version 0.15 fixes the cache performance so the data is only unserialized once (I should note that bb-polls adds ZERO extra queries to any page, it’s already fetched with the topic) v0.15 also allows all the labels to be changed for other languages. More CSS classes are added/fixed, slight colour tweaks.
http://ckon.wordpress.com/files/2007/08/bb-polls.txt?v015
I’ll get a proper admin menu in there after another version or two when I’ve thought out all the options properly (to prevent the need for any database changes)
Is there any interest in it having ajax-like action even if it’s not “real” ajax? Basically so there is no page refresh. I can use some simple dhtml tricks.
mazdakam thanks for the screenshot! It’s facinating to see it in Right-To-Left.
By the way, the newest version let’s you change the word “poll” to whatever the proper word is in your language (Farsi?)
I can see I also need to allow the word “votes” to be changed. Will add that tonight.
Actually originally in my code, I was unserializing the data ONCE, then the array is passed globally, already in place. Serializing data is only bad if you are going to be constantly unserializing it in the same bbpress instance. I don’t do that (on purpose).
(update, actually I have to go back and fix the process with that, I did a quick fix around a bug and fetched $topic each time but that needs to be a global also – all the code used to be in one routine so $topic was only fetched once, but that’s changed – I can fix)
I used meta data because that’s what it’s there for. There is no need on a forum to create extra tables for stuff that won’t be used outside bbpress. I look at all the downsides of poll plugins like WP-Polls and tried to avoid them.
The goal was to use bbpress routines wherever possible for future tweaks. As I go back and cleanup bits of code I can already see where and how to make it more ajax-like (though that’s not a priority).
Testing working in the latest 912 trunk.
I highly doubt most bbpress installers will continue to use the default template longer than a week or two. It’s a very sterile 1990’s computer room look, green/white, wide & empty. Ugh.
Reminds me of that old school continuous computer paper:
http://www.jwodcatalog.com/imgLg/753000NIB0342.jpg
I can’t wait until bbpress gets some critical mass of users so we have all those thousands of creative wordpress folks slaving away on themes.
On a programming note, I’ve got to figure out how to trash the post data that’s sent so when doing a refresh after voting the browser doesn’t nag the member that the post data will be resent (it won’t affect the poll stats if it does but still I don’t want that post data there). Probably have to do a redirect after submit which is a shame as it has to load bbpress twice then.
Like I said, everyone can edit the CSS and impress me.
We can take the top styles and I can allow admin to change the styles from a selection of defaults.
The polls look *completely* different on my own forums, absolutely nothing like the default styles, even my topic metadata area is 100% different.
Ah I see.
Well everyone can work on making it pretty – it’s very easy to do and I’ve laid it out fairly cleanly (css at the top).
As far as ajax, this will be my learning project, I only know the basics. But I have a strange style in that I like simple = better, so I’ll have to do some research. I also want to use the default bbpress javascript libraries unless I can do it somehow without dependencies.
Fortunately I have an idea on how to do it. Don’t hold your breath though, might be a couple weeks or more.
LOL! so why did everyone cry out for a poll plugin then?
Just use polldaddy.
Since bb-polls is completely css driven, you could actually make it look like any of theirs – with a few hours of work. Background images, submit button images, poll bar images – they all can be applied.
I think I’m doing enough work on the engine though. Someone else can spend the hours to skin it 
I just got a trunk install going.
Wow, yes I will fix the colours right away.
Sorry about that!
That was easy.
Complete colour fix in v0.14
http://ckon.wordpress.com/files/2007/08/bb-polls.txt?v014
Looks pretty good if I do say so myself!
screenshots:
http://xs218.xs.to/xs218/07315/bb-polls-form.png
http://xs318.xs.to/xs318/07315/bb-polls-results.png
Surprised how it looks even better with small fonts.
I use bigger fonts on my custom theme.
Oh and it works great with the newest trunk too.
Yeah I don’t have the default template running anywhere to configure it, lol!
Working right now but will build a test account and do a trunk install tonight so I will be able to change it.
If you have better css, please post.
v0.13 adds better level control and a few other tweaks
note that default settings are now set to everyone can view, any member can vote, only moderator+ can add
(you can edit these of course, but just a caution)
http://ckon.wordpress.com/files/2007/08/bb-polls.txt?v013
Make sure you are using v0.11 and then post a new test topic.
The default setting is polls can be added to topics no more than three hours old (adjustable).
You must be logged in as a moderator or higher to see the poll options or poll results for the beta. This is to prevent other members from seeing your testing & configuring.
Since I can’t edit the first post here I’m just going to use my wp blog for updates:
bbPress Polls plugin
v0.11 is a bug fix:
http://ckon.wordpress.com/files/2007/08/bb-polls.txt?v011
Installing it will definitely answer all your questions.
Many answers are yes. The current options near the top will give you an idea.
I designed it from the start to allow votes on multiple selections or single section – the poll creator can decide.
bbpress cleans up the topic meta on its own, so if the topic is deleted in theory the meta is deleted (but bbpress doesn’t really delete topics yet, it just flags the differently)
you can decide if polls close with the topic or not
you can also decide if the poll is shown on each page of the topic or just the first
only members can vote – I do not have any plans to implement non-member voting, it defeats the purpose and makes the code much more complex
Eventually I will do more than horizontal bars which will make a higher load (I am sure I can find an existing easy library). Bars are currently done in pure CSS which makes it lightning fast and completely customisable with colours and even rounded corners with images.
Oh… you’re hacking the core, that’s easy but not good.
I am desperately trying not to touch the bbpress core which was a huge mistake I did with wordpress and made it impossible to upgrade even when there were critical security fixes.
bbpress is in such a state of flux right now it would be crazy to hack the core, updates with major changes can be expected almost every other month.
I’ll put this on my scary growing list of things to look at. To be honest it’s not a huge priority but you might want to seriously consider my idea of messing with the topic_status flag. You already are halfway there.
Yeah, actually – don’t use move-it until I have more time to work on it. It doesn’t update the db in all the places it really should and can leave things in a weird state.
I’ll definitely add that feature to move-it (create a new topic from a reply). Will give it more work after I get the polls plugin a bit more stable this week.
Just out of concerned curiosity, what other plugins have you found that don’t support the trunk?
I suppose I am going to have to break down and setup a testing account with the trunk this weekend or so.
We need a developer plugin that injects a bunch of fake new users and fake messages for testing.
I am more than halfway finished on a poll plugin and should have a working beta by this Sunday night…
I’ll be working more on my “from scratch” version tonight and this weekend. I dare say I should have it fully functional by Sunday night.
I’ve noticed the plugin browser is usually on a 30 minute delay or so after svn updates.
I bet it runs on a cron job or something like that.
OMG you mean there is actually someone who wants the xml-rpc pingback feature in 0.83? LoL !
I guess I have trackback jealousy, all I ever got was spammers.
I’d actually make this plugin for you as it doesn’t take much for it to happen – I just wanted to save some time by understanding how you are sending bbpress a predetermined future time and date rather than the current time and date for a new post. I haven’t looked at the core code but I didn’t think it was looking for time/date fields in a new post.
a quick look shows bb_new_post posting post_time as bb_current_time(‘mysql’) – so it’s not even checking if a different time has been submitted, it’s forcing it to use the time it calculates…
Too bad Google also has it’s own API and doesn’t do openid (yet?)
But in theory bbpress could be made to use google identities… interesting….
http://code.google.com/apis/accounts/Authentication.html
Apparently there is a $5000 bounty for putting openid into a project? So the bbpress folks could claim that possibly and get some headlines:
http://iwantmyopenid.org/
