This has been a huge undertaking by many individuals because this new version is a complete reworking of the database system, back-end coding and the front end layout, and includes dozens of new features that you have never seen on a tutorial search engine before. The focus of this upgrade was the community, and we have looked at every possible feature we could think of that would be of use to someone that took the time to join our community. Members can now enjoy a HUGE helping of new toys to play with, and webmasters and guests will enjoy our new browsing and submission tools. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I would first like to present the cast and crew of this production:
Cast and Crew
NGPixel - Lead Developer - www.ngpixel.com
NGPixel put in a MASSIVE amount of personal time this project and has logged hundreds of development hours as the lead developer to get this project off the ground. He was a Godsend from day 1.
Chaos King - Senior Developer - www.notanotherportfolio.com
Chaos is the other critical pillar of this project, and worked mainly on the admin CMS system and conversion tools that brought v3 to life, then later kicked butt on the detailed filtering and tutorial display pages.
Mission6 - CSS Developer - www.visualdesigncore.com
Before we started any of the PHP coding, I spent many long nights and tedious hours with M6 while he created dozens of CSS templates based on my layout images. I can't say enough about how patient and professional he was, no matter how critical I was or how many times I changed my mind. If you can draw it, he can make a CSS version of it.
Donna - Beta Testing - www.13dots.com
What can I say... the rock of the P2L community was my number 1 critique and I could always count on her honesty, even when I really didn't want it lol!
Ghost - CSS Developer - www.tutorialfx.com
Skinned the entire IPB forums to match our new look. Another guys who has more patience than I can imagine!
Nick - Logo Design - www.ndesign-studio.com
The man who took the time to create a new original logo for us and put up with my badgering for modification! Thanks a lot to Nick for our new "Bowl of Pixels" logo!
Jay - Retired Developer - www.my-tuts.com
Before Jay retired from P2L, he and I looked at version 2 and basically tore it a new one and decided to fix everything that was wrong with it, and add new stuff that it was missing. It ended up being a completely new animal and about the only thing that v2 has in common with v3 is that website URL at the top of the browser. Jay lay down most of the database groundwork and a good chunk of the admin CMS back-end before eventually leaving to pursue his own projects.
I would also like to thank the community that took the time to send us emails or posted in our feedback request threads. I can honestly say that we have looked at every suggestion submitted in the last year and a half or so and we implemented about 80% of them on this release!
Improvements and Upgrades
Database Structure
The entire database structure had to be re-thought and designed from scratch in order to eliminate redundant functionality that served no real purpose, and to accommodate the new coding structure of the website. One of the biggest challenges in prior versions was dealing with the multiple source site structure P2L has been using since v1. Basically one source site was created per category, which put a load on the database and the server for nothing. This system has now been removed.
Back-end Coding
With the new database comes new coding, and this was a complete re-code. We didn't improve upon the prior version at all... we simply re-wrote every last bit of code. Jay did what he could when converting v1 to v2 and did his best to build up from that old code system, but it was clear that for us to move on and continue to improve, the back end coding had to change completely.
Front End Interface
We've created a lighter front end interface with innovative use of AJAX to deliver content on demand rather than preloading images and content you don't need. The new front end is 1/3 the download size of v2 with tutorial avatars turned on. You can reduce that even further with the optional feature of disabling avatar display.
CMS
The CMS was totally stripped apart and we took out the bad features and added what was missing to create a super "easy to use" admin system that will help approvals and other site related functions happen much faster. Turn around times for tutorial approvals and other tutorial related edits will be quite a bit faster than before.
Tutorial Browsing
All new browsing features have been added to the usual list of items that help make browsing easier for you. We'll go through these new areas further down in this list.
Rating System
The rating system has been redone for more accurate total vote tallies and less prone to cheating. While everyone can see a tutorial's respective votes, only members can vote now.
Tutorial Submission Process
We've streamlined the tutorial submission process to make things even easier and comprehensive to use. One of the biggest features we've added to this area is the email notification system. Input your email address when you submit tutorials and you will receive notification of when your tutorials are approved or declined along with a reason as to why the decline occurred.
Display Options
With the new display options tab, you can now turn off avatars, set records to view per page (even the latest tutorials on the main page) and more! For members, these settings are saved to your account so that your viewing preferences stay the same from any PC!
New Features
Tabbed AJAX Navigation
Check our quick loading AJAX tabbed content areas that load content on demand without reloading the entire page. Browsing is faster and easier to use than ever! Our User Dock and News/Features areas all use this system.
Advanced Tutorial Search
Check out the new advanced search page for super detailed searches that will help you narrow down tutorials you want with greater ease and accuracy like never before!
Developer Tools - SearchBox API
With a P2L Developer Key (Free to create for all members) you can now put a P2L tutorial search box right on your website!
Developer Tools - Direct Tut API
Tired of submitting tutorials by hand? Use the Direct Tut API to automatically submit your tutorials directly from your website!
Developer Tools - DataFeed XML
A complete list of XML feeds you can use on your site!
Expanding and Collapsing Menu System
Remember that HUGE tutorial category listing we used to have? That's gone now with our new collapsing/expanding menu system that makes browsing tutorial categories a snap, even with 100 categories in the database! Not only that, but the system loads the category icons on demand, so the site stays fast when you first load up instead of having to download 100 icons when you first log on. The list also keeps track of what's open and what's not as you move around the site, so you don't have to keep re-opening everything each time you click something!
My Categories
Only use 5 categories and tired of looking all over the place in the category list for them? As a member, you can now add the categories you use the most to "My Categories", which is a faves list for categories! You can then quickly access your favorite categories from the first category group in the drop down, labelled "My Categories". How's that for sexy?
Tutorial Favorites System
You've been asking for this system for 2 years, and now we've got it! Stop losing tutorials in the shuffle by marking tutorials as faves, then view them later by calling up your quick list in the User Dock, or by loading up your complete Faves list. Easy as pie!
Tutorial Comment System
Want to leave a comment on a tutorial because it's just that good? Or maybe you found something in the code that doesn't jive? Members can now leave feedback and comments, and have their comments rated with a positive or negative rating. Post a stupid comment? When enough people give your comment a bad approval rating, your comment gets buried and must be manually clicked on to view.
User Dock
Using Pixel2life has never been easier with the User Dock at your side! You can quickly launch various tools, browse your faves, keep an eye on forum activities and change browsing preferences all from this handy control area.
Email Notification for Submissions
We help take out the guess work for webmasters by letting them know via email when a tutorial is accepted to the site, or if it's been declined and why. Members have it automatically sent to their account emails with the ability to change it if desired.
Code Library
Remember all the tutorials we used to decline because they were simply snippets of code with no real tutorial to it? Well now you can share these scripts and code bits in our new Code Library!
RSS Feeds
RSS Feeds for pretty much EVERYTHING we offer on the site!
Tutorial of the Week
"Pic of the Week" has been replaced with the new and much more relevant "Tutorial of the Week" and YES, it will be updated weekly due to our very awesome new CMS!
Tutorial Source Site of the Week
"Site of the Week" has now been replaced with "Source Site of the Week", where we will now feature websites with superior original tutorials that deserve more than the usual mentions!
Site Caching
We've employed advanced caching throughout the site to cut down on resource load on the server. This will keep the site faster overall during peak hours, and will allow us to pile on more traffic on the site without bogging down the server. We'd like to grow a bit more before we starting having to look at load balancing options.
Over 50 New Tutorial Categories!
I've gone through the HUNDREDS of emailed tutorial category requests I've received over the last couple of years and added the popular ones. Every new tutorial category you see has been requested by multiple users, and were not just added on a whim
What's Next?
There are plans for a shop to purchase professional grade products and we have MANY more resource areas coming.
API development
Ability to choose site skins
Re-integration of Topsites
Much more!
So thanks again for all your patience in the update and we hope you enjoy the new site! Be sure to use the contact form or site support forum to report bugs!
Edited by syntex, 02 August 2006 - 03:27 AM.
