development by zestyBytes.com

design by kurrent.info and zestyBytes.com

We did this website for a mapmaker who wanted a Flash site that he could update with his newest maps. For the back end, he is editing XML files, since he is familiar with that syntax. A version of XML is used in cartography.

development and design by zestyBytes.com

The site owner really just needed a simple calling card site for people to contact her. This one is in the old Web 1.0 style. There is no back end or way to edit the content using just a browser.

She is really happy with the results.

I created a new theme for the site. The old theme was more of a placeholder until I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I'm happy with the integration of Flash and Drupal. It will be fun to do it more, so look for some themes featuring more Flash accents in the future.

The Ultraviolet Carnival website has been launched. The design is by Kourosh Gorji at kurrent.info.

The site itself is not too complex. The most interesting feature is the back-end, that is, how easy it is for the site owner to create content, then have it appear in several places in the site.

Instead of creating generic pages or stories, the site owner/maintainer simply chooses whether she wants to add an artist, an event, a carnie (friend), or a piece of equipment to the equipment list. Then she simply fills out the appropriate information and the rendering engine automatically stores the information on the server and makes it "magically" appear in the appropriate places on the site. The artists are automatically filed into the artist section, while all the equipment ends up all nice and formatted in the equipment list. The site summary in the right column also gets updated, keeping the look "fresh" for repeat visitors.

The whole site really does re-generate itself and grow as more content is added. The site owner/maintainer can think about the content and let the software make it look professional, with minimal effort and learning curve.

Oh my, we've come a long way, baby!!!

If you are interested in a similar website for yourself or your business, please contact us for more information.

ZestyBytes has launched a new site at ReikiSF.

The old site was an html version that I made years ago. It ended up not scaling very well to the content. There were only six or so menus, but tons of content.

I converted it to a Drupal 6 installation. The site owner wanted to use the same color scheme, so I used the colors from the old site as a starting point for the re-design.

There are many more menu items on the new site, in order to break up the content into usable chunks. We decided on an expanded drop-down menu running across the bottom of the header.

On the old site, the owner was unable to update the information easily. It required a special program that was only available on one computer. Additionally, she could not add pictures easily, and formatting was hit or miss.

With the new site, the owner is able to update the site herself, from any computer with internet connectivity. There is an interactive preview mode, so she can see what her posts will look like before saving them. She can add pages easily and assign them to menus, so updating the website is a snap. All the information is dynamic, so you can edit pages as easily as with a word processor, and edit menus as easily as updating your Facebook profile. The pages are automatically generated by the engine, so she is free to think about the content . . . the reason people come back to the site. All the work can be done inside the browser, even marking pages as unpublished so they can be polished before presenting them to the world.

You can have your own personalized and personally personalizable faster and more easily than you think. Contact us for more information.

The project is going along smoothly. It has been discovered that in the process of doing SpoonSaw, the project Codename: KnifeNail is also coming a long way toward completion.  In hindsight, the two projects should have been switched, as the framework is so integral to the functioning of the site, that it doesn't really make sense to try and write the website first, then the framework. It's like building a house before putting a foundation on it. Lesson learned, and thank goodness it was only a development schedule which was turned upside down!

Here are some major highlights from the development so far:

• Basic framework developed for website. It is based on the MVC framework called PureMVC. There was discussion as whether to use PureMVC or go with a bespoke MVC. The PureMVC framework has been abstracted to make it easier to use with different programming languages. Since the goal of Codename: ForkHammer is to create a Flash platform-specific content management system, it was decided to create a bespoke MVC that can take advantage of the proprietary features of Actionscript.
• Framework is 90% coded. Once a few, final design issues are addressed, the framework will be complete. At this time it will be possible to recreate zestyBytes.com as flash-based site, using the framework as a guide. It will be fully dynamic, based on content loaded at run-time from the server (xml, images, etc...).
• SWFAddress has been integrated. This allows for "deep linking" in Flash. That means, basically, that any state or "page" of the flash site can be preserved and given an address. Then you can refer to content deep within the site, without describing to people how to navigate the flash interface. Thus, it is more like a regular XHTML site using AJAX. You get very fluid switching between pages, as the flash movie is loaded only once, then the content is dynamically changed using the Codename: ForkHammer code.
• AMFPHP has been integrated. This allows for much faster communication between the flash movie and the server. For instance, it sends xml as binary rather than text, improving performance. Still some testing to be done, as it would be nice to use this one gateway for all communication with the server, if possible.
• Once the two phases, SpoonSaw and KnifeNail, are complete, it will be possible to create dynamic websites easily using xml files and assets (images, movieclips, etc...).
• Project Codename: ForkHammer will focus on usability and modularity. Once the whole mechanics are in place, then comes the task of making these features accessible to non-programming users. That is, creating a user interface for people to interact with the system. Key to this is modularity. The whole framework will be extensible through plug-ins or modules.

Really not much to "look at" yet, so stay tuned and an alpha version will appear in the lab soon.

Development has begun on the Flash version of this site. It is a milestone in the roadmap for ForkHammer, the code name for the Flash-based CMS I am developing.

Here is a short synopsis of the roadmap:

3...
2...
1...
zestyBytes!!!

Welcome to the Amazing, Ever-expanding, zestyBytes! The content and site will change over time, as bits and pieces are added and updated.

Also, now work begins on the Flash version of the site, so look for that around the beginning of the year.

Enjoy a zestyByte!

I have posted a new article to help people who are currently researching a website for themselves, their organization, their business, &c.

Oddly enough, it's called Choosing a Website.

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The seeds have been planted, it's time to water the sprouts.

If you are a developer, designer, or other tech-oriented person, this is for you. Please contact me if you are interested in working as a part of a team of hard-working mavericks who know how to get the job done.

ZestyBytes is part of a network of IT professionals who have a Green Value System. Cooperation between individuals is important, as then the sum is greater than the parts.

It takes an individual with Vision to create a new idea, and if it's a Great Idea, it takes a team with Vision to implement it.

You can be a part of that team.

Please contact us here if you are interested in learning more.