Creating a Forum

[Moshambi]

I know that a lot of you will probably tell me about all the free forums out there and what not, but thats not what i want to know. i was wondering if anyone could give me an idea on what language(s) i would need to know to create my own forums. any help is greatly appreciated.

thanks,
Mosh

[Twey]

Anything server-side. PHP, Perl, Python, Java, VBScript, ... You can really create server-side scripts in just about any language thanks to the magic of CGI. Some are better-suited than others, though.

[Moshambi]

cool so PHP should do the trick? do i need to learn SQL or anything like that? thanks for the fast response!

[thetestingsite]

Well, you will need a way to store the data; whether it be through SQL or even just text files.

Hope this helps

[Moshambi]

ya thanks that makes sense that i would have to store the data somewhere. oh and one last question i had was, is it possible to start creating my own forum offline? so that i can make one before i put it up on the net? im sure it is possible, i just dont know how and if i need specific programs and such...thanks for all the help in advance

[djr33]

SQL [probably MySQL] is the right route, and so is PHP. There are other routes, but the odds are that will be the easiest, most compatible, etc.

Here you go:
http://php-mysql-tutorial.com

However--
Be warned, this is a BIG project. It will not be easy, nor fast, and you will need to learn a lot. If your post was "I really don't want to learn SQL; do I have to?", then turn back now, but if you're up for it, then best of luck.

There are also a number of free forum setups available, such as phpBB, etc. They work fine, just aren't custom.

If you can make your own, though, that's great. I don't mean to be discouraging, but just realize the scale of this, and dive right in if you're up for it.

[Twey]

SQL [probably MySQL] is the right route, and so is PHP. There are other routes, but the odds are that will be the easiest, most compatible, etc.

Bleh. We've got a plethora of PHP/MySQL forums. I suggest writing a Python/Django forum. The language is much nicer too (and so is Django).

[Moshambi]

cool thanks a lot guys. i realize that this is going to be complex and time consuming but if i come up with any questions on my journey ill definitely post them here. Thanks again!

[djr33]

Twey's suggestion is right, perhaps, if you can find the resources to learn those languages, your server supports them, etc.

PHP and MySQL are more common; it's like writing something in English, rather than in Swedish. Swedish may be a nicer language, but it's also more obscure.

Certainly nothing wrong with pursuing those. I don't mean to imply that, but just that PHP and MySQL are the standard tools for this type of project; you will also have more people who can help. A number of users here, for example, know PHP and MySQL, though Twey may be the only one who knows Python/Django to a reasonable degree.

[Twey]

Which is a good reason as to why it's more worthwhile writing a forum for Django. More importantly, Django currently doesn't have a decent forum package (that I could find), so you'd actually be doing something useful rather than reinventing the same tired old wheel.