Home Distiller Parent site update

[rad14701]

Nice...

[Prairiepiss]

Dangit I can't use the new fancy smancy stuffs. I use my smart phone to do most of my surfing. It don't worky with it. But it does look like it will be a nice change of pace.

[Husker]

what is lacking on the smart phone? Can it not do cookies? I was hoping that the 800x or 640x would be most beneficial to smart phones.

I 'could' add things to the URL's, but as soon as I do that, the web search indexes get polluted with multiple URL's, which is NOT what we want. Pointing someone to the 'exact' same page (content wise), but in 640 width pix mode, (or 800x, or 1600x, etc), is not what we want at all.

I am very reluctant to do this in any other way than with some form of cookie. This keeps all of the web spiders, simply spidering the site, properly and building just a single page for each page of data. Web spiders do not support cookies, so they will ONLY do the 'default' stuff, which is what we want.

If the problem is something 'other' than cookies, please let me know. A lot of the work recently HAS been to get it working better on smart phones. I do not have one myself, but I know a LOT of people do access this site using them (I watch the 'agent' strings the browsers use).

H.

[Prairiepiss]

For some reason I can't click on the selection buttons. So I can't change anything. Let me go mess with it a little more and I will report back.

By the way I'm running a EVO 4G Android.

[Prairiepiss]

Ok I can change the res. And click on the eye candy yes and no. Delete cookies works so does reset to default. But I can't click on the color selection buttons? It's not registering as a clickable item for my touch screen. The res change does help on my phone.

Oh and the upper link bar. Half the links are above the box border the the half are over the boarder. So it makes it hard to see what they are. Because of the colors mixing. Can't change the color to see if that makes a difference. And when you go to the 640 res it makes like 3 lines and even worse.

I went to a couple different pages and they seemed to all be looking good and working.

Edit to add I'm going to go fire up the kindle fire and see how it works on it.

[Husker]

For some reason I can't click on the selection buttons. So I can't change anything. Let me go mess with it a little more and I will report back.

By the way I'm running a EVO 4G Android.

Try again, and refresh that 'setup' page. I did have all the buttons (except the screen width), setup to disabled. Thus, if your browser is caching that page, all those controls will still be disabled.

NOTE, the color items ARE still disabled.

[Prairiepiss]

Ok I'm on the kindle and still cant click on the radio buttons to change the color. And for some reason its not saving the settings. Its not working with the cookies I guess? The kindle does work with cookies. And runs on a android OS. So not real sure why its not working like my phone. It will change the res on that screen. But when I go to another page it doesn't change it.

[Prairiepiss]

Ok tried it again refreshed and nothing. It still the same. Can click on the radio buttons for the why candy but not the colors.
Have to run the wife somewhere be back on in 30min.

[Husker]

But when I go to another page it doesn't change it.

This is because your browser is caching that page, and not even sending the request to the server. If you refresh that page, it should hit the server again, and build the page properly.

That is why I mentioned 'clearing' the browser cache, is likely required to get things working, once you make config changes.



H.

[HookLine]

Thanks for all your work on this, Husker. Much appreciated.

[Steep-n-Rocky]

Thanks Husker, we all appreciate your effort on this one!

[Prairiepiss]

Clearing the cache worked.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Choice! I have google 1+ed everything in the intro section and will work through the rest of the site tonight if i can

[Husker]

There are now 3 'view types'. The first 2 are the ones I recommend. The other was thrown in for people that liked the static menu.

On, gives you the normal 'pretty' forum. It also gives you forced fixed sizes (the 640, 800, 1024, 1280, 1600). You get the graphic in the corner, the graphic script title, and the graphic menus.

Off, still uses the css. You get the copper/brown colored menus. You see the highlighted menu up top, and the menu on the left. It does not always expand full page, since the width is not being 'locked' by the graphics of the top menu. However, it does remove the graphic noise of the top and left menu.

Static_Menu. This one dumps the top menu, and builds the entire menu structure down the left side of screen. It also uses the css, so you get the beige background, brown/copper text and links, etc. Note, pages will load a little slower with this method, AND getting to the bottom menu options sux (IMHO), but this is what some people wanted. It does use a little more bandwidth, since it generates the full menu each time, but since I have turned on data compression, the extra size of the data actually sent over the wire is not much more.

As for compression, it is being used in the parent site now. It reduces the bandwidth a great deal, over the non-compressed method. Also, splitting up the HTM pages, 'may' also end up reducing bandwidth somewhat, but time will tell.

[Husker]

PP, you mentioned that going to a lower res was having problems on your smart phone.

can you check out the 'new' version I have, using eye_candy == Off.

Now, the 'off' will remove the menu graphic stuff. It simply uses a VERY simple table. 25% of the screen on the left is the left menu. The other 75% are the text page. NOTE, if the menu does not take 25%, then it will only use as much as needed. In this setup, the menuing system is still setup the same way. There are 14 menu items at the top (the menu 'groups'), and when you select a group, then it puts you on that menu (the left menu). The left menu selects the page to view. So in many ways, it is JUST like the colorful parent site, but it is much more simple, and may allow browsers on simpler system to work better.

Can you please 'try' this format, and report back on how it works for a smaller device like a smart phone.

There is now a 3rd 'eye-candy' type. That is 'Static_Menu'. This one removes the 'top' menu, and builds a full menu on the left side.

H.

[Prairiepiss]

Ok the res change only works with eye candy on. Side note when 640 is selected it cuts off the wide pics. Calculators do resize to fit.
Eye candy is nice works good just can't change the res. I like this option for the phone. Not having the color helps when having a smaller screen.
Static menu same.

But this really isn't a problem for me. My phone will resize most stuff to fit the screen. It leaves the menus alone and resizes the body. Much like the res change option does.

[Husker]

I will have to get my kid's phone, and have a look.

Also, I have a kindle dx (the big one, B/W), so I should find it, and walk the site some using it.

Thanks for testing stuff out. Like I said, this really is a work in progress.

[Prairiepiss]

No problem. If you need anything else looked at let me know.

And thanks for putting so much time into it. Wish I could help more.

[Husker]

I got the kindle fired up, and connected. The site looks pretty damn good with eye candy off. The B/W screen of the kindle is not too good with the eye candy. In landscape mode, it did work fine in the 1024 resolution, but I think the 'Off' mode of eye candy works the best.

My daughter has a tiny ipod/ipad (not sure wtf it is), and the son has a nice smart phone. I will do some surfing on those devices and just see what I get, and hopefully at least be able to see changes myself and be able to work on changes and directly 'see' them on lower res devices.

I also built a php script, that builds a sitemap.xml (.gz) file for google, which indexes EVERY post on the site (and links to the forums). This should get the forums indexed better (I hope).

Good stuff.

[Prairiepiss]

I didn't even think about monochrome kindles. I bet the eye candy off does look pretty good on there. I think that is what I will be using when on my phone. I'm not real sure that I will ever use the lower res though?

[Husker]

If you do the eye_candy == Off, then screen res does not really play a roll. The top menu properly wraps. The left menu is a fixed 250 pix, so if the screen is SUPER low res (like a non-smart cell phone), then there may be no screen left to view on, however, on something with a few extra pix, is 'should' work.

H.

[luther-blissett]

Hey husker,

Ive been looking for a spirit meter correction calculator I can use offline, I know about the many tables floating around but Itd be nice to have a calculator - though the only ones ive found including the new one you put up on the parent site doesnt work when downloaded and opened, any way you know how a version could be made that could be usable offline ? dont worry about it if its probably not possible, was just wondering. They seem to calculate and display the results in such a way that editing/deleting some parts of the html of the form out doesnt help make it work.

[Husker]

The one on the parent site is written in php (a language the forums use also). That being so, it is what is called a 'server side' language. It is run on the server, all of the computations are done, and the php program 'builds' the html page for you.

I think I have a win32 version of that calculator (i.e. stand alone, for a PC). It was what I used to model just how to do the php version. I will have to look for it, but I think I have it done. I think I have it on a computer at work, so if I can find it, I will get it put online.

I will likely add it to the wiki, probably on this page: http://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.php/Potstill_Win32_App" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow or a page like that one.

H.

[luther-blissett]

Oh ok thatd be great thank you.

[Husker]

Added some new icons for the apple iphone, ipad, ipod users. Now, desktop links should have a nice alembic graphic in 'proper' sizes.

If you have one of these devices, and have HD parent (or the forum's linked as an icon), I 'believe' the icon should now show up looking nice.

H.

[Washashore]

Nice job Husker...looks sweet!

[Husker]

Hey husker,

Ive been looking for a spirit meter correction calculator I can use offline, I know about the many tables floating around but Itd be nice to have a calculator - though the only ones ive found including the new one you put up on the parent site doesnt work when downloaded and opened, any way you know how a version could be made that could be usable offline ? dont worry about it if its probably not possible, was just wondering. They seem to calculate and display the results in such a way that editing/deleting some parts of the html of the form out doesnt help make it work.

I have started to update the ethanol temp convert applet on the parent site: http://homedistiller.org/calcs/husker_temp_convert.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I have added to it, 2 'forumula' methods. One is 20°C and the other is 60°F. The 20°C does not quite match the table provided on the parent site http://homedistiller.org/correctiontable.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow by Geoff Redman. However, if you read Geoff's page, it does list that his table has problems at certain points. The other formula methods were taken from some commercial software. NOTE, the 2 new tables are only working for 'full' degree and full observed ABV. If you enter a fraction (65.5 % ABV observed), the app right now, will simply round that value down. I will continue to work on this, and get fractions of degree, and fractions of ABV properly working.

Also, I will get this into the Win32 version soon.


H.

[bentstick]

Yes sir, the grapics are much better than afore, been using ipad since xmas, all is improvement on my end here! Thanx

[StillG]

Husker - you are generous with your on- and off-line alcohol-temperature correction calculators. Any chance you would provide the calculations? Or perhaps do you have an excel version? Never enough when you give things away, huh? I use excel for all calculations and it would be nice to show the source math for all corrections and calculations - a part of the record sort of thing. I am working on a specific gravity calculator for different proofs I can share.

Thanks, G

[Samohon]

Husker - you are generous with your on- and off-line alcohol-temperature correction calculators. Any chance you would provide the calculations? Or perhaps do you have an excel version? Never enough when you give things away, huh? I use excel for all calculations and it would be nice to show the source math for all corrections and calculations - a part of the record sort of thing. I am working on a specific gravity calculator for different proofs I can share.

Thanks, G

There is an excel spreadsheet somewhere on the boards but it seems to eluding me atm. If I find it I'll post it up...

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