NationStates++ | Browser Extension for NationStates

[Port blood]

Problem being I don't have much scripting knowledge so i hoped afforess had some scripts so i can study them and base it from there

edit:I'm talking about fetching data,and ordering it properly in a good overview so any effects can be documented

Most of the code for the NationStates++ server (which is where I gather and store statistics on nations) would not be useful for you. NationStates++ isn't a script, it's a full-blown NationStates emulator engine. I described it a bit here: http://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=238290

I would try learning python or another high level language that will make the task easier. Programming can be self-taught.

Seeing as you code a lot on NS and in general,I hoped you had some code snippets laying around,I know a tad coding,not python though

[Kazmr]

More than half of the current navbar's height is due to the ad. I imagine they would have to change the ad size, of course, but there would still either be a large ad on the topbar which would then be always visilbe or it would have to be somewhere else and still taking up space for content. I imagine that getting rid of it isn't really an option.

If you're concerned about size the navbar as it is could be clipped a fair bit. Cut it down to just the width of the ad and you've shaved off a fair number of pixels there. The default font size is 13px, no? Cut it to 12 and you can save a bit of height as well.

If you want to pack in more menu options, for NS++ at least, how difficult would it be to play around with the CSS or js you're already running to create a rollout/horizontal dropdown? Perhaps some of the subpoints under nation name could be under one, your three news could be as could world assembly, and maybe put the news and FAQ into one? Perhaps even a collapsable latest forum topics?

As for bootstrap, I'm well aware its very customizable and easy to implement (I've used it myself for, say, hackathons and whatnot where maybe its more about what we're doing with the back end technology rather than just the look and feel of the site), I just see enough sites with it that I personally would be able to tell

[Shadow Afforess]

New release. Mostly bugfixes.

Version 2.4.3.3

• Removed Security Notice from 2/23/2014 incident.
• Fixed RMB posting bug where form would not be accessible after 1 post, when RMB searching was disabled
• Footer appears correctly on region pages, with infinite scroll
• Fixed bug causing Firefox not to load KiwiIRC frame correctly in rare occasions
• Changed settings to show advertisments by default at admin request (can still be disabled in settings)
• Flipped placement of regional/nationstates settings in menu.
• Removed Survey Link

[Shadow Afforess]

Seeing as you code a lot on NS and in general,I hoped you had some code snippets laying around,I know a tad coding,not python though

I don't use random scripts or bits of code. I build tools that can handle various tasks. Tools like NS-API and NS-DUMPS, which transform the NS Api into java objects, and data dumps into SQL database formats. I don't do things by half-measures.

I recommend you pick up an easy language like python to expore the API. It's a good way to learn.

More than half of the current navbar's height is due to the ad. I imagine they would have to change the ad size, of course, but there would still either be a large ad on the topbar which would then be always visilbe or it would have to be somewhere else and still taking up space for content. I imagine that getting rid of it isn't really an option.

You must have a very tall vertical screen for the ads to be consuming 1/2 the vertical screen space. On 1920x1080 the "latest forum topics" extends all the way down near to the bottom. There is maybe 2 inches of free white space at the bottom. On a smaller screen I expect there would be none.

On that note, I hate the latest forum topics. Feels very spammy to me. I wish it would be removed.

If you're concerned about size the navbar as it is could be clipped a fair bit. Cut it down to just the width of the ad and you've shaved off a fair number of pixels there. The default font size is 13px, no? Cut it to 12 and you can save a bit of height as well.

It's not just about the size. The sidebar looks and feels antiqued. It uses ALL-CAPS words and a sans-serif font that makes it seem very blocky.

If you want to pack in more menu options, for NS++ at least, how difficult would it be to play around with the CSS or js you're already running to create a rollout/horizontal dropdown? Perhaps some of the subpoints under nation name could be under one, your three news could be as could world assembly, and maybe put the news and FAQ into one? Perhaps even a collapsable latest forum topics?

Maybe, but any time I change much with the sidebar I get complaints that I am killing people's pet dogs or something similar. If the admins change something it is divine and good, but if a player tweaks it, it is hell-spawn. At least that sort of reaction has been my experience.

[Kazmr]

I suppose I should have clarified that it takes up half of the total space on the sidebar when scrolling down, not at the very top of the page; the ad itself is within the <div id="panel> that contains the sidebar content. On chrome without NS++ installed at 1920x1080 resolution I'm seeing the calculated size at 194x1068 with the ad at 160x600.

What I'm saying is that the ad has to go somewhere. I imagine it'd look horrendeous in the top bar, but then you're still stuck with a large block somewhere else on the page that's already over half the height and only slightly thinner than what the current sidebar is unless you want to change ad sizes.

[Shadow Afforess]

I suppose I should have clarified that it takes up half of the total space on the sidebar when scrolling down, not at the very top of the page; the ad itself is within the <div id="panel> that contains the sidebar content. On chrome without NS++ installed at 1920x1080 resolution I'm seeing the calculated size at 194x1068 with the ad at 160x600.

What I'm saying is that the ad has to go somewhere. I imagine it'd look horrendeous in the top bar, but then you're still stuck with a large block somewhere else on the page that's already over half the height and only slightly thinner than what the current sidebar is unless you want to change ad sizes.

Plenty of sites stick ads at the top of the page and look decent -> http://www.nytimes.com/

Although I am not a fan of ads, and if the admins hold out on improving the site look and feel simply out of concern for maximizing ad revenue, something is rather wrong.

[Kazmr]

I suppose I should have clarified that it takes up half of the total space on the sidebar when scrolling down, not at the very top of the page; the ad itself is within the <div id="panel> that contains the sidebar content. On chrome without NS++ installed at 1920x1080 resolution I'm seeing the calculated size at 194x1068 with the ad at 160x600.

What I'm saying is that the ad has to go somewhere. I imagine it'd look horrendeous in the top bar, but then you're still stuck with a large block somewhere else on the page that's already over half the height and only slightly thinner than what the current sidebar is unless you want to change ad sizes.

Plenty of sites stick ads at the top of the page and look decent -> http://www.nytimes.com/

Although I am not a fan of ads, and if the admins hold out on improving the site look and feel simply out of concern for maximizing ad revenue, something is rather wrong.

I personally don't like the NYT ads up there, tbh (though I suppose it didn't stop me from subscribing; dirt cheap student rate ftw). For them I've always seen their header as emulating the masthead on a newspaper, since visually thats what it seems to do, but the ads on the web version (which replaces their tagline and a small blurb with the edition and weather: see here have always seemed a bit out of place to me. I can see there being some ways to get it cleanly up top, but I was largely responding to your argument regarding the size and how much space the infobar took up.

As it is ad is mostly hidden until you scroll down, and it can be scrolled past on longer pages. With a header you would have a few options:

1. Include the ad in the fixed header, which would limit the space a lot and would then be with you on the whole page. Probably the worst option.
2. Include it in a header that isn't fixed, with either an additional fixed header that follows the user (kind of the nytimes style or no fixed header at all.
3. Work the ad in somewhere else. Problem with this one is you still then have a big block out and your space issue isn't really that solved, just spread out since you seemed to be coming at this at first from a pixels on the screen perspective.

I don't think its a matter of maximizing ad revenue; I think its an issue of getting enough ad revenue to pay for or take the load of of the server costs. If they cared about maximizing revenue we'd have a lot more than just one sidebar ad. I imagine that any sort of new design would have to incorporate it somewhere, but it'd need a lot of consideration exactly where so that it is both in a place where they don't get dinged for hiding it but also somewhere where the new design could actually cut down on clutter and not just spread it around a bit.

[Inspired By The Novel]

If you change the UI I am going to murder my pet kangaroo.



Now then, Affy:

Code: Select all

if (document.title=="NationStates | Change Region")
{
$(".info a").click();
}

Code: Select all

window.location=$(".info a").href;


I understand the code you have to get past the Change Region page on a move, but I was wondering why either one of my codes above doesn't work in an extension. Both work from the console but neither work in an extension.

I am editing your code to write my own custom extension for defending, and would prefer to do it this way but it isn't working. Any idea why?

Thanks, one love. ♡

Submitting the change region button causes your browser to execute a POST request. You can not do a post request from the address bar, only from a form or code. Jquery lets you post with $.post(URL, formdata, callback);

I understand your Jquery, I am asking why mine doesn't work instead.

I don't want to do a POST request or do an event.preventDefault() on the move button, I want to go to the Change Region page and simulate a click or navigate to the $(".info a").href that is in the <p class="info"> you get telling you "Success! Inspired By The Novel is now located in <a href="THE LINK TO ACT ON">Unity</a>.

Go to the change region page after moving (the one you land on by default) and type

Code: Select all

$(".info a").click();

or

Code: Select all

window.location=$(".info a").href;

into your console and it takes you to the region page, but do it in an extension and it does nothing.

Why?

Also I did not know about your NS-API that is very cool and interesting, thank you!

[The Blaatschapen]

If you change the UI I am going to murder my pet kangaroo.



Now then, Affy:

Code: Select all

if (document.title=="NationStates | Change Region")
{
$(".info a").click();
}

Code: Select all

window.location=$(".info a").href;


I understand the code you have to get past the Change Region page on a move, but I was wondering why either one of my codes above doesn't work in an extension. Both work from the console but neither work in an extension.

I am editing your code to write my own custom extension for defending, and would prefer to do it this way but it isn't working. Any idea why?

Thanks, one love. ♡

Submitting the change region button causes your browser to execute a POST request. You can not do a post request from the address bar, only from a form or code. Jquery lets you post with $.post(URL, formdata, callback);

You can also do POSTs with a RESTClient (eg. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... estclient/ ), which you could argue is just a GUI for the $.post(url, formdata) thing (no callback, it just gives the response in a small window. But still, for the less tech literate ones, they can try stuff with that (as long as it stays within scripting rules here, I guess).

[Inspired By The Novel]

Or you could just use Jquery's .click() which anyone can do from their console.

Easier to understand than http request methods which may be a bit unnecessary, and those of us used to the change region page might not mind seeing it for a second before the change.

[Mr Ryan]

The footbar div hides the Submission/Preview buttons when infinite scroll is turned off.

http://i.imgur.com/8pVVTR9.png

You can see the buttons poking out just at the top on the left.

[Shadow Afforess]

Thanks Mr Ryan for pointing that out. Fixed.

Version 2.4.3.4

• Fixed bug where footer would hide submission form when infinite scroll was disabled.
• Improved error handling for recruitment campaigns

[[violet]]

any time I change much with the sidebar I get complaints that I am killing people's pet dogs or something similar. If the admins change something it is divine and good, but if a player tweaks it, it is hell-spawn.

Ha, I wish. Last time I modified a few pixels in the sidebar there were many complaints.

[Shadow Afforess]

It's the day of bug fixes. New release, because violet renamed the hyperlink "Switch to Forum View", to the more minimalist "Forum View". I approve the change, just wish my code was less horrible.

Version 2.4.3.5

• Fixed invisible RMB submission menu caused by change to NS code-change

[Fendon]

Hi there,

I'm finding that when I have NS++ enabled, I can't post on any Regional RMB. I was just wondering if there is a quick fix on this that I can initiate, or if there is a bug with the extension?

Cheers,

Dan

[The Leningrad Union]

There's no button to leave an RMB post or search for posts right now.

[Thafoo]

You can post if you switch to the forum view, but not if you're on the main region page.

On the main region page, though, you could quote someone and just delete their quote and post. That works, too.

[Enfaru]

In another thread it was mentioned at the side bar is supposed to have a Sans-serif font... according to the CSS it's supposed to be inherited from the body, so "Verdana, Tahoma, sans" however... may side bar font is displaying as Serif. Is NS++ doing something strange that I need to edit?

[Shadow Afforess]

Hi there,

I'm finding that when I have NS++ enabled, I can't post on any Regional RMB. I was just wondering if there is a quick fix on this that I can initiate, or if there is a bug with the extension?

Cheers,

Dan

There's no button to leave an RMB post or search for posts right now.

Literally fixed in the post above. Check for updates to the extension.

[Enfaru]

The quick fix is to switch to forum view and scroll to the bottom.

[Shadow Afforess]

The quick fix is to switch to forum view and scroll to the bottom.

The quick fix is to go to the addon/extensions area of your browser and force update your extensions.

[Fendon]

The quick fix is to switch to forum view and scroll to the bottom.

The quick fix is to go to the addon/extensions area of your browser and force update your extensions.

That's better. Thanks

[Enfaru]

The quick fix is to switch to forum view and scroll to the bottom.

The quick fix is to go to the addon/extensions area of your browser and force update your extensions.

No Updates found.

I'll stick to my method until an update is found.

[Darwinish Brentsylvania]

Can't post on RMB without quoting, newspapers aren't showing up, has NS++ broken down?

[Shadow Afforess]

Can't post on RMB without quoting, newspapers aren't showing up, has NS++ broken down?

Nope. What newspapers are you having problems with? I see them fine. Make sure you are on the latest version.

The quick fix is to go to the addon/extensions area of your browser and force update your extensions.

No Updates found.

I'll stick to my method until an update is found.

Latest is v2.4.3.5, I see the latest fine on all browsers. If you are on Firefox, you may need to clear your cache. Firefox loves caching addon updates for 24 hours.