Regarding the Code::Blocks homepage design contest

[rickg22]

Beautiful I go for "C". And nice xhtml in there No javascript, no fuzzy stuff, just plain ol' xhtml. Congratulations!

[per_eckerdal]

I'm creating a PHP system for the site (It is *really* *primitive*, but I don't think more is needed. I've done the URL's so that it's easy to change, though), and when creating the screenshots page, I thought that it would be cool with some more screenshots than the current site has. (For showing some more of the windows). I have taken some in windows, but I don't have Code::Blocks for Linux, so if someone could take some..?
/Per Eckerdal

[per_eckerdal]

For the news system:
Which database should be used? MySQL 3, 4 or SQLite?
(I think not using a database for the news system would be very inappropriate)
/Per Eckerdal

[mandrav]

I have taken some in windows, but I don't have Code::Blocks for Linux, so if someone could take some..?

I will post some links for you later today.

For the news system:
Which database should be used? MySQL 3, 4 or SQLite?

MySQL 4 is what most hosting companies provide.

Thanks a lot Per,
Yiannis.

[per_eckerdal]

Okay.
Just to be sure, I've done a simple wrapper interface (db_query instead of mysqli_query) to be able to switch easily.

My current system uses .htaccess files for pretty URLs. Is that possible?
/Per Eckerdal

[mandrav]

My current system uses .htaccess files for pretty URLs. Is that possible?

Sure it is.

Yiannis.

[per_eckerdal]

Oh, sorry if I was being unclear. I meant to ask if it is common that web hosting companies allow .htaccess files.

Whatever,

The PHP system is slowly reaching a more mature state. The main things that are left to do now are the handbook, the faq, a phpBB theme and the web administration tools.

The question I have now is about how users should be able to comment the news items. I see these possibilities:

Using a custom comment system:
1. The user just enters a nick, without password or anything.
2. I create a separate login system.
3. I create a separate login system, but use the phpBB login information. (You would have to login on two places: the forum and the main site)
4. I use the phpBB login system straight off (dunno how to do it, but it should be possible?  :wink:)

Using phpBB:
5. For every news item, a new thread is created in a special "news discussion" forum, letting users communicate and login just as in the other parts of the forum.

What do you think?
/Per Eckerdal

BTW: If you're curious what I'm doing, I have made my local apache server available though dyndns: http://mellan.dyndns.org/codeblocks/. But don't be surprised if it's down or doesn't work: It is my working copy after all..

Note that it for some reason takes 2-3 sec to connect to my mysql server, so the pages using the db are pretty slow.

[mandrav]

Oh, sorry if I was being unclear. I meant to ask if it is common that web hosting companies allow .htaccess files.

No, I understood you alright
Our host allows it as most do (at least that's what I found out when searching for hosts).

The question I have now is about how users should be able to comment the news items. I see these possibilities:

Using a custom comment system:
1. The user just enters a nick, without password or anything.

This should be enough. No need to complicate things or else we 'd end up with a complete CMS

BTW: If you're curious what I'm doing, I have made my local apache server available though dyndns: http://mellan.dyndns.org/codeblocks/. But don't be surprised if it's down or doesn't work: It is my working copy after all..

Note that it for some reason takes 2-3 sec to connect to my mysql server, so the pages using the db are pretty slow.

Very nice

I have a comment regarding your phpBB-related questions.
It's not certain that we 'll keep using it...
If we change the site (thanks to you ), we might move to a newer/better forum system.
I 'll say it again: nothing's certain yet, regarding the forums. We might go with phpBB or we might choose to switch.
For example, I was recently evaluating SimpleMachines...

Yiannis.

[per_eckerdal]

Now the FAQ system is done. (Just the system, not the questions. I save that work until the admin interface is done..) The next thing I'm going to attack is the handbook.

I don't know what you think, but I don't think it's very comphrehensive nor very well-structured. (At least not as good as it could get..)

Do you think it's okay if I restructure it to a more http://www.crystalspace3d.org/docs/online/manual/cs_toc.phpish structure (sorry, bad example, you get the picture: tree) and the source as XML? (to be able to convert it to XSL:FO=>PDF, HTML, chunked HTML and so on without much hassle)
/Per Eckerdal

[per_eckerdal]

Here is what it's going to be: (kindof, the CSS is a little weird because I used it for another text before)
http://www.shell.linux.se/edev/texts/codeblockshb/text.xml
/Per Eckerdal

[rickg22]

It looks good!

There are some inaccuracies in the handbook, but these can be fixed later. Now it's only matter of adding screenshots to the descriptions, and voila!

[tiwag]

.. If you're curious what I'm doing ... http://mellan.dyndns.org/codeblocks/

hello per
what i don't like in your design, is the fixed width of the layout.
On my 1280x1024 screen, a third of the available screen area is wasted on the left and the right side as blank vertical stripes.
i would prefer a layout which dynamically uses the available width of the browser window.

but i also think it looks really good and professional,
continue your good work

tiwag

[Profic]

tiwag, you might need to look at http://mellan.dyndns.org/codeblocks/help/

[mandrav]

@tiwag: it seems you haven't read the previous posts. Click on the two vertical sidebars at the bottom right, which are like "| |", and it will toggle to full width

@per: Yes, I like the handbook!

Yiannis.

[per_eckerdal]

Take a look at the two (or one in IE) links on the right side of the footer: the | | (|< >| in IE) icon toggles between fixed and fluid width layout.

Why I chose a fixed layout is that screens are harder to read, you must either have large row distance or narrow width (or, like what I've done here: a combination).

The higher resolution, the harder it is to read, and the smaller is the width of the page, so I find fixed-width web pages quite natural because it keeps the readability quite constant.
/Per Eckerdal

EDIT: Hehe, three answers so fast..