cross platform problem - advice needed

[Ian Davies]

Hello
I would appreciate some help from someone who has knowledge of working with
css, php javascript and how they interact.
Ive been working on a task for the last few days and have started to hit a
brick wall. I need general advice on whether I m tackling the problem the
correct way and some solutions for my current problems

Ive posted my project below where ive detailed the current problems im
having
http://www.iddsoftware.co.uk/test.php

in short im trying to allow my users to take their records from my database
and arrange them dynamically on a web page into custom reports. which they
can them print directly or download into something like Word

Hope you can help as that brick wall is looming

Ian

[J.O. Aho]

Ian Davies wrote:

Hello
I would appreciate some help from someone who has knowledge of working with
css, php javascript and how they interact.
Ive been working on a task for the last few days and have started to hit a
brick wall. I need general advice on whether I m tackling the problem the
correct way and some solutions for my current problems

Ive posted my project below where ive detailed the current problems im
having
http://www.iddsoftware.co.uk/test.php

in short im trying to allow my users to take their records from my database
and arrange them dynamically on a web page into custom reports. which they
can them print directly or download into something like Word

Hope you can help as that brick wall is looming

Javascript ain't my strong point, so I will just think about php and css.

First of all you should have some default starting points, as you already
have. Store those into variables, as $xh1=40;, you will also need to check if
the page has been updated or show for the first time, you can add the

<input name="updated" type="hidden" value="1">

to your form

in your php you will need to make a check something like

if($_REQUEST['updated']==1) {
$xh1=$_REQUEST['xh1'];
} else {
$xh1=40;
}

Then you have your inputs in html

<input name="xh1" class="BodyText " value="<?PHP echo $xh1;>" size="1" type="text">

You should include the css code that handles the location of the text in the
php file, and with usage of php in the same manner that in the input tag, you
will dynamically change the coordinates in the css/style part of the code.

//Aho

[Andy Dingley]

Ian Davies wrote:

I would appreciate some help from someone who has knowledge of working with
css, php javascript and how they interact.

They don't - or at least they shouldn't. As far as possible, keep them
separate -- life will be easier that way.

Avoid JavaScript. Just not needed, or useful.

Start by writing SQL to collect the data you're after. Doesn't need to
be done through the web yet, you can easily do this through a SQL
client tool.

Spew your report's content out crudely into some sort of text editor
(maybe copy-and-paste through the SQL client). Now make it into a HTML
document. Don't worry too much looks as yet, just get all the content
you need represented as good clean HTML with meaningful markup and no
attempt at presentation. You don't even need all the data - just a
page or so. Don't be afraid to include data you don't want to appear,
such as repeated header values for each section - we can always hide
them with CSS later.

Now add CSS. Take your boring pure HTML document and add a stylesheet
to it. Revise the HTML as needed, such as by adding classes to get the
presentation control you need. Classes such as "odd" and "even" are
well worth having on rows, even if you're not yet sure you need them.
Then do some little extras with a print media stylesheet to make sure
it prints well (text sizes in points, maybe some extra headers,
page-break-after: avoid; should already be in there).

Your report should now look and print perfectly. Work on it until it
does.

Only then, convert the HTML document to PHP that calls the SQL. You
should now have a dynamic document with live data and perfect
formatting. Make sure you call .HTMLEncode() where needed, in case
there are entity refeferences etc. needed between database and HTML.
Check that it works and debug as needed.

[Harlan Messinger]

Ian Davies wrote:

Hello
I would appreciate some help from someone who has knowledge of working with
css, php javascript and how they interact.

PHP doesn't interact with either CSS or Javascript. To PHP, CSS and
Javascript are just strings being written out as part of the web page,
just as they HTML is. To CSS and Javascript, PHP doesn't exist, since
they operate only within the browser, and the browser only knows what's
on the HTML page it has been sent, and nothing about the programming
used to generate and send that page.

By the way, please do not post questions to six different groups. It
isn't necessary and annoys people who read multiple groups. One or two
of these would probably have been sufficient.

[Gleep]

Unless it's absolutley neccesary, don't bother giving this much contorl to users for a report.
Really think if is't worth the hassle.

I suggest give the users maybe 3 or 4 templates to pick from, possibly show a picture of example
report they pick the template then select and the data is 'replaced' with your template. Here is a
example of what I do.

first make your report templates - make it elaborate as needed with css whatever...
this is just one simple sample

save this as template1.html

<html>
<head></head>
<body>
Thank you for signing up, %%name%%! <br>
Company: %%companyName%% <br>
Email: %%email%% <br>
Phone: %%phone%% <p>
Event: %%title%%, %%grpdate%% <p>
Description: <br%%data%% <p>
Time & Location: %%time%%, %%location%% <p>
Content goes here: %%content%% <p>
Sincerely,<br>
The Team<p>
</body></html>
on another page give them a choice to select a template and do a content replacement...

// after a user selects a template and submits form here is code replacement example...
if (isset($_POST["submit"]){
$report = $_POST['report'];
...... blah blah other code here as needed
// at this point generate the content variables with query
$name = $data['name'];
$companyName = $data['companyName'];
$password = $data['password'];
$email = $data['email'];
$phone = $data['phone'];
$data = $data['data'];

if($report=='1' ) $message = implode(file("t emplate1.html") );
if($report=='2' ) $message = implode(file("t emplate2.html") );
if($report=='3' ) $message = implode(file("t emplate3.html") );

$message = str_replace("%% companyName%%", $companyName, $message);
$message = str_replace("%% name%%", $name, $message);
$message = str_replace("%% password%%", $password, $message );
$message = str_replace("%% phone%%", $phone, $message );
$message = str_replace("%% data%%", $data, $message );
}
the above is just an example to follow. From there you can email the entire doc, display on
screen, or make it a pdf doc look into html 2 pdf at sourgeforge

Note you don't have to use %%somevalue%% it can be anything
~somevalue~
Good Luck
On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 13:55:33 GMT, "Ian Davies" <ia********@vir gin.netwrote:

>Hello
I would appreciate some help from someone who has knowledge of working with
css, php javascript and how they interact.
Ive been working on a task for the last few days and have started to hit a
brick wall. I need general advice on whether I m tackling the problem the
correct way and some solutions for my current problems

Ive posted my project below where ive detailed the current problems im
having
http://www.iddsoftware.co.uk/test.php

in short im trying to allow my users to take their records from my database
and arrange them dynamically on a web page into custom reports. which they
can them print directly or download into something like Word

Hope you can help as that brick wall is looming

Ian

[Ian Davies]

Some useful tips Gleep that I can use somewhere else
Unfortunately I do need this level of flexibility wher euser creates their
own report as there will be large variations between users.
Thanks for the feedback
"Gleep" <Gl***@Gleep.co mwrote in message
news:2u******** *************** *********@4ax.c om...

Unless it's absolutley neccesary, don't bother giving this much contorl to

users for a report.

Really think if is't worth the hassle.

I suggest give the users maybe 3 or 4 templates to pick from, possibly

show a picture of example

report they pick the template then select and the data is 'replaced' with

your template. Here is a

example of what I do.

first make your report templates - make it elaborate as needed with css

whatever...

this is just one simple sample

save this as template1.html

<html>
<head></head>
<body>
Thank you for signing up, %%name%%! <br>
Company: %%companyName%% <br>
Email: %%email%% <br>
Phone: %%phone%% <p>
Event: %%title%%, %%grpdate%% <p>
Description: <br%%data%% <p>
Time & Location: %%time%%, %%location%% <p>
Content goes here: %%content%% <p>
Sincerely,<br>
The Team<p>
</body></html>
on another page give them a choice to select a template and do a content

replacement...

>
// after a user selects a template and submits form here is code

replacement example...

if (isset($_POST["submit"]){
$report = $_POST['report'];
..... blah blah other code here as needed
// at this point generate the content variables with query
$name = $data['name'];
$companyName = $data['companyName'];
$password = $data['password'];
$email = $data['email'];
$phone = $data['phone'];
$data = $data['data'];

if($report=='1' ) $message = implode(file("t emplate1.html") );
if($report=='2' ) $message = implode(file("t emplate2.html") );
if($report=='3' ) $message = implode(file("t emplate3.html") );

$message = str_replace("%% companyName%%", $companyName, $message);
$message = str_replace("%% name%%", $name, $message);
$message = str_replace("%% password%%", $password, $message );
$message = str_replace("%% phone%%", $phone, $message );
$message = str_replace("%% data%%", $data, $message );
}
the above is just an example to follow. From there you can email the

entire doc, display on

screen, or make it a pdf doc look into html 2 pdf at sourgeforge

Note you don't have to use %%somevalue%% it can be anything
~somevalue~
Good Luck
On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 13:55:33 GMT, "Ian Davies" <ia********@vir gin.net>

wrote:

>

Hello
I would appreciate some help from someone who has knowledge of working

with

css, php javascript and how they interact.
Ive been working on a task for the last few days and have started to hit

a

brick wall. I need general advice on whether I m tackling the problem the
correct way and some solutions for my current problems

Ive posted my project below where ive detailed the current problems im
having
http://www.iddsoftware.co.uk/test.php

in short im trying to allow my users to take their records from my

database

and arrange them dynamically on a web page into custom reports. which

they

can them print directly or download into something like Word

Hope you can help as that brick wall is looming

Ian

[Ian Davies]

Thanks for your response Aho

First of all you should have some default starting points, as you already
have. Store those into variables, as $xh1=40;, you will also need to check

if

the page has been updated or show for the first time, you can add the

<input name="updated" type="hidden" value="1">

to your form

How will this value =1
remain. wont it disapear when the browser is closed. meaning that if the
user visits again it will not remember him? or have I missuderstood?

in your php you will need to make a check something like

if($_REQUEST['updated']==1) {
$xh1=$_REQUEST['xh1'];
} else {
$xh1=40;
}

Then you have your inputs in html

<input name="xh1" class="BodyText " value="<?PHP echo $xh1;>" size="1"

type="text">

>
You should include the css code that handles the location of the text in

the

php file, and with usage of php in the same manner that in the input tag,

you

will dynamically change the coordinates in the css/style part of the code.

This last bit sounds interesting, but Im not clear what you mean? Do you
know how to retreive the coordinates of the position the user dragged the
text to and put them in the text boxes? The drag bit of the code I used was
taken from elswhere and my java script isnt up to much. What I really whish
to do is to have the text boxes update continuously as te text is dragged so
that it is constantly displaying the new coordinated.

[Ian Davies]

By the way, please do not post questions to six different groups. It

I know
but is wasnt a specific question so the greater the postings in relevant
groups would increase the chanceof a solution.

isn't necessary and annoys people who read multiple groups. One or two

They'll live :)

[Andy Dingley]

On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:39:40 -0700, Gleep <Gl***@Gleep.co mwrote:

>save this as template1.html

<html>
<head></head>
<body>
Thank you for signing up, %%name%%! <br>
Company: %%companyName%% <br>
Email: %%email%% <br>
Phone: %%phone%% <p>
Event: %%title%%, %%grpdate%% <p>
Description: <br%%data%% <p>

Please don't do this.

1. The HTML markup is poor. No DTD and it's not even valid HTML.

2. There's no need to do this. Half-decent HTML and CSS will provide
just as much flexibility, without having to change the page generation
at all.

3. If you must use templating in HTML, then you can do better markers
than "%%title%%"

[Jerry Stuckle]

Ian Davies wrote:

>>By the way, please do not post questions to six different groups. It

I know
but is wasnt a specific question so the greater the postings in relevant
groups would increase the chanceof a solution.

>>isn't necessary and annoys people who read multiple groups. One or two

They'll live :)

But many of them won't answer your questions.

--
=============== ===
Remove the "x" from my email address
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JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attgl obal.net
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