UBB.Developers Forums UBB.threads 7 Development How Do I? I'm scared!

Hi all. As a humble designer who struggles with code (and a Mac user too!) please could someone advise on actually doing hacks?

My board is backed up every day by our hosts but I am assuming that the files I 'hack', as long as I download/keep the original copy, if I cock it all up I can drop the originals back in and the board will be back to how it was? Are there any more tips on how to do this?

I am using BBEdit to do the changes and ftp'ing using Fetch. I want to put in the 'who's on-line' in first and then a couple of others.

Although I realise most who visit this site are developers and code nuts there must be many who (like me) run scared of doing tasks like this, perhaps it might be an idea to produce a 'fool's guide' to some of the issues involved?

Thanks in advance

please read this faq page

if you have any other questions, please post them

Just a thought

cal. . . top answer! How did I miss that then! So basically I will have to just get in there and get my hands dirty then :rolleyes:

From what I can see it is really a matter of being really careful with cutting and pasting in the correct text exactly where told to, updating the files in the correct places and Bob's your 'unkle'.

I am also supposing here that as long as each time I apply a hack and tected it, the next one I put in (if it crashes or clashes) I can just go back to the immediate previous version.

Way hey - time for a bit of a play tonight then. . .

Seems you are one of the few UKers on here. I was not expecting an answer until the USA woke up.

Cheers

yup

We've also got Sally in Cambridge and Elliot (borg) in Essex

Just a thought

Cheers Cal,

I have had a look and am going through the files and doing as asked. 2 questions. . .

a. the on-line hack is split into mods_wordlet_install.txt and then Whos_Online_Readme.txt. Some of the files used are the same. I am downloading the files, keeping a back up and then amending a new version to upload. I presume that the 2 sets of mods can be done in one hit and upladed just the once?

b. when I open the ultimatebb.cgi file it is unlike all the others in that all it gives me is one long line of 'gunk' instead of nice code as per the others. . . I can only read the text properly when I ask BBEdit to softwrap the text. . . I can find the text to change - I am just worried it may not work. . .

Sorry for all the questions but its best to ask!!

Thanks

Poacher

A. yes, you can do them both in one hit, do the wordlets one first, as it is used for many of the modifications.

B. It shouldn't be on just one line, ultimatebb.cgi should be ~600 lines (more or less, depending on if you've done some modifications. I wouldn't trust a text editor to wrap a file, tho I don't know if that would harm it, I just use the time-honored "scroll to the right" method. Line wrapping a file will make it difficult to find the correct code for modifying, as most developers tell you to look for a specific section of code to replace/ modify.

ps, we have a good number of developers/ moderators in Germany and France, some even in Turkey and further east, so they have been up a while usually.

Thanks Alan. I am actually just starting loading it now. . .

fingers crossed. . . :rolleyes:

ACK NO!

part b sounds like the line encoding has got screwed up. make sure you transfer the file in ASCII between your mac and the server when you FTP. If all the lines seem to merge into one. re-upload the original file (in ASCII!) or a backup which isn't mashed up

Just a thought

sorted.

Big thanks to Cal!

[ May 21, 2001 03:27 PM: Message edited by: Poacher ]