h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How do you start a new conversation? I have (hopefully) a failry straight-forward question about a My Space add-on and I want to know how to do it.

You've just started a new question ...

Now what seems to be the problem

I've got a list of sayings - I want to be able to grab one at random from the list and display it on my homepage..... Any ideas?

Hmm, personally I've no idea, but I'll grab a guru (technical wizard on H2G2) and see if we can get you an answer...

whisky

Cheers

I am absolutely useless in HTML programming - any ideas on where I can learn this stuff fairly quickly??????

Yup, there are a couple of places on H2G2 you can go to learn more about it...

Firstly there's the official <./>GuideML-Clinic</.> (H2G2 uses a system called GML, which is a cut-down version of XML...) but don't let the terms frighten you, it's really quite simple when you get used to it..


A couple of tips if you see something on a page and you'd like to see how it works....

replace the A in the address with Test...


ie
My list of useful links is at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A652321
but if you wanted to see how i'd made the page up you could go
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/test652321

and for user spaces it's slightly different...

my personal space is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/U180644
but to see how I'd put it together, replace the U with testuserpage..
ie
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/testuserpage180644

hope that helps a little


whisky

Oh, and I found another little page for you...

Have a look at A690518


whisky

Hello Mr Inertia

What you want to do, if I understand you right, is fairly simple using javascript but h2g2 does not allow users to use javascript for security reasons. It cannot be done with vanilla-flavoured HTML. Sorry.

Amy the Ant

What about any other flavour....?

It only comes in two flavours: vanilla and javascript ripple.

So will it work in javascript ripple then?

Yes in theory, but not on h2g2 because the bbc will not allow h2g2 researchers to use javascript. It's a security thing.

So, how would I write it in GuideML then? Please help
I can't take this any more!!!
I thought it would be fairly straight-forward thing to do! Obviously not

GuideML is just an in-house form of HTML. You cannot do the thing you want to do on your User Space or any other h2g2 page. Sorry.

Oh well. Never mind then - although there is a random quote generator listed on here somewhere - I've tried to use the code - I've also let the author know it doesn't work properly and I'm waiting for a reply - will let you know

The gadgets currently available are


* - Enable Researchers to post to specific Forums or Conversations.
* - Drop-down menus of entries, Researchers or websites.
* - Link to the Conversations popup window.
* - Drop-down menus of h2g2 volunteers.
* - Link to the Who's Online popup window.
* - Jim's conversation gadget.

See <./>GuideML-Clinic</.> and <./>GuideML-Gadgets</.>

Click on the link near the top of my User Space (U135642) to see how Jim's Conversation Gadget works.

There might well have been code for a random quote generator, but it would have come from a long time ago, when we used to allow scripting in Guide Entries. We've since turned off all scripting for security reasons, so if something doesn't exist as a gadget, you can't do it on your user page.

If I do a given list (like the item-list) and then generate a random number (questions as to how later) and place the whole lot in my instructions for the make-up of My Space, could it be done then?

If that isn't possible - can I get the normal time to display on my homepage?

Random number generators and time displays both require javascript. You cannot use javascript for security reasons.

As you know, there is a campaign to have a Thingite clock gadget but we haven't got it yet.

Oh well....it was worth a try