Community Forums Documentation

Overview

The Community Forums is a PHP-based platform designed to facilitate communication between community members and their leaders. It provides a centralized platform where users can share ideas, raise concerns, and engage in discussions about various issues affecting their community. This platform is location-based, allowing for tailored communication and interaction within specific communities.

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Features

User Features

• User Registration and Login: Secure system for community members to create accounts and log in.
• Discussion Threads: Create, view, and participate in discussion threads on community-related topics.
• Commenting System: Post comments to contribute to discussions.
• Search Functionality: Search for specific threads or topics.
• Profile Management: Update user profiles with personal details and preferences.
• Location-Based Features: Tailored threads and discussions based on the user’s location.

Admin Features

• User Management: Add, edit, or remove users.
• Thread Moderation: Approve, edit, or delete discussion threads and comments.
• Community Management: Define and manage communities (locations).
• Reports and Analytics: Generate reports on user activity and trending discussions.

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Tech Stack

The platform is built with the following technologies:

• PHP (50.2%): Backend logic and functionality.
• CSS (17.2%): Styling and layout.
• HTML (13.8%): Structure and content of web pages.
• Hack (12.7%): Enhancements to PHP for improved performance and type safety.
• JavaScript (6.1%): Interactive features and dynamic content on the frontend.

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Prerequisites

To run the Community Forums platform locally, ensure the following software is installed:

• PHP (>=7.4): For running the backend.
• MySQL: Database for managing users, threads, and comments.
• Web Server: Apache or Nginx.
• Composer: For managing PHP packages (optional but recommended).
• Node.js & npm: For managing frontend dependencies (optional).

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Installation and Setup

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/karimshaban01/community_forums.git
cd community_forums

2. Configure the Database

1. Create a new database in MySQL:

   CREATE DATABASE community_forums_db;

2. Import the database schema:
   • Locate the community_forums_schema.sql file in the repository.
   • Execute the SQL script to set up the required tables:

     mysql -u your_username -p community_forums_db < community_forums_schema.sql

3. Update the database credentials in the configuration file:

   // Example: config/DatabaseConfig.php
   $DB_HOST = 'localhost';
   $DB_NAME = 'community_forums_db';
   $DB_USER = 'your_username';
   $DB_PASSWORD = 'your_password';

3. Set Up the Web Server

1. Place the repository in your web server's root directory:
   • For Apache: /var/www/html/community_forums
   • For Nginx: /usr/share/nginx/html/community_forums
2. Start the web server:

   sudo service apache2 start

4. Run the Application

• Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost/community_forums.

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File Structure

Here is an overview of the key directories and files in the repository:

community_forums/
├── index.php             # Main entry point for the platform
├── admin/                # Admin panel for managing the platform
│   ├── users.php         # User management
│   ├── threads.php       # Thread moderation
│   ├── reports.php       # Reports and analytics
├── user/                 # User-facing application
│   ├── threads.php       # View and create threads
│   ├── comments.php      # Commenting system
│   ├── profile.php       # User profile management
├── assets/               # CSS, JavaScript, and image files
│   ├── css/              # Stylesheets
│   ├── js/               # JavaScript files
│   └── images/           # Images used in the platform
├── config/               # Configuration files (database, settings)
├── community_forums_schema.sql # Database schema
├── README.md             # Documentation
└── LICENSE               # License information

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Usage

For Users

1. Register and Log In:
   • Create an account by providing basic details.
   • Log in to access the platform.
2. Join Discussions:
   • Browse or search for threads based on your community or interests.
   • Create new threads or participate in existing ones by commenting.
3. Manage Profile:
   • Update your profile information, including your location, to access location-based discussions.

For Admins

1. Log In to Admin Panel:
   • Access the admin panel using your credentials.
2. Manage Users:
   • Add, edit, or remove users.
3. Moderate Discussions:
   • Approve or delete threads and comments.
4. Generate Reports:
   • View reports on platform activity and trends.

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Contribution Guidelines

We welcome contributions to enhance the Community Forums platform. Here’s how you can contribute:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch:

   git checkout -b feature-name

3. Make your changes and commit them:

   git commit -m "Description of changes"

4. Push the changes to your fork:

   git push origin feature-name

5. Open a pull request to the main branch.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Support

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement, feel free to:

• Open an issue in the GitHub Issues section.
• Contact the project maintainer directly.

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