[Zero]

Hi all,

If you had an "intelligent" customizable browser start page, what should it be able to do to help you? I mean, realistically.

[ivan.moony]

I'd pick a search engine, my documents and programs arranged through files and folders, a few shortcut links to the most used content and ultimately an answering machine capable of extracting informations from the web but this is still an overkill nowdays. I like those weather reports in a small windows too. Maybe I'd like to see also some statistical informations about my activities (like how many kilometers I've passed with my mouse or something more useful) and a number of visitors to my public web content.

[Art]

Initially, not much other than to provide you a bit of a welcome message and a Search Bar.

Then, if it is using it's intelligence gathering algorithms properly, it will start getting to know you and your likes, much like those of Amazon, Google and the other giants of the business currently do, and provide you useful content based on your past likes, choices, purchases, etc.

Sing to yourself, the old song..."Getting to know you...getting to know all about you..."

[8pla.net]

Be the brain to a robot body.

[Data]

It's a tricky one, for me it would depend on my frame of mind.

But make sure there are no adverts on the page.   

[Zero]

Ok, no ads, I'm allergic anyway

So...
- a welcome message
- a search engine
- documents and programs arranged through files and folders
- shortcut links to the most used content
- an answering machine
- widgets (weather, visitors counters, ...etc)
- statistical informations about user's activities
- useful content based on user's past activities
- a todo list
- an outliner
- RSS?
- NO ADZZZ!!!

Wow, that's big.

[ivan.moony]

Content could be arranged through popular "tabs", so only selected content would be visible at the time. There could be a tree of tabs (nested tabs) structure. Let me show you how to do it:

Code

StartPage <- (
    WelcomeMessage,
    Go <- (
        SearchEngine |
        ArangedContent <- (
            ProgramsAndDocuments |
            Shortcuts
        )
    ) |
    Info <- (
        RSS |
        AnsweringMachine |
        Widgets <- (
            Weather,
            VisitorCounters,
            UserActivitiesStats
        )
    ),
    Notes <- (
        TodoList,
        Outliner
    )
)

Items delimited by a comma would be all visible at the time, while items delimited by "|" would be visible just one at the time, selectable by tabs.

So at the top level, only these would be visible:
* WelcomeMessage,
* Go (and what's selected below it),
* Info (and what's selected below it),
* Notes (and what's selected below it)

And you might even find a place for adds, but I suggest only when the questionmark is clicked. You know, adds could be a valuable source of informations and other content, when required to see them.

I thought you'd never ask

[Zero]

hooooo yes, very nice idea ivan.moony

Would we choose the number of rows and columns for each space?

EDIT: The "intelligent" part could be its ability to present things according to their priority. Say, if you have an item in your todo list for today, it should be visible before RSS feeds. But if you have nothing special to do, then things less important would be visible first. In fact, all data should be prioritized to fit user's will.
I guess that this priority thing would be the "welcome" part, like "hey, welcome back! don't forget it's your wife's birthday yesterday! Here are the news : Tyler-bot is raising funds to buy a new brain!"

[ivan.moony]

That could be a grid, north-east-center-west-south layout, or simply a draggable splitter. You drag a splitter from the south or from the west to open a new area. But I dont know, It seems that the less is better, I wouldn't complicate too much.

Edit: so, it would be a planner too? Nice idea with priority, I'm copying it for my future project...

[DemonRaven]

A star page should grab your interest right away and let you know what it is all about.  I believe in this philosophy- keep it simple stupid. lol. I try to keep things simple as possible lol.

[Zero]

I agree, keep it simple (and stupid like me)

I think the layout is the most important thing. Since I don't want to re-invent wheels, I'm looking for a good layout manager.

Golden Layout looks good to me... very familiar, hence very simple.

With this...

Code

var config = {
  content: [{
    type: 'row',
    content: [
        {
        type:'component',
        componentName: 'example',
        componentState: { text: 'Component 1' }
        },
      {
        type:'component',
        componentName: 'example',
        componentState: { text: 'Component 2' }
        },
      {
        type:'component',
        componentName: 'example',
        componentState: { text: 'Component 3' }
        }
    ]
  }]
};

... you get this: https://golden-layout.com/examples/

So, it may be a good start.

[DemonRaven]

It is just a saying i was not implying that you were stupid. It is from a group i go to. It means that we have a tendency to over complicate things to the poin where you wanna go get plowed.

[Zero]

=>  i was not implying that you were stupid

I know you wasn't, it's ok I was just kickin' my own *ss!


What do you think about Golden Layout? It's a bit slow, but it looks easy...

[DemonRaven]

I like the code it does look simple. Some website coding is so complicated that i pull out my hair trying to learn it.

[Zero]

You're right, these things are supposed to be simple, not hair-killers.

I just found out that you can always drag tabs in Golden Layout. It's very nice!