Smiley Xtra
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Smiley Xtra is a free Firefox extension written by James Baker. It allows users to insert images of smilies from various websites throughout the Web into forums using ubbCode.
Contents |
[edit] The Smile Project
The Smile Project is the online database that the newer versions of Smiley Xtra get their smilies from. Smiley Xtra uses an online database with over 2000 smilies in it. Users can submit their own smilies to the database if they wish, although they are asked to abide by some simple rules and all smilies are approved prior to being added to the database. It also serves as the web portal for Smiley Xtra where users can find out about Smiley Xtra.
[edit] Technical details
The current version of Smiley Xtra is coded using a mix of XUL and Javascript to form a Firefox Extension. It utilises XML DTD's to provide easy localisation, and has been localised into several different languages ranging from Spanish to Japanese. Localisation was achieved with help from the Babelzilla project.
The Smile Project runs on a Linux machine running Apache. PHP and MySQL provide the backend of the site which allows Smiley Xtra to retrieve the smilies stored in the database.
[edit] Revision history
Version 1 of Smiley Xtra was originally developed in under a week, and was a very basic affair. It did its job though and offered users access to its default database of 50 smilies. Users could also add their own smilies, as well as install expansion packs using a separate installer that was released at a later date.
Version 2 built on the features in version 1 and addressed some of the issues that users commented on. This included categorizing the smilies for easier browsing, adding a search feature and improving the interface significantly. A primitive add-on system was also built in, although it's potential was never realised and only 1 add-on was ever released.
Version 3 saw the move from a standalone Windows application to a Firefox extension. This opened it up to a wider, cross-platform global audience as well as made it easier to use. As a result of the move though, some of the features, such as add-on's, were lost. However, the database moved from being a local store of URLs to a global site categorizing 100's of smilies. Users could submit smilies for the database that would become available to all users of the extension. An expansion on Smiley Xtra 3 was released in the form of Smiley Xtra 3.1, which improved on Smiley Xtra 3 by adding some vital missing features such as Search (which was removed between Version 2 and 3) and Group Preview.
Version 4 is the most recent iteration of Smiley Xtra, and again takes the form of a Firefox extension. The main improvements over Smiley Xtra 3 are aesthetical and backend, including changes to the backend to speed it up on older computers. The comparatively small list of new features includes Automatic Database Updates, Database Caching and Custom Format support. Version 4.1 added the much requested integrated preview to the extension.