Feel Like Chatting?

Report anomolous behavior on the forum here.

Moderator: TMAX

splummer
Posts: 563
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 3:13 am
Location: western maine , the other alaska
Contact:

Post by splummer »

opps sorry rudy i must drive you crazy with my posts and chat since i never use commas ,periods and my spelling is real bad, i will try harder, haha
Sharkey
Original Founder
Posts: 1364
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:00 am
Contact:

Post by Sharkey »

More toys, er, I mean, tools to make chatting even more complicated. I have added two more text formatting options.

The first is the ability to add "strike-through" text to your messages. Unfortunately, the forum doesn't support this, so I can't give an example. Take a look at the SharkChat Help page to see an example.

The second came about when I was chatting with Rudy and made the comment that I could display examples of PHP code better if the Chat allowed me to insert line breaks. Well, now it does. This will make it easier to create simple lists, quote song lyrics, etc. It will also make it possible for a disruptive user to wreck the page formatting. If it gets misused, I'll have to remove it, so use it wisely. It, also, is described in detail in the Chat Help page.

And speaking of Chat Help, the page has been updated and corrected, so proofreaders, get your editing pencils out and mark it up!
Jones'n4chrome
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:10 pm

Post by Jones'n4chrome »

Sharkey,
As always, thank you for all your hard work on this site. I like the new features you just added.

As there seems to be little or nothing, that you can't achieve with SharkChat, I've had this idea for awhile now, but was hesitant to bother you with more "chat chores" but what the heck.

This may be a stupid idea, but here it is. Often times on SharkChat we accidently respond to the wrong person, also depending on how long the persons name is, it takes longer to respond anyway.
So is it possible to make the names of the members on the left left menu live buttons? if I wanted to respond to you and there were 6 members all chatting at the same time, I could click on your name, then "@Sharkey," would automatically populate the text field, with the curser ready to begin typing?
I don't know if it is even possible, or practical, but it might improve the flow of chat when several people are chatting.
You did ask for ideas didn't you? :lol:

Thanks again Sharkey.

Chuck
Jones'n4chrome
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:10 pm

Post by Jones'n4chrome »

splummer wrote:opps sorry rudy i must drive you crazy with my posts and chat since i never use commas ,periods and my spelling is real bad, i will try harder, haha
Steve,
I don't think you drive anyone crazy with your spelling, actually we very much enjoy your company in SharkChat, furthermore I admire that you have the courage to participate even when you know your spelling is not perfect.
Thanks for joining in.

Chuck
Sharkey
Original Founder
Posts: 1364
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:00 am
Contact:

Post by Sharkey »

An interesting idea, and one that is much more complicated that you might think. It would actually be fairly easy if not for the fact that the color in each user's username makes up part of their actual username on the Chat.

For example, your username on the chat is really:

Code: Select all

{span style='color: #808080'}Jones'n4chrome{/span}
(Or something very close to that, I had to change the <and> brackets to { and } to keep the forum software from gobbling them up)

In order to make this "clickable", I would have to process the username string using preg_replace twice to remove all but your actual name and save it as a variable. Then I'd make the display of your name on the Chat hot using the variable string added to the actual username, and actuate a javascript function to plug that bare name into the message text area when it is clicked. This would have to be repeated for every username in the message display window.

Not saying it's not possible, but it's going to take some thinking through and examination of the Chat scripts to see how much code I can squeeze in.
Sharkey
Original Founder
Posts: 1364
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:00 am
Contact:

Post by Sharkey »

You asked for it, you got it. While I was working in the yard this afternoon, I thought the problem through. I ended up adding a table to the database to hold a "raw" username without the color tags. That gets added to each user's username in the message list in the form of a hyperlink that adds the raw username to the message text box with a @ symbol. All you have to do is click the user name on the message you are intending to reply to and the user's name is edited into the field.

Pretty slick, eh? It only works on messages send after about 9:30 PM this evening. After a day or two, all the messages will have the link and be clickable.

You may remit payment to the usual sources... :D
Jones'n4chrome
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:10 pm

Post by Jones'n4chrome »

Sharkey,

I don't know anything code and computer stuff, but I knew that if it was even possible, there is no way it would be easy. I also knew that if it was possible, you would be the one that could figure it out.
Anyway, I think it would be a cool feature, but then again I'm not the one who has to figure out how to make it work :? :lol:

Chuck
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Post by stuartcnz »

Sharkey, I like the new clickable name feature, but it does look a bit twitterish. I think it would look smarter and easier to follow if it just put up the name, followed by a ,coma like we have been doing up to now.
Jones'n4chrome
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:10 pm

Post by Jones'n4chrome »

Sharkey,
Is it possible to have a default name setting in our profile page? in other words, when someone in SharkChat clicks on "Jones'n4chrome" @Chuck, appears in the text box?

I'm not sure what Stuart is refereing to as "twitterish" because I have never twittered, but he's right, it would look cleaner if just the name with a comma appeared.
It looks like you have more yard work to do :lol:

Chuck
User avatar
stuartcnz
Site Admin
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand
Contact:

Post by stuartcnz »

I second Chuck's second suggestion. :D Being able to address people the way we do now, using their first names, if so desired would be good.

@Chuck is how a Twitter replies. I've not used it either, but have seen it. It just doesn't look right to me.
Sharkey
Original Founder
Posts: 1364
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:00 am
Contact:

Post by Sharkey »

Glad to hear that you all like the new addition. Changing the name to eliminate the @ is simple enough. Having the Chat post your name instead of your screen name is more involved. The forum database would need to have a "real" name table added. This can be done, and in fact, it would solve one problem for me, which is that Chuck's username contains an apostrophe, which is causing problems with the javascript that imprints the username into the text field. Of course, this would mean that everyone would have to go edit their profiles to include a "real" name, so it wouldn't be painless for you, either.

I'll think about what it would take. Probably won't happen all at once.
Sharkey
Original Founder
Posts: 1364
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:00 am
Contact:

Post by Sharkey »

The first part of this suggestion is completed. The "real name" tables have been added to the database. The interface so that users can edit in their own names isn't made yet, so I edited in the first names of most of the Chat regulars whose names I knew.

At this point, Dennis, Stuart, Doug, Mark, Steve, Dan, John and a couple of others have "real" names that are pasted into the message text field when their usernames are clicked in the Chat. Users whose "real" names haven't been entered into the database will show up when clicked as their regular username.

Over the next couple of days, I'll get the code amended to allow users to specify their "real" names while editing their profiles. It's a lot to work, so I need to block out some time to get it all done at once. In the meantime, if I've forgotten anyone, LMK and I'll edit your profile so that your name appears properly in the Chat 'click-to-reply' feature.

Only messages posted after about 7PM tonight will have the new real name feature enabled.
Rudy
Posts: 2762
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Strangeweather, Mo.

Post by Rudy »

Proofreaders say that the latest additions to Sharkchat help page pass with an A+.
Got love? Give love.
Sharkey
Original Founder
Posts: 1364
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 4:00 am
Contact:

Post by Sharkey »

So, Rudy, did you get my little "double entendre" when I gave an example of a user name vs. "real" name?

I've edited the scripts so that users can include and change their own "real" names now by editing their profiles. It really is a lot of code to go through to make it work, probably more than I wrote to make the "name" feature work in the Chat in the first place.

Also, now when you hover your mouse cursor over a username, the person's "real" name is revealed in a title tag.

Next: Help File edit #2
Rudy
Posts: 2762
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Strangeweather, Mo.

Post by Rudy »

Herbal Studmaker!
Got love? Give love.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests