Website Revamp Update
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as recently as 2008 this site looked like the image in the thumbnail. In January
2009, I started updating
the site to take advantage of better web technologies. Previously, I cheated and
did a lot of page formatting using tables. Now a days that is pretty much a
no-no unless you are actually showing tabular data. The engine
running the site was also switched. Previously (when there were blue and green menus) the site was
rendered using GNet (short for Gaspar Network). It was a program I drafted as
part of a DePaul master's course. G-Net took care of generating the formatting
in addition to the content. I have since created a more commercialized
version under the name Webblaze (which is not short for anything, I just think
it sounds cool.) Webblaze is a simple tool that produces basic HTML output that
can then be customized through the use of CSS.
Phase 1 converted all the pages away from tables to using a combination of DIV tags and CSS. Actually CSS was introduced a while a go. As a developer I always wanted functionality kept in one spot so if I needed to modify something I had one and only one place to go. I only needed to modify one file to give the site the cool glass look that has become all the rage. The DIV tags allow me to place content in an easier (and at times layered) manner.
Phase 2 was the porting of older pages that were being kept on the new site. Previously I had a CSS file that defined many classes. I got smarter and took advantage of designing styles for basic HTML tags. Its proof that you can do more with less.
The final phase, which is underway and part of the Operation 2010 milestone list, sees the site get its black, silver and purple theme. The last of the tables used in layout are coming from Webblaze which is also getting an overhaul as part of Operation 2010 will add some new features and support for new advancements in CSS design.
