It’s Alive

My very first Python project is up and running at http://www.gsf.co.za. If you’ve been following my posts you would know that when I started less that two month ago I knew nothing about Python other than the name and that it was a programming language and a snake :)

Some of the frameworks that I used:

  1. Django (Python web framework).
  2. TinyMCE (Javascript).
  3. Lightbox (Javascript).
  4. Prototype (Javascript, used by Lightbox)
  5. Scriptaculous (Javascript, also used by Lightbox)
  6. HV Menu (Javascript).

The main part of the system is being able to create “pages” with a WYSIWYG editor on the fly, being able to add “products” to those pages and link the “pages” to a menu item. Each product has a thumbnail and a larger image representative which is then shown with the Lightbox framework with some cool effects.

The menu items can be configured in a hierarchy as well as being able assign them to a parent to end up with menu items that can have children etc. The menu has a “Template Tag” which then generated the Javascript needed to show it in the browser.

Some of the Django internals that I used were:

  1. Syndication framework for my RSS feeds.
  2. Sitemap framework for my sitemap which is used by the search engines.
  3. As well as all that basic base stuff.

The project is hosted at Webfaction with a PostgreSQL database. So have a look and drop a comment here and tell me what you think.

7 Responses to “It’s Alive”

  1. 10 Jul 2007 at 5:56 am tredinertok
    Reply

    Hello

    Very interesting information! Thanks!

    G’night

  2. 17 Jul 2007 at 7:09 am Ani
    Reply

    Hi
    Can you tell me more about this?

  3. 17 Jul 2007 at 7:21 am Christopher
    Reply

    Hi Ani,

    Not exactly sure what it is you want to know but here is how it all fits together. To completely understand this you need to have basic understanding of Django.

    The bulk of the site has an application that contains Page, Product and Menu classes for it’s model. The way these fit together is that you can create a page (with an HTML editor) and link multiple “products” (or just images) to it. You can then also create a menu item and link the created page to that menu item.

    The menu item can also link to external URLs so that you are not limited and can easily link it to other Django applications or static pages etc. That is how the news and competition applications work on GSF (http://www.gsf.co.za/).

    The products when being generated to be displayed, generates the HTML necessary for Lightbox to work (cool image effects).

    I also used TemplateTags to create a custom tag to generate the Javascript based Menu used on the site.

    Hope that helps :)

  4. 8 Sep 2007 at 5:30 am sopitikoj
    Reply

    Hi

    Nice site and information made available is great.

    G’night

  5. 4 Nov 2007 at 12:17 pm Riz
    Reply

    Hi
    I was trying to solve a problem with using lightbox and hv menu in one page, and came across this thread. You have done it like how I wanted it, which is have the hv menu below when lightbox is activated. Currently I have the menu still hovering above the lightbox.

    This is the page: http://www.rizsedek.com/pixel_pfolio.html

    Will you help me on this please? I’m really a novice at this. :)

  6. 9 Nov 2007 at 4:12 pm Christopher
    Reply

    Hi Riz,

    Went to your page. The HVMenu has a “var Ztop=0;” I’ve set mine to 0.

    Cheers.

  7. 9 Nov 2007 at 4:25 pm Riz
    Reply

    Hi Chris,
    Yup it’s working now, thanks for the reply. :)
    Enjoy your weekends.

    Cheers, Riz


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