The YaBB Development team has decided to go a different route to develop the next line of YaBB, which will be called YaBB 3.  Off and on over the past few years, code has been written from scratch in order to reinvent YaBB's functionality and improve performance in the best manner possible.  The coding style (which was using object-oriented Perl) and the thought of starting from scratch has limited the amount of developers willing to work on this code.

Although we have a functioning system with this new code, it was determined that reinventing every feature would be too time-consuming.  We have now decided to continue with the existing code, the same as we did with YaBB 1 to create YaBB 2.  However, we will have the same direction/goals we always did with YaBB 3.  Hopefully this new route will bring us a YaBB 3 sooner.

The primary goals of the initial YaBB 3 release will be:
- To have code that is easy to read and understand
- Reduced code that maximizes re-usability (for reduced file size and memory load)
- A documentation system that documents the code, the data structures, and how all functions work
- Better data integrity that prevents server overloads or data loss when the account or server runs out of disk space or memory
- Improved page loading times and reduced server CPU and memory usage
- An easy plug-in modding system that doesn't require rewriting code
- An improved templating engine that is easy to understand, yet allows for customizing nearly every page
- A database system that allows for ANY data system to be used (such as current flat file, MySQL, MSsql, PostGresl, MS Access, Oracle, Excel) - starting with flat file and MySQL
- Support for FastCGI with strict and warnings turned on
- Some exciting new features (hand-picked from a long list of features already identified to eventually be included in YaBB 3 releases)

The road map for YaBB development will be as follows:
1)  From this point forward, we will be more strict on our rule to implement no new features to the YaBB 2 line.  Tweaks to existing functionality are allowed as long as it is not a major change.

2)  YaBB 2.4.1 will be the next release of YaBB 2, with only bug and security fixes.  This will be the last planned release of the YaBB 2, unless any major bugs are found.  In order to prevent this, we will have beta testing.  It's release will be around October of 2009.

3)  A new development site will be opened to the public by summer of 2009 with all active development activity taking place there.  Hopefully with all development activity taking place publicly, we can attract more developers, more ideas, and more code testers.

4)  In the meantime (starting now), YaBB 3 development will commence in a separate/new development branch, starting with YaBB 2.4 code.  No work being developed for the first YaBB 3 release will be released in any YaBB 2 maintenance release's code.  YaBB 3 will be prepared for beta mode by January 1, 2010 with a first release shortly after.

5)  Future YaBB 3 releases will be a minimum of every 3 but no longer than 6 months apart, depending on the severity of changes made.

6)  We will move development code from CVS to SVN (subversion) on SourceForge's system, which is an improved system.

[Hip Hip Hoooray!]

Hip Hip Hoooray!

I welcome these changes.  I would like to begin really contributing to YaBB, and this should make it easier for me to do so.  I hope you'll also make use of SF's ticketing system, which would really help streamline development and bug fixes.

JonB wrote on May 13^th, 2009 at 2:24pm:

Hip Hip Hoooray!

Thank you for keeping us informed, Corey...

Corey Chapman wrote on May 13^th, 2009 at 9:05am:

The YaBB Development team has decided to go a different route to develop the next line of YaBB, which will be called YaBB 3.  Off and on over the past few years, code has been written from scratch in order to reinvent YaBB's functionality and improve performance in the best manner possible.  The coding style (which was using object-oriented Perl) and the thought of starting from scratch has limited the amount of developers willing to work on this code.

Although we have a functioning system with this new code, it was determined that reinventing every feature would be too time-consuming.  We have now decided to continue with the existing code, the same as we did with YaBB 1 to create YaBB 2.  However, we will have the same direction/goals we always did with YaBB 3.  Hopefully this new route will bring us a YaBB 3 sooner.

Personally, I am very happy to hear this. With all the work that has been inputted for the last few versions, I was actually quite worried about YaBB virtually starting all over again...

I may not be a prominent member around here, but all the same, I do think this is a greatly positive step...

Thanks to everyone who freely makes this happen, and here's to YaBB 3!

Corey Chapman wrote on May 13^th, 2009 at 9:05am:

Off and on over the past few years, code has been written from scratch in order to reinvent YaBB's functionality

Corey Chapman wrote on May 13^th, 2009 at 9:05am:

We have now decided to continue with the existing code, 

Are you saying you trashed all of the code writen from scratch for Y3?

That musta been a difficult decision.

Yes, and it was.  But we had probably 3 different systems written from scratch over the past 5 or so years that never went anywhere.  All were functional at the base level.

I have read again and again that an advantage that YABB has over other forum software is that it is free. I like free too but if the developers aren't getting paid they wont be as committed to the development.

[Customiser]

I look forward to see how YABB 3 will look

Budweiser wrote on May 28^th, 2009 at 1:23am:

I like free too but if the developers aren't getting paid they wont be as committed to the development.

Take it from me, being a developer on Y2.x.x for more then 6 years that your statement is all but true..

Even volunteering developers can be very committed and dedicated to their "job"

I'm still using 2.1

What are the chances that when you come out with 3.0 that I'll be able to upgrade without losing anything? I'd rather use a MySQL system than a flat file system.

You guys are sharp - I'm sure you'll make it happen.

Oh, and what about support for OpenID, facebook connect, and other social function - at least the sign in portion of it. I'm using more and more social features on my site and I'd LOVE IT if people could sign up for the forum using their OpenID or facebook credentials.

Thanks!

Brett Aquila - owner/founder/developer - www.truckingtruth.com

I've wanted to embrace Open ID for years, so hopefully it will make it in soon.  I can't say for sure if it will be in the first release of YaBB 3, but we'll hope for it.