The GBAtemp Sidebar

[Ace]

I realized today that many Tempers probably don't have GBAtemp as their homepage. So I threw together a simple (and as small as possible) sidebar website, that can open all subforums in a new tab, and the Shoutbox (100 posts plus limitation). It's made exclusively for GBAtemp, and I'm by no means going to take credit for it (I used Mobile GBAtemp as a template, even

). Sadly, because of the limitations imposed by Google Chrome, it will only work for FireFox users.

It's very easy to set this up and get it running:

See this silhouette of our Temp Mascot? He's so ace that you're dragging him onto the Bookmarks Toolbar.
HOLD IT! Not quite done yet.
See that it says GBAtemp Sidebar there, now?
Go ahead and right click it, slide down to Properties, and check the box that says "Load this bookmark in the sidebar"
Hit Save

Keep classy, tempers,

Ace Faith


Versions:
---------------------
Version 1:
Latest version mirror #1 (Thank you, iFish!): Broken
Changes:
Mazor's Überawesome version: Dead link
---------------------
7/02/11: Original version written.
8/02/11: Mazor's version added to post. It includes latest posts, updated in realtime (I think...)
9/02/11: Mazor's version updated. Chrome extension (coming up in a bit, I hope tomorrow?), Ask GBAtemp/EOF/News/Blogs realtime feed added, general clean-up.

Other Browsers?
---------------------
For Opera:

Just open the link in a new tab and grab the tab to the panel (side) bar.
For Konqueror: QUOTE(monkat @ Feb 9 2011, 06:16 PM) Just drag + drop the icon onto the sidebar.

 

[Pyrmon]

Dude, that is fucking awesome.
But if you do a self-updating latest posts toolbar, I will literally flood my keyboard with drool.

 

[Ace]

Dude, that is fucking awesome.
But if you do a self-updating latest posts toolbar, I will literally flood my keyboard with drool.

Quite difficult, as the entire thing is written up in HTML, and in about 7 lines less code than the Forum Index of the mobile GBAtemp site. The entire point is to have an athletically fast sidebar. But the admins/supervisors/coders for this site are more than welcome to pick it up and improve it. The point so far is to make it distanced from the official GBAtemp services.

 

[Vidboy10]

Wow, Already a sticky?

 

[Cuelhu]

does it work on Seamonkey?

 

[Invisible Man]

Just some information which might be useful for anyone who wants to expand on Ace Faith's idea...

GBAtemp Latest Posts
Example URL: http://www.gbatemp.net/index.php?act=last10&show=0

Parameter: show
0: Posts
1: News
2: Blogs
3: EOF

---------------------------

GBAtemp News RSS Feeds
Example URL: http://www.gbatemp.net/rss.php?show=00100 (info)

Parameter: show = ?????
1st ?: GBAtemp and Scene News
2nd ?: GBA Releases
3rd ?: NDS Releases
4th ?: Wii Releases
5th ?: Homebrew News

---------------------------

Shoutbox
I don't have enough posts

---------------------------

Ask GBAtemp Search
Example URL: http://ask.gbatemp.net/ajax-search-questions.php?q=NDS

Parameter: q
The search term

---------------------------

FileTrip Search
Example URL: http://www.filetrip.net/autocomplete.php?string=NDS

Parameter: string
The search term

---------------------------

FileTrip RSS Feeds
Example URL: http://www.filetrip.net/rss.php?feed=file_new (info)

Parameter: feed
file_new: Most recently added files
file_updated: Most recently updated files
top_downloaded: Most downloaded files
top_rank: Highest rated files

---------------------------

GBAtemp Portal News
Example URL: http://www.gbatemp.net/index.php?act=home&...lectedNewsTab=1

Parameter: selectedNewsTab
1: All News
2: Popular
3: Gaming
4: Homebrew
5: Videos

---------------------------

GBAtemp Portal News (single news item)
Example URL: http://www.gbatemp.net/index.php?aj=1&...s&id=277681

Parameter: tp
nws: News
gn: Gaming News
hbr: Homebrew News

Parameter: disp
hdr: Topic details (author, date, comments)
con: Topic content

---------------------------

GBAtemp Release List/Details
Example URL: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?act=ajax_rele...p;count=-277998

Paramater: type
0: All releases
1: DS releases
2: Wii releases
3: GBA releases
4: WiiWare Releases
5: Virtual Console Releases
1337: Display release details

Paramater: count
Number of items to show in list or thread ID if getting release details (ID must be prepended with a minus (-) symbol).

---------------------------

Information on Loading and Parseing XML/HTML files with JavaScript
http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_http.asp
http://www.w3schools.com/dom/default.asp

Would be cool if there was a good API which spat out an XML file with requested information instead of trying to extract the information from HTML files which don't have element id's in useful places all the time.

 

[Ace]

It sadly doesn't work on SeaMonkey.

 

[Cloak519]

This a brilliant idea! If I make any modifications, would you object to me posting them Ace Faith?
It would be nothing major, just me messing around mainly.

 

[Mazor]

Objections or no objections, I made a few "modifications" after reading pyrmon24's post.

But if you do a self-updating latest posts toolbar, I will literally flood my keyboard with drool.

http://pcdb.info/scarlet/GBAtemp/LatestPosts.php

Here's a POC or something of this. It updates every few seconds.

Install the same way as described in OP.

If anyone can spice up the HTML a bit I'll update it and it would become pretty cool.

Edit: Typo.

 

[Sterling]

>.< No Chrome?

I love Chrome, and I really don't want to switch. :/ I may have to make an exception in this case though.

 

[SifJar]

>.< No Chrome?

I love Chrome, and I really don't want to switch. :/ I may have to make an exception in this case though.

It'll work, just not in a side bar. You could probably make it work using iFrames or something similar. But it would only show in one tab, and be lost if you refreshed the tab or typed in the URL bar on that tab (clicking links on the main page would be OK). So all in all, fairly pointless TBH.

 

[Ace]

This a brilliant idea! If I make any modifications, would you object to me posting them Ace Faith?
It would be nothing major, just me messing around mainly.

...and I'm by no means going to take credit for it
Actually, I'm trying to get in touch with a friend who works with javascript, and has proper access to a good server. If I can convince him, he might be able to pitch a real bookmarklet to us.

Objections or no objections, I made a few "modifications" after reading pyrmon24's post.

QUOTE(pyrmon24 @ Feb 8 2011, 02:24 AM)

But if you do a self-updating latest posts toolbar, I will literally flood my keyboard with drool.

http://pcdb.info/scarlet/GBAtemp/LatestPosts.php

Here's a POC or something of this. It updates every few seconds.

Install the same way as described in OP.

If anyone can spice up the HTML a bit I'll update it and it would become pretty cool.

Edit: Typo.

This is AMAZING! But the default hyperlink color gives some glare, but that can easily be fixed.
In fact, keeping with the color scheme of GBAtemp, the best color to use would be (in hex): #EA792E

 

[Sterling]

>.< No Chrome?

I love Chrome, and I really don't want to switch. :/ I may have to make an exception in this case though.

It'll work, just not in a side bar. You could probably make it work using iFrames or something similar. But it would only show in one tab, and be lost if you refreshed the tab or typed in the URL bar on that tab (clicking links on the main page would be OK). So all in all, fairly pointless TBH.

Eh, if someone releases a proper chrome one, I would not only love them forever, but would... [Censored]. Ah, well, it isn't as though I couldn't wait. The idea is out there, if someone feels like doing it, then it will happen. :/ As for the initial idea, not only one of the most awesome posts ever, but the quickest sticky from a normal user.

 

[Ace]

Eh, if someone releases a proper chrome one, I would not only love them forever, but would... [Censored]. Ah, well, it isn't as though I couldn't wait. The idea is out there, if someone feels like doing it, then it will happen. :/ As for the initial idea, not only one of the most awesome posts ever, but the quickest sticky from a normal user.

Trust me, I'm pretty surprised as well. Mad props to TrolleyDave for that!
As much as I also wished the sidebar would work for Chrome, it's Google's fault to not include a sidebar for bookmarks, IMO. I'd suggest just using Firefox for your Temp needs for now, and then we'll see what happens

 

[Mazor]

This is AMAZING!
Well thanks, but it's just a minor extension of your own great idea.

QUOTE(Ace Faith @ Feb 8 2011, 09:42 PM) But the default hyperlink color gives some glare, but that can easily be fixed.
In fact, keeping with the color scheme of GBAtemp, the best color to use would be (in hex): #EA792E

Updated it with this color and changed the line formatting a bit so it looks better.

Open to more suggestions/prettier html code.

 

[Ace]

it's just a minor extension of your own great idea.
Updated it with this color and changed the line formatting a bit so it looks better.
Open to more suggestions/prettier html code.

To be fair, I don't know how far I'll be able to extend this, even :S
I'm hoping the community can build on top of it, see how far it extends xD
I only know (barely) how to write HTML. You obviously have more experience and resources here than me, using PHP

Hell, I was using PasteHTML for my hosting

Best case scenario, we get a great multi-browser sidebar.
Oh, and I realized I forgot a few important links for this:
-GBATemp's Picture Upload service
-Ask GBAtemp
-FileTrip
-IRC
I think a LOT of Temper's could have good use of these. Could you (pretty, pretty pretty,) please add them?

 

[Deleted User]

{{}}

 

[ineap09]

The sidebar's awesome! I've been using it a lot since I added it yesterday. Thanks!

 

[KingAsix]

....I love you

ACE FAITH SIDEBAR FTW!!!

EDIT-Why hasn't this made front page news cause I probably wouldn't have known about this if I wasn't about to post in this section (which I normally don't do)

 

[Cuelhu]

works on Opera. Just open the link in a new tab and grab the tab to the panel (side) bar.