User talk:MikeVitale/Archive/2007/08

Userpage layout
Hi Mike, I have fixed the first box so it is "hidden". Somehow, it had a whole bunch of code that "hides" various elements of things, (anything that you put between these: is "hidden" from view, it is used to make notes for others to see while editing, but they don't show up on articles.

As for the rounded edges, that's done with a mozilla code, it only works correctly with Firefox, and it uses the -moz-border-radius:1em;" variable. So when you see that, that is telling the box to have rounder corners (it can be adjusted to be subtle, or pretty obvious).

As far as why I personally use the  commands, it is just to be more meticulous with how things will look no matter what type of browser/settings a user has. It can define the size of text, as I've done, it can define the color of text, over-ride the default link color, etc. I have to honestly say I'm not a "programmer" type, but it seems that some HTML works here, but not the type that would give me the layout I wanted, for that, it seems to need a form of .css code. As for the rest, well I use color numbers rather than names, just out of habit (photoshop), but some people use color names, just a preference thing I guess. I'm not sure what "Wi" is (unless you mean the color white?) but the truth is, I started with this tiny template I found here for a "tabbed folder" type of effect, and truly just spent a whole day fiddling with one line here, preview, fiddle with another line, preview, lol. I am by no means a real expert with it, sorry to say. However, I fix your user page thingie, so hope that helps, and I'm more than happy to try to answer any other questions, if I can, lol. Ariel ♥ Gold 15:22, 25 August 2007 (UTC)
 * P.S. Jmlk17 is one of my favorite people, and he might know more about the "techy" programming side of stuff, lol. Ariel ♥ Gold 15:23, 25 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Wow, that is quite odd. I don't know that I've ever used those code thingies (on purpose anyway, lol). I know about the odd thing that "forces" a space, &npbs; or whatever it is, but I don't really grasp why some people insist on using it, and others insist on removing them, so I just started leaving them alone since I couldn't figure out the difference, lol. My apologies if I removed the user page code you wanted left, feel free to revert it, I guess I misunderstood the question, since I'm kinda clueless with advanced coding, lol. But I at least hope I helped with the mozilla round corner thingie, (maybe? lol). Unfortunately, all my successful "designs" come out of lots of experimentation more than a solid knowledge of the tags or code, lol. I'm so sorry I couldn't help you! Ariel ♥ Gold 09:23, 26 August 2007 (UTC)
 * P.S. I just read your note on Jmlk's page, and I'd like to just apologize most profusely for not realizing you were a programmer! (Doh, I guess I could have looked closer at your user page, lol) I'm sure my reply must have come across as "talking down" to you, and my apologies, for I had only looked through your contributions, and saw you were pretty new, and I assumed you were not familiar with some of the very basics. I feel horribly about that, and I hope you can forgive my feeble attempt at explaining things you probably know far better than I do. I think I'm going to bookmark you as someone to come to for programming help [[Image:Face-wink.svg|20px]] Again I'm so so sorry I responded as I'd respond to a brand new Wikipedian, and made the wrong assumption that you didn't know programming. If there was an "embarrassed" smiley face, I'd surely be using it. Ariel ♥ Gold 09:51, 26 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Lol well, I appreciate you responding with kindness, and not taking offense to my reply. And you can be sure I'll be coming to "pick your brain" so to speak, in the future! I can never have too many smart friends to go to when I need help! Ariel ♥ Gold 10:08, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Well jeez. All I can say is, in a million years I'd have never figured that out, lol. That is really smart though, when you think about it, because my exact user page is transcluded onto at least one other "Wiki" site that I know of, and who knows how many others. I can't figure out why people want to copy Wikipedia and put it into their site, it makes no sense, but oh well. That's pretty interesting, I'm glad you asked that question at the Pump! Thanks Mike! Ariel ♥ Gold 06:15, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I knew that template existed, but I actually dislike the look of it, so I kind of just adapted it for my own page, and tweaked the things I did for color and stuff. Good thing I didn't change that transclusion stuff, lol. I wish there was more than one version of that template, there really needs to be more choices for "girly" stuff here, lol. If you're experimenting, toss me a link once you're done and I'll look and see if I want to snag it. [[Image:Face-wink.svg|20px]] Oh, and the way I understand it (which may be wrong) is you initially do a substitution of the template, and it puts the code into your page directly. Same thing as when I do substitutions for my user notices during Recent Changes patrol, I use the  but upon saving, it fills the page with the code from the template. Not sure how that works really, but I just know it works, lol.  Ariel ♥  Gold 20:12, 27 August 2007 (UTC)


 * Well, (Template substitution) seems to just be a way of including a set template into a page, using the special coding language stuff. You can subst: just about anything, like I do for my warning templates/welcome templates, or you can just "include" the entire page without actually transferring the page's content (see below). For templates, (again I'm not 100% sure the mechanics of it) the Subst is used, and various parameters applied, like being able to add an article name, or comments, or other information. Here is an example of how I use it:


 * Article


 * First variable is the name of the article that the copyright violation occurred on. Second variable I place the URL in where it says http: and it is put into the template (You can go look at how I've done the template to see how it works) and it also includes the name of the user as a BASEPAGENAME thingie. Without the subst: thing, it wouldn't work correctly using those variables, (at least that is how I understand it). Again, I completely defer to you as you most certainly know more about programming, but I think this is how it works on Wikipedia. Now, for some things, such as my tiny reference banner I use, User:ArielGold/Top I just include it into the page by using without the subst: and it transcludes there, rather than adding the entire page's source to the page I include it to. Again I'm not sure how it works, lol. I just know it does. Both have their uses I guess, but I understand that you have to use subst: in certain situations or the template simply won't work.


 * Interesting variations on the template, and I hope you'll forgive me, but they aren't "girlie" at all, lol. I want one with pink and purple and blue and pretty pictures of flowers and stuff! [[Image:Face-grin.svg|25px]] (Just kidding really, I'm pretty okay with how mine looks, as long as it is done correctly.) Ariel ♥  Gold 21:51, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

New section (I'm lazy)
Ohhh no worries that I'll take any of this discussion wrong, in fact I'm so glad to talk to you and I'm learning a lot! Also, if you fix the padding issue of the "Ariel" example on your page, I'll just swap that one out for the one on mine to fix it and keep my colors! That would be awesome if you wanted to do that. (If you don't want to do that, no worries!) And, okay the fact of it is, I honestly don't understand the code stuff you pasted (what it is, what it means, why I'd use it, where I'd use it, how I'd use it... shall I continue? lol). The fact is, I can make stuff bold or italic or whatever using HTML, and that's about it, LOL. The rest I just fiddle with (completely not understanding the "language") until it looks how I want, so I'm not remotely surprised that my userpage template box has bugs, lol. I saw your post on the template talk page, but I really have to say, while I think it would rock to be able to change all those variables, I just have not a single clue how to go about doing it. Like, I'd want it to be smaller, and the text to be a different color, etc., and you've added that functionality it says, but I have no clue how to do all that. (Colors I do, I have a page bookmarked for all the codes) Anyway, don't worry that I think you're telling me how to do stuff, because I encourage it! I love to learn, and I completely realize you're way more knowledgeable than I am about most (if not all) of this stuff. Ariel ♥ Gold 22:13, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Pretty!! Thank you! Is there a way I can make the box smaller vertically, like the original one is? This one has too much blank space at the top and bottom, I guess I like things "Squishy" huh? lol. (Or does that have to do with the padding bug?) Either way, I'll use it, but what would happen if we reduced the padding? Anything bad? Ariel ♥  Gold 22:24, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, I didn't subst it originally. I copied the code, put it in a sandbox, and tweaked it in "Ariel Fashion" until it looked the way I wanted, lol. Then I just dropped the raw code in without any subst: string. So, if you can squish it on your page, I don't see the problem. I mean, the basics that matter remain the same, the inability for a page to transclude to another wiki properly, yes? So why can't users customize the look and feel of it? I don't think there are any rules against that, as I've seen a whole ton of versions of it out there, so hey, let's squish it! [[Image:Face-grin.svg|20px]] Ariel ♥  Gold 22:32, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Doh thanks for fixing my silly typo on the K.I.S. page, lol. I think Ariel needs sleep! Ariel ♥ Gold 00:39, 28 August 2007 (UTC)