.gitignore

@@ -1,4 +1 @@
 *.swp
-
-/build/*
-!/build/.placeholder

README.md

@@ -1,27 +1,16 @@
 # Welcome to ThreadR
-
 This is the source code for the ThreadR Forum Engine.
 
-The project originated as a school project with the goal of developing
+The project originated as a school project with the goal of developing a mix between a forum engine and a social media platform. When school was over, we left the project up for some time with the general intention to continue working on it until I took it down after an extended period of inactivity to host my own website on my server.
-a mix between a forum engine and a social media platform.
-When school was over, we left the project up for some time with the
-general intention to continue working on it until I took it down after
-an extended period of inactivity to host my own website on my server.
 
-Now, that it is being revived, the original scope of the project
+Now, that it is being revived, the original scope of the project doesn’t really make sense anymore (at least to me) so it needs to shift slightly. Below is a list of goals that I would like to see achieved, feel free to discuss this in the issues or commit comments.
-doesn’t really make sense anymore (at least to me) so it needs to shift
-slightly.
-Below is a list of goals that I would like to see achieved, feel free
-to discuss this in the issues or commit comments.
 
 - [x] come back online (see issue #2)
 - [x] go FOSS (make the source code publicly available under a FOSS license (see issue #5))
 - [x] make the code portable so everyone can set up their own instance
 - [ ] get generic forum functionality going (sign-up, creation of boards, creation of threads within boards, messages, profiles)
 
-Once these two are given, here are some additional goals both from
+Once these two are given, here are some additional goals both from the original scope of the project as well as my own ideas. Input is welcome.
-the original scope of the project as well as my own ideas.
-Input is welcome.
 
 - [ ] anonymous posts (users can choose to post anonymously, registered users will have a unique name per thread that stays the same so users can tell each other apart)
 - [ ] subscribing to threads
@@ -33,22 +22,14 @@ Input is welcome.
 
 \- BodgeMaster
 
-UPDATE: The ThreadR Forum Engine is now technically host-independent.
+UPDATE: The ThreadR Forum Engine is now technically host-independent. By default, it still contains the configuration for our local instance but all host-dependent stup information is configurable now. It is still heavily WIP.
-By default, it still contains the configuration for our test instance
-but all host-dependent setup information is configurable now.
-It is still heavily WIP.
 
 # Installation
+First of all, keep in mind that the ThreadR Forum Engine is still in early development and things are subject to change.
 
-First of all, keep in mind that the ThreadR Forum Engine is still
+For now, the only way to set up an instance is doing it the manual way; automatic setup will be added in the future.
-in early development and things are subject to change.
-
-For now, the only way to set up an instance is doing it the manual way;
-automatic setup might be added in the future.
-
-This setup guide is assuming that you are on a UNIX-like system
-and have the following already installed and set up properly:
 
+This setup guide is assuming that you are on a UNIX-like system and have the following already installed and set up properly:
 - Apache with PHP (will most likely also work on other web servers)
 - MySQL or MariaDB
 - Python 3
@@ -100,12 +81,9 @@ Database tables:
   - `verified` (boolean or tinyint(1), default 0)
 
 # Git based automatic web deployment system
-This repository will be automagically pulled by the test server
+This repository will be automagically pulled by the web server each time something is pushed by a user.
-each time something is pushed by a user.
 
-Dear Developers,
+Dear Developers, Please use pushes sparingly because it takes a while for the server to replace all code variables.
-Please use pushes sparingly because it takes a while for the server
-to replace all code variables.
 
 What this thing does basically equates to:
 ```
@@ -119,65 +97,40 @@ cd web-deployment
 exit
 logout
 ```
-TBD: Remove this section when the ThreadR project moves to its final home
+TBD: Remove this section when the ThreadR project moves to its final home and this repository is only used for our local setup.
-and this repository is only used for our local setup.
 
 ## Symlinks
-The following files and directories are linked to areas where they can be
+The following files and directories are linked to areas where they can be accessed by the web server:
-accessed by the web server:
   * `build/` → `threadr.lostcave.ddnss.de/` (all files acessible by the web server, READMEs get deleted on deployment)
 
 # Individual documentation for each file
-
 ### [[DIR] src](./src)
-
 This folder contains all the files that are parts of ThreadR directly
-
 ### [[DIR] build](./build)
-
+Placeholder folder to link against, will be deleted and recreated by the deployment script, contains the a working instance of ThreadR after successful execution of the deployment script
-Placeholder folder to link against, will be deleted and recreated by
-the deployment script, contains the a working instance of ThreadR after
-successful execution of the deployment script
-
 ### [[DIR] config](./config)
-
+A place to store the configuation for a specific ThreadR instance (contains official instance config for now, will be moved elsewhere eventually)
-A place to store the configuation for a specific ThreadR instance
-(contains official instance config for now, will be removed and replaced
-with a generic config eventually)
-
 ### [[DIR] macros](./macros)
-
 files for use with variable_grabbler.py
-
 ### [deployment_script.sh](./deployment_script.sh)
-
+This script is executed each time (or most of the time) the repository gets pushed.
-This script is executed each time (or most of the time) the repository
+It contains the commands to execute the code variable replcement system and some other useful tasks.
-gets pushed. It contains the commands to execute the code variable
+Its working directory is the root of the git repository.
-replcement system and some other useful tasks. Its working directory is
-the root of the git repository.
-
 ### [LICENSE.md](./LICENSE.md)
-
 A copy of the Apache 2.0 license, the license this project is under
-
 ### [NOTICE](./NOTICE)
-
 Copyright notice in plain text format
-
 ### [README.md](./README.md)
-
 this file
-
 ### [variable_grabbler.py](./variable_grabbler.py)
+Custom macro processor, takes two arguments: macro declaration file and the file to be processed
 
-Custom macro processor, takes two arguments:
+Macros in code are strings of capitalized characters prefixed and suffixed with %.
-- macro declaration file
-- the file to be processed
-
-Macros in code are strings of capitalized characters prefixed and
-suffixed with %.
 
 Macro definition format: JSON
-- "<MACRO>":"<text>" → direct replacement
+"<MACRO>":"<text>" → direct replacement
-- "<MACRO>":["file","<file path>"] → insert file
+"<MACRO>":["file","<file path>"] → insert file
-- "<MACRO>":["exec","<command>"] → run command and insert its output from stdout
+"<MACRO>":["exec","<command>"] → run command and insert its output from stdout
+
+~~NOTICE: This file (or rather a more up-to-date version of it) will be moved to a new repository containing the deployment system.~~
+I haven’t exactly figured out how to handle this in the future. It is absolutely necessary to deploy a ThreadR instance because it is used to configure ThreadR so we need a copy of it here.

build/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Placeholder
+This directory is here as a placeholder for the build process.
+
+# Files
+### [README.md](./README.md)
+this file

deployment-script.sh

@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@ echo "Deployment script for repository \"web-deployment\"
 
 # activate ** globs
 if [ -n "`shopt globstar | grep off`" ]; then shopt -s globstar; fi
+# remove READMEs
+rm ./src/**/README.md
 # prepare build directory tree and static files
 rm -r ./build
 cp -r ./src ./build
-rm ./build/**/{README.md,*.{php,html,css,svg}}
+rm ./build/**/*.{php,html,css,svg}
-touch ./build/.placeholder
 
 # run the macro handler
 echo "`cd src; find -name "*.php" -or -name "*.html" -or -name "*.css" -or -name "*.svg" | sed 's/^/file=/;s/$/\; python3 variable_grabbler.py macros\/pass0\*.json src\/$file | python3 variable_grabbler.py macros\/pass1\*.json - | python3 variable_grabbler.py macros\/pass2\*.json - | python3 variable_grabbler.py macros\/pass3\*.json - > build\/$file/'`" | bash -