Featured Site - How often updated?

[reinder]

Somehow, I can't help feeling that that's a retrograde step. Don't quite know why, though.

[Xepher]

I assume you mean Javascript? I don't personally like it as a language, but it's really the only client-side language there is, and some of the stuff I have in mind needs to be client-side.

[Databits]

Hardly, actually javascript is used a lot now, even in business solutions.

Ever heard of Ajax? It's basically using javascript to call a server-side script which returns xml to the javascript DOM for you to use for various applications.

Shipping estimations, search text suggestions, live form updates, etc... all of these are done using Ajax. Without javascript they would be, well, pretty much impossible to use. Aside maybe using something like Flash which is an even worse solution, as is Java for the same reason. Anything that requires the user to download additional software to make your site work is pretty much useless.

[Desh]

As for having some basic PHP/Comic framework for new people to start with if they want, I'm considering it. Not sure if it really belongs on xepher.net proper, or if that's more something that might fit in a comic-specific subsection/project though.

Perhaps have a file containing commonly used comic functions.  Include simple, highly automated functions for things like listing comics for an archive and getting numbers for First, Prev, etc. links.  Using it'd require a minimal knowledge of php while still allowing for a custom page design.

I imagine the most it'd require is being able to copy the right bits of php into the right places, like "<?php include('comic_functions.php'); comic_set_vars($_GET['comic']); ?>", "<img src="images/<?php echo $current; ?>.jpg" />", and "<a href="comic.php?comic=<?php echo $next; ?>">Next</a>".

[Xepher]

The problem is that the amount of knowledge needed to integrate someone else's PHP functions into your own page is probably higher than installing a full, third-party script package like Walrus or Autosite. Thus, anyone with enough coding skill to integrate code doesn't really need my code. No, I think it would have to be a much more full-featured (or at least self-contained) solution. The people that can't even install Walrus need something very simple to start with. Though it is possible that if I were to write that, I might also provided a function-level API-ish way for more advanced users as well, that way everything could work with some system-wide things like "What comics updated since my last visit?" or some such. Those system-wide features would be the main reason to consider doing this sort of thing, but because it would involve a standardized way of doing things, it probably would fit best on a new, specialized subsection or division, because a lot of current users wouldn't be interested (or able) in migrating to some sort of required/shared code base. Bottom line is I think this is something that's probably a ways farther off than most of the other plans. Gotta get the new server in place, the management/settings scripts rewritten, and then redo the newsbox first.

[Databits]

On the flip side, if you wanna hire me on a contract basis I can write you a rather nice interface and system for your comic to your exact specifications. 



. . . what?? . . .



No I'm not kidding! This is what I do for a living! Stuff like that actually takes quite a bit of work!