bbPress: Forum Software Bundled with BuddyPress

Since BuddyPress 1.1, bbPress has come bundled in the BuddyPress package to make installation as smooth as possible. BuddyPress integrated bbPress into a dedicated forum component so that groups could hold discussions, and added a central discussion directory collecting topics in one place. The 1.1 release described this as one-click internal bbPress forum integration, allowing group forums to be set up in under a minute, alongside a global forum directory for browsing public forum posts regardless of the group they belong to.

• Bundled with BuddyPress from version 1.1
• Dedicated forum component for group discussion
• One-click internal forum integration
• Global forum directory for public forum posts

During the BuddyPress 1.1 beta and release candidate stages, bbPress was not included in the zip download. Testers had to download bbPress 1.0 separately and extract it into the folder "bp-forums/bbpress" inside the BuddyPress plugin directory. BuddyPress stated that this separate step would not apply to the final 1.1 release.

• bbPress 1.0 downloaded separately for beta and RC builds
• Extracted into bp-forums/bbpress within the plugin directory
• Not required for the final 1.1 release

As part of the WordPress "3.org" initiative, which focused on the elements surrounding WordPress rather than WordPress itself, bbPress was converted from a standalone platform into a WordPress plugin. BuddyPress stated that the aim was to keep bbPress tightly integrated with BuddyPress while allowing both to act independently or alone. In a future version of BuddyPress, bbPress would no longer be packaged in the download, and each plugin would be aware of the other being activated. The stated end result was two plugins working together so that bbPress forums could be created for any other object, component or plugin, which would let BuddyPress developers extend bbPress for their own custom components.

• Part of the WordPress "3.org" initiative
• bbPress to be removed from the BuddyPress download
• Plugins aware of each other when both activated
• Forums attachable to other objects, components or plugins

While bbPress remained bundled, its version was updated through BuddyPress point releases. BuddyPress 1.2.8 updated the bundled bbPress from 1.0.2 to 1.0.3, addressing issues that did not affect BuddyPress directly. That same release also backported fixes from the in-development 1.3 branch for compatibility with the WordPress 3.1 network administration interface.

• Bundled bbPress updated from 1.0.2 to 1.0.3 in BuddyPress 1.2.8

bbPress has featured in BuddyPress community events. At WordCamp New York, a track was dedicated to WordPress MU and BuddyPress, including a session on developing BuddyPress as a collaboration hub that covered bridging the WordPress, bbPress and MediaWiki platforms.

• WordCamp New York track on WordPress MU and BuddyPress
• Session bridging WordPress, bbPress and MediaWiki