {include:login_form_mini}   <br />
    {/if}<br />
    <br />
    {include:quick_search_form}<br />
    <br />
    <div class="right_social"><br />
      Connect:<br><br />
    </div><br />
    <div class="forum_right_add"><br />
     [removed]<!--<br />
     /* Snowboard-Review Forums WSKY */<br />
     //--><br />
     [removed]<br />
     [removed]<br />
     [removed]<br />
    </div><br />
   </div><br />
   <div class="clrflt"><br />
   </div>

I tried moving them to the forum_index folder, but that doesn’t work.

The upgrade notes covering this subject are a little brief when it comes to what happens if you “deviate”. From looking at the themes bundled with Forum 3.* I am not doing anything untoward.

One things that springs to mind, is how EE “knows” which of the folders to look for the various includes in, but I assumed an array was built from all the *.html names and the folder structure is just an organisation medium.

So, what do I need to do?

Thanks,

DJB

2.5.2 - Build: 20120606
3.1.8 Build 20120507

Extensions: Accessible Captcha
Plugins: TrunchHTML, Super Geekery Tag Stripper, Low Replace,

Edit: For what it’s worth, I’ve switched back to a flat structure for those files, which has solved my problem, even if it means duplicate code in many places, but the urgency has gone. I still want to know what I am doing wrong.

Hi DJB,

Glad to see you’ve figured out a workaround for the problem. I can’t really say what the problem was exactly since nothing immediately jumps out to me either. I can tell you how I’d troubleshoot it though.

It’s good that you’ve narrowed the problem down to specific files. That’s the first step. The next thing I would do is take out everything in both files and slowly build them back up. If they’re blank but still being called from the forum_homepage.html and still causing problems, then you know its the very inclusion of the files themselves causing problems. If they’re fine that way, then start throwing those files’ code back in, small chunks at a time. Keep that up until the forums throw an error again. If you narrow it down to exactly the snippet of code that’s causing problems, feel free to post that back here and I’ll be glad to take a look at it with you.

Hey Kevin,

Sorry, I should have said that I had verified that it was nothing to do with the content of those files that was causing the issues. The problem occurs with an empty file.

Tried inclusion in topics, threads and index main pages and it always breaks.

Also, decided to add a file into one of the unmolested default themes in the same way and it also breaks so it’s nothing to do with my custom theme perse.

Thanks,

DJ

Hey DJ,

When working with the forums, the templates you have to work off of, are the only templates you can use. Creating your own custom templates are bound to cause issues.

So while you are able to completely customize the forums themselves, the template file structure is not one to be altered.

Is there anything else I can help with?

Thanks!

Hey DJ,

When working with the forums, the templates you have to work off of, are the only templates you can use. Creating your own custom templates are bound to cause issues.

So while you are able to completely customize the forums themselves, the template file structure is not one to be altered.

“...bound to cause issues…” This was totally possible in EE1, so saying it is bound to cause issues in EE2 is a little naive. Did you ever use EE1 forums?

In upgrading the forums from the EE1 to the EE2 product EL removed functionality, made no mention of it in the docs, and provided a conversion tool that ignorantly processes custom defined template chunks into the new format that does not work?

Actually, I guess that’s not that surprising. Welcome to EE1 Gallery Module, the sequel.

[edit] Sorry - having a bad “EE day”, but nonetheless the above still stands. [/edit]

Hi danieljohnbarnes,

I’m really sorry for your frustration.

I never used the Forums under ExpressionEngine 1, but I used a lot of EE 1!

I can’t say why it was changed, and why the change wasn’t properly documented.

In upgrading the forums from the EE1 to the EE2 product EL removed functionality, made no mention of it in the docs, and provided a conversion tool that ignorantly processes custom defined template chunks into the new format that does not work?

I suspect your “ignorantly processes” bit is spot on. The conversion likely just changes the file extension of any files it finds. The definition of ignorant.

I did try a few things, and I shared your experience. The parser chokes when it comes across files it doesn’t expect.

I’m not sure I have a solution to offer, but I’m willing to listen 😉

Cheers,