A hack is a way to change or extend the functionality of b2evolution by editing the underlying code. Hacks are often used to achieve a specific change to the way b2evo works when a Downloadable Plugin is not available.

Hacks can be very effective but they have one large drawback. Anytime you upgrade to a new version of b2evolution you will most likely need to overwrite the files you have hacked, thus your changes will be lost. You will have to re-edit the code to restore your hack.

We highly recommend you hack the b2evolution code only as a last resort.

Most customizations can be done by editing a skin file under the /skins/your_skin directory or by adding or writing a Plugin.

As soon as you start hacking teh core code, you will become reluctant to apply b2evolution upgrades and not only will you be missing out on new features, you will also be missing out on new antispam and security improvements that are added with each new version?

By using skins and/or plugins you will still be able to easily upgrade b2evolution to every new release and make sure your system stays secure and up-to-date.

Finding hacks

There are two main sources of hacks for b2evolution.

Some of the more popular hacks have been gathered together at the Plugins Repository.

You can also find hacks by looking through the b2evo Forums in the "Plugins & Hacks" section.

Keep in mind that hacks are often specific to a particular version of b2evolution. It’s a good idea to do some research and make sure the hack you are trying to implement works for the current version you have.

Requesting a hack

If you would like to request a hack the forums are the place to do so.