phpBB is now in its third major version. Version 3.0 incorporates a professional-quality modular design, high security, multiple-language interface, support for a multitude of database servers and complete layout customization, all with a low execution overhead.
What is improved?
Features already available in 2.0.x but improved and/or enhanced for Olympus. This list only highlights the most important improvements.
Private messages
- Send to multiple recipients
- Send to groups
- Send Blind Carbon Copies (BCC)
- Forward messages
- Friends list works as address book
- Attach files to PMs
- PM Drafts
- Conversation view
- PM folders
- PM filters
- Export Messages
Registration
- Enable/disable COPPA
- Limit registration attempts
- Set min/max username length
- Set min/max password length
- Limit username chars
- Set password complexity requirements
- Force password change
- Allow/disallow e-mail address re-usage
Search
- Search inside topics
- Select multiple forums and categories to search
- Search within topic titles only
- Search within first post of a topic only
- Set search flood interval to limit server load
- Select search backend (MySQL/phpBB)
Admin Control Panel
- More flexible and accessible tab layout
- Modular system allows for easy extensions
- Allow/disallow access to different functions
- New founder status for the board creator
- Completely re-structured for better handling
Moderator Control Panel
- Manage the moderation queue
- List of warnings and reports
- Forum, topic, and post detail views
Polls
- Multiple options per user
- Allow/disallow vote change
User groups
- Multiple group leaders
- Set display color for group members
- Set group rank
- Set group avatar
Profile View
- More user statistics on profile view
- Signature on profile view
- User groups on profile view
Permissions
- More powerful and flexible permission system
- Simple permissions through roles
- Fine-tune admin and moderator access
- Super moderators
User Management
- Advanced user editing interface
- Edit user preferences
- Edit group memberships
- Show and edit all attachments of a user
- View permissions directly
More Improvements
- Moderator and admin control panels
- Set temporary bans
- Comments for bans
- Manage group memberships in the ACP
- Search members by all attributes
What is new?
Features that did not exist in 2.0.x and were implemented for Olympus. This list is not complete, but only highlights the most important feature additions.
Attachments
- Attachments in posts and PMs
- Automatic image thumbnails
- Attach images, documents, video streams, archives
- Multiple attachments allowed
- Display attachments inline
Unlimited Subforums
- Create unlimited subforums
- Display active topics of all subforums
Custom BBCodes
- Create your own BBCodes
- Add buttons to posting screen
Custom Profile Fields
- Add new fields on user profiles
- Display them at registration
- Display them on the profile view
- Hide new profile fields
- Support different data types
User Control Panel
- Manage subscribed topics & forums
- Manage bookmarked topics
- Manage saved drafts
- Manage private messages
- Manage user groups
- Manage friends and foes
- Manage attachments
New Moderating Tools
- Moderation queue
- Topic merging
- Topic copying
- Locking of single posts
- Topic history
Caching and performance
- Templates are cached
- Permissions are cached
- Forum config is cached
- Database queries are cached
Friends and Foes
- Add other members as friends or foes
- Posts by foes are hidden
- Friends are shown in friends list
Warnings and Reports
- Users can report topics and posts
- Moderators can warn users
More Improvements For Users
- Bookmark topics
- Subscribe to forums
- Jabber/XMPP support for notifications
- Mail or print topics
- "You were beaten at posting notification"
More Improvements For Admins
- Global announcements
- Display forum rules on forum page
- Prune inactive users
- User, moderator, admin and error logs
- Language pack editing
- User notes
- Detect search spiders