Speed Calculator

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by thzero

The export feature is nice for exporting and posting in a forum or such. Would be nice though for a xml or json based import/export that is able to set the selected items, not just the values.

I just suggested cookies as its a straight forward client-side data mechanism that without any additional packages is available from javascript. A way to store data and make it available from within the site. You could use google gears too, but that requires a client-side installation.

There isn't anything really wrong with using cookies. Cookies are nothing but a text-based data storage mechanism on the client-side. As long as their isn't any real personalized information in them, there isn't any harm in it.

Session variables, no idea why one would not use them as appropriate, for storing data that is present between page transitions (although there are some other mechanism for that too) but more importantly information that can be cached for the user while his session is active (normal defaults are 30 minutes under most APIs). They aren't really appropriate if you are doing a site, such as yours, that can be downloaded and run locally via just html files.

What do you mean by "...import/export that is able to set the selected items, not just the values"? Both json and XML are pretty easy to do, but the way it is now does two things: 1) allows pasting results directly into a forum and 2) doubles as a data storage method should the user desire. Maybe I just don't understand what you are saying?

As far as cookies go, I've just found them more trouble than they're worth. People may disable them, or the browser may prompt the user which may alarm some who have no clue if they are harmful or not (they do have an undeservedly bad reputation). It's been a long time since I've used them, but I remember issues with cookies when running locally (when the user downloads the package and runs it on their box). So, unless there is a real business reason, I try to avoid them.

I think you misunderstood me about session variables; I DO like to use them, but only use them for apps that need server security where I need to remember the user. But yes, this app is designed to run both online and offline, so it's really a moot point.

Originally Posted by Brow

I personally like the drop down menu's. I use some of your calculators when playing with my drag cars setups and do not necessarily use std components. I also may use something from a menu to try and see what results I get. This can help me decide to use a particular manufacturers components.

Can you have both?

Brow

Yes, I could technically have both. However, I was trying to find another method of pre-set selection that didn't use drop-downs at all. Two reasons for this:

1) The additional width required for them tends to screw up the facebook version of the app (adds horizontal scrollbars, which I HATE).

2) I hate to admit this, but the current use of the drop-downs is not "proper" at all. The right way to populate them dynamically is to use the DOM to do so. However, that takes too much code and I'm too lazy to re-write it. So, I use javascript to write/re-write out the HTML on the fly. Certainly not elegant, and someday, browsers may frown upon this because those form elements do not technically exist, but it works right now. This has been something niggling at me for some time, but since it works, I haven't worried too much about it.

This "ajax-like" method is the only other simple way to allow preset selection without a whole lotta work.