I just wanted to swing by and tell you that your code for the "Formatting" options on the post screen has got to be the single COOLEST hack I have EVER seen for N54 forums, and I've been around here since the Netbabbler days!
I am experimenting with your code (can't help myself) and I have to tell you, it is rare that I find code I can not really improve upon, but yours just plain kicks butt - I've done a lot of little preference tweaks while experimenting with it, but really only been able to make one significant (what I'd call) "improvement", and since it is such a great thing you have created, I thought to show my gratitude I should share this tweak with you...
Your dialog appears on "post" screens but alas this also means it shows up on "preview" screens. I tried something to eliminate that and found success (tested in IE6 and FF1), and it's pretty easy:
Move the section of your code that generates the box from the header into the footer, then replace:
if (location.href.indexOf("post") != -1){
with this:
if ( window.largepopupwindowopen || window.TBCancelEvent ){
...which, instead of seeing "post" (which exists on both compose and preview screens), looks for 'largepopupwindowopen' in standard compose OR 'TBCancelEvent' in WYSIWYG, either way thus only showing your excellent box on the compose screen, and removing it from previews http://www.network54.com/Realm/mrpip/eicon/biggrin.gif
JavaScript. Just JAVA is something completely different.
I tested it in my testforum and it works great. I then added the script line to my smilies tutorial.
... I thought I would come by and post a follow up on this topic... my apologies as this is going to get somewhat LONG...
I've been running the "Formatting" option box code on my N54 forum off and on as a test as well, just to play with it and see what else I may be able to do. I had done a lot of "personal preference" sort of tweaks but nothing really substantial functionally as that first one, but I have encountered a couple of issues I thought you may want to know about...
This may or may not make any difference to you, depending on who frequents your forum and how, but on my forum, it turned out to be a big deal. The option box code seems to work fantastically for everyone using IE, Firefox etc, however, we have one particular frequent user who is on SBC/Yahoo and therefore is using their browser (I am not sure but I think it is basically a feature-inserting "skin" using the underlying IE as its engine, but must make some significant changes) and just this one user began immediately - as soon as the option box was set up - reporting that every time he attempted to log into the forum, his browser would simply close as soon as he clicked to log in! I tried in vain to get more details from him about it. He did say it generated some error message but never told me what specifically it was, just that he could cruise and post as a guest (we allow this in our forum) but the moment he tried to log in his browser would just crash.
I whiddled all the code down until there was absolutely nothing in the forum that had changed since his last successful login EXCEPT only the pieces of code that define the drag and expand/collapse functions, and the option box functions/code itself, and he continued crashing, so it must be one of those things. I did not troubleshoot it beyond that point, because this user is a "regular" on our forum I simply had to take the box back down.
As a side note, we did have one other user encounter trouble, but not like that. This one was on WEBTV (ugh!) and while he did not crash, and the box appeared fine, his trouble is that WebTV only allows limited functions, not including the drag or collapse, so when he hit the post screen, the box loaded up for him partially covering the message text window and he therefore could not entirely see what he was typing, and could not move it out of the way.
Again, these are things that only effect (as far as I have discovered) these oddball non-standard browsers. I don't think there is much you could do about the WebTV thing as it seems to be a limitation of that system's functionality. As for the SBC/Yahoo browser crash, I really have no idea why it was happening, or what in the SBC browser would be choking on the box code when a user attempts to log into the forum? Odd. Odder still is that we have another known regular who also is on SBC but the two have different browser versions and it is only the one guy who kept crashing out until I had to take the box back down...
At any rate, I just wanted to share my findings with you. I am presently on an ongoing (as time permits) mission to modify your option box code to be opened in a separate dialog window, instead of loading on the message screen itself. I have "hijacked" the insert object button in our forum (another story) and replaced it with a custom one that shows up for ALL users and, when clicked, will now open your option box off-page in the new window, this way, these jokers with the oddball browsers can get by on "Just DON'T click that button!" .
Due to this, the code has been significantly stripped down, since the drag and collapse functionality is not required in a separate window. The new can of worms is in now getting the windows to communicate the way they should. I've gone through and placed in window.opener. ahead of all the relevant document. statements and this seems to have gotten it going ok for the folks using Standard editor, but for some reason I have yet to look into, it no longer functions for Wysiwyg as it did on-page. I don't yet know why. I am not a code guru this is just something I do in my spare time, so it may take me more time and effort to sort that out...
Anyway, if you have no one using SBC/Yahoo or WebTV to browse your forum, I guess it's no sweat. It's just my luck that my forum has regulars using both! Grrr So on with these mods, I will keep you posted if any significant new discoveries are made, and if you have any insight on how to mod the code to make the WYSIWYG inserts work from a separate window, please enlighten me!
Yea I know what ya mean about just one or two on a fourm complaining or having trouble...and it always is the regualrs that you know you just have to get things straight for.
Up till last year I had IE (hated it) and Ed turned me on to FF. Greatest thing since sliced bread. But I had 2 members with NS and now I got them running great since FF is also mozilla based...LOL and hang the majority that refuse to change from IE... When ya get things looking great in FF IE does make it a bit wierd sometimes. Fonts are shown the same so if right size in FF a bit larger in IE. I think I can get around this with using px or is it %'s I forget...LOL but still have to read up on this.
also on the editor box that sits on the post page you can size and place that just about anywhere you want. I have made it narrower so it sits just to the left of the post box and not covering it up and have set the placement just under the message text. I find that that works well for us and does not cover the text box. Untill you go to preview...LOL
I also have been trying to think up a way to do the editor and emoticons so that they can travel with you to other boards and webpages...I got the emoticons down where the browsers just need to right click on them and copy to posts no matter who's forum. Except them PHP forums that use a totally diferent tag. the [ ] tag...pain in the butt. I am not a code writer either... but once it is written I can tweek it a bit...and when I goof it up thank God Ed and P hill are here to un stuff....LOL
Please keep us up to date on what you have done... Would love to visit your site if you would post the url. You know that nw54 has give us the rss addy for our forums. I played with rss yesterday downloading an extension reader and it is great. Have a great week.
Kitty, KD, Blackkats4, Cindy
East Texas, 50 miles north of Houston
Ducks and Geese
Thanks for the tip, I checked Ed's page, and while it is neat to see the variation in how the options there are presented, it would seem that code also does not work with Wysiwyg (or at least it doesn't here), plus I am already well along modding Phil's code for pop up use so I think I'm going to continue on that track for now and see what comes of it.
About the resizing thing you mentioned, I understand, however, it was only the WebTV user that was unable to do this, and in spite of the fact that the option box was in fact configured to come up to the left of the message text area and at a reasonable size, apparently WebTV does not comply to those settings? All I know is what the user told me, which was that it came up covering part of his message text area and with WebTV he could not drag, collapse or resize it. I don't know why, but since it seemed to work flawlessly for all the others, I can only assume it is some limitation of WebTV's functionality...
Please keep in mind that the "off page" options box is still under development. The final appearance will be a little cleaner, but for now, I just wanted to get it up there for folks to play with. I now have some new issues to deal with, having it in a new window, so the functionality and behavior you may see there today is not necessarily final. I can only work on it as time permits.
Really right now the only major issue is that off-page it's failing in Wysiwyg. I need to tweak the code as mentioned but have just not had the opportunity to examine it further (yet...)
As the both of you mentioned the bleue room.. lol... not sure which version I used there (have to many sites to maintain now)... might not work with wysiwyg.. hate that thing...
The advantage of having an own editor in your forum is to enable people use html-features even when they are not logged in.
Latest thing I worked out was a script which let you use html within the text (after you had written the whole bunch and wanted to add/change something somwhere in the middle...) - and another was a playing with hiding the smilies in another forum - the URLs are somewhere here in the forum, or just ask if you want to have a look.
(Mac - about the rss - did you scroll down my page? I added you demo there when I wrote the tutorial)
Oh,.. another thought about browsers and users: You Never know who (or what browser or other technical thing) sees your site. The logical result of it is Not using any scripts, not using frames, not using 'ice'-designs, not using tables for layouts... sigh... we have do do compromises if we want to keep Network54... There are lots of BulletinBoards out there - some with amazing features - but I haven't found anything like N54 yet. Looking forward to their V2 release.
I agree the advantage of having some editor functionality as this (in my opinion) greatly improves the user friendliness of N54 by offering these kind of features regardless if you are logged in or which style of N54 editor you use. I didn't notice you had added our forum's RSS/JS feed demo to your page, that's cool! I will be looking over some of your code too, for ideas, when time permits. Right now my main interest is simply in getting Phil's option box code to work from the new window in Wysiwyg. It worked in Wysiwyg fine on-page, and off-page I now have it doing ok with Standard but have not had the opportunity to troubleshoot why it no longer functions with Wysiwyg. I guess it takes more than "window.opener." to make the communications to the Wysiwyg editor fly. Oh well! Any tips or ideas from anyone would be appreciated, and I will keep this thread updated if I find any new discoveries or information.
I went over and gave it a spin.... everything works great but the color and font
What do you mean by not working with the wysiwyg editor (are you talking about the editor that nw54 gives ya? we have had ours of for so long that I don't even think of it.
If that is what you are talking about why bother. just tell your IE people to turn off the Wysiwyg in NW54 and just use the window...
I posted all that I tryed on your board so you can just erase that....LOL
I agree that I do not either care for the scrolling thingy in Rss on your page. Takes too long to read.. better to just have it lined out and easy to surf right through all the topics.
I am really new to Rss so will revisit your post here when I am ready to tackle that one.
My fourm is in group so you can't access it anyway except the Header shows...LOL
so my group would have to deceide which is more important getting it in Rss or our privacy. LOL
Kitty, KD, Blackkats4, Cindy
East Texas, 50 miles north of Houston
Ducks and Geese
the post I left on you page I just clicked on the icon and it went straight into the text box. emoticons also... but then again I do not have NW54 wysiwyg thing on. and that makes a differance.
Will go over to IE (did the post in FF) and check it out also. If you d on't mind.
I love that you got the editor box in a window and to work with the post box.....Super.
BiG NEWS
I said that my wysiwyg in nw54 is off... I went to make sure and guess what? IT IS ON....so your emoticons and editor work all great in IE and just the color and font don't work in FF with the wysiwyg editor on. Well knock my socks off.
I think that Ed and I had discussed this when I was trying to embed a flash into a post. And we thought the wysiwyg thingy kept it from showing but I think it was that the code has to be from an external site or text becaiuse when you copy the whole code in from "view source" forum it will not work. Nw54 changes something. I think it makes the url hyperlink in the source code and it has to be just plain text when inputting the code.
Just went over to your site in IE and everything works fine here is what I did and posted
the color does not copy over but everything else did.
YOURTEXTHEREYOURTEXTHEREYOURTEXTHERE
Quote: YOURTEXTHERE
YOURTEXTHEREYOURTEXTHERE
Well Mac, I am here in IE... and everything works fine including the color and font.
what is up with the Image shack for pictures.? I am trying to remember where I saw a link that brought up the realms. it had to be Ed's site or the one with the "Fast" slide menu. maybe you could put a link in where the Image shack one is and have the realms open.
I will try to find that but I am pretty sure that it was on the "fast" menu site...
nw54 gives us 60mg now in realms since last Jan. so why not use it ...unless like me you have an album off site.
Also I found that if I go to a website and click on a picture and click copy then i can not come back here and paste it. we can do that on my fourm...Is something not enabled. (in IE only)
yes it was that site and here is the link. it is in greman but the buttons are still in the normal place...LOL go to the post page and in the upper right corner is the yellow icon. clicking on it opens your realms in a new window. then all you have to do is select the file and with IE do a right click on the picture in the right window and click on properties and copy the url and paste it into the text box. In fire fox all ya got to do is right click and click "copy Image location and then paste into the text.
They also have the regular (phill's)picture uploader it is at the top on the left side next to the url button. You can click on that and put in a url and the pic will show in the text box.
Ok i am done. Sorry to talk puter on a Car page....Will post all this on Phill's page. The text that is.
Ta Ta KD
Kitty, KD, Blackkats4, Cindy
East Texas, 50 miles north of Houston
Ducks and Geese
This message has been edited by blackkats4 on Feb 8, 2005 12:53 PM
and of course I have all the time in the world to play on the puter... I am retired.
Did not even own a puter till I retired 5 years ago. Now I don't know what I would do with out it... Get a life maybe.. .
oh I encorperated the Realms link into it under the more smiles... it is better than the link the boys have on the forum because you can not only upload but now you can also delete. Which you can not do from the forums wysiwyg. unless they updated it.
I also used the Focus from Eds icon page and now the window will stay put a bit better. It still disapears when you click on the post but it doesn't do it when you click on an icon. I had that problem with yours on your page. Everytime I clicked on an icon or emoticon the window would move back behind the post window.
The function goes right after the body and in the same tag.
Only thing is that you have to move the p icture like you would any external pictures to the text box. You can not directily upload it or the link.
I have seen alot of boards and what they have done with Phills editor, wheather it be all in a line on the top of the page or in a box like phill has it. But I really Love the window for it all.... thank you for your time in tweeking it. Phill has been busy as spit with the crash and all so I know he appreciates it...
Good night and I hope that you don't mind me playing with your tweeks...
Kitty, KD, Blackkats4, Cindy
East Texas, 50 miles north of Houston
Ducks and Geese
WOW! It's going to take me a little while to read back over what you've added here, but in a nutshell:
I am testing my site in a currently updated/patched IE6 and in FF 1.0
In both of these browsers on my machine, everything works in the off-page option box, colors, fonts, smileys, formats, EVERYthing, but only in Standard editor. The reason you were not sure in FF if you had Wysiwyg on is because Wysiwyg does not appear for FF users only for IE. I don't know about you but when I use IE6 with the Wysiwyg turned ON, the smiley inserts no longer work, and I have not tested the rest thoroughly yet but most of it just says "Unable to...". I will have to look into it further another time. I am afraid I must account for the Wysiwyg editor because some of our users want it regardless... Either something is funny or you and I are experiencing different results.
As for the Realms we have deliberately removed access to them in our forum and substituted Imageshack.us as a remote image host. This is because our forum gets about 200k hits/month and a lot of users post technical images regarding car repair etc, and we are attempting to maintain the archives as a technical resource. Imageshack hosts images forever, no expire, and when Realms were up, it did not matter how much we begged, pleaded, cajoled and threatened people, everyone just kept on using "TEMP" picture posting via Realms, so all these valuable discussions on technical topics, diagram images, tech data etc, kept vanishing out after a week, ruining the value of the archived threads, so we completely eliminated Realm use there for the good of the archived data. So far folks have actually been happy with the new arrangement, and, when v2.0 of N54 comes out, this will all likely change yet again anyway, as I've been told the new N54 will host images directly in the message itself (!) so Imageshack is just an interrim measure to stop folks using the TEMP feature until v2.0 comes out...
I will try to look over some of the things you've posted as time permits
Mac
I still got IE 6.00.2800.1106 no patches or updates since I updated to 6...
My Firefox is still 0.9 and with all the trobuble that I read on their forum about it I won't get mine updated till all the bugs are out I also still use windows 98, my preferance.
I hate updates because if something is not broken and it works perfectly why muck it up with an update. New and Improved "ain't always the case" LOL. If you remember the debaucle of Dbase lll and Dbase 4. LOL
ya know when an updated version comes out and finally gets all the bugs out and runs well the programers deceide to change it.
Why is this....I know new tech. and all but hey if it works leave it alone
Quote: if ( window.largepopupwindowopen || window.TBCancelEvent ){
Hi Mac, thanks, and great little snippet code, I have already thought of a way I can incorporate it into my code with my floating box but when I can be bothered and have time I have to change a few lines of my code first.
I've visited your forum and played on your post page and found a problem to be a focus problem now and them even though the code uses focus and places it on the edit box.
Where as the smiley and button images don't take focus when clicked, the color, size, and ExtChar dropdown boxes do take focus and sometimes keeps focus when used nomatter that the code gives the editbox focus
I have 1 idea you could try which is to give the window.opener page focus 1st before the code is inserted but that may put your smiley window buttom most... Gsss I don't know the problem seems rather strange tho.
Now time to get back and read the rest of this rather huge thread
. 
When ya get things looking great in FF IE does make it a bit wierd sometimes. Fonts are shown the same so if right size in FF a bit larger in IE. I think I can get around this with using px or is it %'s I forget...LOL but still have to read up on this.
YOURTEXTHERE YOURTEXTHERE YOURTEXTHERE 
