Single MySQL database for phpBB and Wordpress?

Hi, is it possible to use one MySQL database for both phpBB and Wordpress? What would be the advantages/disadvantages to this? Thanks in advance for your answers as I am a total database amateur.

Sure, it is absolutely possible, and many users do that. All you have to do is make sure that you use a "prefix" with one/or both of you installations so you avoid any potential conflicts with table names.

I don't know of any significant advantages or disadvantages to doing this, though the following comes to mind:

1) Advantage - Back-ups might be easier as just backing up a single database backs up the data for both applications

2) Disadvantage - If the database goes down, both applications are impacted. With separate databases, this *might* could be avoided.

I don't know if the "oneclick" installer makes it easy for you to specify table prefixes at install time, so this might be an issue. Manual installs make adding the prefixes very easy to do.

--rlparker

Thank you for your response! Would similar functions in both WP and phpBB work correctly? For example, would a Search done in phpBB also bring up results from the WP side and vice versa? Would users just need to register in either software and they can use both?

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Would similar functions in both WP and phpBB work correctly? For example, would a Search done in phpBB also bring up results from the WP side and vice versa? Would users just need to register in either software and they can use both?

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Yes they will work similarly and without issue when the database tables are using different prefixes for each application.

To use one database for both WP and phpBB you will need to at least do a manual install for one of them, the one-click installer does not allow you to set the table prefix, so for example you could do a one-click install of WP, then do a manual install of phpBB, but if you are capable of performing a manual install of phpBB you might as well do manual installs for both.

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No, using the same database will not integrate both applications. That's not so easily achieved. I'm not sure if you can integrate both pieces of software, it's possible there's a plugin or some system that does that, but I doubt it.

You should be able to set up a google search to help search all parts of your site. A integrated system like joomla might do you better in this regard, if the one application houses all the aspects of your site then it's search feature and user registration will span all of it.



--Matttail
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You should be able to configure a Google AJAX Search for your site that will do what you want. You can even create a Google Custom Search Engine for a collection of sites that you want to have your users search. This would help if your WordPress and phpBB are in separate subdomains.

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For example, would a Search done in phpBB also bring up results from the WP side and vice versa? Would users just need to register in either software and they can use both?

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No. The search functions in each of the programs will only search data in *that* program. As previously mentioned, you can make other arrangements for searching across both applications if that is what you desire.

As also stated by other responders, you would need to do additional programming, or use a "bridge" of some kind to have a single user registration recognized by each of the programs; out of the box, a user would need to register and log in as a user in each program to use the "registered user" features.

--rlparker