Portfolio
Jeffrey Galt - Wordpress Blog
In November of 2011 we helped Jeffrey Galt launch his personal blog. "Jeffrey Galt" is a pseudonym, and the author is writing this blog without web access. The site is an example of a simple Wordpress blog, hosted by Bellanger Software, that was launched (start to finish) in a matter of hours.
90 Day Turns - AJAX Forms
In Fall 2011 we contributed to the 90 Day Turns website created by Evenpar Solutions. The site uses Wordpress with a Taxonomy plugin to create a heirarchy of vehicle makes and models. When searching or uploading, a user first chooses a vehichle Make and the Models list is updated. This functionality was implemented with AJAX so that the make/model names are in sync with unique internal database IDs. (Wordpress, PHP, Javascript, and MySQL)
Auburn University Admissions - VIT Project
In Fall 2010, we worked with designers at Evenpar Solutions on the VIT project for the Auburn University Admissions department. This website focused on Very Impressive Tigers (VIT), potential freshmen who scored high on standardized tests (e.g. 34+ ACT). The website delivers an experience customized for that particular student, connecting them to their particular college, major, and interests.
When Auburn's web site moved to load-balanced servers, we added support for PHP sessions via PDO to a MySQL database.
Flare - Free/Libre Action Roleplaying Engine
Flare is my Free/Libre Action Roleplaying Engine. It is written in C++ with SDL and works on Windows, OSX, and GNU/Linux. It is released under the GNU GPL (v3 or later) and CC-BY-SA (3.0 or later). It is a labor of love and work in progress.
I have Flare set up at GitHub for source control and distribution. The Open Game Art community has been very helpful throughout this process and they are also hosting the Flare forums.
Auburn University Library Newspaper Browse
At the library, many users want to know what kind of coverage we have for newspapers of certain areas. This new newspaper browse page allows users to check out Auburn University's newspaper collection with ease.
I've also been working on a new way to browse using Google Maps. This is done using Javascript and the Google Maps API.
The project uses a PHP script which imports the data from Voyager's database in Oracle.
Burn City Rollers Wordpress
Burn City Rollers is the local women's flat track roller derby league. I worked with them to migrate their site over to WordPress. I applied their design to the Wordpress template you see on the site (graphic design done by member "Lucy Ferocious").
I keep their website and forums locked down with regular security updates and addons. I was able to essentially eliminate spam from their forums and rescue their site when a Network Solutions security flaw affected thousands of WordPress installations.
I am also a league sponsor. Check out one of their bouts if you're in the area!
Auburn University Library Hours Calendar
The libraries at Auburn University need to maintain five different listings of their operating hours (three branches, one lab, and special collections). They needed a calendar system that was easy to maintain.
Out of the box, Google Calendar is built for events but not spans of hours (e.g. the default Google Calendar view shows event start times but not end times). But the admin interface is excellent and easy to learn. So I set out to learn the Google Calendar API to write a custom display mode specifically for handling operating hours.
Written in PHP and uses the Zend framework. I added some translation niceties (e.g. 12am is displayed as "midnight", times that span all day are listed as "Open 24 hours"). I use AJAX for fast browsing between calendar months.
Radio Wazoo Podcast Syndication
The crew over at Wazoo Productions put out a call for advice on how to promote their new podcast, Radio Wazoo. Immediately I thought about getting their podcast listed in iTunes.
iTunes relies on a specialized form of RSS to keep podcasts up to date. Someone without XML or RSS experience would be overwhelmed by trying to get it just right. So I helped set up their initial feed, then built them a form that generates iTunes <item> entries they could copy right into the feed. And, it just works! Here is a generic version of my iTunes RSS tool for all to use. Written in HTML and Javascript.
MDRL Real-Time Lab Usage and Reports
Auburn University Libraries runs a high-end lab called the Media and Digital Resource Lab for students working on demanding projects such as video editing. Previously they used a sign-in sheet to keep track of head count. With this new system, anyone can see real-time which computers are in use. The lab gets very popular when final projects are due, so students can see online whether a computer is free before making the trip to the library.
Behind the scenes there are HTML/CSV reports that show individual logins, head counts for various date ranges, bar graphs for the week, and more.
Written in PHP and MySQL. Each client machine has wget and small startup/shutdown/login/logout scripts installed. The scripts run wget to pass the new event to the MySQL server. The realtime display is done with HTML and CSS using absolute positioning for the map markers, based on coordinates for each machine (stored in the database).
Bellanger Dungeons
In 2009 I did some experimenting with 3D fabrication to make wargaming props. Bellanger Dungeons is the name of my shop over at Shapeways. The prices don't yet scale well for small individual props, but I imagine in the next few years we'll start seeing more competition and innovation in this arena.