While the city slept, Dr J R Stockton (reply0709@merlyn.demon.co.uk)
feverishly typed...
Quote:
The OP asked in a javascript newsgroup and was obviously considering
the possibility of a javascript solution. Whether you like it or
not, many Web pages do require javascript; and for those there can be
no rational objection to using javascript a bit more.
I agree that many web pages do require javascript for effects that cannot be
supplied by HTML, styling, or server-side processing. But these effects
should not diminish the page if javascript is not available - eg, it should
not be relied upon to provide content. I'm talking about the concept of
"graceful degradation" here. The result that the OP was after was -- IMHO --
best served by a server-side process, as this would have direct access to
the file information he needed. The fact that he asked in a javascript
newsgroup was -- again, IMHO -- because he wasn't necessarily aware that
there would be any other way of doing it, and he had found what he thought
would be a javascript solution which in actual fact wasn't so he asked in
this group to see if it could be made to work.
Quote:
This is a discussion group; if I had wanted my response not to be
available to others, I would not have posted it in News. Designers of
professional sites would have and use PHP; but not everyone has PHP
available or wants to learn it.
Accepted. It is quite true that not all users of this group will have
server-side scripting available to them (although availability of
fuller-featured hosting is a lot cheaper these days), so your solution would
indeed provide a suitable answer to those people. To the others I would
recommend learning server-side scripting such as PHP in any case... as long
as there is space on their "To-do" list of course!
Quote:
News is not a synchronous medium; one should not presume from the
datestamp of an article that it will have reached all other readers
soon after.
Accepted. I didn't notice the posting date/time of your message until after
I had made my reply, and I apologise for that.
Quote:
The technique is adaptable for other purposes.
Indeed, as are most techniques. The beauty of the medium is that a solution
to an otherwise unconnected issue can provide the inspiration to solve a
separate problem of your own... of the "something like that might work for
the problem I've been having" type.
Quote:
It's a good idea to read the newsgroup and its FAQ. See below.
I haven't been on this newsgroup for sometime and returned recently as I was
trying to implement a DHTML calendar plugin that wasn't playing ball. Fun to
be back, and to see some familiar names. Talking of names, does Jim not do
the FAQ's any more? Seeing some guy called "Randy" is FAQEditor, although I
see the FAQ's are still on jibbering.com.
Cheers,
Nige
--
Nigel Moss
http://www.nigenet.org.uk
Mail address will bounce.
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"Your mother ate my dog!", "Not all of him!"