How does the DiggBar work?

Asked 10/4, 2009 at 4:47 Answered 6/12, 2009 at 11:54

I'm trying to make an ASP.NET MVC DiggBar clone just for learning purposes and does anyone have a suggestion on how to specify the url of the content for the lower frame? How would you go about constructing that in MVC?

Also, I know that it is an iFrame, but how do they position it so regardless of scrolling it stays positioned at the top? Is it CSS magic?

alt text

Edit: I'm not interested in whether or not you like them. I am not putting one into production and I'm not asking for whether they are good design or not. I simply ~want~ to make one.

I find the DiggBar useful and I like it. Hell, you can turn it off in two clicks! Similarly, reddit has a reddit bar which is opt-in (probably better approach).

Wetterhorn answered 10/4, 2009 at 4:47 Comment(4)

(Added as a comment, instead of an answer.) Please, please do not make a DiggBar clone. Frames are an abomination to the web experience. You will end up pissing off a lot of your end users. Here's an example: daringfireball.net/2009/04/how_to_block_the_diggbar – Khotan 10/4, 2009 at 4:56

that is your opinion. i like the diggbar i think it is great! You can close it with a single click and get your full link if you want. No one asked how to block it. – Nonflammable 10/4, 2009 at 5:28

In one tab, you're reading a thread on Reddit about how much people hate the DiggBar. In the other, you're watching Hardball. So... There's that. – Turpentine 10/4, 2009 at 5:44

@Tyson, I was watching Christopher Hitchens destroy some Christian in a debate on Hardball. – Wetterhorn 10/4, 2009 at 22:41

The basic html is:

<html>
<head>
  <style type="text/css">
    #toolbar {position: fixed; top: 0; height: 40px; width: 100%; ... }
    #page {width: 100%; height: 100%;}
  </style>
</head>
<div id="toolbar">
  All your toolbar stuff here.
</div>
<iframe id="page" name="page" src="http://url.to/page" frameborder="0" noresize="noresize"></iframe>
</html>

You would have a slug on your own URLs that maps to the page's URL, e.g.
d1oKo3 => http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7991708.stm

All your view would have to do is look up the mapping and put the page's URL into the iframe's src. Just make sure you have a way for users to opt out, as some people don't like this sort of toolbar.

Lutist answered 10/4, 2009 at 16:1 Comment(0)

It may well be a horrible blight on the interweb in your opinion but that wasn't what the man asked - why do you think anyone cares whether you think these tool bars should exist out there or not? no ones asking you to use em.

If you feel that they shouldn't then simply butt out and let someone else answer the question. After all if they really are so unpopular folk will vote with thier mice and go elsewhere and the sites that deploy them will dwindle to nothing. Thats whats so great about the web, it doesn't need impotent geeks dictating whats good and whats not folk can decide for themselves.

Happy coding your way.

Jugoslavia answered 6/8, 2009 at 12:5 Comment(0)

First of all, please don't do something like that, I don't know anyone that likes those things.

Something can be kept at the top like that using the CSS:

position: fixed;

As for specifying the URL, I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. When you click on a link on digg now, the destination URL is something like this:

http://digg.com/d1oIyx

The "d1oIyx" would just be used as a primary key into a database where they're storing the URL to be loaded in the bottom iframe.

Fruin answered 10/4, 2009 at 4:53 Comment(3)

I mean, how do they dynamically specify the src of the bottom iframe. I know how they use their url shorteners. – Wetterhorn 10/4, 2009 at 5:22

I don't know what you're asking. When you click the link in my answer, it goes to their "load an external site" page, which looks up in the database which URL is associated with "d1oIyx" and then sets that as the iframe src. – Fruin 10/4, 2009 at 5:26

I agree with Chad - I HATE digg now that they have that digg bar. If I want to submit a site to StumbleUpon, Reddit, Facebook, etc., it means I submit the dumb toolbar with it (or have to go the link directly). – Herein 10/4, 2009 at 15:14

thanks , i found a solution that work ( attached ) , but how i make it full page iframe ?

working link : http://www.clalit.org/2.php?link=http://cnn.com

<?php
$link=$_GET["link"];
echo "<iframe src=\"$link\"/>";
?>

Kenaz answered 6/12, 2009 at 11:54 Comment(0)

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