Re: InfoZone and Slide

[Gary Bickford <ga...@fxt.com>]

That's cool that you were able to get so much visual capability with only
DHTML.  Good work!  One way to make this of use to folks would be to work out
a simple interface to the server side, so it can be used as a module for those
who want to use it.  Such an interface might be based on WPPX (is that
right?  The allaire XML messaging thing...).  However, I suspect that to
implement the equivalent functionality in Netscape 4 will be difficult and
almost a complete rewrite.  I'm not sure about Mozilla/Netscape 6.  I've been
using Mozilla build M17 for a while, and I'd say it's almost as stable as NS
4.75.  It doesn't do javascript completely yet, among other things.

I suppose the next step would be to use javascript or something to generate
XML-format output and accept XML as input.  With that, lots of applications
can be built to work with the data.
GB

Richard Esmond wrote:

> I have some source, that might be of interest to you and possibly the group
> at large.
>
> I built a simple drag-n-drop HTML (and XSL) page designer that required
> nothing more than DHTML on the client.  No Java and no native code, BUT I
> only tested/debugged it on IE5 so far.  There is however, no technical
> reason this could not be debugged for ns3+ and ie3+, but that was all I had
> installed at the time.
>
> It looks slightly like VB, with a simple text toolbar for now(needs icons),
> and you select the object you want to place on the screen and then draw a
> box on the forms canvas.  The object is created and appears.  All objects
> can be dragged around the screen and have an editable properties frame.
>
> Current HTML Objects:
>
>    Text
>    Multi-text
>    Checkbox
>    Combobox
>    Radiobutton
>    Image
>    Groupbox
>    Buttons
>
> I also have a fair number of properties that can be edited for each object
> including a somewhat cute color wheel.  Each object is nothing more than a
> HTM & JS file uploaded to the server, so it is extensible by anyone who
> understands DHTML.
>
> I also reserved screen space for a DB schema on the screen with the intent
> to make drag-n-drop Database forms an ealy feature target.  This would not
> be hard to complete.  It took only me about 3 hours per object, and about 1
> hour per editable property, but several weeks to get the infrastructure and
> drag-n-drop stuff to work right, but it was my first DHTML effort.
>
> If someone is interested in these features, and they don't already exist,
> the "objects" would map quite nicely over 'taglibs' with custom properties
> etc...
>
> If anyone want's to play with it and design a simple web page across the
> net, then email me and I will open my home server up.  If people like it, I
> will throw it out there, or whatever.  I wish I had time to finish it, but
> unfortunatly I doubt I will any time soon.
>
> Richard
>
> Ps. I guess I will include a screenshot for kicks.
> Pss. It isn't much of a screenshot, I just drug a few
> objects onto the form, but you should get the picture.
> _________________________________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
> Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
> http://profiles.msn.com.
>
>   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                    Name: WebDsgnr.jpg
>    WebDsgnr.jpg    Type: JPEG Image (image/jpeg)
>                Encoding: base64

--
"We feel that this change will be sufficient to discourage "hackers",
although it is obviously insufficient to protect a node against a
determined and malicious attack."
- RFC521 (ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc521.txt), 1973

Gary E Bickford, mailto:garyb-at-fxt.com.
Web and content/asset management systems, PHP, XML, Apache, SQL
FXT Corp, http://www.fxt.com, tel. 541-383-2749