The Login System has been revamped. You can now login or logout from any page on the site. Just click on the small user icon below the date. If the user icon contains a green check mark, then you are logged in.
The Menu Bar has also been redesigned. You may not notice the difference, but it is no longer using unique images for each button. The buttons are created dynamically by the web site. This allows for custom menu items to appear depending on who is logged in. As part of this change, I was able to go from two separate templates (one PHP and one JavaScript) down to a single PHP template that can dynamically create the JavaScript version when needed. This saves time when adding or removing site components.
The News system has received a speed boost. Instead of loading the news every time you visit the page, it loads it on the server in the background. This trims off a few seconds to load the web page. News updates occur every five minutes... the news will never be old.
Weather radar changes have been implemented. The radar is now opened with a radar icon in the upper left of the weather system. The radar expands out with an enhanced topographical map. It will size down to your screen size, if necessary. You can also show and hide some of the layers, like: cities, rivers, counties, etc. This change has also been added to the detailed forecast radar section.
Other minor changes include better zip code resolution, and ensuring the radar image is more up-to-date.
Today marked the completion of many of the missing pieces. Entering incorrect Zip Code / City information is now handled properly, as are ambiguous locations (you'll get a list to pick from). National Weather Service warnings, watches, and advisories will now display on the home page here. The Forecast Details now also contains Past Weather. You can create a PDF for your location with the forecast on it. The weather pages are cached for better server performance and the shading and colors have been adjusted.
You may need to re-select your location, as I moved from my own cookie storage to the built-in storage. This will only simplify things down the road. If you have any comments on the new weather system, please let me know.
