How To Set Up The Boards On A phpBB Forum

In the previous section I showed you how to install a phpBB Forum. In this section I will show you how to set up question/answer/discussion boards within that forum and also how to set up permissions for certain user types, such as Register Users, Administrators and Guests. One thing to note here is the terminology. Some software programmers use the term Board to mean a questions/answers notice board (taken from the old meaning: Bulletin Board) while other software programmers use the term Forum and Sub-Forum (taken from a forum of speakers/members). Regardless of this though, use what you are comfortable with. I like to use Board but in this example I am forced to use Forum!.....so you will have to as well (no room for free speech then!). Anyway. Begin by logging into your forum (phpBB bulletin board) and then click on the FORUMS Tab (window) to continue.

Fig 1.0 LOG IN and then click on the FORUMS Tab to continue

If you have clicked on the LOGIN button from the previous section (straight after setting up the forum) you will see the page above, but if you have logged in from scratch you will see the main login page instead (not shown here) whereby you then need to click on the ADMINISTRATOR link at the very bottom of that main login page to create forums and so on (again. not shown here). Either way. Once you have logged in (which is very easy, hence why the login process is not shown here) you will see the red message in front of you stating you must delete, move or rename the folder called install that resides in the phpBB3 folder on your website. Go and delete it, for security measures, and then come back to and click on the FORUMS Tab (window) to continue (Fig 1.0 above).

Fig 1.1 Enter a forum name and then click on the CREATE NEW FORUM button to continue

After logging in and clicking on the FORUMS Tab (window) the next thing to do is click inside the FORUM NAME edit box (Fig 1.1 above) and give your first forum (board) a name. In this example my first forum will be called MySQL Database. To create the forum, once you have entered a name for it, click on the CREATE NEW FORUM button to continue. Doing so takes you to the Customization page that needs filling in before the forum can be created.

Fig 1.2 Enter a short, topic, description for the forum

The customizations page is full of default settings that you do not need to worry about. Simply enter a short description for the forum inside the DESCRIPTION edit box (Fig 1.2 above) and then click on the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the page to continue (Fig 1.3 below). This will submit (attach/associate) your description, together with the default customization settings, to the forum that will be created. Namely, MySQL Database in this example.

Fig 1.3 Scroll down to the bottom of the page and then click on the SUBMIT button to actually create the forum

When the forum has been created successfully you will be notified by the green message (below). From there you should click on the SET PERMISSIONS link, within the green message, so that you can go ahead and set up the permissions for this particular forum. However. Saying this. Even if you do not click on the SET PERMISSIONS link the page will automatically send you to the Permissions page within seconds anyway. So it is your choice. Wait or Click!

Fig 1.4 Either click on the SET PERMISSIONS link to continue or wait for this page to automatically send you to the Permissions page

When the Permissions page appears (below) scroll down to the bottom of it in order to select the group(s) of people eligible to view the forum, post questions on it and so on. In this example I have selected ADMINISTRATORS, REGISTER USERS and GUESTS, but left out BOTS and MODERATORS. You can select only one group now if you wish and then add another group later. It depends if you want to apply permissions to only one group now or many groups now. To select more than one group simply click on the first group you want, hold down the CTRL keyboard key while you then select (click on) the other groups you want. And to deselect a group click on it whilst holding down the CTRL keyboard key. Once you have selected your group(s) click on the ADD PERMISSIONS button to continue.

Fig 1.5 Select the groups of people eligible to view/etc this forum before clicking on the ADD PERMISSIONS button to continue

Fig 1.6 Click on the ADVANCED PERMISSIONS link to continue

Clicking on the ADD PERMISSIONS button (Fig 1.5 above) sends you to the Set Permissions page (Fig 1.6 above). It allows you to set the actual permissions (rules/laws) that govern what each group can and cannot do. Later on these permissions can be inherited by other forums. Meaning. You only need to set up these permissions once, here and now, for the groups you have selected (i.e. Administrators, Registered Users and Guests).

Fig 1.6 above shows the three default, permission, options available to you that you can click on for an easier life. ALL YES (allowed every permission by default), ALL NO (disallow every permission by default) and ALL NEVER (no default permissions allowed ever). However. These options are only viewable when you expand the permissions window by clicking on the ADVANCED PERMISSIONS link. In other words. Clicking on the ALL YES link for the ADMINISTRATOR group will apply those YES permissions to the administrator group, but to see those applied administrator group permissions you need to click on the ADVANCED PERMISSIONS link for the administrator group.

In this example I will show you how to set the permissions manually, using the ADVANCED PERMISSIONS option, as well as explain some of those permissions. So continue by clicking on the ADVANCED PERMISSIONS link of your first group (i.e. the ADMINISTRATOR group - Fig 1.6 above). You will need to carry out this procedure for any other group in your selection.

Fig 1.7 Click on the YES link to select all permissions or individually select a permission by clicking on its radio (circle) button

Permissions are split into five categories, with the first being POST (Fig 1.7 above). It states whether or not the people in this group can; Post announcements, Use topic icons, Physically see the forum, create new topics, read topics, reply to topics and create permanent (sticky) topics. A Post, by the way, is another term used for A Topic (question or answer). If you are creating these POST permissions for an ADMINISTRATOR group they should all be enabled (ALL YES), but if you are creating them for a GUESTS group (unregistered members) they should all be disabled (ALL NO) except for Can See Forum and Can Read Forum (they should be enabled - YES). When you have set up the permissions in the POST category click on the CONTENT Tab (window) to set up the CONTENT permissions.

Fig 1.8 Click on the ACTIONS Tab (window) to set up the ACTIONS permissions

The second category of permissions is CONTENT (Fig 1.8 above). It states whether or not the people in this group can; Attach files, Post BBCode (insert HTML type commands), Download files, Attach flash video (using [flash] BBCode), Post images (using [img] BBCode), Use a signature with replies and Use smiley faces as punctuation. If you are creating these CONTENT permissions for an ADMINISTRATOR group they should all be enabled (ALL YES), but if you are creating them for a GUESTS group (unregistered members) they should all be disabled (ALL NO). When you have set up the permissions in the CONTENT category click on the ACTIONS Tab (window) to set up the ACTIONS permissions.

Fig 1.9 Click on a Tab (window) to set up its permissions

The third category of permissions is ACTIONS (Fig 1.9 above). It states whether or not the people in this group can; Bump a topic (promote it or push it up the listing), Delete/Edit/Email/Print their own topics, Report another person's topic to a moderator/administrator, Subscribe to a particular forum and Lock (close/freeze) their own topics. Subscribing to a forum means you are emailed the topics (postings) of a specific forum, such as topics from the MySQL Database forum but not from the PHP Scripts forum (if it existed). If you are creating these ACTIONS permissions for an ADMINISTRATOR group they should all be enabled (ALL YES), but if you are creating them for a GUESTS group (unregistered members) they should all be disabled (ALL NO). When you have set up the permissions in the ACTIONS category click on the MISC Tab (window) to set up the MISC permissions.

Fig 1.10 Click on a Tab (window) to set up its permissions

The fourth category of permissions is MISC (Fig 1.10 above). It states whether or not the people in this group can; Ignore the flood limit, Post without approval from an administrator/moderator, Increase the topic count (of new topics) and Search the forum. Ignoring the flood limit means a user can override the default amount of topics that can normally be posted by a group. So if the limit is 3 topics per user per 30 minutes, ignoring this could mean that user is allowed to post 5 topics within 30 minutes instead. Increasing the post mean you allow a user to increase their post number, which you should never allow normally because this number can promote their ranking (i.e. from Registered User to Moderator), if your forum is set up on a posts = promotion basis. If you are creating these MISC permissions for an ADMINISTRATOR group they should all be enabled (ALL YES), but if you are creating them for a GUESTS group (unregistered members) they should all be disabled (ALL NO). When you have set up the permissions in the MISC category click on the POLLS Tab (window) to set up the POLLS permissions.

Fig 1.11 Click on the APPLY PERMISSIONS button to apply this group's permissions only

The fifth and final category of permissions is POLLS (Fig 1.11 above). It states whether or not the people in this group can; Create a poll (survey/enquiry), Vote in a poll (post a reply/opinion) and Change existing poll details. If you are creating these POLL permissions for an ADMINISTRATOR group they should all be enabled (ALL YES), but if you are creating them for a GUESTS group (unregistered members) they should all be disabled (ALL NO). You might want to have ALL YES for the REGISTERED USERS group.

When you have set up the permissions in the POLLS category do not click on the APPLY PERMISSIONS button to continue. Instead. Click on the ADVANCED PERMISSIONS link of the next group in your list/selection and then set up that group's permissions accordingly. Keep doing this procedure until you have finished setting up the permissions for all of your selected groups. Only then do you click on the last group's APPLY PERMISSIONS button to apply all of the group's permissions. Fig 1.11 above is showing the APPLY PERMISSIONS button but is also, purposely, showing you that if you click on the first group's APPLY PERMISSIONS button (without setting up the permissions for the other groups yet) only that first group will have its permissions applied/set. In this example I actually set up the permissions for all three of my selected groups (not exampled here) before clicking on the last group's APPLY PERMISSIONS button.

Fig 1.12 Three groups have been set up for the MySQL Database forum - Click on the BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE link to continue

Fig 1.13 Add more groups, edit groups and so on, if need be, from this Forum Permissions page.

To remove a group from a forum simply select it from the GROUPS list in the Forum Permissions page and then click on the REMOVE PERMISSIONS button to continue. This will remove the permissions from that selected group, which means you would have to set up its permissions again (from scratch, as above) if you wanted to use that group again with your own permissions and not the default permissions. In other words. Default permissions are applied to any removed group. Removing the REGISTERED USERS and GUESTS groups (Fig 1.14 below) means the MySQL Database forum will only have an ADMINISTRATOR group, so only administrators would be able to view that forum.

Fig 1.14 Click on the REMOVE PERMISSIONS button to remove the selected groups from the forum

If you have only set up the permissions for one group, therefore only have that group assigned to the forum, you can easily add another group later. To do this simply click on the FORUM PERMISSIONS navigation link (on the left-side of the web page) to display the available forums, select a forum from the list and then click on the SUBMIT button (Fig 1.15 below). Doing so will take you to the Forums Permissions (as Fig 1.5 above) where you then set the permissions in exactly the same way as described above (Figures 1.5 to 1.13).

Fig 1.15 Click on the FORUMS PERMISSIONS link (left-side of web page), select a forum and then click on the SUBMIT button.

Throughout the creation of forums and their permissions/groups you should use the navigation links, on the left-side of the web page, to help you and guide you. The settings on the other Tabs (POSTINGS, USERS AND GROUPS, STYLES, Etc) are more or less set up with default values. Meaning. You can run a forum as set up above, but it does help massively if you Read The Documentation and FAQ from time to time. Obviously, I cannot explain everything here about a phpBB forum because it would mean writing a manual or book but at least you now know how to install a phpBB forum and set up boards (forums) for it.

When you create more than one forum (board) you can choice whether or not to make it standalone (individual), or have a parent forum, by selecting your option from the PARENT FORUM drop-down menu. For example. If I want the MySQL Database forum to be the parent forum for this new PHP Scripts forum I am creating I will select MySQL Database from the PARENT FORUM drop-down menu. This will make the new PHP Scripts forum a child forum (sub-forum) of the MySQL Database parent forum. So if I leave the default setting of NO PARENT selected both forums will be parents (individuals), but as soon as I select a forum name that forum becomes the parent forum for the new forum you are creating.

Fig 2.0 Click on a forum's name to make it the parent of this new forum or leave NO PARENT selected to make this new forum standalone (individual)

A new forum can also inherit the permissions of an existing forum by selecting a forum name, that already has permissions, from the COPY PERMISSIONS FROM drop-down menu. This is ideal because it means you do not have to manually set up permissions for each new forum. You just inherit them from an existing forum. If you do want to manually set up the permissions for a new forum though simply leave the default setting of DO NOT COPY PERMISSIONS selected.

Fig 2.1 Click on a forum's name to inherit its permissions or leave the default setting of DO NOT COPY PERMISSIONS selected

So to clarify. Each forum can have its own group(s). MySQL Database could have an ADMINISTRATOR group and a REGISTERED USERS group while PHP Scripts only has a GUESTS group. On top of this. A forum can either inherit the permissions from another forum or have its own permissions. So if a forum initially has one group it can inherit three groups for example. Meaning. PHP Scripts could be an individual forum (no parent) with the BOTS group but then inherit the same three groups from MySQL Database (ADMINISTRATORS, REGISTERED USERS and GUESTS), therefore inheriting the same permissions. PHP Scripts would then be an individual forum (no parent) with three groups - The BOTS groups would be removed from the PHP Scripts forum because inheriting the three groups from the MySQL Database forum will over-write/delete the previous BOTS group.