[buddypress-dev] Updates

[Andy Peatling]

Since it's been a little while since I've checked anything in, I  
thought I'd update everyone on what I've personally been working on  
for the past couple of weeks.

There has been a fair amount of talk about how BuddyPress will support  
existing blog network installations, as well as new installs. My  
primary focus for the past two weeks has been on introducing proper  
support for existing blog networks.

Here's what I've done:

Every user of an existing install (whether they have a blog or not)  
will need to sign up for a "Home Base". This is essentially a blog,  
but *without* any blogging features at all. Current members will see a  
"Create Home Base" tab in their admin area once BuddyPress is  
installed, where they can follow simple steps to create a home base.  
Once they have created a home base, the tab will disappear.

The default BuddyPress theme will be used for all home bases, where as  
any blog theme can be used for any other blogs. The home base  
represents the user as a person, and will contain all of their  
BuddyPress data (profile, messages .. ). The admin area for the home  
base will contain tabs for profile, messages, groups, friends and so  
on. No blog tabs. One home base to one user.

Of course, custom BuddyPress enabled themes could be used for user's  
home base. It may even be possible to let users select from BuddyPress  
enabled themes for their home base in the future. The plan is to make  
it easy to "BuddyPress enable" existing WordPress themes.

No blogging features on the home base means no blog in the default  
BuddyPress theme. This has all been removed. However, in its place is  
a "Blogs" menu item. This contains 3 sub items:

  - My Blogs - which lists every blog you have privileges for in the  
network.
  - Recent Posts - Lists the last 10 posts you have made across any  
blog in the network
  - Recent Comments - Lists the last 25 comments you have made across  
any blog in the network

Now, for new installations this means users are first signing up for a  
home base rather than a blog. They would then create their first blog  
once their account and home base is activated and set up.

Interestingly - this gives site administrators the option to  
completely leave out blogging functionality from their BuddyPress  
installation if they wish.

I have created a new component "bp-blogs" that will eventually provide  
the ability to enable/disable blogging functionality. At the moment it  
is tracking and recording posts, comments, and blogs for users across  
an installation.

Also:

I have included an "admin bar" that will persist across the top of all  
screens in a BuddyPress enabled install. The bar is almost identical  
to the one you see on WordPress.com. The menu includes quick drop down  
links to BuddyPress component functionality, and very soon quick links  
to blog author profiles/friends/groups etc when viewing a blog.

If some or all of the above doesn't make any sense, it will once you  
see the new functionality working. By making the user assign  
themselves a home base, the problem of "blog centric vs user centric"  
should be eliminated.

Cheers,
Andy

---------
Andy Peatling | Social Engineer | Automattic
http://apeatling.wordpress.com