December 28, 2005
vBulletin Is Kickin' My Butt
After the big push on the site redesign before the holidays, I took it a bit easy for a week or so. A little R&R if you will. Well, now I'm back in the saddle and I thought I'd take on an easy task to help get me back into the swing of things, so I decided to take on the forum post bug that has reared it's ugly head. Unfortunately it's been anything BUT simple and it's kickin' my butt.
If you vist any of the posts in the forums, you'll see that there's an issue with each post. Instead of extending the entire width of the available screen, it's only the width of the user information. Needless to say, it looks funny and not the way I intended the site to look. So I've been digging into the code trying to find out what's causing this issue, but for the life of me I can't find it.
There's so much that I could be working on, but this little "bug" is really getting the better of me and I have yet to be able to find a solution. VERY frustrating. I guess I'll go sleep on it and see if a fresh pair of eyes can spot the error. :|
Posted by mashby at 12:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 07, 2005
Beat To My Knees, But Grinning Like A Fool
Got some GOOD time in today on the site. I guessing that I got in at least eight hours, which is very, very rare. I mostly worked on the site, which allowed me to apply the "new" design over everything but the forums. Never thought I'd get so far so fast.
Thinking about why it's taken me so long to get to this point, I've come to two conclusions. 1. My head is in the right place and 2. I'm more experienced at XHTML and CSS than when I started. My chops are much more honed than when I started and it's allowed me to fix things faster and strip out non-essential code pretty quickly.
What I'm most excited about with the work I was able to do today is the home page. I think it looks 100 times better and I've been dying to get the new design applied. I just couldn't have done it any sooner, because it relies on some big changes with the format of the meetings, news, calendar and forum include. Just a pile of things that I had to get through before I could change the front page.
Speaking of things I had to get through, I had a hell of a time with the navigation. As you may recall my good buddy Dan Westman created an application for me to build the navigation. It's a combination of XML and PHP and it does an amazing job at handling all the various states of the navigational elements. Unfortunately, it's a 0.1 release, so it has some issues.
For example, it doesn't remember past work and it doesn't allow you to fiddle with the order of things once they're entered. Since it's been so long since I worked with the navigation, I had to completely re-enter the information and that was t e d i o u s as hell. Mind you, I'm not complaining. Dan was an absolute angel and I wouldn't have been able to do the navigation with out him. My point is simply that it ate up a good chunk of time. At least 2 hours straight, non-stop.
I'm exhausted and now that it's after 1am, I'm definitely ready for bed, but I know that I'll go to sleep with a smile on my face because I was able to get so much work done. Man does that feel good!
Posted by mashby at 01:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 19, 2004
Looks Like I'm Not Alone
Often times, when I'm pounding my head against the obstacle that is standing the way of me getting my work done, I feel that I'm all alone. That I'm the ONLY person who has run into the situation. Of course the real frustration is that deep down I know that this can't be the case. I can't be the only person that has run into the problem I'm facing.
Never has that been more true that with this site. This labor of love is comprised of a series of scripts, programs and hacks that make www.npug.org what it is. I know that the site will never be perfect, but there are so many things that I'd like to change and yet due to my limited skills as a programer, or web developer, I continually find my self beating my head against that familiar wall. Well, it looks like I'm not alone at one of my walls.
On the front page of the site is the "Event Calendar". Currently I have to edit this by hand, but ideally I wish I could let MT handle it for me. Today on one of my favorite weblogs, Asterisk, I found that Keith is running into the same hurdles as I have in his article entitled, "Simple Events Calendar With Movable Type." If you're into web design, or using MT beyond it's basic weblog format, it's a good read.
I'm definitely keeping my eye on this thread, but even if there's no solution, I'm just glad that I'm not alone. 8)
Posted by mashby at 03:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 15, 2004
Needs More Than A Coat Of Paint
As I get deeper and deeper into applying the redesign to the site, it becomes more and more clear that this web site needs more than a coat of paint. Besides the fact that I'm not happy with the text (which I can fix later), I'm finding more and more areas where a script is needed or more rough work done on the CSS.
Take the Articles & Reviews section of the site. Many of the articles have photographs associated with them at the end of the entry. To see an old example, select this link. How should I handle these photographs? In the past, I created new pages in which to house each photo and thus provide navigation back to the article. Now that I'm using MT though, that doesn't really work in the overall design of what I've done.
So do I install a photos section and move the photos there? I'm planning on having a photo gallery and then link meeting photos to the gallery. Maybe I should do the same thing for articles? Since it's not installed at the moment, I don't really know exactly how I should handle it. For the first article with photos, I've left them off for the time being. I figure I can figure it out after I get the photo gallery installed, etc.
Part of the hurdle is that I'm converting something that is already created. Had I started this site from scratch, then I think it might have gone easier. I would have worked around whatever limitations and gone from there. It's just a little frustrating when you start into a new section and see just how much work it's going to take to get it where you want it to be.
Such is life eh? :s
Posted by mashby at 10:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 11, 2004
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
After more patience than I thought I had in me, my buddy Dan gave me a navigation solution! It's beyond my wildest dreams. Instead of just giving me a snippet of PHP code to work with, he actually wrote a complete .NET Application That's right, I now have a complete application that generates the PHP code needed to handle all of my navigation needs. :O
There's a few small tweaks needed to be done in the app, but it's working and ready for implementation. I simply enter the rules and the type of output that I want and this little app creates the PHP file that I can use as an include on all my pages. It's ULTRA SWEET and I'm blown away with what it does. It goes WAY beyond what I had been begging for. I know that beggars can't be choosers, but this is just blows my mind.
So I guess I need to get the lead out and get to building the navigation so that I can finish the redesign!
Posted by mashby at 10:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 28, 2004
Online Chat Header Complete
I couldn't stand it, I had to finish it before heading to bed. :)
Posted by mashby at 01:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Let The Games Begin
F I N A L L Y, I've begun converting the NPUG site over to the new design. All I can say at this point is it's about damn time. :P
I still don't have the PHP code for the sub-navigation, but I went ahead anyway and began converting. Well, I went as far as I can at this point. I've converted everything from the Mobile Edition down in the navigation bar. There's a couple of pages converted that are not included in the navigation just yet. For example, the archive for the weblog is not included at this point.
The most notable sections not included in the navigation at this point is the Leadership Council and Supported Devices pages. Those will be included as sub-navigation elements under the About Us section. All I need is that blasted code to get it all working smoothly. **cough** dan **cough** ;)
With a few pages now under my belt, I can see where I'm going to want to change a few things here and there. I'm not completely happy with the line height of the paragraphs and titles, but luckily all of that is easily fixable in the CSS file. That means that I'm free to convert the rest of the site and then go back and tweak things later. That feature alone is worth the long hours of figuring out how to use CSS. There are other things bugging me too, like the header image for the About Us section, but like the CSS, it can wait for now.
It's a little after 1am at this point, so I'll have to hold off the rest of the section until tomorrow. Those sections are a lot more involved and require a lot more to convert over to the new look. Awww crap. I just noticed I didn't create a header graphic for the Chat section. OK, that's it, I'm off to bed, or I'll be up all night working on this thing. LOL
Posted by mashby at 01:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 27, 2004
Getting My Head Around The Headers
The navigation is a great deal more difficult that I thought it would be. I've tapped a good friend of mine to help figure out the PHP needed to have everything work properly. Unfortunately, he's been in the middle of his first typhoon since moving to Guam (yes, I said Guam), so my little navigation problem has been the list of his worries. LOL
So while I've been waiting, I decided to get the new header images designed. With the new template, there is a header image at the top of each page. These don't create themselves, so for the past 4-5 hours, I've been plugging away on trying to come up with engaging text and images. Here are the results of my work. Enjoy.
News & Announcements
Join NPUG
Our Meetings
Discussion Forums
Articles & Reviews
Monthly Polls
Director's Log (same as above)
News Archives
Downloads
» Desktops
» Fonts
» Icons
Mobile Edition
Links
About Us
» Leadership Council
» Supported Devices
Help
Posted by mashby at 10:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 25, 2004
Having Second Thoughts
I'm putting the last remaining touches on the navigation and I'm now having second thoughts regarding the Director's Log. Is it really worthy of top level navigation? At first I thought that starting this thing was a good idea, but now that I'm close to making it public, I have to sit back and think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. ???
Of course, does placing it as a sub navigation element under the "About" section really do anything to hide this weblog? Not really and by doing that it also creates another dilemma because I would have to have sub-sub navigation for the archives. :O I'm not about to do that, and I'm not smart enough to figure out a more creative way to do it. So I guess that leaves me with only one option. I either make the weblog public, or I make it private, or I delete it.
I don't want to delete it and I'd like to see where this thing goes. So far all I've really talked about has been the redesign of the NPUG website. However, I haven't gone into the details that Mike has on his web site. I've done more of a play-by-play rather than an in depth analysis. I prefer Mike's method, but that really isn't the intent of this weblog, so don't expect anything quite so detailed. :P
What can you expect in the future? Well, I guess more of the same. However, once the redesign is done, my focus will return back onto the group itself and less on design issues I guess. Hopefully that will make for interesting reading and not just the mad ramblings of a geek. I guess you can be the judge of that.
Uh oh. I think I've just talked myself into making this thing public haven't I?
Posted by mashby at 02:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Sub Navigation Ironed Out
Yesterday I finally got the sub-navigation issue ironed out. I ended up making the side navigation left justified because it just didn't look good having right justification with the sub nav in place. The biggest hurdle I had was the "you are here" feature. With single level navigation, I was using a white background to indicate that "you are here". So if you're on the Director's Log, that navigational element will be white and stand out from the standard blue navigation. Well, with the sub navigation added the white background kind of fell apart. Luckily, my soundboard - Mike Rohde - came through with an idea that worked.
If a navigational element has sub navigation, then that block will be colored in the light blue use with the mouse overs. Then, the navigation related to the section you are in will have the white background to indicate "you are here". I tried various combinations of different ideas, but this one seemed to work the best and make the most sense visually. I also changed the hover from light blue to white for the Nav/Sub Nav section that is light blue.
Now all that's left is to figure out the PHP code needed to automatically handle the navigational state. In other words, PHP enables me to set conditions that say, "If you're in this folder, then this navigational item should be 'on', etc." With that in place, I'll begin migrating pages to the new layout.
Whew! Getting so close I can taste it! :)
Posted by mashby at 09:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 22, 2004
Doh! Doh! Doh!
I was all set to flip the switch and apply the new template to the NPUG website. It was the Sunday after our last meeting (June 13) and I was working on the laptop, making a few final tweaks and that's when I noticed something that I'd forgotten - sub-navigation. Doh! :\ That's right, I had failed to take into account that I use sub-navigation with the NPUG web site.
So I have to figure out how I want to handle it and then go from there. Yet another delay.
Posted by mashby at 01:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 09, 2004
I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
This morning I was lended a hand by a dear friend of mine, Mike Rohde. He is a fantastic designer and I love his work. Maybe it's the fact that he's a kindred spirit, or maybe it's just that his work rocks, but whatever it is, I turn to him whenever I need a professional opinion. After my blitzkrieg of work on the site last night, I needed a fresh pair of eyes to give me an honest opinion.
I thought it would only take maybe 10 minutes, but an hour and a half later, I had a bevy of tweaks that had been added. Things nudged this way and that and colors played with here and there. Mike was a tremendous help and really help put the polish on the design. At this point, I think I'm ready to release the design and let it loose. There's going to be a lot of tweaks as elements are made "live", but I think I'm ready to take the plunge.
Here goes nothing... :)
Posted by mashby at 01:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Design Is A Cruel Mistress
After returning home from a dinner engagement, I decided that I simply couldn't leave well enough alone. This redesign had me firmly in it's grasp and so I dove head first into trying to wrap it up as best I could. I've spent the last 6 hours straight pounding away at this code and it's after 4:30am. I'm closer than ever and yet, I'm still not done.
I opted to shove the advertising up above the design because I couldn't find any elegant way to display it within the design. I don't like it, but it'll have to do for now. The rest of the major sections to the front page have been laid out and as you can tell by looking at this entry, I've come up with a content template as well. I went ahead and applied it to this weblog just so I can see how it'll function in a real world environment.
Anyway, I'm beat. I need sleep and in a few hours I hope to get the meeting announcement out about this Saturday's meeting. Night.
Posted by mashby at 04:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 08, 2004
Well Spank My Butt And Call Me Shirley
I was just comparing the new design to the old and it dawned on me that I didn't make room for the banner ads. Damnit! This really throws a wrench into the works. Now I have to go back to the drawing board to figure out where to stick it. Well, I know where'd I'd LIKE to stick it, but you know what I mean. :)
At least all my code is 100% valid thus far. I just tested XHTML, CSS and 508 and all passed with flying colors.
Posted by mashby at 11:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
So Close I Can Taste It
Damnit, I just need a little bit more time! I'm so close to having it finished, but I keep getting sidelined with work and personal commitments. I need to get this month's meeting details posted, but I keep thinking that I just have one hour more and I'll be done. Argh. Too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Story of my life.
The "News" section is almost done. I'm not happy with the bottom of the post, but the majority of the layout, colors and design is done. I also got the right columns on the right started. Just a little more tweaking on them and that should be done. Man, it's just sooooooo close
I was hoping that I could get the changes done today and then launch the new look along with the meeting details for this Saturday's meeting. I should have posted the meeting details first. The road to hell is paved... I know, I know. I just hate being this close to it being done and not finishing it.
Posted by mashby at 07:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 07, 2004
Inch By Inch
Man, there just isn't enough time in the day! I promised myself that I would only spend an hour on the redesign, but I ended up spending three and a half. I got a lot done, but I still have the main content to tackle. This new method I'm using for web design is EXTREMELY powerful, but as they say "With great power comes great responsibility". I'm still getting familiar with all the nuances of CSS and how all the little tweaks work together.
Today I worked with the overall typography of the new design and got the "Meeting Section" addressed. Everything looks excellent in the Windows browsers I've tested, but I'll have to try in in Palm OS and Mac before I'm through. If everything holds, I think it's looking VERY tight. It took me quite a while to figure out this section, but I feel like I've really learned a lot about "Float" and how best to use it. I had to take a bunch of different approaches, but I really like the final product. :)
Now all that's left is to format the News, Poll, Forum Posts. No small feat, but I'm hoping it goes a LOT faster than the Meeting Section did. I also think I may need to add the Calendar section back to the right column. Although the Meeting Section addresses the main monthly meeting, should we have any other dates, I don't have any bucket in which to hold it.
This process never ends does it?
Posted by mashby at 03:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 05, 2004
Main Navigation Complete
Tonight I spent some time focusing on the navigation and I got the main navigation complete! I'm doing it all with CSS and standards based web design. The navigation is simply an unordered list and I'm using CSS for all the active and roll over effects. This is the first time I've ever done navigation in this way and it took a good bit of trial and error to get it just right, but I think I've done it. Woo hoo!
The next step is to focus on the Meeting and the rest of the main content sections. Now that I've completed Zeldman's book, I'm going back over the code and cleaning up both the XHTML and the CSS. There's just so much left to do and I really wanted this done before our next meeting - which is NEXT Saturday. Where does the time go huh?
Posted by mashby at 12:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 29, 2004
Fighting The Temptations
After checking my post on my last entry, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to apply the template to this weblog. Seeing the default MT template just really drives me nuts. Given that I've finalized the colors and most of the structure, that little devil inside my head whispered, "Why don't you apply the template to your weblog? It would give you a boost in excitement and help you finish the redesign." Of course that's not true. I would get mired in making the weblog look good and then once I went back to the main design, I'd realize I have to make a change and all the work spent on the weblog would be wasted.
So I have to reign my lust for applying the template and keep plugging away at getting it done. Besides, the only template that is completed is the front page. I still have to design the content template and the forums template. There's a lot of work left to do. Why is it I hear this song in my head all of a sudden? "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go..." ;)
Posted by mashby at 09:42 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Breaking Away From Standard Colors
After playing around with colors yesterday and this morning, I finally found the balance I was looking for. The only "bad" part about it is that I had to choose a non web safe color. It's in the logo section and I could make that whole thing a graphic, which I may still do, but at least it's a minor section of the site.
What's so bad about a non web safe color? Whenever you choose a color that isn't web safe you run the risk of what the actual color will look like on the end user's monitor. There's a wide range of differences between mac and PC as well as the color depth chosen on the users monitor. Web safe is a palette that was created in the early days of web design and it was a selection of colors that looked good on almost any monitor. Today there's a lot of debate concerning whether or not the web safe palette is still required, of even needed any more. I'm not going to go into that right now, however I try whenever possible to stick to the web safe palette just to be safe. That's not to say that I haven't strayed every now and then, but it's a good rule of thumb that I still apply.
Now if only I could come up with a new logo...
Posted by mashby at 09:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 28, 2004
Getting Motivated Again
I just haven't been all that motivated this week to get back to work on NPUG. I went on vacation last week and I've been recuperating. I guess we just wore ourselves out on holiday, because today is the first day that I've felt more like myself. I played around a little bit with the design some more. I focused on colors and simplifying the code for the main template.
Posted by mashby at 03:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 09, 2004
Keeping Things Private
One of the things that I forgot to consider when designing the new NPUG design was that I have to create a private section for the Leadership Council. I was reminded of this when I went to post the chat log from our last IRC meeting. I've got a couple of pages kludged together, but it's hardly a "section" of the site.
I run into this problem with just about every site I do. There's always a need for 3 levels of access. 1) Visitors - they access public pages, 2) Site Administrators - they access the backend of the site and usually have access to everything, and 3) Super Users - they need access to "private" stuff, but not full access to everything.
Even though every site I'm involved in needs these 3 layers of access, none of the CMS tools I use really provide this level of access. Instead, it's up to me to figure out how to make it happen. Each site is a little different and incorporates different software so I always seem to be re-inventing the wheel. Looks like I get to do it one more time here on NPUG. :)
Now I just have to figure out where to put the navigation and how to integrate it into the look and feel.
Posted by mashby at 07:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack