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Responsive site -- my plan

Started by Biology Forums, May 06, 2014, 11:59:35 AM

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Biology Forums

I'm planning to create a responsive website for one of my websites to deal with smaller screens, such as those found on mobile phones. Please critique my plan.

1) Create a subdomain with http://m.mydomain.com

2) In the subdomain, add a fresh install of SMF.

3) Direct database settings in settings.php to the main forum so to access database content.

4) Replace all Source files in subdomain with the Source files of the actual domain to gain various functionality.

5) Create the main theme in the subdomain that will cater to smaller screens.

6) When someone accesses the website, a code will automatically redirect the user to the mobile version of the site.

Does this plan work?

Antes

Actually its not called responsive but mobile theme. Responsive theme mostly done via CSS only.


Antes

You can also check what we are doing with SMF2.1 here: http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=520692.0 (you can follow the link to see examples :))

NanoSector

Why create two installs to begin with?
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Arantor

Aside from the fact it wouldn't work anyway because there are all kinds of things set up in the database that are implicitly bound to one install (like paths to things) and it would get upset if you tried to do anything else.

The best way to do it is to splice in limited multi-domain support but that's a complex and nasty set of changes and no I'm not willing to discuss it beyond the generalities; the changes are not for the faint of heart and I will not be responsible for the outfall for it.

live627


Arantor

That wouldn't address the m.domain.com aspect the OP asked about, as in having a dedicated mobile domain.

Kindred

yeah... I was going to say almost exactly the same thing as Arantor did... but not quite as technical. :)


Basically -- don't do it.

the whole m.domain thing is going away anyway - most folks are just doing it right on the main domain (either a detection which displays a mobile theme or the really correct way which is to have a responsive theme that correctly resizes, etc on smaller device screens - all within the same theme
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Bloc

Responsive isn't the whole solution - what should a theme do when the phone have a resolution of 1280x720? Its still a phone with all its needs, but the responsive css will treat it as a typical laptop/desktop size(assuming the breakpoint is around 960-1024).

Dragooon

Quote from: Colby67 on May 07, 2014, 02:10:24 AM
Responsive isn't the whole solution - what should a theme do when the phone have a resolution of 1280x720? Its still a phone with all its needs, but the responsive css will treat it as a typical laptop/desktop size(assuming the breakpoint is around 960-1024).
Not really true, responsive CSS has the ability to determine the layout based on the physical dimensions of the device, as well as scaling down high density dimensions to correspond with their screen size. Check out device-pixel-ratio as well as device-width/device-height CSS properties

Bloc

Quote from: Dragooon on May 07, 2014, 04:10:46 AM
Quote from: Colby67 on May 07, 2014, 02:10:24 AM
Responsive isn't the whole solution - what should a theme do when the phone have a resolution of 1280x720? Its still a phone with all its needs, but the responsive css will treat it as a typical laptop/desktop size(assuming the breakpoint is around 960-1024).
Not really true, responsive CSS has the ability to determine the layout based on the physical dimensions of the device, as well as scaling down high density dimensions to correspond with their screen size. Check out device-pixel-ratio as well as device-width/device-height CSS properties
Oh, I didn't know, thanks for the info.

I have seen the ratio keyword before..but mistakenly confused it with aspect ratio. :P I see now the pixel ratio is the key here in determining if the display is touch-based or not(well, mostly anyway, I still need to determine if monitors are touch-screens or not).

The alternative is to avoid regular hover/dropdown altogheter..but they are very useful in combo with a mouse still. I feel that neither desktops nor smartphones(as the main groups) should "suffer" - that a theme should offer the best for both of them. Hence the need to be certain what to use in CSS.

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