New Features & Updates

[Bird]

roysallis, I didn't know what kind of work that would take, but I've often thought it sure would save me time if there was a "new message" indicator by the forums in the "jump to" section, whether the number of new messages was there or not.

Bird

 

[Muhammad]

We'll look into this, but I'm not sure exactly what it would involve yet...

 

[ERNIEB]

Muhammad, I really like the new setup on the Preview post. Real easy to check your reply before going on. Good work.

Ernie
"It will be appalling to you to learn, and see herewith inclosed our alarming weakness"
James C. Neill, Alamo commander Jan. 1836

 

[RobS]

Excellent upgrades Muhammad and yet more reasons this is my favorite forum on the web. Keep it up!

Rob

 

[bpence]

I said it once before and I guess I'll say it again: Tractorbynet is just way too cool. As JimBinMi said, we are not worthy.

Thanks......

Bob Pence

 

[MarkV]

Thanks Muhammad, another great job!

MarkV

 

[Harv]

Muhammad -

I'm totally loving the recent improvements to the site. I'm especially pleased with the always-present edit box in the preview windows. It's a great convenience and a time-saver. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I also love the newly added "Past 12 Hours" and "Past Hour" features. It fits right in with the way I view messages and cuts way down on the amount of page rendering my poor old brain-damaged Netscape browser has to do (but let's not go there right now /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif).

There is, however, one teeny issue I would like to throw out there. When I start with the "Past 24 Hour" page and then drop down to the "Past 12 Hours" or "Last Hour", my browser doesn't recognize the messages I have already read.

The reason, as I'm sure you know, is because the URL to those messages contain a bunch of script parameters, including "&Old=12hour" or one of its variants. Since that particular parameter varies, depending on which list you're coming from, the URL's don't match, and the browser doesn't see them as the same message.

I experimented a little, and it seems like that parameter isn't really required for the final message link. So I was wondering if it would be possible to eliminate it from those links, thereby making all visited messages work properly no matter how you got to them. If this breaks some underlying logic structure, I certainly understand, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Probably too much techno-detail for a public posting, but I thought there might be others who have at least made the same observation.

 

[Muhammad]

Harv,

There isn't going to be a whole lot we can do with those URL's right now...

let me break it up:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin...ords=&Match=Entire+Phrase&Old=1day&Limit=1000

Base Url: http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/

Filename: 24.pl

Pull from all Categories: ?Cat=

Pull from all Forums: &Forum=All_Forums

Get all messages: &Words=&Match=Entire+Phrase

From the past 24 hours: &Old=1day

Show all results on one page: &Limit=1000

See, the pages work like search pages, but have some modifications to be recent message pages. So as soon as we chop anything off of that URL, the search gets modified. Remove &Limit=1000 and the search goes to display a default 25 per page.

Well actually now I just thought of a way to get the links to show as visited on all of those pages... brb. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Muhammad]

Ok, nevermind that Harv, I was just dreaming. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif It won't work as I had hoped.

So basically, until we do a complete change of the way new messages are posted, this will have to do. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif The more time we spend making the current method work, the less time we can spend on the real feature needed (new messages since last login in an easier to use format)...

So yes, as soon as we shorten that URL, the page is broken basically. Yep, we have the reasons. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Thanks for the comments! I'm enjoying the new features, too! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Harv]

So, you couldn't use something like &Old=Foo or even &Old= as sort of a placeholder? In other words, keep the parameter count the same, but have a consistent value for that parameter on the final links?

Oops! Sorry -- I know I'm poking my nose in too deep here. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif You already said you have your reasons.

Just keep up the fine work you've been doing and I'll quietly enjoy the results. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif