Please find below several suggestions regarding software product Web Wiz Forums (hereinafter - WWF).
To begin with, I would like to thank the developers for creation of a high-quality and very useful product. I am using the last version WWF (v7.8). However, during my work with WWF I found out a number of drawbacks. Of cause, I can and I will adjust all the defects in my local version, but considering my significant experience in Web-programming and Web-design, I would like to share my ideas on how to improve the product itself with the developers and users.
1.) Forum integration with Web-site
For integration with site the developer offers to use files header.asp, footer.asp. However, this seems to be not enough. In majority of cases we also have to modify default.asp, namely:
Default.asp, ?????? 1
-------------------------
<% @ Language=VBScript %>
<% Option Explicit %>
------------------
Normally, during integration of forum with site these directives are already indicated, because before reflection of forum different asp-commands can be execited, for example, Site Menue Display etc.
Default.asp, line 136
---------------------------------------
%>
<html>
<head>
<title><% = strMainForumName %></title>
<meta name="copyright" content="Copyright (C) 2001-2004 Bruce Corkhill" />
<!-- Web Wiz Forums ver. <% = strVersion %> is written and produced by Bruce Corkhill ©2001-2004
If you want your own FREE Forum then goto http://www.webwizforums.com -->
<!-- #include file="includes/header.asp" -->
-------------------------------------------
Normally, in sites, the title of the site is generated earlier than happens reflection of the forum.
Thus, for WWF integration with a site it would be preferable to modify only 2 files (header.asp and footer.asp). For this sake all files in the forum should have approximately the following structure:
----------------------------------------
<!-- #include file="includes/header.asp" -->
:
[Some code]
:
<!-- #include file="includes/footer.asp" -->
---------------------------------------
2.) ASP code duplication
Some asp files uses the same or similar code like pages drop down list or other. The idea is to create a function that implements that task and put it in common.asp file.
3.) Problems of compliance with the international W3C standards in the Web area.
I noticed that so far the developers did not pay attention to this issue. I.e. HTML-code, which is being used in the forum does not meet W3C requirements, therefore there might arise problems during reflection in different browsers (including problems related to page coding, coding in JavaScript and other problems of forum reflections). Moreover, W3C standards allow minimizing the code, but we shall touch this issue in the next paragrraph.
Here I see two solutions:
?.) I recommend the developers to pay attention to this problem.
?.) To make HTML-code, which is being used for the forum, adjustable like language files for forum.
Please see.
http://www.w3c.org/TR/html4
http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS1
4.) HTML code optimization
I usually pay attention to this issue, because this allows minimizing the site code and, consequently, speed of loading the site without risks in site reliability. Strange enough, but this also minimizes the time of developing the sites.
Let's consider an HTML-fragment from your site:
--------------------------
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" bgcolor="#F4F9F2">
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="3%" class="tHeading" background="table_bg_image.gif"> </td>
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="41%" class="tHeading" background="table_bg_image.gif">Topics</td>
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="15%" class="tHeading" background="table_bg_image.gif">Topic Starter</td>
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="7%" align="center" class="tHeading" background="table_bg_image.gif">Replies</td>
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="7%" align="center" class="tHeading" background="table_bg_image.gif">Views</td>
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="29%" align="center" class="tHeading" background="table_bg_image.gif">Last Post</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>
--------------------
Stage 1. Minimizing the code, which is acceptable by W3C standard (all browsers support it). Saving ~ 10 - 20%.
---------------
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<table width="100%" border=0 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3 bgcolor="#F4F9F2">
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="3%" class=tHeading background=table_bg_image.gif>
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="41%" class=tHeading background=table_bg_image.gif>Topics
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="15%" class=tHeading" background=table_bg_image.gif>Topic Starter
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="7%" align=center class=tHeading background=table_bg_image.gif>Replies
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="7%" align=center class=tHeading background=table_bg_image.gif>Views
<td bgcolor="#99B3B2" width="29%" align=center class=tHeading background=table_bg_image.gif>Last Post
</table>
</body>
</html>
-------------
Stage 2. Minimizing through CSS use. Saving up to 50%.
---------------------
<html>
<head>
<style type="text/css">
.th td {background: url(table_bg_image.gif)}
.th {background:#99B3B2}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<table width="100%" border=0 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3 bgcolor="#F4F9F2">
<tr class=th>
<td width="3%">
<td width="41%">Topics
<td width="15%">Topic Starter
<td width="7%" align=center>Replies
<td width="7%" align=center>Views
<td width="29%" align=center>Last Post
</table>
</body>
</html>
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On our example we managed to reduce the code almost by 50%.
So far, these are all propositions. I may add to them later.
I will be happy to help in WWF development in any form. I wish good luck to WWF developers and hope they will pay attention to my ideas.
IT Engineer
Michael Vazhenin
mike@cosmostv.by
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