Progress on the homepage

After our conference call yesterday, I've implemented some of the changes we talked about. Since Pam Spooner needed something for an orientation for the fall, I put together this page. [I did warn her that it might not end up looking exactly like this; but she was satisfied that it would do.] Two of the links are live for her purposes -- online tutorials and Get Help.

The first example -- the one Pam used -- uses a rounded corner box that uses images. ( I got the original box code and style from Ryan Thrash.) The color is set because of the images colors. I can play around a bit with the size. See this example at
http://library.austincc.edu/mp4-LibHome[white]-box.php

The second example isn't as pretty but I can change the color and play around a lot with this one.
http://library.austincc.edu/mp4-LibHome[white]-box3.php

Converting links to php extension

When converting pages to the new look, many if not most pages will have a "php" extension. These pages will probably have the same filename but the new extension. For example,

• faq-ACC-contact.htm will now be faq-ACC-contact.php
• ask.htm >>>>> ask.php
• studyguides.htm >>>>> studyguides.php

We will need to check all the links to library web pages within our new look pages for links to the old "htm" pages.

Note: The template we must use when we are doing most of the remaining pages -- especially, pages that have links to anchors -- is m4-page4.php which resides in the root directory.
(http://library.austincc.edu/mp4-page4.php)

Progress on Help Pages & E-Resources pages

General Note: Any time "link to anchors" is needed on a page, we have to use the page 4 template even if it is what we might think of as a page 3 level.

I've done the major HELP pages:

• Ask a Librarian
• Library FAQs (not sure of progress on individual FAQs)
• Research Shortcuts [Note: working on general subject list to shortcuts; need to revise SubGen with new links when finished.]
• Documentation guides
• Study Guides
  
• Online Tutorials
• Off-Campus/Distance Learners
• Research/Reference Help [Note: will be the index page for the breadcrumbs.]
  
• Library Widgets & Tools

Have been working on a general template for ERESOURCES pages. Have completed

• AtoZ [Note: I've created an alternate list emulating the navigation left sidebar to look at. We need to decide if this is the way to go. I don't favor it but I am open.]
• SubGen
• Find Articles & Research Info [Note: index page for breadcrumbs.]
• e-Books

Problem with anchor links on level 3 pages

Level three pages use a particular styling mechanism to make all the columns on the page appear equal in height. The method involves using a bottom padding and a negative margin for the columns and an overflow style. After pondering this for two or three days and researching on the web, I realized that most methods suggested would not solve the problem for our level three pages. However, I could solve the problem for our one column pages (level 4) by simply removing the padding and negative margin. See below an example.


/* Note: removing the column adjustment 700px will allow linking to anchors.
#MidBox {top: 0; margin:0; padding: 0; width:897px; float:left; background-color:#fff; border-right: 0px solid #000; padding-bottom: 700px; margin-bottom: -700px; list-style-position: outside; color: #000;} */

The end result of this discovery means that some of our /eresources/ pages like AtoZ and the Subject List to E-Resources, will need to be one column level four pages. This is my next area to work on.

Get Help pages near final draft

Level Three pages [ GET HELP ]

We've been playing around with level three pages and what is possible with the styling at this level. For the most part, the styling adapted from ACC Web works fairly well for this level page. We have reached a near final draft of these pages:

• Ask a Librarian (http://library.austincc.edu/help/mp4-page3-ask-x4.php)
• Library FAQs list page (http://library.austincc.edu/help/FAQs/mp4-page3-FAQs-x4.php)
• Research Shortcuts (http://library.austincc.edu/help/mp4-page3-shortcuts-x4.php)
• Documentation (http://library.austincc.edu/help/mp4-page3-documentation-x4.php)
• Study Guides (http://library.austincc.edu/help/mp4-page3-studyguides-x4Plus.php)
• Online Tutorials (http://library.austincc.edu/help/mp4-page3-tutorials-x4.php)
• OffCampus initial help (http://library.austincc.edu/help/mp4-page3-offCampus-x4.php)
• Research/Reference Help (http://library.austincc.edu/help/mp4-page3-refSvcs-x4.php)

Steve is working on the individual FAQs using the level 4 template which has only one column. We are putting these in a separate FAQs folder called NEW until we launch the pages. You can view some examples at

• http://library.austincc.edu/help/FAQs/NEW/faq-renew.php
• http://library.austincc.edu/help/FAQs/NEW/faq-books.php
• http://library.austincc.edu/help/FAQs/NEW/faq-other-lib.php
  

Problems that have popped up:

• avoiding using tables (faqs were full of them)
• unable to link to anchors on level 3 pages (see separate blog entry)