(Great Post)
 
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You certainly have some agreeable opinions and views. Your blog provides a fresh look at the subject.
== Clean boxes ==
I took this code from [[wikieducator:User:KTucker]] (and added different links) - I like the clean, compact look, and I can imagine using this style for boxes on the main page, maybe with a different font size.
 
{| align="center" width="25%" style="border-radius: 1em; -moz-border-radius: 1em; -webkit-border-radius: 1em; box-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.5em rgba(0,0,0,0.75); -moz-box-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.5em rgba(0,0,0,0.75); -webkit-box-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.5em rgba(0,0,0,0.75);; color:midnightblue; background-color:#F0E68C"
! Example links
|- style = "color: navy; background-color:lightyellow;"
|
<small>
* [[Appropedia:Service learning|Service learning]]
* [[Appropedia:Portals/Intros|Portals overview]]
* [[Water]]
* [[Solar]]:
** [[Passive solar]]
** [[Solar hot water]]
** [[Photovoltaics]]
** [[Solar thermal]]
** [[Solar thermal enhancements to conventional power plants]]
</small>
|}
 
If we use such a style extensively, we can make a new template to add to those at [[Help:Notices]]. Wikieducator has a template just for the style parameters, called <nowiki>{{</nowiki>[[Template:Round_corners|round corners]]<nowiki>}}</nowiki> - that's another useful approach.) --[[User:Chriswaterguy|Chriswaterguy]] 18:09, 7 December 2011 (PST)
 
:As I understand it, {{tl|Box-header-watch}} already can do what you describe, except for rounded corners, which don't render for all browsers.  At the [[Kivapedia:Main Page]], I made the "edit" link color the same as the header background, so readers wouldn't notice, but admins had quick edit access.  A parameter like that could be added here. --[[User:RichardF|RichardF]] 07:43, 8 December 2011 (PST)
 
::Do you know if the round corner rendering is failsafe? I.e. if it doesn't render, does it still come out looking decent in that browser?
 
::The 3D effects seem to be important too, as with the shadows around the edges of the box above. I was talking with an old friend who does web development, and he mentioned using 3D effects on the edges of a page. And of course we evolved to look at 3D objects :-). --[[User:Chriswaterguy|Chriswaterguy]] 23:17, 18 December 2011 (PST)
 
== Expandable sections ==
 
The expandable sections are also nicely done on [[wikieducator:User:KTucker]] - might be great for the main page. See my proof of concept at [[Appropedia:User experience/Dropdowns]]. (Needs to be on a page with <nowiki>__NOEDITSECTION__  & __NOTOC__</nowiki> magic words, so I gave it its own page.) --[[User:Chriswaterguy|Chriswaterguy]] 18:09, 7 December 2011 (PST)
 
:The {{tl|Navboxes}} and {{tl|Navbox}} templates also allow for very complex collapsible combinations.
 
{{Navboxes
  |title = A handy navbox for collecting handy navboxes
  |list= {{Solar navbox}} {{Water navbox}}
}}
 
The {{tl|Box-header-watch}} template is set to  <nowiki>__NOEDITSECTION__  & __NOTOC__</nowiki> by default, but the "TOC" & "EDIT" parameters can be set to allow them on a regular page as a level 2 header, e.g.,
 
<pre>
{{Portal:Projects/box-header‎|<big>[[Portal:Projects|The Projects Portal]]</big>|Portal:Projects/Intro||TOC=yes|EDIT=yes}}
{{Portal:Projects/Intro}}
{{Portal:Projects/box-footer‎}}
</pre>
 
--[[User:RichardF|RichardF]] 07:58, 8 December 2011 (PST)
 
:Looking at {{tl|pv project}}, I was thinking it would help to move the "v • d • e" links into the hidden part of the template. I find my eye is drawn to them, and my brain has to process them before I realize that they're not relevant to what I want right now. If they're placed at the bottom of the template, there's even an argument for expanding the links to say "view template • discuss • edit". Thoughts? --[[User:Chriswaterguy|Chriswaterguy]] 23:21, 18 December 2011 (PST)
 
== Navigation and readability ideas ==
 
A friend of Appropedia, Peter Campbell of Greenlivingpedia, has made a Google Site - "Kitesurfing Handbook" It has some simple but interesting usability features, as seen at the [http://kitesurfing-handbook.peterskiteboarding.com/progression/the-basics Basics] page:
* "Page at a glance" box. I really like this - I think it really helps the viewer to see what's going on.
* "Previous-Home-Next" buttons at bottom. Relevant to some sets of pages.  
--[[User:Chriswaterguy|Chriswaterguy]] 23:29, 18 December 2011 (PST)

Revision as of 07:29, 19 December 2011

Clean boxes

I took this code from wikieducator:User:KTucker (and added different links) - I like the clean, compact look, and I can imagine using this style for boxes on the main page, maybe with a different font size.

Example links

If we use such a style extensively, we can make a new template to add to those at Help:Notices. Wikieducator has a template just for the style parameters, called {{round corners}} - that's another useful approach.) --Chriswaterguy 18:09, 7 December 2011 (PST)

As I understand it, {{Box-header-watch}} already can do what you describe, except for rounded corners, which don't render for all browsers. At the Kivapedia:Main Page, I made the "edit" link color the same as the header background, so readers wouldn't notice, but admins had quick edit access. A parameter like that could be added here. --RichardF 07:43, 8 December 2011 (PST)
Do you know if the round corner rendering is failsafe? I.e. if it doesn't render, does it still come out looking decent in that browser?
The 3D effects seem to be important too, as with the shadows around the edges of the box above. I was talking with an old friend who does web development, and he mentioned using 3D effects on the edges of a page. And of course we evolved to look at 3D objects :-). --Chriswaterguy 23:17, 18 December 2011 (PST)

Expandable sections

The expandable sections are also nicely done on wikieducator:User:KTucker - might be great for the main page. See my proof of concept at Appropedia:User experience/Dropdowns. (Needs to be on a page with __NOEDITSECTION__ & __NOTOC__ magic words, so I gave it its own page.) --Chriswaterguy 18:09, 7 December 2011 (PST)

The {{Navboxes}} and {{Navbox}} templates also allow for very complex collapsible combinations.

Template:Navboxes

The {{Box-header-watch}} template is set to __NOEDITSECTION__ & __NOTOC__ by default, but the "TOC" & "EDIT" parameters can be set to allow them on a regular page as a level 2 header, e.g.,

{{Portal:Projects/box-header‎|<big>[[Portal:Projects|The Projects Portal]]</big>|Portal:Projects/Intro||TOC=yes|EDIT=yes}}
{{Portal:Projects/Intro}}
{{Portal:Projects/box-footer‎}}

--RichardF 07:58, 8 December 2011 (PST)

Looking at {{pv project}}, I was thinking it would help to move the "v • d • e" links into the hidden part of the template. I find my eye is drawn to them, and my brain has to process them before I realize that they're not relevant to what I want right now. If they're placed at the bottom of the template, there's even an argument for expanding the links to say "view template • discuss • edit". Thoughts? --Chriswaterguy 23:21, 18 December 2011 (PST)

Navigation and readability ideas

A friend of Appropedia, Peter Campbell of Greenlivingpedia, has made a Google Site - "Kitesurfing Handbook" It has some simple but interesting usability features, as seen at the Basics page:

  • "Page at a glance" box. I really like this - I think it really helps the viewer to see what's going on.
  • "Previous-Home-Next" buttons at bottom. Relevant to some sets of pages.

--Chriswaterguy 23:29, 18 December 2011 (PST)

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