Help with Countdown in Signature - Bev!

[threeboysmom]

I am having lots of trouble trying to get my countdown to look the way I want. My husband and I have literaly spent hours on this

Here is the code I have so far in my signature:

<applet codebase="http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/" code="BeanCounterDate.class"
width=450 height=80>
<param name="date" value="24 Sep 2002 11:00:00">
<param name="display" value="days, seconds, DownToZero, NoSep">
<param name="imagefont" value="freehand.gif">
<param name="background" value="combined.gif, 0, 39, 300, 40">
<param name="alignment" value="32, 105, 182, 273">
</applet>

I'm trying to figure out how to make the countdown background a light pink, plus add words to it "Our Next Magical Moment is in", plus the words Days, Hours, Minutes and Seconds. I don't even want to think about trying to line it all up I also want to place my Cinderella image either next to the countdown clock or actually on it to the left side.

Hopefully, this all makes sense. I am stumped.....

 

[threeboysmom]

I guess don't pay any attention to the above post I put in the "code" thinking you would be able to read it, but that didn't even work. Sorry guys - I am EXTREMELY computer illiterate. How can I get my code to show up here so someone can take a look at it without the computer translating it??

And now my countdown clock is even worse. At least yesterday, it was a long rectangle and showing all the correct numbers (days, hours, minutes & seconds)......
now it's just a gray square with nothing...



Sorry guys - can anyone help me?

 

[BobBrazeal]

The use of HTML code and Java applets can be very frustrating and is not for the faint of heart. People that work with it a lot can have problems with it. In addition, the things that you are asking about the background would require that you create a .gif or .jpg file using some sort of image editor to develope exactly what you want it to say. The Java applet will not put that information in for you. All it will do is put in the numbers.

Do you have a web site where you are hosting the Java class files and the .gifs and/or .jpgs for your backgrounds and digits used by the applet?

 

[threeboysmom]

Thanks for the reply Bob.

I am Jim - Kim's Husband
Here's as far as I have gotten...

I have created a GIF file containig the picture the way she wants it.
I have also run the following code and can get the program to execute locally so it looks the way she wants it. See Below.

What I can't figure out is where to put the Java Class script and the GIF files (including the font GIF) so that it can be recognized.

We have a family web page with AT&T. I have FTP'd the file to a directory on the site, but still can't access it. Is there a place on our local computer that it should be put to be recognized?

She will be very happy once this works. I have a feeling there will be somewhat repeated modifications.

Thanks again for your help.

This is the Code I used to run it locally:
applet codebase="c:\beans" code="BeanCounterDate.class" width=460 height=80
param name="date" value="24 Sep 2002 11:00:00"
param name="display" value="days, seconds, DownToZero, NoSep"
param name="imagefont" value="freehand.gif"
param name="background" value="combined.gif, 0, 37, 300, 40"
param name="alignment" value="147, 220, 294, 387"
applet

I removed the <> to make this post without executing...

 

[BobBrazeal]

The one thing that is asked here is that you be very careful when dealing with Java. It is very easy to mess up and when it messes up it can actually mess up the display of the boards. Especially if it is in a signature and loaded every time one of your posts is loaded. We've had more than one instance where someone has played with these types of Java applets and the moderators have had to go in and remove or clean up their code because the threads would not display at all. What I'm trying to say is that if you are not comfortable working with and solving problems with Java applets, it might be best to avoid them.

I'll address a couple of things that I see.

1. You call for the applet to take up 460 pixels by 80 pixels. This is outside the signature guidelines of the DIS boards. You are allowed up to two images in your signature, each a maximum of 200 x 200 and no more than 15Kbytes. The background image is what should set this size.

2. All your files must be on your web site. You need to use the full URL for imagefont and background values. The codebase applies only to the class.

3. I couldn't access your "combined.gif" image to look at it. I don't know where it is located. I did find the freehand.gif file in the root directory of your site but the combined.gif file wasn't there.

I can't stress enough to please be very careful. Code errors won't crash the DIS but they can definitely disable any thread to which you post if not corrected.

 

[threeboysmom]

Thanks for your comments.

On the size requirement the "Combined.GIF" file is only about 3k.

Does the 460 width cause a problem that results in it not displaying? I suppose as an alternative to a signature she could just paste the code onto the bottom of her messages which would have the same result. (its just an extra step) Or, is that too not permitted?

You mention you could see "freehand.gif". The combined file is in the same directory. What was the address you located it at? Perhaps you just found another copy of it.

I will be as prudent as I am able to be. However, this is not like being careful with a knife. Putting what you state about learning HTML in other words - I'm not sure I will know which edge is the sharp one (or if there if I'm just working with a butter knife) until after I have been cut (or not). That said, the last thing I would want to do is to damage my wife's favorite web site.

Any other input you have would be helpful.

 

[BobBrazeal]

I am using http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/Disney/freehand.gif to display...

and trying to use http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/Disney/combined.gif but all I get is...

.... working now ....

 

[BobBrazeal]

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you aren't all that familiar with using HTML and Java, it might be better to experiment other places other than on the DIS where mistakes could affect others as well.

You've obviously got a web site from your ISP as you have the class and other files stored there. Besides just storing files there, you can build simple web pages and upload them to that site. Once there, you can display them in your browser and see how they work. Maybe you could build a simple web page and put the Java applet code there so that you can experiment with it to your hearts content until you feel that you know all the parameters and what they do. You really don't need anything more than a text editor to get started.

 

[threeboysmom]

Thanks again Bob.

We got as far as we have by testing off line. Our troubles have begun once we came to dis where the scripts don't seem to be finding the files and where they are located. This seems to be due the the fact that the script is no longer being executed from local drive or from our personal page.

I will see if I can get some visability on that Combined file. But I can see it when I do an FTP directory display....

 

[BobBrazeal]

I'm assuming that the file name spelling is correct. Since I can't get it to display in my browser or in a post here, it isn't just the java class that isn't finding it.

Like I said in a previous post, you have to use the full URL in the imagefont and background values for the applet to work. But first, you've got to get the background file to display. Have you checked the file size on your web page to the file size on your system? Sure it uploaded correctly?

 

[BobBrazeal]

Ok, there it is. But again, to be within the guidelines for a signature, both the width and the height have to be 200 or less. The width on that is 500!

 

[threeboysmom]

Two thing I picked up on. The file had a Capital "Combined". I uploaded again all works now.

Only thing remains is for her to make up her mind about a teeny tiny 200 X 200.

Hey don't look at me... She's the Disney Princess. I just pay the bills and carry the bags....

 

[BobBrazeal]

Just to show you that 200 x 200 isn't all that bad, this is 200 high by 165 wide.

<APPLET CODEBASE="http://www.whereitcounts.com/applets/countdown/" CODE="BeanCounterDate.class" WIDTH=165 HEIGHT=200>
<param name="date" value="24 Sep 2002 11:00:00">
<param name="display" value="days, seconds">
<param name="background" value="http://www.whereitcounts.com/backgrounds/buzz01c.jpg, 0, 180, 165, 20">
<param name="imagefont" value="http://www.whereitcounts.com/fonts/half_freehand.gif">
</APPLET>

By the way, I imagine it was the re-upload of the file that fixed it. In most cases, the file names are not case sensitive.

 

[BevS97]

<APPLET CODEBASE="http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/Disney/"CODE="BeanCounterDate.class" WIDTH=460 HEIGHT=80>
<param name="date" value="24 Sept 2002 11:00:00">
<param name="display" value="days, seconds">
<param name="imagefont" value="http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/Disney/freehand.gif">
<param name="background" value="http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/Disney/combined.gif, 100, 30, 174, 25">
</applet>


< APPLET CODEBASE="http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/Disney/"CODE="BeanCounterDate.class" WIDTH=460 HEIGHT=80>
< param name="date" value="24 Sept 2002 11:00:00">
< param name="display" value="days, seconds">
< param name="imagefont" value="http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/Disney/freehand.gif">
< param name="background" value="http://home.attbi.com/~hoffmanj/Disney/combined.gif, 100, 30, 174, 25">
< /applet>

Here;s the basic thing running - I haven't time to get all the numbers lined up, and also the edit function isn't working on The Dis, so I am having to repost which I'd rather not do.

I have copied the code below, but I've added in an extra space which you need to remove at the start of each line

Bev

 

[BevS97]

You also need to make the picture a little smaller (as do I, sorry Bob) - you should be able to move Cindy a bit closer to the text and get it under the 400x100 pixel size which is allowed

Bev

 

[threeboysmom]

Yippee!! It's working now (after at least 10 hours of work - mostly by DH)!

A big thanks to Bev and Bob who helped us through this process

 

[LisaTx]

It looks beautiful, Kimberly.

Thanks, Bev and Bob, for all of your hard work on this.

 

[BevS97]

it looks good- you even managed to get rid of the : - that took me ages to work out

Bev