Re: [boost] Re: [website] Fluid layout.

From: Mark Blewett (boost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-04-10 17:20:16

At 16:51 10/04/2005, you wrote:
>Mark Blewett wrote:
>>At 10:23 10/04/2005, Dave Abrahams wrote:
>>
>>>Rene Rivera <grafik.list_at_[hidden]> writes:
>
>>> > http://redshift-software.com/~grafik/boost/index.htm
>>>
>>>It's very unusual, but I _think_ I like it overall.  I think the right
>>>column could use some reorganization; the groupings don't feel very
>>>natural to me.  But I can't come up with a better suggestion right now ;-)
>>I like it too.
>
>Thank you all :-)

No thank you :-) Having tried a small amount of html authoring myself in 
the past, I know its difficult writing to be both compliant and displayed 
reasonably in all sorts of browsers... it should be simple, but in reality 
its certainly not.

>>I think is slightly unusual (in web design) to have the links on the 
>>right hand side, but to me it actually makes reading the content (the 
>>text on the left) more natural and book like.
>>A few minor (and possibly subjective) thoughts;
>>1) To me it seems a bit strange having the revised / copyright / license 
>>/ icons bit halfway down the page on the right hand side. I think it 
>>would maybe better at the bottom of the page.
>
>If by at the bottom you mean below both columns.. It's possible but it 
>would require some different styling possibly throwing off the L&F. If you 
>mean keeping it on the right column but at the bottom.. It's not really 
>possible (well at least not possible without using a slew of tables).

I was thinking at the bottom of both columns as a footer. Would it just be 
a case not much more than moving the <div> block to an outer scope?

Looking again, I think part of the reason I was thinking this is that the 
navigation for support / other resources / official branch / unofficial 
branch sites is grouped (via the shading to the right / bottom) with the 
revised / copyright.

Just a thought, but perhaps separating this into a "box" for the navigation 
(like the prior links on the page) and a new "box" for the revised / 
copyright section etc.. perhaps without the border to indicate its not a 
set of links.

>>2) In the Updated Libraries section, maybe it would be better for the 
>>library name to occupy a line on its own? i.e.
>>         Graph Library:
>>                 Introduced several new algorithms and improved existing 
>> algorithms:
>>                 + 
>> <http://redshift-software.com/~grafik/boost/libs/graph/doc/floyd_warshall_shortest.html>floyd 
>> warshall all pairs shortest paths, from Lauren Foutz and Scott Hill.
>>                 +etc
>>To me it makes it easier to scan the list to find the library you are 
>>looking for.
>
>OK, I'll see what I can do to increase the visibility of the library names.
>
>>3) Finally (I'm not sure about this idea.. but would be interested to see 
>>whether it is an improvement or not).
>>Viewing with a browser width of about 800px (half my desktop width).. at 
>>the bottom of the page the text of the left has 5 or 6 words per line.. 
>>but there is unused space on the right of the page.
>>Would it be possible to allow the text on the left to flow across to the 
>>right side of the page if there is space available?
>
>It's possible, but it would jumble the document structure in such a way as 
>to make it painful for alternate viewers. Currently the structure is: ( 
>(section-text sidebar) (section-text sidebar) (section-text sidebar) ). 
>That allows people using lynx (http://tinyurl.com/6zcl6)[1], blind screen 
>audio readers, and other handicapped users to still read the page. To 
>implement the suggestion I would have to change the doc structure to: ( 
>(sidebar section-text) (sidebar section-text) (sidebar section-text) ). 
>Clearly not a desirable arrangement.
>
>
>[1]
>http://www.delorie.com/web/lynxview.cgi?url=http%3A%2F%2Fredshift-software.com%2F%7Egrafik%2Fboost%2Findex.htm

Good point, I agree its clearly not a desirable arrangement.

Regards
Mark