Converting from WWWBoard

[Daniel Hofverberg]

I don't suppose there are any converters available from Matt Wright's old WWWBoard? I have an old WWWBoard in use that I would like to convert to YaBB SE, and I don't really feel like copying and pasting every single message.

For the time being, I'm linking to both the old WWWBoard message board and the new YaBB SE one, which is far from ideal...

[[Unknown]]

I assume it stores the posts in flat file?  Any idea on the format?

-[Unknown]

[old dan]

I assume it stores the posts in flat file?  Any idea on the format?

-[Unknown]

It stores posts as html files. And they are all linked by a single html file. Like this:

Code Select Expand


<dl>
<!--begin-->
<!--top: 1322--><li><a href="messages/1322.html">Homemade bass drum mics </a> - <b>Silent Bob</b> <i>02:19:43 3/14/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1322-->9)
<ul><!--insert: 1322-->
<!--top: 1346--><li><a href="messages/1346.html">Re: Homemade bass drum mics </a> - <b>guitarboy</b> <i>08:54:11 3/15/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1346-->1)
<ul><!--insert: 1346-->
<!--top: 1359--><li><a href="messages/1359.html">you can usually see the drivers through the foam screens </a>  (n/t) - <b>Silent Bob</b> <i>13:48:10 3/15/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1359-->0)
<ul><!--insert: 1359-->
</ul><!--end: 1359-->
</ul><!--end: 1346-->
<!--top: 1345--><li><a href="messages/1345.html">I'll put an example up on the site of the sound </a>  (n/t) - <b>Silent Bob</b> <i>01:15:52 3/15/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1345-->0)
<ul><!--insert: 1345-->
</ul><!--end: 1345-->
<!--top: 1342--><li><a href="messages/1342.html">Re: Homemade bass drum mics </a> - <b>Kevin</b> <i>21:44:22 3/14/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1342-->1)
<ul><!--insert: 1342-->
<!--top: 1343--><li><a href="messages/1343.html">JR is right. This thread needs racked! Maybe in articles? </a>  (n/t) - <b>Kevin</b> <i>21:47:07 3/14/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1343-->0)
<ul><!--insert: 1343-->
</ul><!--end: 1343-->
</ul><!--end: 1342-->
<!--top: 1330--><li><a href="messages/1330.html">sweet..rack him! </a> - <b>JR#97</b> <i>14:19:07 3/14/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1330-->1)
<ul><!--insert: 1330-->
<!--top: 1331--><li><a href="messages/1331.html">check out the picture </a> - <b>Silent bob</b> <i>14:23:04 3/14/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1331-->0)
<ul><!--insert: 1331-->
</ul><!--end: 1331-->
</ul><!--end: 1330-->
<!--top: 1327--><li><a href="messages/1327.html">You da man! </a> - <b>Backbeet1</b> <i>12:53:32 3/14/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1327-->0)
<ul><!--insert: 1327-->
</ul><!--end: 1327-->
<!--top: 1323--><li><a href="messages/1323.html">Thanks!! </a> - <b>guitarboy</b> <i>07:04:56 3/14/00</i>
(<!--responses: 1323-->0)
<ul><!--insert: 1323-->
</ul><!--end: 1323-->
</ul><!--end: 1322-->


that's just for one post and the replies. Back when I first switched to Yabb (cgi) I started a convertor but gave up. I just made all the old wwwboard posts archives.

[[Unknown]]

Woah, that's quite hateful.... hmmm......

-[Unknown]

[Daniel Hofverberg]

I agree - It's not fun...  

I just found an example of a Perl script that supposedly converts WWWBoard to MySQL formats:

http://www.nocrash.com/archive/wwwboard-to-mysql.txt

Perhaps that could be modified to YaBB SE:s database structure?

[[Unknown]]

Find:
              "INSERT INTO myposts (threadid, postid, date, name, subject, msg) VALUES \n";
            print OUTFILE "($threadid,$postid,$date,\"$name\",\"$subjectX\",\"$msg\");\n";

Change to:
              "INSERT INTO yabbse_messages (ID_TOPIC, ID_MSG, posterTime, posterName, subject, body) VALUES \n";
            print OUTFILE "($threadid,$postid,$date,\"$name\",\"$subjectX\",\"$msg\");\n";


Find:
        $postid = 0;
Replace:
        $firstpostid = $postid;

Find:
$threadid = 1;

Replace:
$threadid = 2;
$postid = 2;

Find:
    $threadid++;

Add above:
    $lastpostid = $postid - 1;
    print OUTFILE
     "INSERT INTO yabbse_topics (ID_TOPIC, ID_BOARD, ID_FIRST_MSG, ID_LAST_MSG) VALUES \n";
            print OUTFILE "($threadid,1,$firstpostid,$lastpostid);\n";

That *should* work with a default install of YaBB SE 1.5.2.

Just have to execute the SQL file.

-[Unknown]

[Daniel Hofverberg]

Thanks - I'll try that.

In order to change what board to insert the threads in, is it just a matter of changing 1 to the ID of the board I want it in?