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Trial version of the new BaBar web
This page is out-of-date and is kept for historical purposes only!!!
Go to the new Web info page.
Introduction
It was announced at the October BaBar collaboration week that the new BaBar web would be installed in mid-December, but, due to delays caused by technical difficulties, the final release of the new web will now take place in late January 1999. However, a
complete and functional trial version is now available on the QMW01 server at SLAC, which has now been enabled to provide world-wide access. Details on the new web's
features; some tests you can perform on the trial version and the authorship tools; potential problems with the trial version; and some warnings about the full release of the new web
are given below.
Once the new web is installed there is no going back so it is in your best interests to put the trial version and the various tools to the test, and to send your comments and criticisms to the WebMaster via
e-mail and/or our hypernews forum.
We have already had a lot of feedback but we need more!
The new BaBar web has the following features which should make it easier to navigate around, and to find the information you require:
- A streamlined directory structure under /BFROOT/www/.
- No (or very few) broken links. (With your help we have fixed many broken links so they point to the intended URLs, but, certain formerly broken links now point to a token page in
the new web, because the intended URLs are still unknown.)
- No symbolic links within the new file structure.
- An archive web area under /BFROOT/old-www/ with the same file structure as /BFROOT/www/.
- Navigation bars on every page from which the main BaBar areas and topics relating to the page you are on are just a click away.
- A much improved search engine available from every page with the ability to search only that part of the Babar web space you are interested in.
- A sitemap for the web available from every page.
In the full release of the web there will also be:
- A subscription form on every page so you can receive e-mail when the pages you frequent are moved or updated.
Please take this opportunity to test out the trial version of the web by attempting the following tasks:
- Locate your favourite pages using the sitemap, the navigation bars, or, if necessary, the search engine. Check to see if the pages are appropriately located in the new file structure.
- Copy your bookmarks file to a safe location and use the bookmarks-changing tool on your bookmarks.html file. (A free(!)favourites-to-bookmarks two-way converter is available from Microsoft for Internet explorer users.) Check to see whether your bookmarks work for the new web.
- If you are experienced in writing HTML then create a new page by saving and editing the template web page, or, if you are inexperienced or unsure, use the example web page which contains detailed instructions.
- Copy your new page to a suitable directory under $BFROOT/doc/www/testweb/www/ on the SLAC server and wrap it with BaBar navigation bars using the page-wrapping tool.
- Review the authorship guidelines for present and future web authors.
The trial version will also undoubtably have some unforeseen and undesireable `features'. We ask you to report any such problems to the WebMaster and to bear with us as we strive to clean up any ugly artefacts produced by the web restructuring process.
For instance, certain existing pages could be:
- absent from the new web.
- wrongly located within the new file structure.
- missing navigation bars.
- ugly-looking due to the insertion of navigation bars.
- inadequately or incorrectly protected.
In late January 1999, once your feedback has been compiled and digested, the trial version of the web on QMW01 will be corrected, updated, and then copied to the main SLAC server. The old/current web will be left in place for a short period of time but
will be write-protected so that all new additions and edits must take place on pages within the new file structure. It will then be up to BaBarians to convert their bookmarks files once and for all using the conversion tool provided.
We hope to make the transition phase as quick and painless as possible. The web improvement will then be an ongoing process - carried out by the Webmaster, but requiring a great deal of cooperation from BaBar web authors - with the aim of providing a
well organized web in which information is up-to-date, easy to read and easy to find.
Page author: Mark Williams
| Last significant update: 23rd of January 1999 |
Expiry date: 1st of February 1999 |
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