Implemented Merge Two XenForo Databases / Forums / XenForo To XenForo Import

rjordan

Member
One request made by several of us is the ability to merge two sites with a supported tool. This would include being able to merge (for instance) xenForo v2.0.6 database into an existing xenForo forum. In the case of vBulletin, they have refused the ability for their Impex to have such a feature. Would this functionality be made available here?
 
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I second this. As a long-time vB, phpBB and SMF admin, it would be helpful. Also, it would be nice to have a working importer for (don't laugh) WebBBS, which we ran on several sites for five years before getting something more robust. We have thousands of archived posts we'd like to make public for read-only, but I have as of yet to find any importer that will import those threads. (And I'm not sure if I have the brain cells, or the time, to write my own converter in PHP.) There was a WebBBS to phpBB converter I was able to use for new sites, but it only worked on new forum installations, not an existing one.

On top of it, most importers only treat things as though are converting an existing site. In other words, you can't add a second set of posts/threads/users without eliminating the first forum you've setup. Yep, merge would be really nice for this!

So in essence, we have a running phpBB2 forum I'd convert to xF, and would want to merge in the archived posts from our old WebBBS forum as well.

This is my first post here, but have been active on vB.com and vB.org (which I'll refer to as "the other place" ;) ) for years in connection with running and tweaking a "big board" forum. I am "RedWingFan" over there, alas...
 
There's no reason it wouldn't be possible. Obviously if you're using 301 redirects, it can only handle one site at a time (as otherwise it's not possible to map IDs). The importer doesn't remove any existing data.
 
There's no reason it wouldn't be possible. Obviously if you're using 301 redirects, it can only handle one site at a time (as otherwise it's not possible to map IDs). The importer doesn't remove any existing data.

I had a look at the existing vBulletin importer thinking I could hack it into an xF => xF importer, but it's not making a whole lot of sense to me. Is there a smarter/better way to approach this or am I just out of my league here?
 
Importers aren't simple, though an XF-to-XF importer would at least be easier because data translation wouldn't be an issue. But I was speaking more to the general ability to merge 2 sites together; there's nothing in the system that stops that. (And I'm not sure, but I can't imagine there was anything in vB's system to prevent it either; didn't Floris merge various sites into this network?)
 
Importers aren't simple, though an XF-to-XF importer would at least be easier because data translation wouldn't be an issue. But I was speaking more to the general ability to merge 2 sites together; there's nothing in the system that stops that. (And I'm not sure, but I can't imagine there was anything in vB's system to prevent it either; didn't Floris merge various sites into this network?)
I believe he did, but I imagine it was more a long the lines of vB(a)=> xF(a), vB(b) => xF(a), vB(c)=>xF(a), etc.

The not having to translate data idea is what prompted me to look at the vBulletin importer, but like you said, it's not simple :( I've posted a request in the Addon Requests forum, but any other nudges in this direction you could provide would be extremely welcome :)
 
Ultimately the goal of this request is to merge two xenForo databases.

This is beneficial for large or small communities merging together into one database. The site merging into the current database would depreciate the users, posts, topics, boards, etc. into the current database.

There is always room for sites to grow and sometimes it requires coming together to spark or reignite a slow moving community.
 
Well, the announcement for 1.0.1 mentioned being able to cope with multiple import sources - perhaps adding an XF importer may be the easiest way to do it?

Although I note the link in 1.0.1 for reading more on multiple import sources doesn't link to a more information page as suggested, it goes to an import page, but nothing on it about multiple sources!
 
Well, the announcement for 1.0.1 mentioned being able to cope with multiple import sources - perhaps adding an XF importer may be the easiest way to do it?
Yes.
Although I note the link in 1.0.1 for reading more on multiple import sources doesn't link to a more information page as suggested, it goes to an import page, but nothing on it about multiple sources!
True, importing another xenForo database should have a xenForo option in import external data tool.
 
After doing a search for this, I only found: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/xenforo-to-xenforo-importer-wanted.14039/ which basically is in the wrong forum, but got blown off IMO.

The ability to import an XF DB into another XF DB would be nice, or part thereof...

I am already starting to find aspects where I have parts of an XF install hidden away due to a change in administrative decision, want to merge that data into another XF DB as its more relevant in that forum, or I simply don't want to lose the info, yet cannot do so as there is no ability to import from an XF DB yet.
 
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