New BOF Fixture list

[Mrs H]

Ha ha haha

totally brilliant Angry - the scrolly thing worked a treat - if I bookmark that link you've posted will it still update 'an everything each time I open it?

(Notice how I don't cloak my computering inadequacies in bad languauge like some people round here)

[SeanC]

PMG - can we guarentee that the URL parameters (like perpage) be the same from now on? If so then clubs and associations can build the URL that suits their website if they want to do a link that does something like "click here to view all events within 50 miles of Dartford" or similar. This would be very useful.

[Angry Haggis]

Ha ha haha

totally brilliant Angry - the scrolly thing worked a treat - if I bookmark that link you've posted will it still update 'an everything each time I open it?

I believe it will do so, and it will also not show events which have already happened.

With a bit more link customisation, you can get some quite useful "default" views.

For example, this link will always show the next 100 events that are within 100 miles of postcode E9.

I agree with Gross that you should be able to show all events by using the search form rather than constructing the URL - again this would be very easy for BOF to fix. Presumably limiting the list to 30 is to prevent a strain on BOF's server, but while this might be a legitimate concern if a million people were viewing the list every day, I think it's an unnecessary safeguard considering the numbers of orienteers in the UK.

As SeanC implies, the new URL-based searching in the fixtures list is potentially very powerful and it will allow clubs/associations to link to a customised search easily - it's just a shame that a bit of screen-scraping will still be required to incorporate the list itself other sites.

I also think that I will be able to pull the new data into the fixtures map without too much difficulty, when I get the necessary time to do the coding.

[distracted]

... and it will also not show events which have already happened.

Fine if you're just searching for events, but when the system is integrated with results as well, then off you go to a separate (search?) page to find results.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to visit one page and find everything you want? With the calendar view idea you could scroll forward in time to see future events + entry links, and scroll back in time to see past events + results (+ rankings links etc). Or perhaps you could make the same search page work for both fixtures and results, by specifying which you're looking for?

[Angry Haggis]

... and it will also not show events which have already happened.

Fine if you're just searching for events, but when the system is integrated with results as well, then off you go to a separate (search?) page to find results.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to visit one page and find everything you want? With the calendar view idea you could scroll forward in time to see future events + entry links, and scroll back in time to see past events + results (+ rankings links etc). Or perhaps you could make the same search page work for both fixtures and results, by specifying which you're looking for?

Just to clarify, I meant my own customised link won't show events that have already happened. You could create your own link that would show events that have happened, except that the date search doesn't appear to allow relative dates (e.g. last three months). However, the events are still there, e.g. this link lists all December 2008 events.

However, I notice a "event_start_datefmt" parameter - I wonder if this can be tweaked to allow relative dates to be entered, thereaby allowing listing of the most recent 100 events (or the next 100 events) at a fixed URL.

[awk]

Can someone tell me where the key is to the different icons being used at the bottom of each event entry, please? I've guessed some but not all.

Wave your cursor over an icon and all will be revealed.

Unfortunately not, which is why I asked the question. Thanks anyway.

[Scott]

Suitable for Families
Suitable for Young Children
MTBO Course Available
Refreshments Available
Suitable for Newcomers
Coaching/Advice available
Online Entry
Postal Entry
Dogs allowed
Dogs are not allowed

[awk]

Thank you Scott!

[Wayward-O]

I feel that the new event listing on BO website is hampered by the fixed width format of the website design, a limitation that Ollie O'Brien's site doesn't have - very obvious as I'm viewing at a resolution of 1680 x 1050 on a 21" widescreen monitor!

[geomorph]

The search values accepted by the page are not restricted to those in the search form.
So you can just edit the URL and display as many events on one page as you like.

For example, to show all future events on a single page, just visit http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/event/findevent.php?perpage=1000

Many thanks, have done as MrsH suggested and you confirmed re bookmarks. The kids then got involved and added a few more bits along the same lines.

As Gross 'suggested' this shouldn't be the 'public facing' way....
As you suggested this type of 'members only' information is not going to be over-stretching the server; its really useful for longer term forward planning, so won't be done that frequently; if I'm looking for next couple of weeks the search facility is great

[roadrunner]

The new list looks pretty good; the "other days" link (e.g. on BOC) seem to address the issue about multi-day events of different types.

One thing I'm not sure whether it does or not (couldn't find an example that didn't offer EOD) is to show clearly whether entries are open or closed. Something in the list to indicate this would be good, like a line through the "online" or "postal" boxes for entries closed - I'm not sure whether this would be a good way to show that entries weren't yet open, though.

[IanD]

The new list surpasses my expectations - someone at British Orienteering has done a pretty good job!

This isn't to say that I can't suggest improvements, I'm about to send eight ideas in which I won't bore you with here. Top of my list is a request to see the distances calculated when a 'radius of postcode' search is used - if I've asked for events within fifty miles, it's a pretty fair bet that if there are two on the same day, I'd like to see at a glance which is ten miles and which forty-nine!

The really massive drawback, which applies to the whole web site, is that it is for Broadband users only. The massive header pages make the site unusable on a dial-up line. BOF central seem happy to exclude people without Broadband from the site; I think they are wrong to do so.

[Snail]

if I've asked for events within fifty miles ... I'd like to see which is ten miles and which forty-nine!

And ideally whether one in practice is one hundred and forty nine! (Try events within a 40 mile radius of Barnstaple ) As orienteers we ought to be able to use some route planning software to calculate the shortest feasible route rather than assume it is a straight line!

[Tatty]

Bring back the old list. I could understand that

[epocian]

How accurate is the information on the list?

the car park shown on the BOF list for tomorrow's Ivor Noot Memorial event is no where near the true carpark (GR068296)