ajax (or at least javascript) to update prices...

[flippinbits]

I've read where you mentioned that obtaining the price real-time is server-intensive...

Why not push that functionality down into the browser, so that it's my computer doing the work of obtaining the current price and displaying it on the screen.

Further, the "time remaining" could be implemented in javascript such that the clock ticks down constantly, but doesn't hit your servers.

-Ken

[mario]

That's true... But I don't know how to do it... My javascript skills are close to nill...

[Cupid]

Perhaps Ken could write/provide the code to do it?

I've used javascript... (don't like it much I must admit and prefer server side Java).... but I wouldn't have a clue how to write an eBay lookup of the current price using it, that involves connecting to eBay, looking up the auction and then screen scraping the current value. I could do it using server side Java, but gixen already does that quite adequately in its own way.

The counter wouldn't be too difficult though, I'm sure there are free javascript implementations of that sort of thing... I've certainly used javascript calendars and clocks.
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Mark

[Cupid]

I've just remembered why I don't like javascript... Its a nightmare to get it to work with all the different variants of browser and then all the different versions of those browsers, with different JVMs installed... witness the problems with getting the greasemonkey script to work with different browsers.

In addition many disable javascript in their browsers for security reasons, so that would have to be taken into account, otherwise many users would not be able to, or even want to, use gixen at all.

Upon reflection I think its probably a non starter.... however Ajax may address some of these issues, I've heard its good, and I know some major websites are considering its use, but I've never used it.
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Mark

[Gixen]

[nochkin]

There are too many website depending on javascript to be on.
I think less people turn it off these days (it used to be more long time ago).

Well-written javascript works on most browsers without huge nightmare

Ajax is using javascript as well. If someone disabled it, it won't really work.
In this case some websites offers two version -- with javascript and without. Which needs much more time developing and maintaining of website... You know where I'm following...

[michellekg]