Vine Type Content Management with Standards in Mind

03 Mar 2007

Vine Type 2.0 Now Available

Vine Type 2.0 is ready for immediate download. Version 2 of Vine Type is a .NET version 2 application. There are several changes, most notably a performance improvement by caching Ma.gnolia lists locally and updating them only once each hour.

Version 2

New requirement: .NET Framework 2.0 required. Vine Type 1.5 is the final Vine Type release supporting .NET Framework 1.1

  • fixed: removed spaces that often appeared in text entry boxes.
  • fixed: problem with non en-US cultures when calculating comment expiration
  • changed: XML file schema change. All references to "writeback" replaced with "comment." If upgrading from v1.x to v2.0 you must replace-all instances of "writeback" to "comment" in the following files
    • site.xml, site.xsl
    • wb.xml, wb.xsl
    • all template (.html) files in the vinetype folder
    • vinetype.config
    • your css files
      Only if you are upgrading from a v1 Vine Type website, do the following:
    • back up your files (copy to a different location or send the vinetype folder to a zip file)
    • open each xml, xsl, html template and vinetype.config file in a text editor
    • find and replace every occurence of writeback with comment
    • save the file
  • changed: article summaries no longer show images for better summary experience
  • added: ma.gnolia caching
  • added: new, better, statistics-gathering, snippet-showing, keyword-emphasizing search results.
  • added: $label_searchresult (vinetype.config)
  • added: $label_searchresults_matches (vinetype.config)
  • added: Alternating article style option with these two variables
    • $comment_alts (vinetype.config)
    • $_commentalt (template file)
  • added: Alternating article style option with these two variables
    • $article_alts (vinetype.config)
    • $_artalt (template file)
15 Oct 2006

Vine Type 1.5 Now Available

Vine Type Version 1.5 is Now Available for download.

With this release, Vine Type brings some exciting new features -- integration with two of the most beloved social networking websites around: Ma.gnolia and Flickr.

Ma.gnolia is the rising star among several social bookmarking websites. I am impressed with the quality and features Ma.gnolia provides via programming interfaces. With only two configuration entries, Vine Type users can easily add bookmark lists to their web sites.

Flickr, if you haven't heard, is the shining star in online photo sharing. Vine Type makes adding Flickr photos to web sites easy. After adding a few configuration file entries and template file variables, your Flickr photos are easily displayed in one of several different ways.

Version 1.5

  1. Fixed

    • Additional fixes to keep Vine Type on correct section when adding or updating an article
    • Occasional XML-not-well-formed error when searching with summaries on
    • ATOM10 and RSS20 feeds now deeply link articles

  2. Added

    • Flickr Support
    • Ma.gnolia Support
    • over 20 new more specific template variables for
      • article_posted time
      • article_updated time
      • comment added time
    • two new template variables that remove previous dependency on default.aspx
      • $_aspx
      • $_aspx_section

  3. Upgrade Instructions

    • replace vinetype.dll
    • in your template files
      • replace action="default.aspx" with action="$_aspx_section"
      • replace any remaining occurrences of default.aspx with $_aspx
    • refresh your browser
25 Sep 2006

Vine Type 1.4 Now Available

Vine Type Version 1.4 is Now Available for download.

Version 1.4

  1. Fixed

    • When adding or updating an article, Vine Type now stays on correct section

  2. Added

    • Gravatar Support

  3. Upgrade Instructions

    • replace vinetype.dll
    • refresh your browser
07 Sep 2006

Vine Type 1.3 Now Available

Vine Type Version 1.3 is Now Available for download.

Version 1.3

  1. Fixed

    • improved section selection for Atom 1.0 Partial website Syndication
    • duplicate vinetype.config entries no longer generate yellow screen of death
    • template variable expansion algorithm improvement

  2. Added

    • RSS 2.0 comment Syndication (single article) default.aspx?feed=rss20wb&id=nn
    • RSS 2.0 Partial Website Syndication (section articles) default.aspx?feed=rss20&section=sssss
    • Random template variables. That is variables that generate random numbers

  3. Upgrade Instructions

    • Replace vinetype.dll file
    • Refresh your browser
31 Aug 2006

Vine Type 1.2 Now Available

Vine Type Version 1.2 is Now Available for download.

Version 1.2

  1. Fixed

    • generated section ids no longer contain spaces

  2. Added

    • Atom 1.0 Syndication (all articles) default.aspx?feed=atom10
    • Atom 1.0 comment Syndication (all comments) default.aspx?feed=atom10wb
    • Atom 1.0 comment Syndication (single article) default.aspx?feed=atom10wb&id=nn
    • Atom 1.0 Partial Website Syndication (section articles) default.aspx?feed=atom10&section=sssss

  3. Upgrade Instructions

    • Add $rss_author_name entry to your vinetype.config file
    • Replace vinetype.dll file
    • Refresh your browser
17 Aug 2006

Vine Type 1.1 Now Available

Vine Type Version 1.1 is Now Available for download.

Version 1.1

  1. Fixed

    • Removed extraneous empty UL element in site map that caused an XHTML 1.1 validation error
    • Added code to ensure that cross-referenced articles are referenced only once in Google Site Map
    • Automatically trim whitespace around section names and cross-references when adding or editing an article
    • Fixed problem with $_site_map that caused cross-referenced articles to appear only once in the site map

  2. Added

    • Added guid element to RSS20 feed so it validates
    • Automatically attempt to convert relative paths in articles to absolute paths when serving up RSS20 feed

    • Added new CSS ids and classes to the $_section widget.

      After upgrading to 1.1, you may need to adjust your CSS to add a class reference for sectionowner. Top-level-section List (LI) elements will receive the listowner class rather than the section class when the user selects a subsection (second-tier) or below page. Websites with only top-level sections are unaffected.

  3. Removed

    • Removed the 00001_rusty template from vinetype.zip file
    • Deprecated the $rss_urlvinetype.config variable - Vine Type will figure out your URL

  4. Changed

    • Adjusted default.css to accommodate change to $_section widget (see below)

  5. Upgrade Instructions

    • Replace vinetype.dll file
    • Refresh your browser
    • Adjust CSS adding definitions for class sectionowner if both the following are true:
      1. your site uses the $_section widget in a template file and
      2. your site contains second-tier subsections
15 Jul 2006

Design a Site. Help a Child.

Hi everyone. This is Carl Camera, maker of Vine Type. I'm very happy to release Vine Type 1.0. What is most exciting for me is that I get to announce that half of proceeds from Vine Type Pro will be given to charities that help the children of Guatemala.

A promotional ad: Design a Site. Help a Child. 50% of Vine Type proceeds will benefit the children of Guatemala.

Vine Type is a passion of mine. I'm very happy to provide a content management system built with web standards in mind. As much as I like being a champion of web standards, I'd like even more to be a champion for the children of Guatemala. This tiny country in Central America is still recovering from war and natural disasters. The needs are great and I am looking forward to assisting as I can the children and that nation.

That is why I am more than happy to give 50% of all gross proceeds of Vine Type Pro to charities assisting the children of Guatemala. So by supporting Vine Type, you'll also be supporting those children as well.

Still Free

Vine Type has been, and will remain, a free-for-personal-use product. Along with the release of Vine Type Personal version 1, I am also releasing Vine Type Pro version 1 for commercial use.

Affordable for Commercial Use Too

Now for US$20 you can have Vine Type manage your commercial websites as well. The products are identical except for the addition of support for Google Site Maps in the Pro version.

Thanks!

I'd like to thank the many folks who have downloaded prerelease versions of Vine Type and helped me to improve Vine Type. Keep the emails coming. Keep posting your questions to the forum as AspAdvice. I'll help to the best of my abilities to assist you.

15 Jul 2006

Vine Type 1.0 Now Available

Vine Type Version 1.0 is Now Available for download.

Version 1.0

  1. Fixed

    • Fixed improper reading of extended/international characters in vinetype.config file
    • Fixed conditional comment in default.html and alternate.html to apply behaviors only to IE6 and earlier

  2. Added

    • Added alternate file layout option to support hosting companies that do not provide file access below web root
    • Logon governor
    • New $website_tagline added to template files

  3. Rearranged

    • Rearranged directory structure to better handle additional templates
      1. removed images directory
      2. removed styles directory
      3. added templates directory
      4. created template subdirectories for default and alternate templates (now called steely and rusty)
    • this led to changes in the template files and css files

  4. Upgrade Instructions

    • replace vinetype.dll file
    • refresh your browser
25 Apr 2006

Vine Type Now Supports GoDaddy

Vine Type Version 0.99c is Now Available for download.

This version supports a new feature that allows placement of all Vine Type files and folders within the web space. This is a restriction for some hosting companies, such as GoDaddy.

Standard placement of files and folders is preferred as this places the vinetype.config file and the fonts folder outside of the web space.

The Alternate placement is also secure for the following reasons:

  1. The Microsoft web server (IIS) will not transfer any data from a file with a .config extension. This protects your password from being viewed by internet visitors.
  2. Vine Type requires that the vinetype folder be renamed to a name that is at least twenty characters in length. Making the name of your vinetype folder something difficult to guess (I suggest random letters and numbers) will protect your vinetype XML (data) files and font files.

Keep in mind protecting font files may be a part of your purchase agreement with the font vendor.

The difficult-to-guess minimum-twenty-characters folder name must be placed into a new vinetype.config file entry called $vinetype_folder. If this entry is absent, commented out, or blank, Vine Type will look for your vinetype folder at the same level as your web root as shown in the Preferred File Placement diagram below.

Comparison of file placement options

The preferred file layout is the way the Vine Type zip file is transferred: the vinetype and www (your web server's web root folder) are at the same level. This places the vinetype.config file completely outside of the web space. In this configuration, the vinetype folder must be named vinetype.

The new alternate file placement moves the vinetype.config to the web root, and moves the vinetype folder into the web space at the same level as the bin, behaviors, images, and other folders. The vinetype folder must be renamed in this configuration to something at least twenty characters long. That long name is then copied into a new vinetype.config setting entry.

Version 0.99c

  1. Added

    • Added alternate file layout option to support hosting companies that do not provide file access below web root.

  2. Upgrade Instructions

    • replace vinetype.dll in bin directory
    • refresh browser
01 Apr 2006

Vine Type 0.99 Now Available

Vine Type Version 0.99 is Now Available for download.

Version 0.99

  1. Fixed

    • Removed URL cruft from site map
    • Enhanced comment URL validation
    • Vine Type now automatically prepends http:// to comment URL when not typed in by comment author

  2. Added

    • Added ViPR: Vine Type Inline PNG Replacement feature
    • Added ability to prepopulate the find/search text box via new variable $findbox_text (required for AAA accessibility)
    • Added $comment_nofollow configuration variable. when set to anything but off, rel="nofollow" will be added to all comment links

  3. Removed

    • Removed template links to W3C, 508 and AAA validation.
    • Removed automatic linking around $commentwebsite (see upgrade instructions.)

    • Removed all visible English from template files. Created multiple user variables starting with $my_

      this allows all translation to be done via the vinetype.config file

  4. Upgrade Instructions

    • replace vinetype.dll in bin directory
    • refresh browser
    • if your template file has this in the comment section:

    <a href="$_commentwebsite">$_commentname</a>

    • replace all of that with

    $commentnamelinked

26 Mar 2006

Vine Type 0.99 Coming Soon

Recent visitors to Vine Type may have noticed a slight change in the site. Specifically, the article headings are appearing in a new and exciting manner.

Designers accustomed to the same old fonts are going to be pleased with a new Vine Type feature about to hit the streets. It's called ViPR - Vine Type Inline PNG Replacement.

Simple 13-Step Installation

With ViPR, Vine Type sites will be able to display just about any font in any color against any background, including transparent backgrounds. Sounds complicated, I know, but here are the simple thirteen steps you need to perform after installing the upcoming 0.99 release of Vine Type

  1. Copy an OpenType or TrueType font to a special folder on the web server
  2. Add two lines to your vinetype.config file
  3. I was just kidding. There are only two steps!

The font doesn't need to be installed on the webserver's operating system. The font doesn't even have to be installed on your computer's operating system.

Exceptional User Experience

If that isn't enough to get excited about, there are no browser requirements. No Flash. No Javascript. No Plug-Ins Add-Ins or Third-Party Apps required. Headings are converted to PNG images that can be displayed natively by just about every browser on the planet. And for IE5 that doesn't (normally) display transparent PNGs -- Vine Type automatically feeds additional code to IE5 so that it does support PNG transparency.

All these headings are generated on-the-fly from the article titles defined within Vine Type. No hard drive space is utilized -- the images are generated in the web server's RAM and streamed directly back to your browser.

What's The Hold Up?

I've been communicating with Ray Larabie of Larabie Fonts to bundle a font within Vine Type. Once the details are finalized, I'll be releasing the next version.

What Is That Font, Anyway?

The font appearing on this website, by the way, is Cambria. Check out a couple of the more daring ViPR installations -- Vine Branches is using a font called Two By Four for a drafting-table feel and I Am A Camera sports Concurso Italian.

02 Jan 2006

Vine Type 0.98 Now Available

Vine Type Version 0.98 is Now Available for download.

Version 0.98

  1. Fixed

    • extended characters do not appear in headings and sections
    • url cruft begone

  2. Added Features

    • comment rss feed
    • comment delete
    • comment sequence numbers
    • site map
    • nav map

  3. Upgrade Instructions

    • replace vinetype.dll in bin directory
    • refresh browser
07 Dec 2005

AspAdvice Hosts Vine Type Community

Steven Smith and the folks at DevAdvice have provided space for the Vine Type Community. AspAdvice now replaces the old Vine Type community site and becomes the Official Vine Type Community site.

So for feedback, hints and tips, and product suggestions, join the Vine Type Community at AspAdvice.com.

And be sure to subscribe to the Vine Type Community RSS feed as well.

27 Nov 2005

Vine Type 0.97 Now Available

Vine Type Version 0.97 Now Available for download.

Version 0.97

  1. Fixed

    • comment form does not appear during initial installation
    • the default "home" link is not click-able when viewing individual articles, search results, or archive pages.
    • the wrong comment template is occasionally displayed when using more than one template on a site.

  2. Added Features

    • recent articles
    • recent article headlines

  3. Upgrading from 0.96

    1. replace the vinetype.dll file on your server with the one from the vinetype-0.97.zip file
    2. replace the default.html file on your server with the one from the vinetype-0.97.zip file [see note]
    3. refresh your browser

[note] Step 2 adds the following two lines immediately after the line containing the text: $_article

$_comments
$_comment_form

If you've altered your default.html file and you want the comment feature, you can add these two lines manually without overwriting your default.html file.

download

Visit the Download Area to test drive the standard in standards compliance.

upgrade

Add professional features to your Vine Type site by purchasing a Vine Type Pro license.

feedback

Discuss Vine Type or pose questions at the official Vine Type Forum hosted by ASP Advice.

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