RE: [Bug-gnubg] HTML export

[Albert Silver]

> AS - I agree this is bizarre. The easiest way to fix this permanently
MO
> is to just display the players, and not try to guess the colors. In
> other words, it isn't Red and Black, but simply GNU and Albert.

I posted a reply suggesting exactly this. 

I posted via google which seems to take longer than usual before the
reply is propagated around the world. I usually post using my ISP's news
server which is much faster , but I can't do that at work, err, I mean,
at lunch at work :-)

AS - My ISP doesn't even have a news server, so I sympathize completely.
:-)

> Some personal suggestions now:
[snip]
> +--------------------------------------------------------------+
> |Match to 5   Game 1: Albert 1 - GNU 6 (drop-down)  <--  -->   |
> +-------------+------------------------------------------------+
> |   Moves     |  <-- (navigate move) -->     Statistics (link) |
> |             +------------------------------------------------+
> |42: 8/4 6/4  |                                                |
> |61: 13/7 8/7 |     Board (or game/match statistics)           |
> | etc.        |                                                |
> |             |          Below the board position one          |
> |list scrolls |          can see the stats of the moves        |
> |up or down   |          or cube decisions. Board never        |
> |             |          appears to move making watching       |
> |             |          the games that much easier.           |
> |             |         If the stats are chosen, it shows the  |
> |             |          Stats instead of the board.           |
> +-------------+------------------------------------------------+

A few problems:

(a) it's impossible to print the entire game, match, or session
    within the browser
(b) we have to implement this with JavaScript or ECMA script, which
     (1) is probably browser dependent
     (2) won't work in older browsers
     (3) won't work if the user has disabled javascript
(c) we use frames which won't work in older browsers
    (in general, frames suck, but they may be have a usual purpose here)

Of course, it's possible to make it an option to export in the current
one-game-per-page format so people still can use that.

ad (a): we can't do anything about that
ad (b): it's possible to make some work-arounds for missing or disabled
JavaScript. For example, instead of the game dropdown we can display a
series of links, and the user must live with the fact that the right
hand move list does not automatically scrolls when she clicks on the
"next move" and "prev move" links.
ad (c): we can't do anything about that

Jørn

As to a), I think the idea of opening a separate window for a
printer-friendly version fine. In fact, it could simply be an option to
view it in a plain HTML version. This would immediately solve the
problem for those using older browsers. The thing is that I think it
would be a big improvement over the current way of viewing. I don't ant
to isolate the users of older browsers, but think that one mustn't limit
the possibilties according to 1990 technology just because 2% of users
are still stuck with it. A plain HTML version link would let them still
enjoy the games. Plus this would be the solution for printing.

b) I think your solution is fine. Instead of a drop-down, it could
simply state the game number and data, and use a next/previous game
link. It's not a big deal.

c) No, nothing, but should GNU be limited to Windows 3.1 for example,
because there are still people running 286 PCs? I'm not suggesting being
a dork, just that a balance be found.

Still, think of the user using it this way. The open a page with the
headers at the top. They have the moves on the side, and the board in
the middle. The keep the mouse cursor over the next move link, and press
it to flip from move to move. There is no scrolling to be done, and
their head/vision is constant. No looking up and down, etc. Each click
shows the dice, the position, and the analysis below it. I have no
trouble visualizing the end-result, and think it would really be
excellent. 

                                                        Albert