New Module system
 

Due to the fact that the current module system is so easily broken, it is going to undergo a massive restructuring. (The first evidence of this is the openfirst.info.php files found in CVS.)

The basic idea is that a module could be installed, uninstalled, or updated without worry about conflictions. This would include DB tables, translations, hooks, or anything else.

There would be several core "modules", which are used by the central code and likely universally. They would include:

• The Module Manager (installing, uninstalling, and configuring modules)
• Documentation (the "help files")
• Users (sessions, option storage, login, permissions)
• Edit (universal markup parser)
• Language (translations)
• Hooks (low-level extensions)

Each of these provides a functionality that is used by several (if not all) modules. They would be implemented mostly as a seperate module, but are used by the core.

The directory structure of modules could be as follows:

• /<module> - The basic files.
• /skins/<module> - CSS and images needed by the module
• /documentation/<module> - documentation for that module.
• /language/<module> - Translations of the text used in that module.

None of these are required. However, a mature module should have all that are applicable.

Any ideas? Comments?

Re: New Module system
 

I'd like to see something incorporated so that upgrading/installation/uninstallation can be done in a standard way by just calling something within each module. That way the update Module Manager can be a relatively simple thing but those who write modules can have complex update/install/uninstall functions performed.