The end is near

At least for this class, my project is done, with more bells and whistles than I thought possible. I'm shocked I was able to create a fully functioning stock image website complete with watermark on images and what not. It's really rewarding to see my work come alive!

At least I won't be repeating this class, and with any luck as of 6:00pm (depending on previous people) I won't be repeating portfolio-prep. It would be an understatement to say I'm nervous... I can remember last quarter dropping off my process book and Mike was there waiting to present.

I think it would've been better had I started the website at the end of last quarter, but I didn't even have a final design until the 9th week, so I guess that wouldn't have worked.

Adding to the list

If possible, allow users to view all images from one photographer, and if I have more free time allow users to search the images of a photographer...

Increase number of images from 3 rows to 4 (at least, possibly 5).

Add pagination to the user profiles.

Revamp the download link (add the graphic).

Revamp the admin page.

Notes for me for later since I have no paper

and don't feel like walking over to the printer to get some :)


1. Use the "view image" page to make the "view user" page for the admin.
2. Need both the delete image and delete user page (delete user will also wipe out all of their images from the database).
3. Create one user with two distinct images so the account can be removed during review and the results are obvious.
4. Add content to the contribute and FAQ page (sitting in word files in documents folder).
5. Add images
6. Add more images
7. Keep adding images

Tweaks

Make the credit change (as you'll see in class, or saw, no idea when you read this), and styled my next/previous buttons (they look quite nice if I do say so myself).

Need to throw in the "remove" page, which won't be difficult considering I have that code sitting here awaiting to be tossed in, and aside from adding in a little more content, I "think" it's pretty sweet! Need to add in more pictures, the goal is to hit 250, I'm pushing 100 now, so I think I'll get there. It's a time waster adding images :) Perhaps I will do that while I'm adding in the content I'm missing!

Uploading images from school is frustrating at best, thanks to the end of the quarter internet... grr...

Small list

Need to make a few reminders for class tonight....

Add in if statement to see if the logged in user is the one who uploaded the photograph, if so then don't display the download button.

Style the pagination buttons.

Advice for next quarter's students

Do a brief design over the break, then spend the majority of your next 5-6 weeks getting all the code working. Then tweak the design, add in all your content, and fix bugs. Really if you can do a lot over break you shouldn't have trouble, but, speaking from experience, shit will pop up at inconvenient times, and it helps to be ahead of the game if that happens.

Hopefully I will pass review.... that's kinda stressing me right now, unfortunately that stress won't disappear until December 14th around 6:00pm.

Behind on blog posts

This past week was a blur of rush, and obviously blog posting was not at the top of my list....

I need to bust my ass on the project this week, but will be done by week 11 at the absolute latest (obviously for review), but in general, I should be done by next week. I'm getting images in this week, tweaking the code, and a few design things, but in general, it's a functioning website. The process book has to be updated as well, but I've been taking notes about what I need to add, so that shouldn't take too long. That's what I'll do if I get frustrated with any of the code, it's always a nice little break and still being productive.

Pictures, images, and photos oh My!

Over Thanksgiving week I should be getting at least 3 people to signup and post images (at this point I'm willing to take photo CD's from them, with consent forms of course, and post them myself!). My goal is 250 images, but I might have to be happy with whatever I end up with. The profile page should be functioning a little better, maybe I can get some people to start with it now. Course the pagination doesn't exactly work right now so there will just be a flood of images on that page.... :)

Need to

go back through old posts and find links that I now need :)


Need to Do:

1. Remove image page
2. Remove user page (which should in turn remove all their images)
3. Request more credits form
4. Terms of use (find link)
5. Pagination for images
6. Contribute page content (including jquery light boxes for the information)

Once those are done then it's time to add the bells and whistles!

Profile working

Links to where it needs to link (minus the remove image page, which will be added when I do the full admin panel which removes image and people). Next on the list is adding content to the other pages (contribute, subscribe, and FAQ). All of that is literally just content, no bells or whistles, it's just a matter of motivation to do it :) Not as rewarding typing plain text onto a page as it is getting php to work!

A working website

almost! Working on the profile page, so it connects where it needs to connect. Trying not to spend too much time styling things right now (links and what not), just need to get all the important stuff online right now. Will add the bells and whistles week 9 (earlier I hope, but it's already week 7, so I'd rather plan accordingly). Making notes for what needs updating in the process book (and it's a lot), which should come together nicely. I'm doing many more pages than I originally thought, I just can't plan like that very well... I need to start coding it and working it out in my head to get a feel for what I need to do.

Limited Credits for users

Decided to start everyone with 10 credits to download images. There will be a link for them to "request more credits", which will display on the admin page. Not sure if the link for the admin to add more will be there for not, but I don't think that's detrimental to the workings of the site thus far.

Coming up with the basic content is proving to be a time waster. Obviously not completely wasted, but I feel like that since it's not php. Guess I have to have a completed website at the end, and that's just one more thing to check off the list!

Yes I'm behind on posts

I started out so well too... Then classes sneak up on you and before you know it you haven't posted in a while!

Everything image is working (yeh!!!!!!) just need to do the profile and the website is in perfect working order. Well not perfect, persay, but good php working order. As soon as I get a link to upload images from the profile page I will be able to have people register and start to upload more images.

Portfolio

Since I have a lot to do for the portfolio this week (which is good, I need to get everything online), I don't forsee making great strides in the senior project. I already see the tag cloud (and image tagging in general) being thrown off the list... too many other important site elements are ahead of it, just not enough time!

I'm sure I'll be crossing off other things, and a page or two might be not "as" pretty as the others, but the site will be complete and working! I hope :)

Behind in blog posts

What else is new :)

Alright I have the image uploader working for thumbnails (yeh!!!!!) and the preview image resizing on the fly working. Now I just have to get it all uploaded, upload some images, and I'm in business!

On a side note, as I'm working more with drupal, I'm realizing I probably could've used it in my project... if only I'd had a better working knowledge of it before this quarter!

Footer?

Right now don't have one planned, not sure if one is needed. I think I can put the site info on the contact page... unless I really need a site map, but I don't think I do... I don't have to link to the credits/process book from the site do I? There will be a link to it from my portal page (obviously).

This weekend the image uploader will be working.... This is the one class I really can't fall behind in... that or portfolio prep, which I'm feeling behind in. I'm much more productive Wednesday night's than Tuesday/Thursday... maybe because I have a class earlier in the day.

My admin page rocks

At least one page is functional! I forsee a lot of cleanup for me in the future... I'm sure I have at least 30 loose ends to clean up as of now, but hopefully they don't take very long to do!

The image uploader is still giving my a little trouble, so I'm considering rethinking it a bit... I can resize images on the fly pretty easily, but obviously if I have to do a large batch at a time that won't be efficient. However if I only have to show one image at a time, such as the image preview page, that wouldn't take very long at all to resize it on the fly....

I still have to resize the thumbnail on download, since I have to show a lot of them on one page, but maybe the php book will have some insight to a better method.

Dislike's php

Okay not really, but there are times when I want to shake the laptop and knock some sense into it! I've used this code before, no reason it shouldn't be working, except it isn't. It's passing through all the variable's, the image is uploading into the correct folder, however it won't insert ANY data into the database....

Not to mention my hands are freezing, I think I'm sitting under a vent. I could use Starbucks...

Process Book Edits

Navigation Map

Asset List

I've realized that no matter how much I plan for a site, I still end up adding in pages and working through how things will flow as I'm coding. Obviously it would be easier if that didn't happen, but thus far, such is my life :)

Images needed

It seems like I will be able to fit 7 images across, then scroll down for 7 rows, with pagination links at the bottom (right now just need the next/previous buttons, will work on page numbers at a later date if there's time). That means I'll need to import at least 100 images this weekend for testing.... Yikes! Hopefully my photography friends won't mind and that they upload at least 25 pictures each... This is why I'm not sure if I want to limit it to students (well, AI students, one just graduated last quarter, and I have a bunch of friends in other schools). I guess maybe just the .edu email account?

Gotta have content! And a lot of content at that if I want to have my word/tag cloud!