an idea : lobby integrated news database

[Pxtl]

if we have an rss feed and html template, I can fix the news python script to properly parse rss and generate tasclient html/css for it

the news will be integrated by default no script needed

eh, I'm not going to use tasclient if it becomes a web browser.

Well, "becomes a web browser" depends on what happens when I click a link in the news-pane. If it spawns a browser-window, then I'd say it's not a web-browser. If it keeps linking around so that I can end up outside of SpringInfo by clicking links in lobby pages, that's a problem.

[KaiserJ]

im sure it would be easy enough to make it so that you could disable the news pane (like the tips popup?)

[aegis]

Well, "becomes a web browser" depends on what happens when I click a link in the news-pane. If it spawns a browser-window, then I'd say it's not a web-browser. If it keeps linking around so that I can end up outside of SpringInfo by clicking links in lobby pages, that's a problem.

download/file.php?id=1248

[Forboding Angel]

For starters try this: http://springinfo.info/tasclient.php

The session isn't carrying over correctly just yet, but there is an example. I've been working with it but a lot of stuff has been coming up in the past few days in my personal life, so I'm juggling.

Unfortunately doing this hasn't been as easy as it sounds. But today I figured out how to make it work, so all will be good.

Edit: I'll say agin, hopefully by the end of the day. It's 6:30am here atm. I'mma try to get a few hours of sleep (Haven't been getting much lately) and finish it, so please, just bear with me here.

Edit2: Btw It is set up in such a way that when I'm done, making different layouts for different lobbies will be as simple as adding a parameter.

[Satirik]

you just removed the thing between the menu and the rest ... but the whole menu must be removed etc

how it will work ? when you launch tasclient you'll see the news like in the screenshot, then clicking on anything on the news page will open the default browser. When clicking on the login button it will just hide the news page to show the normal lobby with a small 27px height scrolling news under the menu and the rest (with an expand button to show the full news page)

edit: remove the "posted by blabla" in the small news too, the space per news is already small no need to fill it with that kind of information and why can't we see the screenshot when reading the whole news ? and will you have the time to finish it before the end of the week ? and don't tell me "tomorow it will be done" like you did everyday from last friday

[Pxtl]

download/file.php?id=1248

I mean what happens when I click a link in one of those newsboxes - does it launch my browser window, or just navigate to the new page within TASClient?

edit: nm, satirik explained. Sounds good.

[Forboding Angel]

That link was to show that the sessions were working semi properly. Due to the way that wp is set up I had a lot of trouble with it, but sometimes the simple solutions are the best solutions.

I'm having dns issues atm, so I'm editing the files remotely. I think I'll have it all sorted out and ready to go soonly... keep your fingers crossed...

[Forboding Angel]

MUHAHAHAHAAHA

I am all that is man!

Give it a try now. http://www.springinfo.info/tasclient.php/ The freaking sessions kept not being transferred which was the whole problem. There are a few other pages that need to be edited, but for a quick example this will do nicely.

Still working on it.

Edit: ok, the tasclient stuff is done, still have to add the sessions stuff to two more subpages, but if you go there now I believe that will work nicely.

[Argh]

Wait a minute... did you just make it possible to post news in the Lobby via your 'site?

That would be fabulous.

[imbaczek]

that's what this all was about, after all

[Satirik]

can you remove the "posted by ..." stuff ? and change a bit the layout of the news like on the picture, to increase the title available width and increase the screenshots (nice screen = more click)

[Pxtl]

Looks like the "posted by" should partly give way to the title, since "Balanced Annihilation" is apparently too long to even fit in the title of a news blurb.

[Peet]

A few quibbles in graphical form...the green one might (I didn't check) be fine in tasclient but shows as an elongated indonesian flag in opera and a distorted scrollbar in ie.

[Forboding Angel]

Argh, technically, not yet, but only cause the meta stuff is hidden atm. I'll unhide it tonight sometime as I have to do some fairly heavy editing to the code to unhide it (nothing complicated, just time consuming).

@satirik and pxtl
The posted by stuff was added by me into the actual post. I wanted to give credit, but I should have put it at the end. I'll do that in the future.

@Peet, thanks. It was just an empty div container that I overlooked. Gone now.

Those of you who want to make news posts without having me approve them (Which is fine, if I've upgraded your status there is prolly a good reason why), please read this thread http://www.springinfo.info/forums/viewt ... d=4&t_id=3 It tells you everything you need to know about posting a new news item.

Back @ satirik
The reason that 2 categories are sometimes shown is that the cats Mods, Lua, Maps and Video are never shown in the big posting area. The big posting area has to also be in the news cat for it to show. That is because not all lua,maps,mods,video posts are particularly important.

For example, lua or maps in particular. It better be pretty darn important for it to be displayed on the big news item page like that. But that is why sometimes more than one category will be shown.

It also means that if you pull up news items for the categories, if a post is in both categories it will be shown on both views.

News category is considered important stuff (or whatever news I manage to dig up that day, which may or may not be particularly relevant).

I suppose the point is that I myself regulate it, but not heavily. For example, the 1944 post that spiked made today is important, so it belongs in the mods AND the news categories. Which btw I should mention immediately after posting it increases the exposure quite a bit, until a newer mods cat posting knocks it off the minipost listing. Or a newer news post knocks it off the main page listing.

As another example, the CA posting that kaiser wanted to post was not particularly important, so it would only belong in the mods section.

Importance is also decided by how often we see a release from that mod. Minor bugfix releases and things of that nature do not belong in the news category, but in the case of 1944, they damn near never make releases so it is a big deal when they do, same for gundam, IW, etc. But those mods generally only release at milestones anyway, unlike myself and evo, where I make a flurry of releases in a short period of time. at my 1.0 I would make a "important" post because as I said, it is a milestone and has OMG FEATURES and (at least to me, is a big deal).

Basically, what I'm saying to the newsposters here, is use common sense. No one is playing favorites here, only trying to do what is best for the site. It was be rather annoying is I had to start playing policeman. That said, everyone has been really respectful (of me, and of others) so far, and I greatly appreciate it.

[Satirik]

the first news is still too big

[Forboding Angel]

the first news is still too big

Read this thread (particularly the bottom part) http://www.springinfo.info/forums/viewt ... d=4&t_id=3

It is not truncated automatically.

Edit: You keep mentioning 27px. That is far too small, imo, for 27px you should really be using an rss ticker tape. For actually showing the page 150px high isn't much to ask and it would look a lot better while being easier to read items.

[lurker]

for 27px you should really be using an rss ticker tape.

The way I read it that's what he wants, so is there an html page that does that with the rss data?

[Satirik]

first it should be truncated automaticaly then ... didn't i post a screenshot ? do you read and understand what i write ? do i have to explain everything 1 billion time like when i talked with the other retard ?

Code: Select all

how it will work ? when you launch tasclient you'll see the news like in the screenshot, then clicking on anything on the news page will open the default browser. When clicking on the login button it will just hide the news page to show the normal lobby with a small 27px height scrolling news under the menu and the rest (with an expand button to show the full news page)

[Forboding Angel]

for 27px you should really be using an rss ticker tape.

The way I read it that's what he wants, so is there an html page that does that with the rss data?

Sadly tickertape RSS thingies are hard to come by, however I think there is a flash one that I could buy for about 8 bucks or something, but I'd also have to find it again.

Looking into automatic truncation, but there is a limit to how far over backward I am willing to bend. If someone would be willing to look for wp plugins that do this, I'd be rather grateful. Atm I have to go do some work. Later tonight I'll mess with this some more.

[Pxtl]

Tickertape sounds like it's TASClient's job, not yours. Just give him the RSS and if he wants to make a ticker he's totally free to do it.