CYCLOMEDIA

Undone! So Chan is really very happy with SQLite, but my web host is not, turns out the sqlite dll's unmanaged code throws security exceptions, so back to evil Access it be. Fortunately they also provide a MySql backend, so that'll be Chan's next target, once i've built a standard DB interface layer (so the backend type is transparent) then it'll be ported into Chan and you'll be able to change your DB at the flick of an enum.

Yes it's shocking but I finally migrated this site from an MS-Access backend to an SQLite one. I started the process last autumn when putting together the Chan Blog Demo site (itself SQLite based) but moving jobs and then xmas took priority over my coding persuits.

So now Chan runs on Mono 2 and can talk to SQLite the next plan is to do both at once, as at the moment it bundles System.Data.SQLite.dll to perform the latter. Mono has SQLite 3 support built in so all that should be needed is some fiddling with build switches and #ifs, but ideally i'd like users to be able to build under either .Net or Mono and "Drop In" to the other like it does when SQLite is not involved.

The adventure continues...

AKA 0.8.0 pre-alpha or some such. This has been bursting to escape and if I wait until I've stomped on every bug we'll be here forever so instead I regressed the build number to 0.7.9 and have shoved it online.

The Changelog has a lot to say about what's new, though it's by no means complete and neither is the online reference but that will change as we near 0.8.0 proper and those bugs get squashed. The edited highlights are:

• Hosting under Mono 2.0 / Linux supported out-of-the-box
• A new SQLite driven demo site to download and tinker with
• Dedicated Integer and Decimal input controls
• A dead simple way to add tabbable-panels to your pages
• Panels that scroll, automatic Image galleries
• Now uses javascript to perform client side trickery and validation but...
• Every single feature is still 100% non-javascript compatible!

Now, go play

I've been very busy of late and there WILL be an update here soon but in the mean time here's a little something to tide you over: