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QDB Quotes Instance — Step 1: Solution Assessment

Problem

We need a new site instance whose board/index page looks like the classic QDB (a flat numbered list of full quote text) while clicking a quote leads into a normal discussion thread, without forking the existing board/thread rendering pipeline.

Context found

  • A proven "new instance" pattern already exists: SiteProfileRegistry (site name/theme/composer copy per FORUM_SITE_ID) plus per-vhost FORUM_REPOSITORY_ROOT / FORUM_DATABASE_PATH / FORUM_STATIC_HTML_ROOT — this is exactly how the chouse instance (state/local_repository_chouse, state/static_html_chouse) was stood up.

  • The discussion-thread requirement is already solved: templates/pages/thread.php renders a root post plus nested replies for any /threads/<id>. No new work needed for "click a quote → see a discussion."

  • The index/list requirement is not solved: templates/pages/board.php and templates/partials/thread_card.php render a forum-style card (subject as <h2>, meta date, labels, truncated preview, reply count) — QDB's list instead shows the full quote body under a bare #ID, with no subject/labels/preview truncation. This is a content-shape mismatch, not just a style mismatch.

Options

Option A — CSS-only theme on existing templates

  • Add a SiteProfileRegistry entry + ThemeRegistry theme + one new theme-qdb.css; reuse board.php/thread_card.php unchanged.

  • Pros: smallest change; follows the theme guide's "CSS-only illusion" principle; zero template/controller risk.

  • Cons: can't actually get QDB's format — subject-as-title and truncated preview are baked into the markup, not styleable away; still shows per-thread subject composer flow, which QDB quotes don't have.

Option B — New instance + new quote-list partial, reuse thread page (Recommended)

  • Follow the chouse precedent for a new instance (profile + vhost env vars + theme CSS), plus one new partial (e.g. quote_card.php) swapped into the board template for this instance, rendering #<id> + full body, no subject/labels/preview truncation. Thread page (thread.php) is reused untouched as the click-through discussion view.

  • Pros: reuses the proven instance-creation path and the entire thread/reply/discussion system as-is; new code is bounded to one partial

    • one theme + the board template's card choice; matches FDP's "reuse

    before forking markup" rule.

  • Cons: still a template change (not pure CSS), so it touches board.php's rendering choice, scoped by site profile.

Option C — Standalone quotes micro-app (new routes/controller)

  • New /quotes, /quotes/<id> routes and controller, independent of board.php/tag.php, querying the same read model directly.

  • Pros: fully isolated from the shared board/tag pipeline; no risk of regressing zenmemes/chouse board views.

  • Cons: duplicates routing/controller plumbing that Option B gets for free from the existing instance + partial mechanism; bigger surface area for a feature that fits the existing thread model well.

Recommendation

Option B. It reuses the already-proven multi-instance mechanism (same path that stood up chouse) and the existing thread/reply system for the discussion side, keeping new work to one partial, one theme, and a per-instance board-rendering choice — the smallest change that produces an authentic QDB list without forking shared templates.