Blog for Jacob Fike at GarageGames.com

Overlord Management System 2.2.1

Jacob Fike — 2006-10-16T23:58:57+00:00

I have released a small patch to fix a few issues that have been reported in 2.2, so if you have purchased Overlord, go grab version 2.2.1 now. Also, if you purchased Overlord through phpoverlord.com and responded to the email I sent out, you should now have access to the download through this site.

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Version 2.2.1
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NEW FEATURES
Database Cleanup option under settings that will remove orphaned checklist and milestone items and assignments.

BUGS SQUASHED
Promoted/Demoted log messages were reversed
A General message category is now created automatically when a project is added
Project message categories could not be edited
Checklist items could not be deleted

Update: As is usually the case in software development, more and more bugs have appeared. So as not to clutter the GG Blogs with minor patches, please keep an eye on the forum at www.phpoverlord.com/forum/ where I will post all updates.

Overlord 2.2 Released!

Jacob Fike — 2006-10-13T19:56:00+00:00

Well, everything has been signed, and the product page is now live! Woohoo!

This version, 2.2, adds the long-awaited file manager to the mix. Each project has its own file section where files can be uploaded, organized into folders, tagged with keywords, and attached to other items like bugs and tasks. There is also a spiffy interface when creating or editing tasks, bugs, etc. that allows you to upload a file right there, without changing pages, and attach it to the item you are creating or editing in a completely seamless fashion. Also new is the redesigned message system, which now works like a forum. There are several other key changes as well. You can see the complete changelog below the image.

As for the future of Overlord, I am about to begin working on a more business-oriented version, which, hopefully, will be released before the end of the month. It will include such features as time tracking, advanced permissions, per-project user access, and more as time goes by. I don't have a name for it yet, something like Overlord Advanced Technology maybe? Also, work is not stopping on the base Overlord product. I will continue to fix bugs, and there are certain features that will make their way into both products. I plan to include an upgrade script and there will be a discounted upgrade price once the new product comes out, so you can buy Overlord now and upgrade later without losing any data.

Note to current customers: If you purchased Overlord through http://www.phpoverlord.com, you need to keep an eye on your inbox. You will receive a message with instructions for getting access to future downloads.

CHANGELOG:

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Version 2.2
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NEW FEATURES:
File Manager: Each project now has a Files tab where you can upload files and organize them into folders. The limit to filesize is determined by both the user's browser and the server's PHP.ini configuration, so extremely large files are likely to fail to upload. 2MB or smaller files should work fine.
Attachments: Any file can be attached to any item, you can upload the file when you want to attach it, or attach an existing file.

CHANGES:
Messages for each project now function like a forum, which should make them more useful.
Links to the various RSS feeds are now displayed prominently where they are used on the site.
Bugs and Tasks now show linked Milestones in the list and will use the Milestone deadline if they do not have one.
The All Activity log is now shown on the My Domain page.
All items can now be commented on, not just messages.
Many log messages were changed. They should provide more useful information now.

BUGS SQUASHED:
Only active assignments are shown on the My Domain page.
Added the field to link a milestone when creating tasks, bugs, and checklists.
Completed Milestones do not appear in the Link to Milestone select box if they are also past their deadline.
Assignments are now properly deleted when the assigned item is deleted.

Return of Overlord

Jacob Fike — 2006-09-02T17:04:48+00:00

Well, the next release of Overlord is code-named 'Return of Overlord', but it won't be out for a while because I am about to pack up my computer and ship it to Oregon, where I will be starting my internship at GG on Wednesday. There, I will be working on some super-secret projects that I can't tell you about. But, rest assured, development on Overlord will continue, in my spare time. Slow and steady wins the race, after all. Also, by the time I finish the next version, you will be able to buy it through GG instead of through my ghetto half-paypal, half-manual emailing system that I have now.

So keep an eye on the products section, you never know when it might appear!

And to whet your appetite, here are some features that are already done or in the works:

* Messages changed to work like a forum (done)
* Private messages
* AJAX-ified UI for Spiffyness
* File manager and attachments
* Tasks can be highly customized. Custom status levels, multiple embedded tasks, etc. And you can save templates for commonly used setups.
* Checklists are now a task template rather than their own item.

And because there must be a picture:

Overlord II Released!

Jacob Fike — 2006-07-25T06:49:08+00:00

That's right, it's finally arrived. You can see the enormous changelog in my previous .plan. License owners can download it now. For anyone who has not purchased a license yet, you can check out the live demo, read the FAQ, or go ahead and purchase a license for only $19.95.

Next up is 'Return of Overlord', with even more awesomeness than this release! Here's a preliminary list of features:

* Custom user ranks
* Complete control over permissions
* Per-project user lists
* Private Messages
* File manager, including attachments
* Project Calendar
* Activity Reports
* Added functionality to event logger
* More JavaScript UI spiffyness
* Maybe more

Also on the horizon is a website overhaul. I am going to make it easier to see what Overlord is and how it can help you.

Last, but certainly not least, a big THANK YOU to everyone who has bought Overlord so far. I know it took a while, but I hope you enjoy version 2.0!

Overlord II is Feature Complete!

Jacob Fike — 2006-07-16T23:46:11+00:00

After a long, long, long time(too long), Overlord II is finally feature complete. It's not being released just yet, though.

Since it is such a huge change (most of the code has been completely rewritten) I want to do a good bit of testing first. So, to anyone who has purchased a license, if you would like to help me test this new version, please send an email to jacob [at] randomdeveloper.com and I will get back to you in day or 2 with the new code and instructions on what I need tested. The more people I have testing, the sooner I can release it.

As for what's new, here's the (mostly) complete changelog:
Version 2.0

NEW FEATURES:
* RSS Feeds for the entire site, individual Projects, and My Assignments

* Tagging! All items can be tagged with keywords, which are searchable through the search box on every page, and every item that has tags will show them as clickable links so you can easily find related items. When on the search page, there is now a 'tag cloud' below the search box that shows the most commonly used tags, with the most common tags in the largest font-size

* Email notices. Users can be notified when they recieve new assignments. This feature will be added to in future versions.

* Plugins! Anyone can now write their own plugin and it will automatically be used if installed correctly. I am still working on documentation for this, but the system is in place.

* Users can now create their own personal sidebar. This will show on every page below the search box and context sidebar(if present)

* Customizable global sidebar. Every page will now show the global sidebar below the user's personal sidebar. Overlords can edit the new global sidebar as well as other settings on the new Configuration tab

* A user's # of tasks, checklists, bugs, and messages created is now displayed on their profile, more activity logging will be added in future versions

* Localization. A system is now in place to allow for using different languages. While English will be the only officially supported language, user-made translations will be made available for download the Overlord website. These language packs will not be supported by the Overlord team and will be available on a use-at-your-own-risk basis

CHANGES:
* Rewritten code for speed and flexibility. Overlord now uses an object-oriented code structure with simple methods for manipulating data.

* URLs are now more consistent, and searches are shown as part of the url for easy linking or bookmarking

* Better logging capabilities, logged events are now an object and can be manipulated in the same way as tasks, bugs, etc.

* Installation instructions rewritten for clarity

* Various changes to HTML and CSS to fix bugs/improve usability, font-sizes should be consistent across all browsers/OSes and the layout should stretch or shrink to accomodate different browser text settings

* Enhanced Task List with column sorting

* Enhanced Milestone List with column sorting

* Checklists can have unlimited items, each item will remember when it was completed and by who

* Tasks, bugs, and checklists can be assigned to any number of people

* All items with deadlines track who completed them and when, indepent of the events log, so that the log can be cleared from time to time without breaking anything

* All items(other than messages) can be linked to a milestone now, including milestones, which allows for dependecy to be shown

* Many things can be collapsed/expanded with a click, some things are collapsed automatically such as assignment lists and checklists that have no completed items yet

* Minion names are now always shown as links to their profile and include a tooltip on mouse over showing various information about them

* The functionality of Style-tags has been expanded upon, showing mini-icons for each type of item, a minion's access level, or denoting an offsite link

* Users can now upload an avatar image, as well as using a remotely hosted image

BUGS SQUASHED:
* Using special characters or html tags in item names could result in an error or be incorrectly stored in the database

* The project overview calendar would sometimes show milestones that were not due in the 2 week period displayed by the calendar

* A few spelling/grammar errors were fixed

If you want to know more about Overlord, please visit www.phpoverlord.com and checkout the online demo. The demo will be updated to use version 2.0 soon.

P.S. I just want to say thanks to everyone who has purchased Overlord so far. I hope you like the new version!

Overlord II: Coming Soon!

Jacob Fike — 2006-06-22T00:32:43+00:00

Well, it has been quite a while, but Overlord II is nearing completion. I am in the middle of fiddling with the UI to find the best way to display and edit a few things like Assignments and linking items to milestones (if you have any suggestions on this, please let me know). I then have to go over all of my model classes to make sure that they cascade properly (like updating the progress of a linked milestone when you update or delete an item). After that, I just have some HTML to tidy up and to udate and test the install and upgrade scripts. I will probably udate the online demo (www.phpoverlord.com/demo) once it is feature complete, so that I can get some feedback while I work on the install and upgrade scripts. More information can be found at the offical site: www.phpoverlord.com and I am always open to questions, comments, or suggestions either here, on the official forums, or through email at jacob [at] randomdeveloper.com.

Here's an obligatory screenshot:

Click for larger version
Some things to note:
* Streamlined interface leaves more room for content and is easy on the eyes
* New personal and global sidebar, using style tags it is easy to add links to whatever you want
* Mini-icons for edit/delete and for each type of item

Overlord 1.0.2 Released

Jacob Fike — 2006-02-08T11:29:43+00:00

That's right, Overlord 1.0.2 is here with a couple of new features, some bug fixes, and a few other changes for good measure. You can read the changelog on the site for a complete list of changes. If you have already bought Overlord, you can go straight to the My Account or Download page and get it now. Upgrading is as easy as uploading the new files (except for config.php) and then logging in to your site.

The new features in this version are the Search Box, which allows for full-text searching of all items. It is very basic right now, but it works. I will expand the search functions as I recieve feedback on what is wanted for searching. Also new is the enhanced bug tracker. Bugs can now be assigned a priority and deadline, be assigned to a user, and there are six status levels, rather than simply squashed or unsquashed. The main Bugs page will show a nicely formatted table of the bugs, sortable by clicking on the column headers, and with options in the sidebar to filter out resolved bugs, unresolved bugs, or to limit the list to a single user's assigned bugs. More options will be added if there is demand for them. You can see it in action in the online demo and post feedback in the feedback forum.

A lifetime license for Overlord is still only $20, so buy now and get your minions in line today!

See www.phpoverlord.com for more details.

Plans for Overlord 1.1

Jacob Fike — 2006-01-24T11:16:11+00:00

Well, I finally got Overlord out the door and have even had a few customers, which is awesome. So, now that it is out, I am working on getting the product website up to date with information and features. I've got a customer section now which gives customers quick access to download the latest version and links to the support forums and an option for recieving emails about new versions. I'm also putting links to games and mods that are using Overlord on the sidebar and testimonials from customers (assuming people give them).

So, with the website done for the most part, I'm going back to working on the software itself. My plans for version 1.1 include a lot of stuff, like adding more info to the bug tracker, changing the list views to tables with more sorting and filtering options, adding a search function, RSS feeds, and more.

I'd really like to thank the people who took the time to comment on my previous plans. Having some feedback and encouragement went a long way to helping me get a working product out the door. I know it's not a game, but it was still a pretty big job for only one person in their spare time. My hope now is that my work will help some of you out with your own projects.

Edit: forgot link www.phpoverlord.com

Overlord v1 released. Finally!

Jacob Fike — 2006-01-20T13:08:58+00:00

Overlord version 1.0 has landed! That's right, the ultimate project management tool for game developers is available for purchase and download. I am offering a lifetime license for only $20. That includes updates and support for as long as you care to use the product. Head on over to www.phpoverlord.com for more information, a fully-functional live demo, and purchase information. Feel free to send any questions you may have to sales [at] phpoverlord.com.

And for those who hate .plans without screenshots:

Click for large version.

php|Overlord is almost ready!

Jacob Fike — 2006-01-04T18:40:52+00:00

Well, I got a lot done during the holidays, not as much as I wanted, but there was too much good food keeping me distracted. Anyway, I have completed the code refactoring, aside from a few remaining typos and whatnot, I have completed getting all the templates up to XHTML 1.0 standards, and I have gotten a definite idea for the final design. I hope to have all the remaining kinks worked out this week, and all the final features done by next week. Then I will release a beta version, and fix any bugs that get reported. Anyway, here's a little sneak peek.