surfing other sites within a page

[Bill]

My geographically separated family are currently searching real estate pages
for a house.

Using php I have set up a mysql database that we can enter urls of
interesting houses into so we can then all look at them.
To do this we need to have two browser windows open, one on the real estate
site and a smaller one below it on my php page.
To enter a url into the database means copying it from the real estate page
window and pasting it into an input box on the php page.
To view the real estate pages means doing the same in reverse - copying from
a list generated from the database and pasting it into the real estate
browser
(I have found this better than clicking on a link in that list to go to the
real estate site and then having to use the browser navigation to get back
to the php page and then click on another link)
It strikes me there has to be a smoother way of doing it.

I would welcome any suggestions (using frames if necessary) as to how I
could streamline the process I have outlined above.
There are two tasks I need to accomplish:
1. save the url to the database
2. view a url stored in the database

Ideally I would like to see a fully surfable real estate window (or frame)
above a smaller database window such that by clicking buttons within the
database window I could add the real estate url to the database when I come
across an interesting one, or by clicking on a link in the database window
open a page in the real estate window.
(By "fully surfable" I mean it is not just a matter of displaying the
contents of a real estate site within a second frame. I would like to be
able to surf through the site and/or go to other sites and so need an
independent address bar that does not take me away from the database page to
be able to do this)

TIA
B

 

[Linda]

My geographically separated family are currently searching real estate pages
for a house.

Using php I have set up a mysql database that we can enter urls of
interesting houses into so we can then all look at them.
To do this we need to have two browser windows open, one on the real estate
site and a smaller one below it on my php page.
To enter a url into the database means copying it from the real estate page
window and pasting it into an input box on the php page.
To view the real estate pages means doing the same in reverse - copying from
a list generated from the database and pasting it into the real estate
browser
(I have found this better than clicking on a link in that list to go to the
real estate site and then having to use the browser navigation to get back
to the php page and then click on another link)
It strikes me there has to be a smoother way of doing it.

I would welcome any suggestions (using frames if necessary) as to how I
could streamline the process I have outlined above.
There are two tasks I need to accomplish:
1. save the url to the database
2. view a url stored in the database

Ideally I would like to see a fully surfable real estate window (or frame)
above a smaller database window such that by clicking buttons within the
database window I could add the real estate url to the database when I come
across an interesting one, or by clicking on a link in the database window
open a page in the real estate window.
(By "fully surfable" I mean it is not just a matter of displaying the
contents of a real estate site within a second frame. I would like to be
able to surf through the site and/or go to other sites and so need an
independent address bar that does not take me away from the database page to
be able to do this)

TIA
B

There is a free service on the internet you could use called furl here's the
details :

http://www.furl.net/index.jsp

Below is an explanation I copied and pasted from their site:

Furl is a free service that saves a personal copy of any page you find on
the Web, and lets you find it again instantly by searching your archive of
pages. It's your Personal Web.
Furl offers the best ways to share the content you find on the Web, and
recommends new Web pages that may interest you. You can also search Furl to
find the best sites that other people are saving.

Furl is used for many purposes by many types of people. For travel planning.
Recipe sharing. House-hunting. Medical research. Thousands of people use
Furl every day to save, share and discover information that is important to
them.


All the best,
Linda

 

[Bill]

There is a free service on the internet you could use called furl here's

the
details :

http://www.furl.net/index.jsp

Thanks for this Linda. Furl is good at storing the urls but I have a
problem with it in that you need to click through a couple of links to get
to the page you have stored. On balance it is no more efficient than what I
have set up myself..

 

[Richard]

My geographically separated family are currently searching real estate
pages
for a house.

Using php I have set up a mysql database that we can enter urls of
interesting houses into so we can then all look at them.
To do this we need to have two browser windows open, one on the real
estate
site and a smaller one below it on my php page.
To enter a url into the database means copying it from the real estate
page
window and pasting it into an input box on the php page.
To view the real estate pages means doing the same in reverse - copying
from
a list generated from the database and pasting it into the real estate
browser
(I have found this better than clicking on a link in that list to go to
the
real estate site and then having to use the browser navigation to get
back
to the php page and then click on another link)
It strikes me there has to be a smoother way of doing it.

I would welcome any suggestions (using frames if necessary) as to how I
could streamline the process I have outlined above.
There are two tasks I need to accomplish:
1. save the url to the database
2. view a url stored in the database

Ideally I would like to see a fully surfable real estate window (or
frame)
above a smaller database window such that by clicking buttons within
the
database window I could add the real estate url to the database when I
come
across an interesting one, or by clicking on a link in the database
window
open a page in the real estate window.
(By "fully surfable" I mean it is not just a matter of displaying the
contents of a real estate site within a second frame. I would like to
be
able to surf through the site and/or go to other sites and so need an
independent address bar that does not take me away from the database
page to
be able to do this)

TIA
B

What you need is a two column layout.
Left column for the menu. Right column with an iframe.
Or go full frames.
Link the choices to the target frame and away you go.

 

[David Dorward]

To enter a url into the database means copying it from the real estate
page window and pasting it into an input box on the php page.

You could write a bookmarklet to do that for you. Visit page; activate
bookmarklet; confirm.

<a

To view the real estate pages means doing the same in reverse - copying
from a list generated from the database and pasting it into the real
estate browser
(I have found this better than clicking on a link in that list to go to
the real estate site and then having to use the browser navigation to get
back to the php page and then click on another link)
It strikes me there has to be a smoother way of doing it.

Most browsers have a facility to open new windows on request. Firefox has
the nice "Middle click to open in new tab" option.

 

[Bill]

What you need is a two column layout.
Left column for the menu. Right column with an iframe.
Or go full frames.
Link the choices to the target frame and away you go.

Thank you Richard. Frames would make a neat solution. I specified that the
right frame must be "surfable" so can you please tell me how I can display,
(or the left frame can obtain,) the url of any page surfed to in the right
frame?

Bill

 

[Bill]

You could write a bookmarklet to do that for you. Visit page; activate
bookmarklet; confirm.
<a href="javascript document
location='http://example.com/add_site.cgi?url='+escape(document.location);">AddSite</a>

Thanks for this David. I have never come across bookmarklets before. I have
looked into them now but am finding it confusing as to exactly how they work
I would be grateful if you could break the code down, explaining what each
element does in your one.

Most browsers have a facility to open new windows on request. Firefox has
the nice "Middle click to open in new tab" option

Yep - Firefox is a great browser (on my system "open in new tab" is on the
context menu opened by the right button).
I am never going to get the others who use the database to switch from IE
., but thanks for the suggestion.

Bill

 

[David Dorward]

Thanks for this David. I have never come across bookmarklets before. I
have looked into them now but am finding it confusing as to exactly how
they work I would be grateful if you could break the code down, explaining
what each element does in your one.

document.location is the URL of the document being viewed.
escape() urlencods it
So it sends the browser to
http://www.example.com/add_side.cgi?url=THE_ESCAPED_VERSION_OF_THE_CURRENT_URL.

You then read that query string parameter as normal in your server side
script.

Yep - Firefox is a great browser (on my system "open in new tab" is on the
context menu opened by the right button).
I am never going to get the others who use the database to switch from IE

Even IE has an Open Link in New Window feature on the content menu. I think
it also activates if you hold down shift when you click the link.

I'd just advocate Firefox harder; for the security implications if nothing
else.

 

[Bill]

Bill wrote:

<a href="javascript document

document.location is the URL of the document being viewed.
escape() urlencods it
So it sends the browser to
http://www.example.com/add_side.cgi?url=THE_ESCAPED_VERSION_OF_THE_CURRENT_URL.

You then read that query string parameter as normal in your server side
script.

Thanks once again David. That is very clear.
I have been working on it since I sent my earlier reply and have got the
bookmarklet triggering my php page and storing the url in the database.
It is a brilliant solution. Just what I needed

Bill