This is a comprehensive list of features in GATT 9.0 and it is principally what influenced our decision to go with this new system.
General
* Uses PHP and MySQL.
* Comprehensive template system.
* Advanced permission and user management.
* Supports multiple languages at once.
* Open and well-documented source code.
* Tracking of new and old unread topics, not just from your last visit.
* Designed for optimal performance and scalability.
* Multi-media output. (XHTML, XML, RSS, WAP)
* Multi-language support from a large community.
* Package manager that automatically installs or uninstalls mods (also known as hacks.)
Security
* All actions seamlessly require a session based authorization code.
* Administrative actions require the user's password (and do not rely solely on cookies.)
* Major actions are time and IP locked, preventing 'hammering'.
* The number of login attempts from a certain IP can be limited and time locked.
Forum Settings
* Ability to display page creation time and query count per page.
* Put a board into maintenance mode, allowing only admins to login.
* Word censoring, either full word or partial.
* Ability to break up long words.
Boards and Categories
* Group boards into collapsable categories.
* Set categories as non-collapsable.
* Reorder boards within categories, or reorder categories.
* Create child boards under other boards. (sub boards)
* Assign moderators to boards.
* Allow certain membergroups to access a board, including guests only.
* Configure permissions for each membergroup on the board level.
* Ability to indicate new posts to child boards but nothing new in parent.
Member Registration
* Require registration before forum entrance.
* Require a user to agree to terms before they register.
* Disable member registration completely (allowing only moderators to register people).
* Require email authentication by sending an authentication link.
* Require a moderator to approve registration.
* Register new members from the admin center.
Member Navigation and Authentication
* Several security checks during navigation.
* Password reminder option, by email with confirmation. (doesn't automatically reset your password.)
* Both cookie and session based authentication (works without cookies.)
* Cookies can be set local to a path, global to all subdomains, or normally.
* Adjustable expiration time for authentication cookies.
Member Tracking and Tracing
* Sortable and searchable public memberlist (accessible by a permission.)
* Powerful sortable and searchable admin memberlist.
* Show all (error) messages and IPs made by a member. (track user)
* Show all (error) messages from an IP address or range. (track IP)
* See who's doing what (accessible by permission.)
Statistics
* Several board statistics (accessible by permission.)
* Tracking of member's online time in seconds.
* Tracking of topics, messages, new members, and hits per day.
* Individual member statistics accessible from their profile.
News and Announcements
* Ability to create announcement boards (members receive a notification of topics automatically.)
* Member option to disable receiving announcements.
* Email or private message your members by membergroup.
* Show a news ticker or news fader.
Communication
* Ability to choose sendmail or SMTP (with or without authentication.)
* Ability to send a topic to a friend.
* Ability to view a "printer friendly" version of topics.
Membergroups
* Create membergroups to group members on permissions, access rights, and/or appearance.
* Assign several membergroups to a single member, with one membergroup as the primary group.
* Define membergroups that are auto-assigned based on the amount of posts a user has.
* Determine the maximum number of personal messages a membergroup is allowed to have by group.
* Assign graphical symbol(s) to a membergroup - by primary group.
* Determine which membergroups are allowed to access a board.
Banning
* Ban members based on their username, email address, IP address or hostname.
* Support of wildcards for email address, IP address, and hostname.
* Include a ban reason (viewable for the banned user).
* Include a ban note (only viewable by the admins).
* Chose between full ban, 'no post' ban, or registration ban.
* Include an expiration time for bans.
External integration
* Integrate parts of forum software into existing website using SSI or PHP.
o Recent topics or posts.
o Recent news posts in a board.
o Recent polls.
o Several forum statistics.
o List of users online.
o The menu bar.
o News.
o Search.
o Login/logout.
o Today's events/birthdays/holidays.
* Export forum data using XML/RSS
o Latest members.
o News.
o Recent posts.
Wireless access
* Support for WAP, WAP2 and I-mode protocols.
* Browse through boards/topics/messages with reduced page size.
* Ability to login and logout (not with WAP 1.)
* Ability to see new topics/boards with new replies.
* Ability to jump to first unread reply.
* Ability to post new messages (not with WAP 1.)
Theming and Templating
* Ability to allow or disallow your users to select their own theme.
* Ability to reset all of your members to a certain theme.
* Ability to install a new theme via your administration center.
* Default templates are XHTML 1.0 Transitional and CSS 2.0 compliant.
* Admin can add smileys and smiley sets.
* Members can choose which smiley set they wish to use (or none.)
* Themes can be installed by way of the "latest and greatest themes" panel.
* SSI can have and show layers and the like from the template system.
Posting Features
* Spell Check.
* Quick Reply
o Members can disable it or collapse it.
o Can be used with "Quote".
o Also contains "Spell Check".
* Vast number of "bulletin board codes" to use (including rtl, acronym, and others.)
* Optional editing grace period before a post is shown as modified.
* 'Insert Quote' feature on posting screen to quickly quote previous replies.
Polls
* Can be added or removed to existing topics.
* Ability to set expiration date.
* Ability to hide results till expiration of poll.
* Ability to hide results until after people have voted.
* Ability to determine how many votes a user may cast.
* Polls can have up to 256 options.
Attachments
* Allowed on a per member group or board basis.
* The filename can be encrypted to increase the security (so you can upload .php files, etc.)
* Optional restriction on what filetypes may be uploaded.
* Ability to restrict such that only registered members can view them (disables hotlinking, mostly.)
* Images can be embedded into posts.
Calendar Support
* Shows Birthdays, Events and Holidays.
* Display calendar information on board index.
* Link an existing topic to the calendar.
* Allow only certain members/groups post events.
* Event poster can edit event.
* Events can span multiple days.
Moderation Tools
* Ability to lock and unlock a topic.
o Topics which are locked by an administrator can not unlocked by anyone else.
* Ability to allow members to use moderation on just topics they posted.
* "Report to moderator" link.
* Delete or modify posts.
* Ability to Merge/Split topics.
* Move or delete topics.
* Sticky or unsticky topics.
* Recycle bin/board for all deleted topics and posts.
* Moderation log which shows moderation activity and disallows log removal outside of 1 day.
User Profiles and User Options
* Ability to hide your email address from the public.
* Select their favorite theme among the activated forum themes.
* Select their smiley set from the ones available.
* Email notification
o New topics per board.
o Single topics.
o Private messages.
* Login with 'invisible' mode.
* Options to hide other members' avatars and signatures.
* Ability to download and resize uploaded avatars.
* Personal text, avatar, signature, and all the niceties of forums can be used and are kept up to date in all your posts.
User Resources
* Icons for topics you've posted to.
* Show new replies to your posts.
* Collapsible 'Additional Options' on post screen.
* Ability to view most recent messages.
* List all topics that have new replies since your last visit.
* See who is browsing the same boards or topics as you.
* Topics that span multiple pages have the page numbers listed as well as an "all" link.
