Journal Short Circuit's Journal: Rosetta Code updates. 9

Templates, Categories, and the Main Page: New or updated. Also in this article, what remains before we get out of Beta.

First, I created five templates, and four categories to go with them:

The first template, {{task}}, is prepended to each programming task article. It describes what a programming task is, and then adds the article to the Programming Tasks category.

The second template, {{Programming language}}, is appended to each programming language. It mentions that the article describes a programming language, and offers a link for the user to find all the articles which include that language. Finally, it adds the article to the "Programming Languages" category.

The third template, {{compiler}}, is appended to each article about a compiler. It mentions that the article describes a compiler, and offers a link for the user to find all the articles which mention that compiler. Finally, it adds the article to the "Compilers and Interpreters" category.

The fourth template, {{interpreter}}, is appended to each article about an interpreter. It mentions that the article describes an interpreter, and offers a link for the user to find all the articles which mention that interpreter. Finally, it adds the article to the "Compilers and Interpreters" category.

The fifth template, {{platform}}, is appended to each article about a platform. It mentions that the article describes a platform, and offers a link for the user to find all the articles which mention that platform. Finally, it adds the article to the "Platforms" category.

The fifth template is currently unused, though; I couldn't find anywhere to apply it.

Currently, the "Programming Languages" category contains 9 articles (including 1 template), the Compilers and Interpreters" category contains 10 articles (including 2 templates), and the "Programming Tasks" template contains 5 articles, including 1 template.

Links to these three categories may be found on the Main Page, which I cleaned up a little bit.

I changed the site logo. Web browsers have an annoying habit of rendering web pages to the dpi of the system, while rendering images at a 1-to-1 pixel ratio. When I created the original logo, I was on my desktop computer, which I run at a resolution of 108dpi. (It's a 21" screen that I read from six or seven feet away.) When I loaded the logo in Firefox, it looked fine. When I looked at the site from a computer using a more ordinary 72dpi, the image was cropped.

Well, now the image looks fine on a 72dpi system, but looks like crud on my desktop, because of the contrast between the white background of the image, and the textured background of the page as a whole. The only thing I can think of to do is remove the white background layer of the image, and save it as a transparent PNG. (Hey, both Firefox and IE7 support it. :)

Finally, I removed some of the extra links in the navigation bar. The only two static pages left are Main Page and Help. I'll add some text to Help, and then everything will be good.

Four more things need to be done before Rosetta Code comes out of Beta. Three of them could be done by the end of the week. The fourth might be finished by the end of the week, or not for a couple months, depending on how motivated Computer Club's advisor is.

First, I need to run some tests to find out the best way to move the MediaWiki implementation between domain names.

Second, I need to enable URL rewriting, and disable running PHP as CGI. The whole "?title=Programming_Tasks" URL scheme really annoys me. This is a wiki, darnit! The URL should look nice. And if this site gets hit (and it might; I intend to "Publicize" the JE that announces RC's coming out of Beta.), I don't want the CGI overhead to cause more problems than we're already going to have. (I have my doubts as to whether a Dreamhost-hosted PHP site can hold up to a Slashdotting.)

Third, I need to rewrite the Programming Tasks page, and create a Help:Help page. That'll finish off the base content.

Finally, I need to register new domains for Rosetta Code. I don't want the billing done in my name, because I won't be President of Computer Club for much longer (Only until April or May...darn, that's getting close.), and this is a Computer Club project. Our advisor is looking into having the billing done in the college's name, but her small group of workers is the telephone contact point for any and all student technology issues for GRCC. That will lead to a great deal of work, and she told me this morning that my request is a low priority.

*sigh*

Ah well...The first three parts will almost certainly be done before part four is done. I just wish I could afford to go to Network Solutions and register the .com and .org domains now, wait for reimbursement, and transfer ownership of the domain to GRCC.

Son of a B*TCH!

Between now and Monday, someone squatted rosettacode.com. There's a GoDaddy park site on top of it right now.

*boil*

Registrant:
      Domains by Proxy, Inc.
      DomainsByProxy.com
      15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
      Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
      United States

      Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
      Domain Name: ROSETTACODE.COM
            Created on: 31-May-06
            Expires on: 31-May-08
            Last Updated on: 31-May-06

      Administrative Contact:
            Private, Registration ROSETTACODE.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
            Domains by Proxy, Inc.
            DomainsByProxy.com
            15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
            Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
            United States
            (480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2599

      Technical Contact:
            Private, Registration ROSETTACODE.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
            Domains by Proxy, Inc.
            DomainsByProxy.com
            15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
            Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
            United States
            (480) 624-2599 Fax -- (480) 624-2599

      Domain servers in listed order:
            PARK27.SECURESERVER.NET
            PARK28.SECURESERVER.NET

Whatever; It'll get worked out. I've only talked about RC with you folks (Being careful not to "Publish" or "Publicize" the entry), and with two other people who might have interest. I'll check around and see if one of them registered the domain for me without telling me.

In the mean time, check out the Programming Tasks category. There are a couple ones in there that could use another language entry or two.