SourceForge.net: Project phptaxonomy

The tumbleweeds rolls over the project as my work and family life consumes all available time for a period over the summer. It does not, however, mean that the project is forgotten – far from it.

I still peck away at the code, but I still feel that in order for the next release to make sense, i need to revise the way that user roles are integrated through the code. In the current alpha-build and the subversion code, three user roles can be created – user, moderator, and administrator. But only the administrator role is currently able to perform any edits, while the user in effect can’t do anything at all that you can’t do without logging in.

The plan for the three user roles is to allow a bit more interaction with the site at different levels.

- Users: Post in forums, and use direct forum links from a particular taxonomic entity. Submit photo’s for approval. Request moderator status on a particular taxnomic branch.

- Moderators: Edit branches of the taxonomic tree. This can be done at various levels from phylum to species, depending on the moderators competence or speciality. Moderators can also approve submitted photos within their area of operation, and can moderate forums within the same area.  Moderators may also be able to post News to the global newslist, create/edit specific keys, and add literature resources.

- Administators will remain full editors on all taxonimic entities, and also have to approve moderators. In addition, administrators can create new generic forum threads, create general information pages, and large access all function of the site.

The plan is not to necessarily implement every single aspect of these roles in the first instance, but some revision of the way user roles and permission tables are linked through the site will be necessary before 0.3 next release at least.

So, to those who might be reading this – I hope you have a little patience, and i wish you a happy summer too.

I’m happy to say I’m once again moving forward with developing phpTaxonomy. The steps towards release version 0.3 has begun. Quite a lot of the work for that version is simply tidying up the code, including a SQL file so users have a chance of establishing the DB, and get the various plugins updates.

So far, the progress is focussing on expanding the DB tables to make the system a little more flexible and organised. I’d prefer to have less DB updates later on to minimise effects on existing users.

So version 0.3 is on tracks for its planned release in mid-June