Re: [etc-users] ETC features?

[Chris M. <ck...@cr...>]

On Tue, 16 Oct 2001, Mark Farver wrote:

> On Tue, 16 Oct 2001, Chris Maresca wrote:
> 
> > I like it the way it is, although the ability to follow a link other than
> > the default one would be great.  That would allow for more complex
> > interactions.
> 
> > 1. support imagemaps (I suppose it kinda does that already)
> > 2. support other URLs (perhaps a re-direct after touch or something)
> 
> Are you looking for a more complete webbrowser type interface?  I could
> handle the HTTP redirect command fairly easily.  (For the unfamiliar when
> a web browser goes to a certain URL the HTTP spec allows the server to
> send back a reply that tell the webbrowser to jump to a different URL)
> 
> Can you describe a little more how you envision things working?  I'm not
> sure if I understand what you are looking for (client side image maps?)

In traditional server-side imagemaps, the coordinates get sent to the
server, it translates it into a redirect statement (I think) that cause
the browser to get a new object.  

The two important things here are, I think:

1. Ability to send coordinates to an arbitrary URL
2. Support for redirects
 
> I can see the value of making a ETC a simple browser.. it would be a
> familiar system for most people.
> 
> A lot of the support questions I keep getting are related to getting PHP
> or Apache running... so I have a feeling that a certain percentage of
> users are stumped by the whole server side image map interface.

Hhmm, may be true, but those same people will have issues flashing the ROM
as well, never mind writing client <-> server bits.  At least if you are
supporting generic web transports, people can install MS Personal
WebServer and it's server side imagemap support.

Right now, the biggest issue in developing applications using ETC is
having to generate images on the fly, thereby requiring some pretty
complex server side coding.

That's what I think you should address.  Simplify the way images are sent
back and forth, and you'll probably get fewer questions.

Chris.

--
chris maresca
      internet systems architect -- www.chrismaresca.com

"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch
out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending path. You know you will never get
to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy
and glory of the climb."                          [Sir Winston Churchill, 1874-1965]