View From the Queue
Created | Updated Jun 22, 2003
This week's View scratches its head at h2g2's lack of progress and summarizes what you need to know about GuideML.
This Week's View
This week the View has very little progress to report. At least, according to h2g2's own Statistics page, only one entry has been removed from the queue in the past week. That is, there are 339 entries in the queue, compared to 340 last week.
If this information is indeed correct, my guess would be that the sub-editors have been approving entries faster than h2g2 can feature them at their consistent rate of 25 per week. Perhaps there are an unusual number of edited entries that are waiting to be featured on h2g2's main page.
Researchers have submitted 388 entries to the new Peer Review process so far, compared to 361 last week. But only 1 entry has been added to the What's Coming Up page. On the up side, the Scouts finally have the requisite 25 entries to keep h2g2 in business for one week after the old queue is gone. But on the down side, we're seeing a real lack of activity by the h2g2 volunteers over the past week.
The total number of entries submitted for review to both the old system and the new Peer Review is 727, up from 651 last week. This tells me the h2g2 researchers are chugging right along. If there are extenuating circumstances effecting this week's progress, they must not apply to the average researcher.
I have no idea why, after so much progress, h2g2 is suddenly unable to keep up with its authors. Hopefully, this is just a one-week anomaly and things will return to normal soon. Let's hope so, because a sizeable percentage of the progress h2g2 has made over the past few months has been gobbled up because of a single week of inaction.
GuideML
What is GuideML? Simply put, GuideML is a coding language that helps people constructing entries present their information in an orderly and attractive manner. That is, GuideML tells everyone's computer what your h2g2 entry should look like on their screens. GuideML is similar to HTML, which is a standard that works (more or less) across the entire internet. In fact, the two languages have many elements in common.
Why does h2g2 need its own language? The truth is that HTML has gotten more and more complicated over time. And many visual HTML editing programs that purport to help web designers can actually make a real mess of things when they are used by novices. This is one reason GuideML is worthwhile. It goes back to the basics of HTML, cutting out most of the opportunities for novices to inadvertently make horrific mistakes
The other reason GuideML is necessary is that all pages created for h2g2 must fit within the other standard elements the programmers have put there. That is, they must include the standard navigation areas, the information box for the entry, and the section at the bottom of the page for forum discussions. Since your entry is actually going to appear within these other page elements, it is necessary for your entry to act a little differently than a regular web page would.
If you still have basic questions about what GuideML is and why you would want to use it, go to the GuideML part of the Don't Panic FAQ.
How Does It Work?
For those tech heads out there who are curious, GuideML uses XML (Extensible Markup Language) to add interpretive tags to HTML. By adding new standards like HEADER and FOOTNOTE, h2g2 is able to encourage researchers to create entries that look and act fairly similar to one another. This, in turn, makes it easier for readers to interpret the entries.
When the person coding the page puts in one of these tags, the GuideML parser looks at which skin1 the reader is using and then interprets the GuideML accordingly. One nice thing about using GuideML is that your entry will continue to look spiffy as new skins are created for h2g2.
Since GuideML is basically a special interpretation of HTML, most HTML tags can be used by advanced coding experts while creating entries. However, it should be noted that the sub-editors understandably dislike wading through tons of code before approving an entry to the Edited Guide. Anyone very familiar with HTML can learn GuideML quickly. On the other hand, people unfamiliar with HTML can get a decent grounding in HTML basics by learning GuideML.
How Do I Get Started?
If you aren't using GuideML yet, the first thing to do is visit the GuideML Clinic. This site, run by the ever esteemed Bruce, will teach you the basics of GuideML from start to finish. The page on GuideML Syntax is particularly useful for beginners. Regular GuideML users will appreciate the pages detailing the use of particular tags and the Special Character Codes page.
In the spirit of making things a little easier for everyone, here is a bare bones look at what a page written in GuideML might look like.
<GUIDE>
<BODY>
<P>
Your first paragraph goes here.
</P>
<P>
Another paragraph would go here.
</P>
<P>
<HEADER>Header Text Goes Here</HEADER>
</P>
<P>
A paragraph beneath the header would go here.
</P>
<P>
<SUBHEADER>Subheader Text Goes Here</SUBHEADER>
</P>
<P>
A paragraph beneath the subheader would go here. And so on.
</P>
</BODY>
</GUIDE>
Please note that each tag containing instructions for the GuideML parser is included in brackets like this: < >. Also important, the tags come in pairs. The opening <TAG> is followed by a closing </TAG>. The text inside the tag actually applies to everything in between the opening and closing tags.
To understand the example above, it is best to understand what the tags mean. The GUIDE tag tells h2g2's parser to expect GuideML, rather than HTML or plain text. The BODY tag lets it know that everything within should be presented within h2g2's space for the entry. The P tag stands for 'paragraph' and is used to tell the parser which words belong to which paragraphs. And the HEADER and SUBHEADER tags tell the parser when to use bold headlines denoting a new section of the entry. The text in a HEADER tag is bigger and bolder than the text in a SUBHEADER tag.
How to Avoid Common Coding Errors
Some common errors in coding are special for h2g2, while others are common for web designers everywhere. If you see the dreaded words 'Error in GuideML' after submitting or updating your entry, there are a number of steps you can take.
Look over your code very carefully. Often, errors will occur because of a simple typo. These can include forgetting a " or / or even a > mark in your code. GuideML is very picky about these things.
Make sure you aren't using the & sign, which is used in URLs for forum postings sometimes. The GuideML parser doesn't like the & sign at all, and wants you to type in & instead.
Make sure all your tags come in pairs. This means every <P> must be followed with a matching </P> tag. In a few special cases, only one tag is necessary. The most common of these is the <BR /> (break) tag, which signifies that the parser should begin your next words on the following line. You'll notice these tags include a / near the end.
If your entry has a coding error in it, you should see a comment written in red that is trying to give you a clue as to what the problem is. It may, for instance, tell you the parser was expecting one tag but got another instead. You should probably look in your code for the type of tag the parser expected. Perhaps there is a typo related to that particular tag somewhere in your code.
Never be afraid to ask for help. You can post questions at the GuideML clinic. You might also contact one of h2g2's volunteer Gurus for assistance.
GuideML Tips and Tricks
I have been using GuideML for months, but it seems I still learn something new pretty often. Here are some of the best tips I've been given.
If you get a strange error while trying to view someone's entry or you are trying to help someone with GuideML problems, you can see the code directly by replacing the 'A' in the URL for the entry with the word 'test' instead. You can also use this trick to get the code to nip a picture from one part of the Guide for your entry. But don't steal anyone's graphics without getting permission first!
If you want to add a link on your homepage to a listing of everyone who is visiting h2g2 at the moment, there is some special code to do it. Just visit the Who-Is-Online Tag page.
Smilies and fish are one of the most endearing things about h2g2. To learn how to include them in your forum postings or in your personal page, go here. However, do refrain from putting them in entries you are submitting to the Peer Review process.
Advanced coders can use Javascript in their entries to create special effects like Random Quote Generators and Drop Down Lists. However, try not to get too attached to your own special code. h2g2 wants to eventually eliminate Javascripts, and replace the scripts with special GuideML tags. The less used effects will likely not be included when this happens. In any case, the place to recommend your favorite piece of Javascript is the GuideML Gadgets page.
If you want to include pictures in your entry, you must upload your graphics and photos somewhere besides h2g2 first. You may have free web space from your service provider. If not, you can use a free service like Angelfire, Tripod, Xoom, My Yahoo!, or GeoCities. One your graphic is placed elsewhere, you can link to it from h2g2. However, your graphics will not be used if your entry makes it to the Edited Guide because of h2g2's policy on copyrights.
Wrapping It All Up
There is now a single page with all the GuideML links you could hope for. Do yourself a favor and bookmark the GuideML Directory Page.
Using GuideML can help you in the Peer Review process. It helps you put your best face forward, providing a professional look to your submission. And Scouts feel more confident recommending an entry to the Sub-Editors when they can see that most of the work to present the entry on h2g2's main page has already been done.
Next Week's View
Next week, we'll see whether h2g2's rate of progress at approving new entries hasn't gone back to normal. Also, we'll take an in-depth look at what really happens once the h2g2 staffers have decided your entry is worthwhile. If you've never had an entry approved before, you may be surprised by the steps your entry goes through before it is featured. Next week, you'll learn what to expect and why you shouldn't panic if your submitted entry is suddenly acting a little strange.
Written by Fragilis the Melodical
Click here to see previous weeks' Views from the Queue.
Opinions expressed in this column are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of h2g2 or the Post.
