Flow Charts vs HTML?

[Andrew]

Hi,

I look after a genealogy web site for my father that has multiple
Descendant Reports. An example can be seen at:

http://www.strong-family.org/foster/chapter_2.html

My father puts these together with software called Reunion (Mac) and
outputs the charts as images.

My question: I would like to produce these with CSS / HTML so search
engines can pick up the names but I would like to maintain the general
look of the image: ie coloured div boxes that are linked in the
correct order. But how?

Does anybody have some ideas about this?

Thanks for any assistance,

Andrew

 

[Andy Dingley]

Does anybody have some ideas about this?

Best way is to use SVG. Works beautifully, but there's a chunky
learning curve. One day I plan to write some export filters for some of
the genealogy tools.

To see what can be done with pure HTML tools though, read Scott
McCloud's old comics site and read the source code.

 

[Brian Cryer]

Best way is to use SVG. Works beautifully, but there's a chunky
learning curve. One day I plan to write some export filters for some of
the genealogy tools.

To see what can be done with pure HTML tools though, read Scott
McCloud's old comics site and read the source code.

Much as I am a fan of SVG (I really am, I use it a lot), I'm aware that
support for it in browsers isn't good. I know Firefox is supposed to support
it natively, but IE users have to download a plug-in in order to view SVG.
The Adobe SVG viewer was popular, but Adobe are pulling it from the website
come the end of the year (presumably because now they have bought Flash they
don't need a rival technology).

Also, and back on topic, is there any evidence that search engines (i.e.
google) will actually read svg? I'm certain that you won't find an svg file
being returned in the search results. I think that requirement was implied
in the original post.

 

[Andrew]

snip >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Also, and back on topic, is there any evidence that search engines (i.e.
google) will actually read svg? I'm certain that you won't find an svg file
being returned in the search results. I think that requirement was implied
in the original post.

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your thoughts. I guess I sounded more than a little
mercenary when I was hunting for search engine indexing of names in
genealogy records This is important to most family history sites
but as well if these records are placed as images any browser or
person who cannot see images loses access to the information contained
within them.

Could there be a case that these records are actually tabular data?
An HTML table would probably be more straightfoward than wrestling
with svg or grappling with increasingly bloated css.

Thanks again,

Andrew

 

[Brian Cryer]

snip >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Hi Brian,

Thanks for your thoughts. I guess I sounded more than a little
mercenary when I was hunting for search engine indexing of names in
genealogy records This is important to most family history sites
but as well if these records are placed as images any browser or
person who cannot see images loses access to the information contained
within them.

I think you are being a little hard on yourself. It isn't "mercenary" to
want search engines to pick up the text. I can see why you would want it.
Quite a reasonable requirement.

Could there be a case that these records are actually tabular data?
An HTML table would probably be more straightfoward than wrestling
with svg or grappling with increasingly bloated css.

Tables or lists may well prove to be the easiest way forward. I suspect the
difficulty is to use a table or list AND preserve the relationship between
family groups.

I'm sure you could structure the information in a table and format it so it
looks like a family tree - but it might be ugly to create and purists here
would turn away in disgust.

I suspect a list, and css might be a better way, but you could spend days
playing with different layout options.

When you do come up with something please let me know. I'd love to see it.

 

[Nikita the Spider]

Hi,

I look after a genealogy web site for my father that has multiple
Descendant Reports. An example can be seen at:

http://www.strong-family.org/foster/chapter_2.html

My father puts these together with software called Reunion (Mac) and
outputs the charts as images.

My question: I would like to produce these with CSS / HTML so search
engines can pick up the names but I would like to maintain the general
look of the image: ie coloured div boxes that are linked in the
correct order. But how?

Does anybody have some ideas about this?

There's a whole sourceforge project dedicated to putting genealogy
charts on the Web (http://www.phpgedview.net/) which is a good
indication that there's a lot to this project. I'm not trying to
discourage you from trying this on your own, just suggesting a different
avenue.

Good luck with whatever you pursue.