The What's New Archive
September 1999
1999
29 September
17:27 - Database project
Working very hard on the backends for the new U-boat Profiles and the new Books section. Lots of details and design coming together these days.
17:27 - Database project
We are working full speed to get a few new sections from the database up and running, those include a very impressive and totally rewritten Books section and U-boat Finder which enables you to locate any U-boat number, whether a fighting boat or a planned but never completed one.The U-boat Finder should be up and running in the next few days.
17:27 - Database project
Solved a small problem where the Events on this day page was created at 8am GMT instead of the intended 00:01am setting.
17:27 - THE DATABASE HAS OPENED!
Well it finally happened after months of hard work we can finally bring you the first installments from the database. The first 2 elements to open are the rewritten Men lost from U-boats and the new and exciting Events on this day.
17:27 - Database project
The Events on this Day and Books sections are almost perfect now. All they need is some nice layout/graphics and we are set.Added a note about the discovery of U-735.
17:27 - Database project
Make no mistake about it, the database work we are doing here is nothing short of breathtaking. Literally hundreds of thousands of bits of information spread around in many seperate databases. On top of that huge amounts of analysing and programming are needed. My goal is very simple; each day at least item is done and stricken from the list of things to do. This has been the process since late June and the speed is increasing as we get closer. You will not be disappointed when we open this.Database project
Re-designed the Notes database table. Now each boat has many entries (if needed). This is done to make the exciting Events on this day page more complete (more events listed there on more dates).Database project
Created means to check for all events from the database for any date we see fit. This eases development and debugging.Database project
Created a view into the Notes table for my crew to view and suggest additions/changes.Database project
Worked on Flotillas, Notes tables and general programming issues.
17:27 - Database project
I added the new and exciting Flotillas table to the U-boat Profiles. This was the last puzzle missing from the system. Some debugging of this is still needed though.
01:24 - Database project
Me and Tonya finished the books data work and I pretty much finished the entire programming. 799 books in 20 languages in the new soon-to-open database now. I can open this when I have the new look for it ready and the server has been updated (should be 1-2 weeks).This new books section is vastly improved over the one you already know.
Database project
Working on getting the Flotillas data set into SQL, this is the last major component missing from the U-boat Profiles. Hope I can get this working (albeit in debugging mode) this week.
17:27 - Database project
Finished adding all U-boat numbers from U-1 to U-6442 that were commissioned, planned, midget boats or in development. These are some 3900 boat numbers and there should be extremely few if any missing from this list. This data feeds the U-boat Finder soon to open.