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Socoder -> Off Topic -> Site Design/Update Stuff

Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 07:57
Jayenkai
Look here, and you'll notice that I've finally gotten round to adding Icons to the forum.
..
You'll probably also notice that I gave up after the 5th icon. Mine look a bit naff, really.

So, I'm after some 24x32 icons to fit down the side of the forums.


Also, if anyone would like to do more with the site (Stealth?) than the basic .css allows, I'm up for a bit of a challenge. Try to make a basic template with layouts and things clearly labelled, send them to my Gmail account, and I'll see if I can re-jig the site to fit into your template.

How's that for progress?

And no, I haven't started on the Chat/MUD thing, yet!

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Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 08:21
svrman
Nice. It should be "cobra/ion" though. Speaking of which, Cobra/Ion news seems to have gone quiet again!

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BlitzRSS script back online!
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 08:31
tnt23
they look pretty good. and about the styles, I think all you really need to do is add some more classes, unless you're going for a whole new layout for the site (which can also, to an extent, be done by just editing the css).

btw, external links in new window and delete post.

did you change the default skin to blitzcoder?

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What if this were not a hypothetical question?
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 08:45
Jayenkai
Yes, I figured having the default skin as BC might just attract a few more peeps.

Good idea/Bad idea?

External Links in new window.. Do people really need that nowadays?? I tend to click all my links with the middle mouse button, anyway! Guess I'll add it, anyway.

Delete post.. Could've sworn I added that.

I'll get to it later.
Right now, I'm working on making everything into little modules, so the site can be restyled using a simple template+css combo. I'm doing this with a seperate version of the site, so if I go back and tweak the original, I'll probably lose a few tweaks when jumping back and forth.. So once I've got all this working, then I'll jump back and add the Delete Post thing. ok?


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Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 08:49
Stealth
I like the idea. I will get you a template soon!
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 11:28
HoboBen
I started on some icons... But I'm not used to Photoshop anymore, and I'm going to continue with GIMP running off Linux.

Is it possibly alright if I don't finish them all? I'm sure someone else could finish off.

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blog | work | code | more code
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 14:55
Jayenkai
Yeah, that's fine. no probs
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 17:12
garand
Im working on some but it will be a little while because i have other things and school also.
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 17:15
Stealth
Are these templates we can send you suppose to be designed so others can redesign it with its css? Should I make this template easier to morph with css? Maybe in the profiles you can select the site template, and then a template theme?

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Quit posting and try Google.
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 17:38
Jayenkai
At the moment, I have nothing specific in mind.
The "Pick Template + Pick CSS" was a thought in my mind, but the list of possible css parameters, mixed with all the possible templates might be too much, so I think it'll be a pre-selected list.. Or something..
(Possibly even "Or place your own template in this box", if it doesn't pose any kind of security risk)

For now, just try and make something that looks nice, and we'll work on the specifics once I can figure out how to get them all working together

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Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 17:51
HoboBen
Maybe it's the lack of sleep, but I'm confused as to why you need the whole new "Pick Template" dealy. The whole point of CSS is that the text can be free from any formatting and templates, and the CSS does all of that for you - the CSS is the template.

You could completly change the layout from the CSS, nevermind a new template - if you wanted, CSS could swap the left and right bars around, or stick the left one at the top, above the middle one, or pretty much anything.

I haven't looked at your source code in detail, but perhaps all you'd need is a few more classes for things.

I dunno, I'm probably talking rubbish here. I'll most likely understand in the morning.

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blog | work | code | more code
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 18:05
tnt23
that's what I was thinking, unless I'm really missing something, there's nothing more you can really do with the html. as long as everything is completely divided up into classes and id's you can pretty much do whatever you want to the look of the site.

the only thing really, is if you want to TOTALLY change the site. like actually add images, text, and multilevel menus and stuff. i guess it would be kinda cool, but it goes a little further than normal customization.

maybe me and hobo are just totally wrong and don't understand what you're going for here. please clarify if we're wrong.

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What if this were not a hypothetical question?
Sun, 29 Oct 2006, 18:48
Jayenkai
Technically the entire site could be done via nice css stuff, it could all be reformatted, it can be shifted about and everything..

However..

Who here knows how to do that in a CSS script, vs Who here knows how to do that in a HTML file?

Or to put it better..

Would YOU rather work with a html or a css?

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Mon, 30 Oct 2006, 08:38
Jayenkai
Alright, it pretty much works, at this stage, but I really could do with a couple of nice templates before I shift it over to the site, proper..

Test A screenshot
Test B screenshot

Same template, different CSS's. The template's a bit crap, but you can see what I'm going for.
No need to keep the classic items at all, go for your own layout.

The "Main" section (that's everything that's here in the middle) will, for now, stay looking about the same. (until I can figure out how to do multi-page-template things!)

But CSS files can be specified in the template, too, so you don't have to bother catering for all templates, and can just use your own, which can be used to change the Main section as per usual.

You can place "Main" wherever you want to, and also make your own bars wherever you need as well.
For the test images above, I've tried to replicate the classic look, with it's two side bars, but you'll notice that instead of the normal lists of "Latest Stuff", I've been able to define my own set of lists.
The Wed.Workshop posts list is simply "[LatestPosts(rightbar,rightbarAltColor,25)]", with the 2 classes being defined in the .css file, and the #25 being the number of the Wed.Workshop forum. (Multiple forums are displayed using a 25|1|48 method.)

Anyhoo, if anyone can come up with a nice template, any style will do, I'll play around with it, and see if I can get the new Template system to accept it.

Shouldn't be too long, now!


(Users not logged in will see the site as it is now, without any Template files being used. Basically so I don't have to mess about with redoing the Login+Register stuff!)

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Mon, 30 Oct 2006, 17:49
Yayyak
One feature I'd really love, I'm not sure if it has already been requested, or whether it is even possible, is an RSS feed. I think one feed covering both Latest Items and Latest Posts would work best.
Mon, 30 Oct 2006, 18:31
Jayenkai
I used to have a working RSS feed, but it messed up when I started adding new features like a crazed feature-addicted lunatic.

I'll get the RSS working again, soon. Possibly with a filter system, or something.

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Mon, 30 Oct 2006, 18:42
tnt23
me: could we add things to specific pages?

Jayenkai: "The "Main" section (that's everything that's here in the middle) will, for now, stay looking about the same. (until I can figure out how to do multi-page-template things!)"

me: I see.. I should read more carefully before I get pissed and bold things.

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What if this were not a hypothetical question?
Wed, 01 Nov 2006, 07:42
Jayenkai
Today, the following things were done.

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Systems

System/OS/Whatever can now be assigned to Showcases, Articles and Code Snippets.
I've so far got Windows, Linux, Mac, Nintendo DS and "Browser Based"
Now, be careful with that last one! If you make a php script, that'll be Windows/Linux, not Browser! The browser shows the resulting html.. Flash on the other hand, would be Browser.. I'm sure you can figure that out.
To reduce mind-meltingly complex stuff, I haven't added "Linux+Windows+Mac".. Or at least, for now I haven't.
I'll figure out the best way to do that.
I'm thinking checkboxes, but that's kinda clumsy and half-assed. It would probably be easier to just add 3 OS boxes, and let you pick three options.
But that can wait.. I've other things to do.

Any other Systems (THAT WILL BE USED!) will be added upon request.

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Posting

I tweaked the Posting method.
If you post a "Thing" (Showcase/Link/Article/Code Snippet/Blog) with the same topic as a similar "Thing" then it a page pops up telling you that something already exists with that exact title. It'll let you know where the original post was, and give you the choice of going back and tweaking your original post, or heading over to comment on the original. (or edit, if the original was yours.)

Basically, if two people post about the same site, chances are they'll use the same title. And the system should pick that up.. Hopefully!
It's not flawless, but it will at least stop spammers from hitting the F5 key over, and over, and reposting the same damn bit of spam over and over again.

And if it gets annoying, I'll play with it, and see what I can come up with.

The same kind of idea has also been worked into the forum. If a post has been posted to the same area of the forum, a "Why not reply to the previous topic?" page will appear.

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Admin

In line with the ever growing "Banning" functionality, I added the ability for Admins to list a user's entire post history!
It's a huge list of every post the user has created, and a big-ass bunch of checkboxes with which to delete and undelete all of that user's posts.
This will be useful once someone previously "good" turns into an idiot, gets banned, but has a load of previously useful posts. I'll be able to go through and hand pick which posts are left behind and which will go, without having to find them all, click delete, click "Yes I'm sure" and repeat for every single post! (CW method!)

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