Porting ExpressionEngine to CI

[eluser]zdknudsen[/eluser]
Okay so I needed a system similar to ExpressionEngine, when making sites for clients.

Currently I'm developing a community-driven website and I would like to use a CMS.

But since I do not need that many of EE's features and I had some additional needs I thought I would make it with CodeIgniter instead. Now I have a few questions regarding a port of EE to CI.

Am I allowed to create a templating system that parses like EE? (Modules = classes that can be used on templates, and modules similar to that of EE).

Can I use EE's database structure?

And basicly to what extend one can copy EE's features, seeing as EE is a commercial system.

[eluser]chobo[/eluser]
I don't see why not? Are those specific things patented or something? Can you even patent code fragments? I could understand there would be problems if you tried to clone the program line for line, but it seems your more interested in utilizing a few techniques the engine uses. In my opinion go for it.

[eluser]CI Lee[/eluser]
I dont think there are many issues there, so long as it is not plagiarized there really is no problems.

Good luck! It will be interesting to see how you make it work.

[eluser]Crimp[/eluser]
A "port" of EE code to CI is plainly not allowed. Wth the announced "port" aka merger of EE into CI by EllisLab, this is a mounting problem I have yet to hear a good solution to. Some changes in licensing and/or business model for CI/EE seems called for. But plugging anything but airy ideas from EE into CI at the present time would be a clear violation of the EE license, imo.

[eluser]CI Lee[/eluser]
I would agree with you in the general useage of the term "Port" however when he actually describes what he is doing

Am I allowed to create a templating system that parses like EE? (Modules = classes that can be used on templates, and modules similar to that of EE).

he is addressing the way it handles templating which is a pretty generic category that has been beaten to death.

However as it is 2:26 am where I am I have been half asleep for the last little while and I did not read

Can I use EE’s database structure?

And basicly to what extend one can copy EE’s features, seeing as EE is a commercial system.

in that are you will run into issues without a doubt. Seriously though there is no harm in looking at how it does things and then writing your own way of doing it, you will learn much more that way.

-Off to bed, sorry for any miscommunication

Lee

[eluser]zdknudsen[/eluser]
Port might have been the wrong word. What I want to do is program my own parser (+ the other couple of parts from EE i think is simply brilliant - the custom fields, etc.). I also thought it would be cool if one could use the same syntax as EE uses so one could easily swap between EE and my system.

The main reason for me being concerned about this was the fact that I was planning release this to the public, and I really did not want to get into trouble when I was finaly done. :-)

[eluser]Derek Allard[/eluser]
Zawk. Without more details I can't say, but my "knee jerk" reaction is that if you intend on "copying" EE, you should not look at its source code, for the same reason that programmers working on the Linux codebase can't look at MS code. You don't want to "contaminate" yourself, even accidently.

My secondary thought is that EE is already a great, mature product, that serves the same niche you want to serve, and is produced by a company that you (presumably) like and have goodwill for. Why would you want to do this? I'm going to stop short of saying "no", because I truthfully don't know without more details, but I plainly agree that copying the db structure of another app with the intention of mimicking its functionality is just plain wrong.

You could try contacting EllisLab sales if you wanted a formal opinion on it - [email protected]. Although I'm employed by EllisLab, this is not a company statement. My personal stance on it would be to discourage such a thing.

[eluser]zdknudsen[/eluser]
Well, I am not going to use an exact copy of EEs db structure. But basicly having sections with custom fields are not possible in that many ways (db structure-wise), except a section table with an id for the field_group and a field_group and fields table, like EE does it. Besides I do not like the way EE alters the entry_fields table with every custom field. So I was going to do this my own way anyhow.

But as long as I program this, only by looking at the interface of EE and not at the codebase, thereby not saying "copying" the interface but the features i like, would this make mr. Ellis activate Rick Rage?

Best regards.

[eluser]chobo[/eluser]
Just take a look at every CMS around, they all share the same features, it's impossible for one to be completely unique. Is it copying if one CMS has an add article button and someone else wants that features? No... It's only plagiarism if you sit there and try to copy his program line by line and even then that would be hard to prove.

If you just want to copy a few of the "ideas" used by it, I see no problem, why should you be allowed to patent ideas, or prevent someone else from doing that. Take websites for example how many successful websites out there are NOT cloned. YouTube has a 101 clones and it's run by a large company with the power to go after anyone, and it doesn't. Look at all the digg clones, hell, any program/website that is successful has clones.

[eluser]zdknudsen[/eluser]
Thanks for the replies people. :-) That is all.