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

You said to remind you if you hadn't got back to me within 24 hours so here I am. It was about that strange counter.

Hi - I hadn't forgotten - but I haven't heard back from h2g2 yet & I suspect they have begun the weekend there

But I've got it in my diary to chase & I've also sent a reminder email to h2g2 - so I'll keep chasing it.

Over the weekend I'll have a wade through the HTML h2g2 sends out for your page & see if I can spot what's gone wrong.

;^)#
keep reminding me btw if you don't hear back - I've got quite a few problem pages on the boil at the moment

I'm sorry if I'm being pushy, I have come across many pages with worse problems than mine.

>I'm sorry if I'm being pushy

No no - you're not - I did say to remind me & I am getting old & decrepit & forgetful

;^)#

ok, I've discovered that the code works when set to html. And here is exactly what the parser(?) says when I try and send the code as TheCounter.com quotes it:

<!-- Start of TheCounter.com Code -->

s="na";c="na";j="na";f=""+escape(document.referrer)


s=screen.width;v=navigator.appName
if (v != "Netscape") {c=screen.colorDepth}
else {c=screen.pixelDepth}
j=navigator.javaEnabled()


function pr(n) {document.write(n,"\n");}
NS2Ch=0
if (navigator.appName == "Netscape" Illegal use of Ampersand&Illegal use of Ampersand&
navigator.appVersion.charAt(0) == "2") {NS2Ch=1}
if (NS2Ch == 0) {
r="Illegal use of Ampersand&size="+s+"Illegal use of Ampersand&colors="+c+"Illegal use of Ampersand&referer="+f+"Illegal use of Ampersand&java="+j+""
pr("Attribute value must be quotedAttribute starts with illegal character<\/A>")}
Bad closing element SCRIPT expecting IMG
Attribute value must be quotedBad closing element A expecting IMG

<!-- End of TheCounter.com Code -->

You need to put a
"<!-- " after each tag & a " -->" before each (don't include the "s but do include the space) then the parser will know that what it is looking at is javascript & not think it's GuideML (the & character is illegal in GuideML - if you need to include one you chould use &amp; instead - it will display as &amp. Also the <!-- & --> pair will mean that your page doesn't blow up non javascript browsers.

I can't work out what's going on with your counter - I had it working in GuideML then suddenly it stopped working & won't display at all even though I hadn't changed the code.

The code that was working is shown here http://www.h2g2.com/A359110 .

Though the same code (shown in the large textarea) works fine when I use it here http://www.h2g2.com/A359219 if I use my counter id number (but this page doesn't display the counter at all if I use your counter id number) - maybe it's something to do with the ownership of the counter. Weird!

hope it helps
;^)#

it obviously likes you

Maybe if I get a new counter from them it might work.

You might like to try the code shown at http://www.h2g2.com/A359110 - maybe it'll work for you.

;^)#
Bedtime for Bruces - I'll check back tomorrow(later today actually)

I have tried that code, with no success. It simply doesn't show the counter.
Good Night.

There used to be a way of telling the parser just to send it straight to the browser. Is that still a valid tag, and what it is?

The only way to get javascript past the parser is to use the comment delimiters <!-- & --> that's basically the reason they exist

;^)#

When I got the code for your page from h2g2 it didn't conatin the counter.com code - have you given up on it - I notice you've added a counter from http://counter.mycomputer.com/

;^)#

I haven't given up I have merely put one up until someone figures out what's going on ! Which leads me on to my next question, 'Illegal use of Ampersand' what do I do? Someone told me to put %34 is this right? I will try it anyway.

To put an & on a page use &amp; - the ; is important btw

;^)#

Ok I've decided now that all browsers are jinxed against me! This is the code I can't get to work. Could you try and sort it out so it will work? PLeeease???? ;-)

Hi This works for me You can see it here http://www.h2g2.com/A368084 - the page type is GuideML hope it helps ;^)#

WOO HOO!!!! I've finally got a counter on my page. Yhank you evry much!!!!
have a fish
Will

No worries - anytime

;^)#