Avatars

[Mr Initial Man]

More prevalent next/prev buttons would help greatly (I didn't notice them until I just ctri+f'ed for "next")...

I'll make the links a larger font.

a lot of elements of the design could be improved.

Such as?

Make sure, in the finished copy, one doesn't have to move his cursor to find the next button, but instead just "scroll into place," if you know what I mean.

Sorry, I'm not quite sure what you mean there.

[Ben Rogers]

A larger font isn't quite what I meant. They just need to be put in such a way that they're not part of the footnotes (banner-blindness, footnote-blindness, same thing). *shrug*

Well... there isn't much design to speak of. Good content, and lots of it, but it's not presented as well as it could be. It just seems unfinished, is all.

I've backread all the comics I've read, and since I'm reading them consecutively, I like to be able to read a comic (maybe scroll once or twice) and then click to get to the next one. It's a lot more enjoyable that way.

[rhsunderground]

my av once i can edit it again:

[Nevermore]

I read through the comics, and had no problems with the next buttons. They were very visible, like avatars.

[rhsunderground]

I read through the comics, and had no problems with the next buttons. They were very visible, like avatars.

you're back! welcome!

[Mr Initial Man]

A larger font isn't quite what I meant. They just need to be put in such a way that they're not part of the footnotes (banner-blindness, footnote-blindness, same thing). *shrug*

I did redo them in an inline list ( ie li{display:inline;}), at the bottom of the page, and that looked a hell of a lot better. Having the navigation at the bottom of the page is traditional.

Well... there isn't much design to speak of. Good content, and lots of it, but it's not presented as well as it could be. It just seems unfinished, is all.

It IS incomplete, I've got about 250 comics to go!

I've backread all the comics I've read, and since I'm reading them consecutively, I like to be able to read a comic (maybe scroll once or twice) and then click to get to the next one. It's a lot more enjoyable that way.

You mean, have only one comic per page in the Chronology? The reason I haven't done that is because that would either require over 300 seperate pages (the original site was purely done in HTML and CSS) or more knowledge of PHP than I have right now.

Maybe we should either do this by email (mrinitialman@hotmail.com) or create another thread for discussing this site.

In other news, what do you think of my new avatar?

[MstrBob]

Good god. You HAVE to use a server side language for something like a webcomic. It's just utterly insane otherwise. Easiest method would be to put them all in a directory, and number them. 1.jpg, 2.jpg, 3.jpg, ect. Then you just pass a variable

page.php?comic=3

And use that variable to print the comic:

 <?PHP echo('<img src="comicdirectory/'+$_GET['comic']+'.jpg">'); ?>

And then you're links would be:

<?PHP
echo('<a href="page.php?comic='+($_GET['comic']-1)+'">Previous</a>');
echo('<a href="page.php?comic='+($_GET['comic']+1)+'">Next</a>');
?>

Barebones. Maybe one or two other things, like do a check on the comic variable, make sure it doesn't go past 0 or the number of comics you have. but really very simple.

[Mr Initial Man]

Heh... what I'm doing is a wee bit more interesting. I've been doing it as a series of definition lists.

----------------------------
<dl>

<dt><img src="comicname">comic</img></dt>
<dd>comic number (I'm hoping that this can become dynamic)</dd>
<dd>Date drawn</dd>
<dd>Date published</dd>*
<dd>My comments</dd>
<dd>Scott's comments</dd>
<dd><a href="URL">Optional link</a></dd>

Repeat 4 times

</dl>
----------------------------

*The comics are sorted by order in which they were published in the Cavalier Daily.

Right now, I have about 5 comics per page.

[MstrBob]

Use a database system. I'm telling you, this is NOT something you'll want to be having in each HTML file. You'd be much better off with a database system or if you have to, perhaps storing the comic info in an XML file. This is really a case where your server side option would be far better.

Crazy lynx...

[Mr Initial Man]

Of course I'm crazy. Hell, if you want to, you can show me how to set up a database. Most tutorials I've looked at are about as clear as mud.

[Nevermore]

you're back! welcome!

I blunder in occasionally.

And why does one have to use a server-side language for something like a webcomic? It can't be that hard to do it by hand. A template system in DreamWeaver or the like would probably be easier than databases - especially for the uninitiated, albeit slightly filesize-heavier. And I need to say because they aren't normally lurid green.

[the tree]

And why does one have to use a server-side language for something like a webcomic? It can't be that hard to do it by hand. A template system in DreamWeaver or the like would probably be easier than databases - especially for the uninitiated, albeit slightly filesize-heavier. And I need to say because they aren't normally lurid green.

Well in short, he has over 200 pages, that would make 200 html files to upload, each one with links pointing to it's successor and predecessor. SS makes things like that a lot easier.

Mr Initial Man Does your host provide phpmyadmin?

[Mr Initial Man]

Because webcomics can run up to the HUNDREDS of strips; the one I'm doing currently numbers over 300, and that's just the ARCHIVES. Scott said he's likely to add in his own comments as well.

Right now, MstrBob is helping me with the database, and there's a few monkey wrenches to throw in.

And tree, I do know they have mySQL, so I think they do.

[Nevermore]

You've got your monkey wrenches ready? Good.

If you need a hand PHP/SSL/MySQL/ASP.neting just ask.

[Mr Initial Man]

Holy Batman kissing the Joker! We've passed 1500 posts in this thread