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RE: Car Trader

wax — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:16:28 GMT

For thumbnails, do the same as with normal images - create them once and then serve them from disk instead of from a database or re-creating them on the fly each time. A sort of caching if you will.

RE: Car Trader

Beezer — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:25:02 GMT

OK, I'll go with the first example that proge did.

As for the images, I usually do blobs for the databases that I make. But I wonder if that'll still be the way to go with this one, because it's gonna have a lot of images in there.

And what I do for thumbnails is that I generate them on the fly through GD PHP. ImageCreateTrueColor, and then Resample to get the jagged edges out.

But I'm scared of CPU usage. How intense do you think that would be on the server?

As far as names go. This is what I have so far.
Arabic names first.
sayarat (cars) /sayarti (my car) / cazdirni (take me around)

The english ones
autobuy / autosell / autoway / autonow / onyourway / autobrowse / autoweb

Some of these are taken, but maybe they'll inspire some more creative ideas.

RE: Car Trader

wax — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:58:02 GMT

Don't even think about making tables for specific models, makes or any of the kind. Infact, run by whatever (relational) database model you come up with in here, it sounds like (I mean no offense) you have a few crossroads you could go wrong at.

As for the images, a good `best of both worlds` solution could be:

1. Store the images in the database (blob)

2. Image gets requested, you fetch it from the database and write it to disk

3. Future requests for that image get served from disk

RE: Car Trader

Beezer — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:38:25 GMT

Hrmm...I think it would be more organized though.
And I'd have the pull down system for manufacturer which then loads the pull down for model.

So the SQL query would search manid (manufacturer) and corresponding modelid table.

RE: Car Trader

proge — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:36:37 GMT

You'd find it extremely counter productive doing it like that for most sql queries especially searching.

RE: Car Trader

Beezer — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:34 GMT

Never used a relational database. But sounds like the way to go...

I was thinking of going with more than 2 tables though.
I'd have a table for all the manufacturers.

And then each manufacturer would have its own table.

Table (Manufacturer)
manid - 1
name - Ford

manid - 2
name - BMW

Then I'd have 2 extra tables.

Table (Ford)
manid - 1
modelid - 1
model - Munstang

manid - 1
modelid - 2
model - F150

Table (BMW)
manid - 2
modelid - 1
model - 316

manid - 2
modelid - 2
model - 320

What do you think? I think it would bring search results faster, less cpu, and backing up will be several smaller files. Not one big clump.

I'm also gonna have to look up how to make a database of images. Should be easy, usually I import the image right into the database so the client backup is easier. But this will have way too many images to put them in with the database, so a generic folder might possibly be the best way, renaming the file on upload to modelidmanid.jpg or whatever. What do you think?

RE: Car Trader

proge — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:59:10 GMT

you ever used a relational database?

ideally you want two tables one something like manid and manufacturer and another table with modelid,manid,model

So for example in your manufacturer table you'd have a record for each manufacturer

manid - 7
manufacturer - Ford

and in your model table a record for each model

modelid - 14
manid - 7
model - Mustang

modelid - 15
manid - 7
model - GT90

this is the best way to organise the data with the future in mind.

RE: Car Trader

Beezer — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:44:19 GMT

proge (3/4/2008)

lol

beezer that site you sent me has all car data when you view source, you could rip it from there if you want i'll try do it for ya.

I'll try and see if I can do it. Organizing this thing is gonna be a huge bitch...

RE: Car Trader

_Infernal_ — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:03:35 GMT

stadz (3/3/2008)

_Infernal_ (3/3/2008)

i'll trade ya proge

why does this not surprise me?

don't insult my horse dude!

uh..i hate no watermark funny images

RE: Car Trader

proge — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:52:30 GMT

lol

beezer that site you sent me has all car data when you view source, you could rip it from there if you want i'll try do it for ya.

RE: Car Trader

stadz — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:34:06 GMT

_Infernal_ (3/3/2008)

i'll trade ya proge

why does this not surprise me?

RE: Car Trader

_Infernal_ — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 04:19:19 GMT

i'll trade ya proge

RE: Car Trader

Beezer — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:47:43 GMT

Hrmm...yeah, I guess I could do that. Have an option to show personal contact information or allow users to contact through PM.

I have no idea how to make the PM function though. I'll worry about it when I get to it...

Anyway, this is how I'm thinking of doing the control panel/organizing things. Never done something so complex so tell me if it's right, or if there is an easier way.

A person logs in with his account. ID (XY)
He adds a new entry to the database, one of the hidden fields for this new entry is the persons ID (XY).
Now when he logs in next time, I select the enteries that contain (XY)'s ID, from that hidden field. Is that how I should do it?

RE: Car Trader

proge — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:00:34 GMT

maybe let the ad owner decide.

RE: Car Trader

godhn — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:18:41 GMT

pm with captcha?!

RE: Car Trader

Beezer — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:09:15 GMT

OK, I guess that's the best way to do it. Makes sense, I hope proge can help me out with this one...sent ya PM

For the time being, I'm gonna be focusing on the GUI. (I know, I'm doing things backwards). But just getting the general part of it done, cause that's what will need feedback the most I believe.

Now, as for contacting the seller. Should I publicly list the phone numbers, or should I create a PM function that works without signing up and emails the seller?

RE: Car Trader

godhn — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:26:33 GMT

I'd have to agree with Proge here.... rip the db from somewhere. The chances are that if you let "joe public" enter their own car models, you'll end up with many types of the same car, and that will just make searching a bitch!!

RE: Car Trader

proge — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:12:10 GMT

you could probably rip a db of cars from some other site. I think it would be easier in the long run to do it that way if you want to start making it searchable or browsable. If you find me a site with all the data you want i'll have a go a ripping it into a database for you.

RE: Car Trader

Beezer — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:35:01 GMT

Example above

RE: Car Trader

Anarchy Angel — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:05:37 GMT

ooo well prog buddy, got a stack you could lend to help a player out

RE: Car Trader

proge — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:56:19 GMT

it's a 530i man i drive a 530i

Car Trader

Beezer — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:28:30 GMT

OK, so looks like I'll have some free time coming up on this.

I'll be executing a car trader for the country of Lebanon.
Since I know jack-all about ASP and only have a Linux server (yes, I'm cheap) I'll be going the MySQL / PHP route.

This is what it will contain.
Account management where a user will add / edit / remove listings.
I know how to do the listing, just the account management to load each ones personal stuff will be something new for me.

Searching by
Model / Location / Price.

Now since there are WAY too many f'in car makes to list I was thinking that I will have people fill in
Car Make : ex. BMW
Car Model: ex. 520i

Because if I make it a drop down list, or something else...I'll be sure to miss some cars. What do you all think?

I'm hoping to make this something huge. I believe it will be...