FlatBB

flatbb is a lightweight forum solution built in plain PHP (version 8.1+) that supports both SQLite and MySQL (version 5.7+). Designed with a flat structure, flatbb does not rely on any frameworks, Composer, or build steps, making it an ideal choice for developers looking for simplicity and efficiency. Its interface mimics the popular Discourse and Flarum platforms, featuring a three-column layout and a user-friendly experience.

Key Features

• Rich Content Management: Supports categories (with one-level nesting and per-group permissions), tags, topics, and replies, including quotes and @mentions.
• Markdown Editor: A live preview Markdown editor with drag-and-drop image uploads and a paste-to-upload functionality enhancing user interaction.
• User Engagement Tools: Includes likes, bookmarks, unread tracking, and notifications, as well as full-text search capabilities.
• Dynamic User Interface: Features latest, top, and unread lists, user profiles with avatars, dark mode, clean URLs, RSS feeds, and a sitemap.
• Comprehensive Admin Panel: Manage settings, categories, tags, users, groups, layout blocks, plugins, scheduled jobs, and more from an intuitive admin interface.
• Extensive Plugin System: A plugin architecture that boasts approximately 45 layout regions, hooks, declarative settings, and routes. Plugins can be installed with just one click from the marketplace at www.flatbb.com.
• Multilingual Support: The interface is available in multiple languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Dutch, with the capability to add new languages.
• AI Assistant Friendly: Documentation is tailored for AI assistants, with detailed guides provided in CLAUDE.md, docs/PLUGIN.md, docs/HOOKS.md, and docs/API.md.

Efficient Development Workflow

flatbb promotes efficiency and ease of use with a range of command-line tools for administration and plugin management:

php flatbb cron                      # execute scheduled jobs
php flatbb plugin:sync               # register plugins
php flatbb plugin:publish <id>       # publish plugin to the marketplace
php flatbb search:rebuild            # rebuild search index
php flatbb upgrade                    # perform core upgrades

Plugin Development

The plugin development process is straightforward. Start by reviewing https://www.flatbb.com/dev/plugins.md and use the provided example in plugins/hello/plugin.php. AI assistants can facilitate coding by following specifications outlined in CLAUDE.md.

Layout Structure

core/      # Kernel handling db, auth, hooks, plugins, etc.
app/       # Request handlers and views
assets/    # CSS and JavaScript files
plugins/   # Folder for each plugin
data/      # Configuration and database files
uploads/   # Public user files
docs/      # Documentation and guides

flatbb stands out as a manageable, extendable forum platform suitable for developers seeking maximal control without the overhead of complex dependencies and systems. For more details, visit the official site at flatbb.com.