Add-On Library upgrade...

[Rami]

To all,

I wanted you to know that as part of my effort to help improve and upgrade the new library, I spent about three hours tonight and created new categories for the FSX library, and did some sorting out of the "other" files as well. I hope that this will allow you to upload with more precision, and to be able to find stuff easier.

I thought since we're doing the donation drive, you'd see that your hard-earned $$ is going to good use, so enjoy! :ernae:

[spotlope]

Thanks, Rami. Your work is much appreciated.

[Roger]

Thanks very much Rami!

[Navy Chief]

THANK YOU!

NC

[Warrant]

Thanks for the effort, Rami

[OleBoy]

I like it. Much more appealing and far better than it was previously. A search by name/aircraft function would be great.

I hope in the archives it's going to be the same layout. That's where the issues are.

[Rami]

I hope in the archives it's going to be the same layout. That's where the issues are.

Oleboy,

Therein lies the problem. The older archive is pretty much "fixed," there isn't much I can do there, I don't think. I'm afraid I'm still learning it. If I CAN do anything to help there, I certainly will.

[OleBoy]

Oleboy,

Therein lies the problem. The older archive is pretty much "fixed," there isn't much I can do there, I don't think. I'm afraid I'm still learning it. If I CAN do anything to help there, I certainly will.

LOL, well, if you are the librarian and are still learning it, we're all lost. Not meaning to come across as a wise guy, but the ship is sinking.

Speaking from the average member here at the outhouse's position, the archives are not searchable unless you know who the file was uploaded by. 95% of the time, I'm lost and have to ask in the forums in hopes I can jog someones memory. That generally does the trick. IF you know exactly what you're wanting, or someone who knows the file system gives you a direct link. A librarian if you will.

If things were categorized correctly and we had the function search-by-file-name feature the whole process would be easier for everyone. Including yourself. Not to mention, more people would upload here to their home forum instead of everywhere else.

Back before I had joined here, I remember hearing that SOH was an exclusive forum. Where it was beneficial to be a member so one could reap the harvest. Things were done/shared/uploaded here and here only. Was it like that? I could be mistaken. If it was I'd sure like it back. If not it would be nice.

I see fixing the archive search issue a win/win all the way around. :salute:

[doublecool]

Now thats what I'm talking about...:salute:

Easy :wiggle: and organized

and for me thats sayin something cause I can't find nothin

[huub vink]

Thanks for all your effort Rami and thanks for your explanation C_K.

Cheers,
Huub

[jeansy]

thank you for your effort :salute:

[OleBoy]

I wrote the code for the old library in 1999, updated it in 2005 and was able to work with the code until 2007. Unfortunately our new base software no longer supports some of the php code from the archive library.

I wish I could fix it and get all the lost files back but I can't, so basically what you see is what you get with the file archive. Whereas the new library is still under development and will be improved in the future.

We hope to find one our members that understands the new code were using which is php based but uses everything available today from ActiveX to Ajax and Java and beyond. I can no longer afford the time I spent in the past working with the SOH site, times are hard and I got to make a living. Considering that for the SOH Warbirds library to be totally fixed needs a volunteer that knows Internet codes and is willing to put in some time.

Rami is doing miracles with the file library and a super job as an administrator but it would be really cool if someone was also working on fixing and improving our present code.

I guess I should clear the air.
....I never once meant or said I didn't appreciate what Rami has done or is doing, and I feel if I don't reply to your response that's the way it will be perceived.

What Rami (or anyone previously) has done to better the file library to this day is appreciated by me. It's not an easy job. To sum it up, Rami (or anyone doing the job he is doing) basically is on a mission cutting firewood. In laymens terminology, Imagine; Cut it, split it, stack it, store it. A job of collecting firewood to heat your house for the winter months. Only problem, Rami is doing this all-the-time. Meaning, the task Rami does is repetitious to the point it can drive you batty if you let it.

As a suggestion only.

Why not create a new Warbirds Archive. Not new actually, but set-up the specified areas like he's done with the FS2004 and FSX sections broke down as they are. Call it the Warbirds Archives. Set it up to list the directories by file name. Then transfer all the stuff in the archives and incorporate it into the new code that Rami works with today and start sorting. If things are missing, ask the members here to provide the missing files if they have them. My saying all this makes me wonder if you have any record of everything that was in those archives that could be used for reference or punch-list as it gets replenished. Then it will be done. And it will be done as it was in the past.

Tags within the database referencing to file type would be very helpful for later down the road during searches

Simple = No
Time consuming = Yes
Can it be done = Yes
Do the members want this = Yes

Am I a volunteer = Possibly. We can talk about the options on Teamspeak. At this point I won't commit to the task.

[Rami]

Oleboy,

That's theoretically possible, but you're talking about a herculean effort there. I have talked to others about this as well.

What you would have to do is to go through each section in the archive and look for good files. On the new upload system, you can use a URL instead of attaching a file, so in theory, you could do that for every single file in the old archive, and thus, the old archive would become obsolete. It would be there for file storage, but it wouldn't have to be accessed, because you could find everything in the new library.

Sounds so easy, doesn't it? But...I think I'd be sixty or in a padded cell by the time I finished that.

The new system can be searched by user, but the problem is that there are coding errors in the URL system, so that if you look for files by user, or change the way you display the file results, it only works for the first 15 displayed files. Beyond that, it reverts to the default settings.

THAT is what needs fixing.

And no, I did not take offense, not to worry. :salute:

[Rami]

OleBoy,

Now, what could cut down that workload is if we got an army of volunteers to go through all of the sections and look for these files, and then use the process I outlined to link the old archive to the new one.

IF this happened, we might be able to go from theory to actuality. This is something that any charter member? or above can do. We would have to keep running threads in each forum for this to work.

I would be willing to take the time to facilitate this, but I'll need a small army to do it. I simply can't go it alone on something like this!

[OleBoy]

Rami, I won't quote you. But I feel your methodology to resolution would likely create more troubles down the road of greater intensity

[Rami]

Oleboy,

I tried one file as a test, it doesn't work too well. For understandable security reasons, I can't link the file directly from the FTP server to the link, so you end up having to go through three screens.

[OleBoy]

Oleboy,

I tried one file as a test, it doesn't work too well. For understandable security reasons, I can't link the file directly from the FTP server to the link, so you end up having to go through three screens.


I think the best method is a direct approach. Back-up the file DB, download everything there, rename if needed (a lot of them will need this for correct file description) and then re-upload to a new file directory specific to the file. By doing it this way it eliminates any issues now.