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A technical Question [message #55361]

Tue, 13 January 2009 09:34

paulj

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Location: U.K.
Registered: June 2008
Messages: 152

How difficult would it be to have a (previous) <> (next) button at the bottom of story chapters to allow easy/easier navigation when reading multichapter stories?

I am not a tecchie so dont give me pages of code as it would be meaningless to me. Its just a thought that's all.

Paul J.

Re: A technical Question [message #55363 is a reply to message #55361]

Tue, 13 January 2009 09:47

acam

On fire!

Location: UK
Registered: July 2007
Messages: 1849

It would be very easy and I have seen it done on many story sites.

Love
Anthony

Re: A technical Question [message #55364 is a reply to message #55361]

Tue, 13 January 2009 11:25

timmy

Has no life at all

Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796

It is simple to do, but another place where an error can occur. I add everything manually to this site. More things to do = more scope for human error

Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School

Re: A technical Question [message #55367 is a reply to message #55364]

Tue, 13 January 2009 12:03

paulj

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Location: U.K.
Registered: June 2008
Messages: 152

I just knew there was a good reason.... ;-D Paul

Re: A technical Question [message #55371 is a reply to message #55367]

Tue, 13 January 2009 15:05

timmy

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Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796

I'm not sure the reason is "good" exactly, but some days it can take me for ever to knock the submissions into a publishable shape, and adding this seemingly small task is the last straw.

The process is simple, but annoying:

Now there are 2 or more chapters, add a "next" link to the previous chapter
Add a "previous" link to the current chapter
upload the previous chapter as well as the current chapter

And I have to make sure the links are correct, which, with Murphy's Law, they will often not be.

[Updated on: Tue, 13 January 2009 15:05]

Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School

Re: A technical Question [message #55380 is a reply to message #55363]

Tue, 13 January 2009 18:52

CallMePaul

Really getting into it

Location: U.S.A.
Registered: April 2007
Messages: 907

I have found that those story sites that do include this don't seem to have the volume of stories that Timmy deals with. Those that do include it often have a number of people helping to add stories to the site. Timmy's is a one man operation.

Just remember that you can right click your mouse button and select "back" and it will return you to the main story menu. You can do the same by clicking the large left arrow at the top left of your screen. These functions are the same in IE or FF - I don't know about the other browsers. It is then a simple matter to click on the next chapter heading.

Youth crisis hot-line 866-488-7386, 24 hr (U.S.A.)
There are people who want to help you cope with being you.

Re: A technical Question [message #55381 is a reply to message #55380]

Tue, 13 January 2009 19:05

timmy

Has no life at all

Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796

Thanks for mentioning the good old "Back" button to get to the menu fast. It also places zero load on the server, not that purely turning a page seems to create a great load.

Megaman would be upset if I didn't mention his work, but he's the first to agree that his work is in the "back office" for when it all goes wrong, now. He has no real interest in uploading stories nor in any of the day to day stuff. His fun is the technical stuff of making it work well.

I imagine there might be a technical way of doing it automatically, the next and prev thing. The trouble is choosing a format, if such a thing is possible. I can scope out a system spec easily enough, and one that recognises new chapters dynamically, but the question is, is it worth it?

We could, probably, create a dynamic left hand menu that uses AJAX to show all stories and chapters from an author, we could, probably, do lots. And we might Smile

But do not hold your breath.

Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School

Re: A technical Question [message #55383 is a reply to message #55381]

Tue, 13 January 2009 19:59

paulj

Likes it here

Location: U.K.
Registered: June 2008
Messages: 152

It was simply that I saw the facility on another site and I suppose that I rather liked it.It's only one click more to do a back and a select, which is what I've always done for my Iomfats reading, for as long as I've been a reader during the last few years. I only discovered this site when Michael Arram came here from Nifty and announced on his last Chapter that he was doing that. (Back in the Henry in the Outfield days). I then discovered many other goodies as I suspect many others have too.

Paul.

If a back / next facility appears I'm sure I may well use it but I won't cry too much if it doesn't!!

Paul

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