Javascript and PHP play so well togther...
This blog seems to have found a theme as of late:
lotc - The Long March to a Website. And, although you should pick up on the sarcastic tone, there is atleast some of that that rings true. With this in mind, I present the next chapter in the saga....
After three days of typing and a few missed blog posts,
FeedFarm is now online. I figured that should be the next project since the blog, while not integrated into the site fully, is working fine at the moment, and the test that was/is "feefarm jr." is running like a champ. Did I just say that? Anyway... so it was time to take the PHP/RSS backend out for a spin, slap some Javascript navigation on it, and see what it could really do.
The beta edition 1.1 is up, (versions .9-1 were online but not public - the results of these test versions can be seen on the
Startpage and as the base code for Jr.) As with all beta projects it may be buggy and it is far from complete, and some sections are not filled in - the last three tabs: PBS, Blogs, and Magazines do not have feeds listed yet. But it is fully functional as the base for the the farm and host of the additions that will be coming down the line.
Some ideas include:
- Format options: One would be a large whitespace/font layout (based on the current theme) - the other would be more compact (based more on the Jr design) The option to switch between the two would be up to the user and not forced from the server site.
- Link open options: The ability to chose if you want a link to open in a new window or the current one. And if possible, an option for Firefox users to open links in new tabs.
- ServerSide refreshing of the feeds: In the current beta, if it has been 30 minutes since the feeds have been updated, the PHP backend updates the feeds the next time the site is acessed. This can slow load times. So the program will be set to check for updates on a regular basis, without having to be triggered by a visitor.
- Way down the line: (AJAX like fun stuff)
- Live user feed control: Giving the user the ability to change and pick and choose what feeds are displayed, with the possibility of adding thier own feeds through RRS links.
- Protopage extentions: The ability to move feeds around the page and order/control where and how they are dispalyed. Proto is some damn fun stuff to play with - but time will tell if bothering with it will be worth it in the long run - but it stil looks cool!
- Total and Complete Control! ... psychotic laughter
Once again, lofty goals, but that's what makes life fun, and I get to learn a new trick or two along the way.
* Update *
Apparently IE, in all of its amazing crappiness, dosn't read whitespace like any QUALITY browser would. So the bullets on the right still look jacked up. Sigh - something else I have to "fix" (read: rig to make work) for IE because its "special" (read: sucky) ... *grumble*