Forum Module (Pro Standard)

Example
/forumIndex.aspx – Screenshot placeholder: Forum overview with category tabs, word cloud, and recent activities

Description

The n-gen.net Forum Module is a lightweight, fully integrated discussion platform built directly into the n-gen.net CMS. No external dependencies, no bloated third-party software – just pure ASP.NET Web Forms (C# 4.0) and MySQL. The module respects user levels (0-3+), integrates with the site's existing theme colours, and provides a modern, responsive user interface.

Key Features

• Full discussion functionality – Create topics, reply with threading, edit and soft-delete posts,
• Voting system – Upvote/downvote posts with real-time score updates,
• Word Cloud – Automatic keyword extraction; click any word to search the forum,
• Role-based help texts – Different help messages for guests, registered users, authenticated users and admins,
• Recent activities panel – Configurable number of activities and preview length,
• Category pagination – Handles many categories with compact pager,
• Email notifications – Users can opt-in to receive emails when someone replies,
• BBCode support – Formatting with [b], [i], [u], [url], [quote] and 20+ smileys,
• Admin control panel – Centralised settings for word cloud, visual options, recent activities and email notifications,
• Responsive design – Works on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile devices,
• Theme integration – Automatically inherits colours from the site's Style Manager,
• Searchable – Forum-wide search with AND/OR operators and result highlighting,
• AJAX-powered modals – Edit, delete, create topics without page reloads (admin only),
• Category management – Create, edit, delete and reorder categories (admin only),
• Audit logging – All admin actions logged to log file and database tables.

Installation

The Forum Module can be installed in two ways: Automatic (recommended) or Manual.

Method 1: Automatic Installation (Recommended)

1. Download the SQL script install_addForum[2026-06-16].sql from the master repository.
2. Navigate to /install/installForum.aspx on your n-gen.net CMS site.
3. The installer will check if all required files are present.
4. Click "Create Forum Database Tables" – the installer will execute all SQL statements automatically.
5. After successful installation, you will see a confirmation with links to /forumIndex.aspx and /admForum.aspx.

Screenshot placeholder: installForum.aspx wizard with file status and success message

Method 2: Manual Installation (via System Installer)

1. Download the SQL script install_addForum[2026-06-16].sql from the master repository.
2. Go to /install/install.aspx (n-gen.net CMS System Installer).
3. Select the SQL file from the dropdown under the "Maintenance" section.
4. Click "Execute" – the script will create all tables and insert default settings.
5. Ensure all module files are uploaded to your server.
6. The forum is now ready at /forumIndex.aspx.

Note: The automatic installer (/install/installForum.aspx) is the preferred method as it performs file validation and provides detailed feedback. The manual method is only recommended for advanced users or server environments with restrictions.

Usage and Implementation

For users:

• Browse categories and topics on /forumIndex.aspx.
• Click "Create Topic" (level 2+ users) to start a new discussion.
• Use "Reply" or "Quote" buttons on posts.
• Upvote/downvote helpful content.
• Opt-in for email notifications when creating a topic or reply.

For administrators (level 3+):

• Access the admin panel at /admForum.aspx to configure:
  • Visual settings (header, word cloud, recent activities, pagination)
  • Word cloud parameters (min/max length, blacklist, cache, timeframe)
  • Help texts for each user level (0-3)
  • Email notifications (SMTP must be configured in /admConfig.aspx)
• Manage categories (create, edit, delete, reorder) – accessible via the admin panel.
• View subscriptions, email log, and activity log directly from the admin panel via modal dialogs.
• Edit or delete any topic or reply using AJAX modals.

Remarks

• The forum module respects n-gen.net CMS user levels (0=guest, 1=registered, 2=authenticated, 3+=admin).
• Email notifications require SMTP to be configured in /admConfig.aspx – otherwise the "Notify" checkbox is disabled.
• The word cloud is cached for performance; changes to theme colours may take up to 60 seconds to appear (or clear the cache).
• Soft-deleted replies can be restored by admins; hard-deleted replies are permanently removed.
• Unsubscribe links in notification emails use SHA256 tokens – secure and user-specific.
• The module does not require any changes to web.config – it runs entirely within the existing n-gen.net CMS structure.
  

Files List

Database Tables

1. forumTopics – Topic container with title, content, user reference, category, and notify flag
2. forumPosts – Replies and comments with threading, soft-delete support, and vote tracking
3. forumCategories – Category management with sort order and security level
4. forumPostVotes – Up/down votes with unique constraint per user/post
5. forumSetup – Configuration settings (word cloud, visual options, notifications, pagination)
6. forumSubscriptions – Email notification subscriptions per post
7. forumNotifications – Log of all sent email notifications

Support

For questions or support, please visit the n-gen.net website or contact webmaster@n-gen.net.

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