Need help on randomly displaying images w/ hyperlinks

[Desh]

Hi, I don't have a Xepher account, though I want to help

I played with the html source from http://fesworks.xepher.net/Banners/Display.htm, specifically the page for Garnet.  However I didn't know what PHP source you were using so I couldn't play with that.

In regards to installing a webserver on your own computer for PHP testing, you can find some all-in-one installers which make it easy.  I use apache friends xampp; it's a combined installation of Apache with options for PHP 4 and 5, MYSQL, Filezilla FTP and Mercury Email.

For the special characters such as the wavy n and copyright, how are you entering them?  The ASCII codes seem to work: ñ for the n and © for the c.

Font sizes vary depending on browser due to default settings.  I think FF has a bigger default setting than IE.  If you set font size in em or pt like Xepher suggested it should be the same.

With cool fonts that no one has on their computer, in CSS font-family, you can specify a list of fonts for the browser.  Something like font-family: "Cool font", "Cool, yet common font", "Uncool font", general font-family;

The HTML source for the banner was messy, so I tried to clean it up, and ended up making it XHTML valid for some reason.  Stuff like the DOCTYPE, title, img alt, and meta tag aren't really needed for this, but make it valid.  Using CSS looks like a good idea though, as you can chop out all the tags.  (I added a space to the n ASCII to make it display in the code, remove it and it'll make the n)

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  "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">








 
   
   
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 

PREV	Xepher.Net Webcomics	NEXT
A dark, romantic story about a girl who, trying to save a man, follows a demon/vampire to another dimension and gets involved in a war between demons and humans. (Tambien en Espa&# 241ol )

I hope I've been helpful and not just random

[dragyn]

Heh...just saw the banner you've got for Beastling.  Nice work, I may have to use that.  Any particular reason you chose that scene, though?

Anyway, I'm not at home right now, and I'd have to rework everything to fit it in, so I probably won't add it, even if you get it done.  Well, eventually, but not immediately.

[fesworks]

Thanks Desh! I'll try those character codes and see if that does it then!

Dragyn: I choose that scene because it was the clearest and most recent I could find a shot of beastling... and it seems like a good shot. Otherwise I was going to use a shot of his father, but I wanted Beastling for the Beastling banner. I had the hardest time finding the right thing for beastling, which is why the word "Beastling" takes up most of the banner The pencil sketching underneath was taken from the Chapter 2 title page and clone stamped.

Also, (If anyone else from the Xepher.NeT comics sees this thread), any banner that I have done, and you like it, and would like to use it: Consider it yours. All images are taken from the sites the represent.

So, Dragyn, consider it yours if you really want to use it. I don't need any credit, props, kudos, or anything


Adversely, if you want something different, feel free to send me a new 468x60 Banner then

[Xepher]

Heh... just realized I never answered you on the special characters thing.

Try these two, and tell me what you see.

http://xepher.xepher.net/unicode-test.html
http://xepher.xepher.net/unicode-test.php

The first is a .html file, saved as unicode-test.html.utf8 Adding the ".utf8" to the end makes apache send it with the correct character set.

The second file has nothing special done to it (other than being written in a unicode aware editor) and consists of the following code.

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echo "This string is echoed from PHP: ©Ã'ñ®";

?>



This string is part of plain HTML: ©Ã'ñ®


The "special string" displayed should be a copyright symbol, a capital "N" with a wiggle over it, a small "n" with a wiggle, and the circle-R (registered trademark) symbol. It should appear the same in all cases. Let me know what does and doesn't work for you, and we can figure out where the problem is.

[fesworks]

Doing that "ñ" instead of "ñ" seemed to work just fine!

[fesworks]

Uhg, Most of these guys have no e-mail address shown, so I'll br trying them at the "@xepher.net" account. :/

I contacted Pareidolia, and they are going to repost their archive. Other than that I am unsure if I'll get people to e-mail me back :

Well, I'm going to tackle the art sites next. I wanna make sure I have plenty of people in this banner exchange, etc, if I don't get respinces from the @Xepher.net accounts.

[Xepher]

Anyone with a phase two account is actually required to either check their email here, or to have forwarding set up to a valid account. This is both so that I can contact them if/when needed, and so that I don't have to deal with complaints about site-specific things as much. In the past, I've had random people complain about this or that shown on some site, and how they couldn't get a hold of the site owner, so they're demanding I do something about it.

Anyway, what I wanted to ask, would mind keeping a list of who you emailed, and who actually responded? When I get a firm date for the server move, I'm gonna be emailing everyone with a notice, and it'd be nice to compare my response list to yours... effectively being able to call this a second strike against them if they don't respond.

[fesworks]

I have not e-mailed them yet, but I'll try that within the next two days. I wanted to make sure i knew what I was going to say first.

also, some of them appear to be skimping on what should be shown in the Newsbox... But then again I show everything except one or two things I think (some just had the title, the location, and the donate link).... someone had a static code from 2004 :

I'll get you that list for the e-mail thing.

[Xepher]

Yeah, there's a lot of dead accounts. I've been quite lax in enforcing things. As noted over on the "new server" thread, a lot of the cruft is gonna get cleaned out with the move to the new server. I'm also thinking I'll write a script to watch for dead/empty sites or invalid newsboxes. Basically look and see if a site doesn't register a visit via the newsbox for 2 weeks or more. With the way things are set up it should be pretty easy... possibly even a single SQL query.

[fesworks]

I'm going through and making a comprehensive list of the entire directory. Expect a final document on Monday-ish.


EDIT:

and don;t give me that "You don't have to/shouldn't do that." It's cool. I need a comprehensive list for this project I'm doing anyway.... I also TOTALLY forgot about the Webmangas, now that I am going through the list!

[Xepher]

No rush at all... I do appreciate it.

[fesworks]

Is the News Box invalid if it just looks like:

XEPHER . NET
Xepher.net > Art > Other > This Site
Visitors: ###  DONATE!

Also, there are a couple that have this and the "News" part in there. I would think to be valid it would need at least this (even sans the "Visitors" part), but at least the Directory Pull-Down menu.... at the very least.

Please clarify the required minimum.


also I'm up to "Kinjutsu"

[Xepher]

Sadly, it is valid. As long as that code is being dynamically generated from the include, and not just static. You don't have a way to tell that though. I had hoped people would choose to show more of the optional parts, but didn't require it. For my own part though, I won't list a site as the featured site, unless they themselves show that section of the newsbox. Fair's fair. It occurs to me the part that says "Xepher.net" should maybe say "Hosted by Xepher.net" so people realize it's a hosting service, not just a link exchange or something, in case their interested in applying.

[fesworks]

Yea, I'd suggest that you change that (at least for new applicants). And, I would also ask (when you do the big e-mail thing) to ask that people at least include the Drop Down Menu, because it does not take up that much space.. but that's just what I feel. I have a custom list, but I have not kept up on it, and I'm going to turn it back to default. I don't like the announcements because they tend to be "bad" or unimportant to visitors (and more for the hostees).

Ok, well, knowing this I'll make adjustments to my documentations. A lot of people have what is  "Valid-Min". I've only seen one that was a static code... but that was was not updated since 2004 I think... I'll take a look. I think I'm done with all the Art sites.

Are all the sites listed in the directory Phase II? Some are missing the news box completely, and I know Phase I sites are not required to have it. Some I questioned if they are new sites. You should get a really nice list once I am done. I'll be going back and double checking them once I am finished too.

Anyway, I'm kinda having fun organizing this stuff

[fesworks]

Ok, now I'm done with the comics. Just a few more after that. Then a double-check, then I'll be e-mailing you the results... I was using word.... do you prefer a particular format? I was going to mail it to your xepher@xepher.net account.