les moutons électriques, éditeur

Building web sites is a art and this art has its own masters. The links above are part from my own selection of some of the best constructions which use correct coding and original design.

A starting point is needed if you want to begin the construction of a site. The links above are some of my favorites for searching and finding necessary stuff and clear examples.

For those which don’t have any inspiration, some great galleries exhibit many different designs. The links above are pointing toward some of them I often look to see what anybody can do with good codes

Synoptic

My friend André-François Ruaud has had an old dream: creating his own publishing-house, and finally, after several years of brainstorming and indecision, he did it. For making his new society better known, he wanted to put online quickly a website. But the scholarly work he was waiting for was not ready at time.

At once, he asked me for creating some temporary pages to present the project and introduce the first book he was preparing: these pages had been online only during the summer 2004. They were followed by two other successive versions designed by different people.

In September 2006, he contacted me once again to conceive a fourth version of this site, with an aim of building it on a dynamic structure, in order to improve his management and to enrich it with additional material.

URL http://www.moutons-electriques.fr/

Changelog

Version 5

Version 5.2.1 | December 12, 2008

In reality, this update doesn’t fundamentally change the site of les moutons électriques, but rather is the sudden consequence of an urgent and obligatory move. Indeed, without apparent reason, the host—whose name must be forgotten—didn’t proceed, as it was planned, to the renewal of the domain name and the site has disappeared suddenly in network’s limbo... As he doesn’t respond, it was necessary, as quickly as possible, to find and to configure a new space to graze these poor moutons électriques which hadn’t asked anything as this in this crucial period for their sales. Until they could recover the commercial domain name—which is currently inaccessible—the moutons électriques are now back on a new space, specific of their native country. The few changes made to the site are merely collateral damage associated with this movement and not any major structural changes.

Version 5.2 | September 28, 2008

Two important new implementations in this last update of les moutons électriques—apart from some minor adjustments on the menu and the banners: the most consistent is the conception of a particular page devoted to selling various items—at this time, only a clear and elegant mug—bearing the mark of the publisher; the most visible is the set up of a new text block on the first page, concerning all the current subscriptions.

Version 5.1 | September 5, 2008

The very first development of this fifth version of les moutons électriques arrives quickly. Some presentations of publications were completed by a kind of slideshow—titled diaporama—composed with various books snapshots. Hidden but helpful, a new table is linking books with a possible common topic: some gateways between different products could now appear without shared authors or collections.

Version 5.0 | August 30, 2008

This time, the ? phase when we tested the site of les moutons électriques will not have time to drag?the previous version has finally been a long gestation of the current site. The corrections are primarily minor stylistic adjustments and tiny changes to the layout of some pages. In short, nothing very new, but now a complete and fully functional site.

Version 4

Version 4.γ.2 | May 4, 2008

The roadmap was corrected again because of calendars problems. Accordingly, two new corrections phases have been scheduled before a more complete stylistic renovation. These are the results of the first phase.

• Adding the name of the main authors in the different catalogues
• Adding a zoom on coverage for all types of pages for each book
• Cleaning banners of books regarded as obsolete

Version 4.γ.1 | February 4, 2008

Finally, seeing the work to be completed, we have corrected our calendar. Considering the importance of the changes and additions, this version change its codename to mark the distinction with the structural design. This version γ should consist of two phases: the first deals with the structure and the second will be oriented toward the display.

• New menu, fully designed with Cascading Style Sheets
• Adoption of the jQuery LightBox script to zoom in on the books covers
• Creation of three new pages splitting the old catalog page depending on the status of books publication
• Splitting up the old dictionary authors as many alphabetic pages as necessary
• Removing old submenus, when they were redundant with informations contained in the new menu

Version 4.β.11.1 | January 1, 2008

A patch for the start of the year. The display of banners is not done properly, so I had to modify multiple files to fix the problem. I took advantage of this switch to the new year to integrate the new code required for the audit of the pages.

• Corrected codes for displaying banners on the home page
• Integration of a new code required for the audit of the pages

Version 4.β.11 | December 23, 2007

We had planned a major update before Christmas. But a problem with the server limit the available space for new files. It was therefore necessary to sort out the files being prepared for not making some changes online. A new version finally minor if we think about what we had prepared, but it was necessary, while waiting to do better.

• Slight (and temporary) menu alteration to present the new collection
• Update scripts and styles to receive information on the new collection
• Correction displaying of illustrative banners of the home page

Version 4.β.10 | December 1, 2007

Here is the first of the three latest updates planned before the end of the development of this site. It is mainly structural adjustments (these changes are not directly visible) or on the safety of the site.

• New bibliographic ranking for books tables of contents
• Replacement of the page showing informations by a text in front page
• Replacement of the external application for accounting the pages
• Improving security of the mail form
• Correction of the possible purchases etection for the current month

Version 4.β.9 | August 30, 2007

Once again, the update of the beta version is mainly composed of corrections, with, in addition, an adaptation of the style sheet following the release of a new book format.

• Default image for hardcover format
• Style for hardcover format
• Text about submissions on mail form
• Link toward command on introduction books pages

Version 4.β.8 | August 3, 2007

The new modifications of the site only relate to some small corrections of the existing pages.

• Direct link toward the command pages from the introduction books pages
• Script for reading the newsletter feed

Version 4.β.7 | July 8, 2007

Court program for this new update: an addition about a new format to come and small changes practically invisible in the tables.

• New format for hardcover books
• Corrections and additions about languages in the data bases

Version 4.β.6 | April 26, 2007

A major update: it involves changes on the shopping cart and its integration into the site. For the rest, a few enrichment opportunities in the database are never superfluous.

• Creation of the order page which is identifying soucriptions, orders (online and by mail order), subscription types, as well as a table of shipping
• Correction of introductory pages of books according to their availability
• Improving the passage of characters between the site and online ordering cart
• Enrichment of the database in terms of nationality or language for collaborators

Version 4.β.5 | April 7, 2007

Small streams make great rivers: many small modifications and additions improve this new version of the site, mainly oriented towards the problem of communication.

• New page showing the newsletter and its associated feed
• Setting up a class for reading and displaying the feed
• Ability to show the type of license for a download file
• Passage from strict coding mode to transitional coding mode for a better validation of external inclusions
• Detection of the existence of the feed on every page of the site
• Corrections to the page dedicated to authors (unintentional display of first names, dates of death if necessary, etc.)
• Definition of a specific style to the display images onto the homepage
• Moving block about submissions and adding a subtitle to this same block
• Replacing the signatory to the editorial
• Updating the text aboutthe technical informations

Version 4.β.4 | March 26, 2007

Once again, the changes are difficult to distinguish. The objective was to allow some financial donations for downloading files which are available on the website.

• Financial donations for downloading files
• Polishing some styles

Version 4.β.3 | February 28, 2007

The home page doesn’t seem to have notorious transformations. Due, the important new evolution of this third alternative of β relates to the data dealing out: it was essential to present the graphical and illustrative material which is contained in various volumes published. These are thus the important modifications which were made to the structure, but also with the various styles of the pages of the site: those were presenting the books of course, but also those concerning the collaborators.

Version 4.β.2 | February 7, 2007

Started four days ago, the update of the new version of les moutons électriques site finishes today. The principal innovation relates to the creation of a particular section, entitled Bibliothèque virtuelle, which proposes various episodes displaying a matter specific to the site, but in connection with the leading production of the publisher. This creation required some devices, in particular regarding the management of the downloadable bonus. In addition, the section dedicated to the series was re-examined: the result is the fusion of various informations into one single page. Apart from the small corrections of diverse scripts, the most visible change undoubtedly relates to the banners page: the posting of the different banners was entirely re-examined, in order to avoid many problems produced by the date management. New coloured ribbons improve the hierarchical visibility of informations. Lastly, several of these images were completely remade for a better posting on line.

Version 4.β | January 11, 2007

For the beginning of this New Year, let us start with an important update of the huge build in progress. Some innovations are finally added to the new version of the site of les moutons électriques, éditeur. Three new whole sections appear on the pages dedicated to the books. A new page was created to display the complete list of the publications. To make available this new material, the navigation menus were entirely re-examined, just as the foreword in the home page, from now on posted in its entirety and highlighted with a small illustration. Lastly, the new pages propose, in addition to the detail of the cover of each work which was already in opening, a relative illustration of each cover. We run up now against the trouble about the size of our host, size which obstructs the forthcoming developments.

• New pages for downloading potential supplements related to some books
• New pages drawing up a press review about the presented work
• New pages making an inventory of the awards received for the presented book or one of the texts which composes it
• New page displaying the complete list of the publications
• Images of the cover for illustrating the other pages devoted to a book
• Re-examination of the navigation menus
• Complete foreword on the front page of the site

Version 4.α.2 | December 19, 2006

The update of les moutons électriques web site isn’t the huge upgrade I scheduled for the next weeks. Indeed, there isn’t truly new development, except addition of some important information I forgot in the first release. All the work has been actually to fix many bugs or mistakes. Some errors could persist to exist, but I track them. In the future, this site will enter in its β version: step by step, I’m going to add new features as illustrators’ reference, related awards, press quotes, visual material and many others.

Version 4.α | September 15, 2006

I was asked with the rescue: not for quickly conceiving some temporary trifles, but to re-examine the structure according to a precise schedule of conditions (after three preceding versions, I believe that les moutons électriques knew a little better which they needed). Two year only after the first appearance of this publisher in the virtual world, I began a new version of this site: the fourth. I’m not a nice “white knight” who arrives on his proud horse to save a desperate plight. I’m not alone: several graphic designers are charged to design various illustrations, various writers compose the texts of presentations, etc. Of course, I’m always a simple handyman, but these pages are however a kind of first professional work. The “customer” is really a professional company. Let’s hope that we will not count too many sheep, with the risk to fall asleep quickly.

Version 1

Version 1.0.1 | August 22, 2004

The first update of these temporary pages: some minor changes and a new editorial column for the current month.

• New logo
• Correction of Panorama illustré de la fantasy & du merveilleux cover

Version 1.0 | June 6, 2004

My friend André-François Ruaud has created his own publishing-house and he asked me for build some temporary pages to present the project. I’m glad to help these electric sheep to be present on the net, even if I didn’t get actually contentment with the visual results of these temporary pages (but I had to go behind the instructions of the true owner of the web site), I’m satisfied these pages are the first that I create directly using the new XHTML standards.