This site’s design has always been influenced by the skills I was developing at the time. First it was tables; simple CSS came in late 1997; dHTML and XSSI followed in early 1998; next was tableless design in 2000; and, since 2001, it has been advanced DOM and CSS experiments.

Now, I’m taking a few steps back.

My push toward client-side tools was largely by necessity. The site didn’t have access to rich server-side languages (e.g., PHP or ASP) to accomplish what I wanted, so I forced the behaviour onto the browser. (This, ironically, went against one of my early arguments against dHTML: many of sites were doing with JavaScript what could easily be done server-side.) Though it worked, it didn’t universally. Now, I’m finally developing a database-driven backend for this site and many the DOM “hacks” won’t be needed.

Having decided to reduce the site’s reliance on dHTML, I’ve begun looking over some of the other functionality. Here’s my plan so far (if you’ a fan of any of the disappearing services, I’d be interested in hearing your arguments for them).

Gone

This functionality is already available in most browsers. Having it on the site is both redundant and a mixed metaphor (is the site an application or a means to present content?).

Add link box (on homepage):

Did anyone use this?

Font Size:

Most modern browsers can resize any non-graphic type. Since I’ll be moving away from pixel based units, even IE-users will also have the ability.

Bookmark:

A geeky function that really is a core browser function.

Email Page:

Another geeky function better implemented by browsers.

Print Page:

This will remain in the table-layout version of the site only.

Going server-side

Aside from a new look, the most dramatic changes to the new design will be on the server-side. Currently templates are served based on complex sets of XSSI instructions, in the new version it will be database-driven. The following are the design elements now available via JavaScript that will be moved server-side:

Random tip and word:

Currently they are pulled from an JavaScript array using some XSSI.

PDA and XML editions:

Made available now through a DOM-based menu, will be now be accessed via an alternate version link (links may also be visible on the page).

DOM first, server-side later

Much of the future development of the site will be toward a mix of DOM and server-side code. Right now, for things like appearance changes, I will be executing them immediately via JavaScript, saving the changes to a cookie, so that on subsequent visits or pages, the appearance changes will be created based on a template dynamically created on the server-side.

Personalization on homepage:

dHTML makes it so easy, forcing a page reload each time is wasteful

Showing and hiding ads:

Instead of swapping display values, this will be a separate stye sheet.

Font-family switching:

This, too, will become a separate style sheet. (Similar functionality is available in browsers, but such changes effect all Web pages viewed.)

Template switching:

Although some browsers offer links to alternate style sheets, the change is temporary. Right now, I plan on doing the initial switch via the DOM, but this may change.

Staying the same

Outline navigation menu:

I’m undecided whether I will keep this, still like it (as do readers) and I have used a variation of it for years.

Too narrow warning:

This I’ll keep, likely in a different form with slightly different wording and the DOM is the best way to accomplish it.