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EDanaII
3/17/2008 10:21:37 PM | Greets all,
Having received a copy of the 401st web site from Kele, I've been busy working on building a search function using the 401st database. As a first step in that direction, I've prototyped a search function page that I hope will be added to the main site.
In order to stimulate discussion, I'm making that prototype page available for others to review. You will find it here. This is not a working page, but rather, it is meant to represent what the search page MIGHT look like. On it you will find a three tabs meant to allow searching for Crews, Planes and Missions. On each search tab are four inputs meant to demonstrate the ways the search may be qualified. Each tab is by no means complete as there are many ways one can search the 401st data.
Please feel free to make comments and suggestions on what might also be added to the search page. If it's possible, I'll include those suggestions. If it's not, I'll explain why. 🙂
Also, I've modified and cleaned up the database (although there's much more I'd like to do with it). In addition to the queries that came with the DB, I've added six queries intended to demonstrate how one may search the database for information. Anyone who wishes to see what I've done and play with the data can get a copy of it from me by sending me an email directly.
Enjoy! 🙂
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swinny
3/18/2008 1:49:42 AM | Hi Ed
Looks great , I was working on something similar for my own website.
What I do not understand is , you see the mission number, date etc. but there is only one plane number next to it , what is your intension with this ?
As you maybe know I am creating a MACR page on my website of all the 94 planes who didn't came home after a mission , maybe when I am ready ( will take a couple of months hahaha ) there will be a possibility to link each plane to my MACR site ?
I don't know if that prohibited ?
If anyone would like a example of how it is going to look like , please take a look at this page, its just a beginning and every comment would be nice.
http://www.remember-our-heroes.nl/MACR401st.htm
Andy
_______
 My adoption graves http://www.remember-our-heroes.nl/us_401stBG.htm
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EDanaII
3/18/2008 8:28:49 AM | The reason why you only see one plane next to the mission is that this example search result is for a particular crew. You are seeing all the missions performed by that crew only. Naturally, they only flew one plane at a time per mission. 😉
Your page looks good. The only thing I might suggest is to make the tail images smaller.
Ed.
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donaldbyers
3/18/2008 10:10:58 AM | I like the tabs and one page search concept. Works for me!!!!!
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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EDanaII
3/25/2008 11:00:18 AM | Greetings all,
OK, I now have an update on the 401st Search Page. Just click on the previous link.
It's still not complete, and it doesn't look like it will once it is added to the 401st web site, but the functionality is all there. Please feel free to test it.
Things to try:
On the "Crews" tab, enter "Dana" or "Menzel" in the "Last Name" field and press enter. The page should return a single line for either man. Press the clear button and enter "Smith" in the Last Name field. You should now see multiple listings. At any time, feel free to click on the hyperlinks in the search results.
Now, try "Thompson" or "Sisson" in the "Crew Leader" field. This should return all crew members for either Leader in the display area.
Press clear again and then select "Bombadier" and click the 614th checkbox. This should return all Bombadiers for the 614th Squadron.
Try the Aircraft tab. Enter "Hard Seventeen" or "Mary Alice" and press enter. Next, you can try the text"Ma%". This will return all aircraft starting with the letters M and A. If you feel daring, try "%luck%". This will return all aircraft with the word "luck" in their names. Additonal things to try: enter either the serial number or the aircraft code (IW-J, SC-M, IY-L, etc).
Next, you can try entering "Sharp" or "Del Torto" into the Crewman field on the Aircraft tab. This should return all Aircraft that they served on. Also, press clear, and try entering "Berlin" or "Kassel" or, even, 1, 64, 222 into the Mission field. This should return all planes that flew over Berlin or Kassel or all planes that flew on missions 1, 64, or 222.
Finally, on the Missions tab, try the same things for the Mission Number or Target fields (these will eventually be combined into one field). Also try entering similar data into the Aircraft and Crewman fields. In all cases, it should return all the missions that they participated in.
If you have any issues, report them here. Start by telling me what exactly it was you were doing when you encountered the error, including what information you entered and any keys you pressed. Next, be sure to tell me the results of that action. Screen prints are always helpful.
Enjoy.
Ed.
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donaldbyers
3/25/2008 2:24:42 PM | 😃 😃 I LIKE IT...... Should the tabs area be in color or a design? instead of just gray. Just a thought. 😃 😃
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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swinny
3/25/2008 4:07:43 PM | You really did a great job , Ed
I tried a couple of things for about an hour , and it works great, no problems.
Great and simple to us.
Andy
_______
My adoption graves http://www.remember-our-heroes.nl/us_401stBG.htm
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EDanaII
3/26/2008 9:22:01 AM | Thanks Andy. Simple and easy to use is my middle name. 😉
@ Don
I'm still working on the look. Shortly, I'll be making it look like it belongs to the History pages, so it will have the dark blue background, yellow header and footer, and light blue content pages. I haven't even begun to think about what the tabs will look like. 🙂
Ed.
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EDanaII
3/27/2008 11:13:53 AM | Just an update: as promised, I've changed the Search page to look like the History section of the web-site. This should still not be considered complete, as their is much more that needs to be done, such as fixing links, and some "refactoring" of the function.
Ed.
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donaldbyers
3/27/2008 2:16:15 PM | Were on the same sheet of music Ed. Think you are doing a great job!!!!!
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
3/27/2008 7:26:24 PM | I think it is coming along great. I like all three searches on the same page. It makes researching any category very easy.
Great job Ed.
Jackie
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EDanaII
3/29/2008 4:44:08 PM | Help me, Obi Group Kenobi, you're my only hope. 😉
OK, I've fixed (I hope) the broken links on the site, but this is where I need everyone's help, any one who is willing, that is. If you are willing, please start here by clicking on this link and then exploring my test site. What I need you to do is test all the links (or as many as you can) and report any that do not work.
Please let me know what page you were on, what link you clicked on, and the what happened when you clicked on it. As always, screen prints are definitely helpful.
Now, to be clear, some links definitely do not function. These are primarily links to PHP files which connect to the MySQL database that drives part of the site. On my server here, the PHP works fine, but I have no MySQL database to run against, so if you receive an error like "this either means that the username and password information in your wp-config.php file is incorrect or we can't contact the database server at localhost," just ignore it.
Links that I'm already aware of that do not work:
- The New Forum Links
- President's Page
- George Sez.
- News.
- PDF Versions of PFG
Still more to do, but this moves me closer to completing this task.
Thanks for any and all participation. 🙂
Ed.
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donaldbyers
3/29/2008 7:34:25 PM | "EDanaII":
Help me, Obi Group Kenobi, you're my only hope. 😉
OK, I've fixed (I hope) the broken links on the site, but this is where I need everyone's help, any one who is willing, that is. If you are willing, please start here by clicking on this link and then exploring my test site. What I need you to do is test all the links (or as many as you can) and report any that do not work.
Please let me know what page you were on, what link you clicked on, and the what happened when you clicked on it. As always, screen prints are definitely helpful.
Now, to be clear, some links definitely do not function. These are primarily links to PHP files which connect to the MySQL database that drives part of the site. On my server here, the PHP works fine, but I have no MySQL database to run against, so if you receive an error like "this either means that the username and password information in your wp-config.php file is incorrect or we can't contact the database server at localhost," just ignore it.
Links that I'm already aware of that do not work:
- The New Forum Links
- President's Page
- George Sez.
- News.
- PDF Versions of PFG
Still more to do, but this moves me closer to completing this task.
Thanks for any and all participation. 🙂
Ed.
From Main Page
Membership Link HTTP 404
References Link HTTP 500
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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EDanaII
3/29/2008 8:30:00 PM | Inconceivable!
Links fixed.
Thanks Don. There are probably others lurking around there somewhere.
Ed.
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donaldbyers
3/30/2008 9:43:02 AM | On the Reference Page under related links: Jack Young's link is no good any more they have taken that site down. Others are ok. Seem to me that all the others work just fine.
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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