web notes - a blog

Building a complex application requires creative use of the page space. At a certain point the page is full, and additional content/options/functionality must be integrated with innovative approaches.

• Dialog or popup boxes are extremely effective for displaying search results. Integrated carefully into the form functions, it allows a user to review the search results without closing the box
• Tabbed navigation is good for hierarchical content displays
• Accordian panes are good for compressing a stack of content into a small area, opening them on refresh is helpful for the user

Imagine a search engine that returns the following information for sites - regardless of query:

• Date site was last updated
• Comments about the site business or content
• Comparative ratings of the site and if it is a business, the performance of the business with respect to competitors
• Related businesses, by area
• Location/service area
• Contact data

AJAX can be implemented in many different ways.

Options:

• Place all the interface logic on the client side, and have the server act only as backend functionality. For a complex application, this method may be prohibitively difficult. The overhead of placing all the logic on the client side, and managing its delivery and execution is probably not worth the performance gains.
• Segmenting the pages and populating them with HTML and related logic from the server. This would be using something similar to dojo content panes, which are HTML content. Similar to iframes.
• Half JAX. Run the pages as HTML templates, augmented with AJAX navigation/population. Thus, the HTML remains static for the page, but the AJAX is used to fill the fields and provide advance features. With an efficient template engine and a sophisticated architecture, this is an excellent approach.
• Use straight HTML pages, with a template engine. There is no law that AJAX must be used. :)

Delivering the HTML, with AJAX for form population and rich interface features is a nice compromise. The pages remain fairly fast, the rich features are available, and the complexity is limited. This is best implemented with a good architecture of reusable/common components.

robots.design™ was initially developed as a tool for more cost-effective skinning of applications, but it can also be used by social network providers to allow non-technical users to use the colors from image to change their profile on the site.

Imagine a button that has a picture of an image. The member could click the button and upload an image. This would change the colors for their profile to match the image. The extent of the change can be managed by the network provider.

This does depend on the site/application architecture. The simplest implementation may be to provide a stylesheet for each user, or some other override mechanism that applies the image colors to the site - perhap through javascript. The complexity will vary greatly and will probably reflect the goals and objectives of the site.

In addition to social networks, any system that would like to enhance the user experience may use a derivative of the approach. The advantage is that no technical experience is required, and it is much easier than hand-coding a profile skin.

http://chyngachanga.ru/content/wuge/owofi/
http://mslayouts.ws/icons/administrator/components/com_menus/etotag/adusoq/
http://sans-packing.ru/img/jipeqap/ehudute/
http://www.antwerpsupporter.be/mvdm_polls/includeold/olom/yeq/
http://www.blankner.ocps.net/media/yeloc/taqohu/
http://www.elettrodataservice.it/foto_articoli/pivafof/sena/
http://www.eloge-du-bien-commun.be/blog/bundled-libs/Net/ocoqen/yurowej/
http://www.filter-international.com/webservice/aro/pefosi/
http://www.foicr.org/work/mulito/esa/
http://www.interkonet.com/galeria/modules/albumselect/ucu/iwuy/
http://www.meijers.com/images/products/ubemebe/oqe/
http://www.psikolojikyardim.org/etkinlik/include/eto/rix/jas/
http://www.qubestunes.com/treytest/1/adoyuru/zagu/
http://www.service-exposants.com/store/iyi/ifiduw/
http://www.thoseguysfilms.com/forums/templates/subSilver/images/timuji/oju/
http://www.unduetretoccaate.it/codice/fog/azato/
http://www.urlaub-reisen-privat.de/gymnasium/pictures/ahamoha/zotu/

from 211.218.149.2 (probably spoofed)

Ladies and gentlemen, check your servers … :)