I'm working on adding in a lot of features to links (basically SQL add ons).
The links get pretty cluttered, which is why I'm looking at putting them on the detail pages for the most part.
One good layout example is what IMDB.COM is using to show the information about the movies and personalities.
There is a standard sidebar with all the options, with the ones that apply to this particular option "linked".
This leads to a basic layout design of a left side bar (jumps/options), a right sidebar (advertising or other features), and the link information in the middle, with a header and footer file on the whole page.
It seems to work reasonably well, with enough area for everything.
But, what sort of link options would be cool to have on the sidebar?
I can see this taking a lot of cpu, which means the link record (or another table) has to be updated with all the various options, and enabled when that option is filled in by the admin or the user.
For example. If there are options such as:
ratings
reviews
status history
hours
staffing
The ratings/reviews/status history would be "on" by default (a user would be able to add to them there) but the hours and staffing would be un-active unless they were filled in in the master record.
hours and staffing would not apply to a picture site, but might to a store or shop location.
Each of these options is really just an external script that does something, and then outputs it's own, or a standard template. Many of my options are specific to my site (a non-links site) but I'm wondering what sort of options you'd want to see, if you could have them.
If you don't know what I mean, take a look at IMDB.com and search for something like Lethal Weapon
You'll see options available and not available on the side, that are enabled by a database back end. As the data is added, the link for that entry becomes available.
Before anyone jumps on it -- this could dynamically be done in PHP, and actually probably done quite well, since it's a pure look up. I wonder which has better performance for this, PHP or perl? Many sites are begining to work out the integration problems, and using "static/dynamic" pages (such as a home page) in PHP, but the back end site generation and searching in perl.
There is a whole bunch of cool things that can be added this way, and the database can become really, really large, without cluttering up the links themselves by using this sort of translation table to keep track of what options are available for which links.
I need 2 or 3 more of me to do all this ! but I'm having fun with my work for the first time in 15 years, so I'm not really complaining
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POSTCARDS.COM -- Everything Postcards on the Internet www.postcards.com
LinkSQL FAQ: www.postcards.com/FAQ/LinkSQL/
The links get pretty cluttered, which is why I'm looking at putting them on the detail pages for the most part.
One good layout example is what IMDB.COM is using to show the information about the movies and personalities.
There is a standard sidebar with all the options, with the ones that apply to this particular option "linked".
This leads to a basic layout design of a left side bar (jumps/options), a right sidebar (advertising or other features), and the link information in the middle, with a header and footer file on the whole page.
It seems to work reasonably well, with enough area for everything.
But, what sort of link options would be cool to have on the sidebar?
I can see this taking a lot of cpu, which means the link record (or another table) has to be updated with all the various options, and enabled when that option is filled in by the admin or the user.
For example. If there are options such as:
ratings
reviews
status history
hours
staffing
The ratings/reviews/status history would be "on" by default (a user would be able to add to them there) but the hours and staffing would be un-active unless they were filled in in the master record.
hours and staffing would not apply to a picture site, but might to a store or shop location.
Each of these options is really just an external script that does something, and then outputs it's own, or a standard template. Many of my options are specific to my site (a non-links site) but I'm wondering what sort of options you'd want to see, if you could have them.
If you don't know what I mean, take a look at IMDB.com and search for something like Lethal Weapon
You'll see options available and not available on the side, that are enabled by a database back end. As the data is added, the link for that entry becomes available. Before anyone jumps on it -- this could dynamically be done in PHP, and actually probably done quite well, since it's a pure look up. I wonder which has better performance for this, PHP or perl? Many sites are begining to work out the integration problems, and using "static/dynamic" pages (such as a home page) in PHP, but the back end site generation and searching in perl.
There is a whole bunch of cool things that can be added this way, and the database can become really, really large, without cluttering up the links themselves by using this sort of translation table to keep track of what options are available for which links.
I need 2 or 3 more of me to do all this !
but I'm having fun with my work for the first time in 15 years, so I'm not really complaining ------------------
POSTCARDS.COM -- Everything Postcards on the Internet www.postcards.com
LinkSQL FAQ: www.postcards.com/FAQ/LinkSQL/