This is a comprehensive list of features in GATT 9.0 and it is principally what influenced our decision to go with this new system.

General

    * Uses PHP and MySQL.
    * Comprehensive template system.
    * Advanced permission and user management.
    * Supports multiple languages at once.
    * Open and well-documented source code.
    * Tracking of new and old unread topics, not just from your last visit.
    * Designed for optimal performance and scalability.
    * Multi-media output. (XHTML, XML, RSS, WAP)
    * Multi-language support from a large community.
    * Package manager that automatically installs or uninstalls mods (also known as hacks.)

Security

    * All actions seamlessly require a session based authorization code.
    * Administrative actions require the user's password (and do not rely solely on cookies.)
    * Major actions are time and IP locked, preventing 'hammering'.
    * The number of login attempts from a certain IP can be limited and time locked.

Forum Settings

    * Ability to display page creation time and query count per page.
    * Put a board into maintenance mode, allowing only admins to login.
    * Word censoring, either full word or partial.
    * Ability to break up long words.

Boards and Categories

    * Group boards into collapsable categories.
    * Set categories as non-collapsable.
    * Reorder boards within categories, or reorder categories.
    * Create child boards under other boards. (sub boards)
    * Assign moderators to boards.
    * Allow certain membergroups to access a board, including guests only.
    * Configure permissions for each membergroup on the board level.
    * Ability to indicate new posts to child boards but nothing new in parent.

Member Registration

    * Require registration before forum entrance.
    * Require a user to agree to terms before they register.
    * Disable member registration completely (allowing only moderators to register people).
    * Require email authentication by sending an authentication link.
    * Require a moderator to approve registration.
    * Register new members from the admin center.

Member Navigation and Authentication

    * Several security checks during navigation.
    * Password reminder option, by email with confirmation. (doesn't automatically reset your password.)
    * Both cookie and session based authentication (works without cookies.)
    * Cookies can be set local to a path, global to all subdomains, or normally.
    * Adjustable expiration time for authentication cookies.

Member Tracking and Tracing

    * Sortable and searchable public memberlist (accessible by a permission.)
    * Powerful sortable and searchable admin memberlist.
    * Show all (error) messages and IPs made by a member. (track user)
    * Show all (error) messages from an IP address or range. (track IP)
    * See who's doing what (accessible by permission.)

Statistics

    * Several board statistics (accessible by permission.)
    * Tracking of member's online time in seconds.
    * Tracking of topics, messages, new members, and hits per day.
    * Individual member statistics accessible from their profile.

News and Announcements

    * Ability to create announcement boards (members receive a notification of topics automatically.)
    * Member option to disable receiving announcements.
    * Email or private message your members by membergroup.
    * Show a news ticker or news fader.

Communication

    * Ability to choose sendmail or SMTP (with or without authentication.)
    * Ability to send a topic to a friend.
    * Ability to view a "printer friendly" version of topics.

Membergroups

    * Create membergroups to group members on permissions, access rights, and/or appearance.
    * Assign several membergroups to a single member, with one membergroup as the primary group.
    * Define membergroups that are auto-assigned based on the amount of posts a user has.
    * Determine the maximum number of personal messages a membergroup is allowed to have by group.
    * Assign graphical symbol(s) to a membergroup - by primary group.
    * Determine which membergroups are allowed to access a board.

Banning

    * Ban members based on their username, email address, IP address or hostname.
    * Support of wildcards for email address, IP address, and hostname.
    * Include a ban reason (viewable for the banned user).
    * Include a ban note (only viewable by the admins).
    * Chose between full ban, 'no post' ban, or registration ban.
    * Include an expiration time for bans.

External integration

    * Integrate parts of forum software into existing website using SSI or PHP.
          o Recent topics or posts.
          o Recent news posts in a board.
          o Recent polls.
          o Several forum statistics.
          o List of users online.
          o The menu bar.
          o News.
          o Search.
          o Login/logout.
          o Today's events/birthdays/holidays.
    * Export forum data using XML/RSS
          o Latest members.
          o News.
          o Recent posts.

Wireless access

    * Support for WAP, WAP2 and I-mode protocols.
    * Browse through boards/topics/messages with reduced page size.
    * Ability to login and logout (not with WAP 1.)
    * Ability to see new topics/boards with new replies.
    * Ability to jump to first unread reply.
    * Ability to post new messages (not with WAP 1.)

Theming and Templating

    * Ability to allow or disallow your users to select their own theme.
    * Ability to reset all of your members to a certain theme.
    * Ability to install a new theme via your administration center.
    * Default templates are XHTML 1.0 Transitional and CSS 2.0 compliant.
    * Admin can add smileys and smiley sets.
    * Members can choose which smiley set they wish to use (or none.)
    * Themes can be installed by way of the "latest and greatest themes" panel.
    * SSI can have and show layers and the like from the template system.

Posting Features

    * Spell Check.
    * Quick Reply
          o Members can disable it or collapse it.
          o Can be used with "Quote".
          o Also contains "Spell Check".
    * Vast number of "bulletin board codes" to use (including rtl, acronym, and others.)
    * Optional editing grace period before a post is shown as modified.
    * 'Insert Quote' feature on posting screen to quickly quote previous replies.

Polls

    * Can be added or removed to existing topics.
    * Ability to set expiration date.
    * Ability to hide results till expiration of poll.
    * Ability to hide results until after people have voted.
    * Ability to determine how many votes a user may cast.
    * Polls can have up to 256 options.

Attachments

    * Allowed on a per member group or board basis.
    * The filename can be encrypted to increase the security (so you can upload .php files, etc.)
    * Optional restriction on what filetypes may be uploaded.
    * Ability to restrict such that only registered members can view them (disables hotlinking, mostly.)
    * Images can be embedded into posts.

Calendar Support

    * Shows Birthdays, Events and Holidays.
    * Display calendar information on board index.
    * Link an existing topic to the calendar.
    * Allow only certain members/groups post events.
    * Event poster can edit event.
    * Events can span multiple days.

Moderation Tools

    * Ability to lock and unlock a topic.
          o Topics which are locked by an administrator can not unlocked by anyone else.
    * Ability to allow members to use moderation on just topics they posted.
    * "Report to moderator" link.
    * Delete or modify posts.
    * Ability to Merge/Split topics.
    * Move or delete topics.
    * Sticky or unsticky topics.
    * Recycle bin/board for all deleted topics and posts.
    * Moderation log which shows moderation activity and disallows log removal outside of 1 day.

User Profiles and User Options

    * Ability to hide your email address from the public.
    * Select their favorite theme among the activated forum themes.
    * Select their smiley set from the ones available.
    * Email notification
          o New topics per board.
          o Single topics.
          o Private messages.
    * Login with 'invisible' mode.
    * Options to hide other members' avatars and signatures.
    * Ability to download and resize uploaded avatars.
    * Personal text, avatar, signature, and all the niceties of forums can be used and are kept up to date in all your posts.

User Resources

    * Icons for topics you've posted to.
    * Show new replies to your posts.
    * Collapsible 'Additional Options' on post screen.
    * Ability to view most recent messages.
    * List all topics that have new replies since your last visit.
    * See who is browsing the same boards or topics as you.
    * Topics that span multiple pages have the page numbers listed as well as an "all" link.