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MODX is an XML format for describing simple and complex text and SQL changes in web applications. The phpBB.com Modifications Team uses MODX for phpBB3.0 MODs.

This consists of several parts, firstly MODX itself is the XML file format and is described by the modx1.0 XSD (XML Schema) The schema is what defines what you can and cannot put into a MODX file, and allows standard XML validators to validate MODX documents.

mEAL uses the .Net Framework (or mono) XML Reader to do schema validation, but any validator will report the same.

The last part if the stylesheet. Because no version of EasyMOD currently exists to install MODX, this is what everyone who installs a MOD will see.

The stylesheet (XSLT) is a standard set by W3C, and allows us to transform MODX into (x)HTML.

Currently the MOD Team has two standard stylesheets for use with MODX. Firstly a subSilver stylesheet for use with phpBB2.0 MODs, and secondly a prosilver stylesheet for use with phPBB3.0 MODs.

The prosilver stylesheet is cool because of the i18n opportunity it introduces through AJAX.

Unfortunately due to browser security, it does not work in Opera.

What is i18n?

Internationalisation. i 18 characters n.

What does MODX stand for?

MODification Xml

Is it only used in phpBB?

It was developed for phpBB, but anyone can use it.

What languages are avaliable in MODX?

A list of languages currently avaliable here. If your language is missing, prod the language pack maintainer for phpBB3 for your language.

What exactly prevents it from functioning in Opera?

Browser Security. It is Opera's opinnion that Cross Domain AJAX should not be allowed period. Going from Localhost to the internet is considered cross domain. It has to cross a security zone to do this. Currently Firefox and IE make you accept the security concequences before continuing. This effectively weakens the prospect of using the web browser as an application programming model. It may be possible to steal cookies or something due to the change in security zones, I am not exacty sure.

Is it not working in Opera a big problem? Don't most use Internet Explorer or FireFox?

MODX is about bringing modding to as many people as possible. It isn't just about IE and Firefox, there is also camino, Konqurer, Safari, Opera, on platforms such as Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX. Just how most people speak English but we try to make it so it can be avaliable in other languages.

If you try to use MODX with Opera, it simply won't work?

MODX in opera will work. With the prosilver xslt, as soon as you try to change the language, it will stop processing javascript.

Why exactly does MODX require cross-domain AJAX?

Only one feature of the prosilver MODX stylesheet requires AJAX. That is the i18n feature. To reduce the amount of data distributed with MODs and to allow MODs to be translated into more and more languages over time, we use AJAX to dynamically load a list of languages, and then to load each language. Put simply, it gets the language strings for FIND, AFTER, ADD, etc.

Why MODX and not continue to use the text template?

The Text template is basically limited to the powers of ASCII art. The Text Template is easier to write, but also easier to get very very wrong. The specification isn't as tight as MODX, so you can do little naughty things that cause parsers to go insane. You can also do big naughty things. Also the specification has been prone to feature creep, so a Text Template written 4 years ago isn't compatible with Today's specification. There are also features specific to MODX that wouldn't be appropriate for the Text Template.

Using CDATA on all lines doesn't do any harm, correct?

CDATA stands for character data. That's all it means, it's unescaped character data. It makes it easier to write by hand, when it comes to display with the stylesheet it doesn't matter if you have them on all lines. If your code contains any special characters, such as <, >, &, ', and " you need to use CDATA.

When packing MODX, we may include changes for any number of templates and languages, as long as en and prosilver are included?

That is correct.

Do all MODs on phpbb.com have to be in MODX form?

For phpBB 3.0, yes. For phpBB 2.0, it is optional. The text template is required for phpBB 2.0 MODs.

Do we put different translations in different MODX files, or in the same MODX file with different lang="en-gb"?

Translations for the target application go in other language files (edits to the language files within phpBB). Translations for stuff like description, title etc... go in the MODX file. The 3.0 sample file is a good example of this. If you view the source you will notice that there is English and a translation for Netherlands within the same file.

Are you guys still working on a MODX-compat EasyMOD for phpBB2?

Yes. If you checkout what is in EasyMOD's SourceForge CVS then you can have a version of EasyMOD That supports MODX. We are still working on getting this ready for a release.

From experience, which is the easiest/fastest way to create MODx files? Creating text first, then using a convertor, doing directly, or can you convert to MODx from a diff file?

MOD Studio, but converting from text is also easy.

geoffreak has created a web based tool, you can find it here: http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=543817

Are there manuals for modx?

There is a full PDF guide avaliable here: http://www.phpbb.com/mods/modx

Is the language select in MODX clever enough to change the instructions to the specific language?

No. Those edits are in a separate MODX file. The user has to open up the language specific MODX files for those changes.

Hello all, Welcome to the first 2 hour session of the phpBB MOD Authors convention on the phpBB.com MODs Database. Before we begin, I will first give you some good news. The phpBB.com MOD Team has just opened the MODs database for new submission of MODs!

Now lets start by explaining the MODs database. The MODs database is a collection of approved mods validated by the MOD team. MOD authors are able to submit his or her MODs to the MODs database, and the MOD team will validated these MODs. When the MOD Team haven't found any problems, bugs or security issues during the validating of the modification, we will approve it. We will provide hosting and a topic for users to receive support for MODs that have been approved.

What is the thinking behind the discuss section? Does the release topic not provide this?

Discussion section is for the Author and MOD Team to discuss the MOD privately. It's like PM but something that the entire MOD Team can participate in.

In the previous MOD Database, i had to tell it the URL of the existing MOD DB topic if there was one? Where do i do that here?

In this version, you don't. To submit updates to MODs, go to the My MODs section and in the Manage tab of the MOD you want to update.

For mods with an install file, do you have any MODDB requirements? Must the install file (install.php) use the phpBB templating system? Must it be placed behind the admin restricted area?

Install files don't need to use the template system. They should use the language system but the language strings can be at the top of the file. Using echo()s and things like that are fine. Be sure to use security measures though. I'd recommend restricting install files so that only admininistrators.

Are phpBB3 MODs being accepted *now* or not until Gold?

Now.

The rating in the overview? Do all MODs already there start at 0 or is the plan to use the rating from the current topic?

The rating system is not yet complete but we plan to use what is in the current topic.

Is there not a space to update the MOD Description?

Not yet. This hasn't been completed yet. You will be able to though.

What is the MOD Label?

The MOD label is the revision name, so the character after the version number, so when the version is 0.0.1a, then is 'a' the label

Can you talk about the plans for tags and how they will differ to the categories?

The advantage between tags and categories is that you can select more then one category. Before you was only able to choose one category, but sometimes it was better in 2 categories. The search function will also use these tags, so when a user dont want sql changes, he or she doesn't select that tag.

Should MODs written for both phpBB2 and phpBB3 be submitted in the same package?

No. You should submit separate MODs for phpBB2 and phpBB3.

Will you be able to see the queue of MODs ahead of you so be able to see where you are in the queue?

No.

Are there any MODs that don't have all tags, file edits, sql edits, etc?

Yes.

Any chance you can get the moddb approved page to list author' websites? I want to provide most of the support for my MOD on my website.

The MOD Team will have to discuss this. People can get support for MODs within the release topic here at phpBB.com.

Are the MOD DB requirements, posted as phpBB3 MOD DB requirements, the same requirements for phpBB2 MODs? If they are the same, it should be named so, and if they are different, then the links should be listed on the submission page?

They are different. This is a bug we will fix.

Are we required to submit a MODX version?

phpBB2 is optional whereas it is mandatory for phpBB3.

Should I submit add ons to my MOD separately?

No. Submit them in the same MOD package in the contrib/ folder.

Is there any plans to try help link MOD authors to style authors? All the CSS stuff is killing me :)

We are discussing this with the Styles Team.