After receiving so much help on my last question, I'm hoping that the experts here can help me with my current one. I have recently purchased aMemberPro with 2 plugins, the ListMail plugin and the Invision Board plugin. This was because these were the programs I was using at the time. In re-evaluating my future plans for my site, I realize that I will need a CMS/portal similar to PHP-Nuke. The major problem I'm running into is that PHP-Nuke doesn't support the Invision Board, but comes bundled with phpBB instead. Since my forums on Invision are just getting started and have very little activity, I don't see a huge problem with moving the posts into phpBB, although it doesn't have as many control features as Invision does. I have 2 questions about this. Firstly, what general advice can anyone give me on the choices that are available regarding free or low cost CMS systems and the 2 forums I'm looking at. I've read that Alex got frustrated in trying to create the PHP-Nuke plugin. I've studied that system since I remembered that aMember had a plugin for it, and at this point my main concern is that my site is integrated together with aMember at the core (at least as far as signups and memberships). It looks like if I buy the PHP-Nuke plugin, that it will also integrate with the phpBB that is integrated with that. Or would I need both plugins to create a unified system? (I guess there's another question.) My other question has to go directly to Alex. Since I already purchased the Invision plugin, if I decide to purchase the PHP-Nuke plugin (and perhaps the phpBB plugin if needed), can I exhange the Invision plugin for it? I will only need to run one forum on my site, so I wouldn't need plugins for two. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give me. - Alan
phpbb has several prehacked boards that act like portals: http://www.phpbbhacks.com/category.php?id=14&version=2 For invision, there are several good portals = ibf, IPB gapman, IBeMe, MyIBPortal = all which can be found here : http://mods.ibplanet.com/db/?act=search (search for "portal"). Vbulletin has some very nice portals too. Check out vbulletin.org. I'm just giving you options instead of phpnuke.
Thanks for the tip, Ryan. After looking at many options, I think I like PostNuke the best, although e107 looks very interesting. If I had to go with PHP-Nuke, the main problem is the inability to simply upload extensive html-coded pages. Alex, how difficult would it be to integrate aMember with PostNuke? The basic package has support for groups and permissions like the NSN-Groups module for PHP-Nuke. It also seems to be a more stable platform. - Alan
Another update to anyone looking to integrate aMember with a content management system such as PHP-Nuke and the rest. After asking Alex about integrating aMember with PostNuke, he told me it could be done, but that he had too much happening right now to work on it. He also suggested I take a look at eNvolution, which is a takeoff from PostNuke (which itself is a takeoff from PHP-Nuke). After looking at eNvolution for 5 minutes, I fell in love. Fully customizable with an easy template system, many more options for the webmaster, and just as many options for the end user. This is a wonderful system. I have now spent the last 2 days working on rebuilding my website with this new system, and it is working out great. I'm hoping to have it up and running in the next couple of weeks (I'm working around an already busy schedule - if I only worked on this, it would probably only take a couple of days). - Alan
I would say, aMember now have plugin for integration with Envolution. As all aMember plugins, this integration is PARTIAL.
Could you define 'partial' ? I'm pulling my hair out looking for a shopping cart that both integrates with a *nuke system, and suports paypal subscriptions.
Hi Muddrake, The integration between aMemberPro and eNvolution goes like this. A third party module called PostWrap (from www.spidean.mckenzies.net) is used to 'wrap' aMember into the portal. This way, the signup screen looks like a part of the main site. The whole payment processing routine is performed in an iframe, which keeps it looking like a part of your site. After the process is finished, the member.php page, which shows the active subscriptions will not sign the new member into the site, but the new member can use his/her chosen username and password to sign into the site directly. aMemberPro handles entering the new member's details into the eNvolution database. From this point, the only need a member has to access the aMember script is to add or renew a subscription. That page can be integrated into eNvolution just as the signup script was. I'm just now getting everything set up, and there are a lot of option in aMemberPro that I haven't worked with yet. Depending on your needs, there are a couple of PostNuke modules that would do simple subscription/shopping cart duty. pnCommerce is one, and pnMerchant is another. Both are way behind aMemberPro in terms of features and stability, but they are modules written specifically for the PostNuke environment. - Alan
I, too, am looking at eNvolution for my CM I already have PHPBB2 but saw a post from several months ago where the plugin did not allow for single login. I want one login for aMember, eNvolution AND phpBB2. Does that work? If not, I'm willing to spring for the Invision license.
When PNphpBB2 is installed on a Postnuke, eNvolution, MD-Pro site, there is a single login between the CMS and the forums. At this time, aMember would require a separate login, but this would only be necessary when a user wants to update their membership or purchase additional items. I would love the integration between aMemberPro and the CMSs to be more complete (ie- a module for the CMSs instead of a separate app), but I think I've heard that this would require too much work on Alex's part. Actually, I would love a Postnuke-type module that combines the subscription management of aMemberPro and adds a shopping cart feature for both members and non-members (of course, non-members would have to register before checkout). But it's looking like I'll need to use a separate app for the shopping cart. - Alan
I've integrated PostNuke and Invision Board. I've also integrated PostNuke and vBulletin. Both work like CMS plugins.