Alternative approach ( Custom gauges, Highcharts )

[abelenkiy]

Hi All ,

While I found Cumulus web templates to be very good way to build weather sites for most people and SteelSeries gauges being packed with masses of useful features , they still don't give the same level of look customization I would like to have .

So I have created my web site from scratch by creating all gauges / graphs myself with the help of highcharts javascript library .

Please have a look : http://weather.belenkiy.co.uk , and share you thoughts.

Main difference is , besides doing custom web design myself , is that I didn't like the way how cumulus stores the information , i.e. all these files with min/max per month etc ... I though that the better way would be to have proper mysql database on the website , store realtime data there , and then when you need to retrieve anything you like just write sql query to get anything you want , like min/max values per period etc

I would welcome you opinions on this alternative design approach .

( note the weather data is designed to be updated every 15 min , but I don't run the application which does this at the moment 24h a day and just start it from time to time as it just sits on my home pc )

Thanks

[steve]

I didn't like the way how cumulus stores the information , i.e. all these files with min/max per month etc ... I though that the better way would be to have proper mysql database on the website , store realtime data there , and then when you need to retrieve anything you like just write sql query to get anything you want , like min/max values per period etc

Well, yes. Every so often someone turns up on the forum and tells me how I should have done it. And then I have to start trotting out the same old stuff about how Cumulus was just something I just knocked up in an afternoon, and it was never intended to be anything more than a quick prototype. And then I go on about how Cumulus 2 has/had an SQL database, but how I had to abandon that, and then everyone else in the forum who has read it all many times before starts falling asleep...

[abelenkiy]

I didn't like the way how cumulus stores the information , i.e. all these files with min/max per month etc ... I though that the better way would be to have proper mysql database on the website , store realtime data there , and then when you need to retrieve anything you like just write sql query to get anything you want , like min/max values per period etc

Well, yes. Every so often someone turns up on the forum and tells me how I should have done it. And then I have to start trotting out the same old stuff about how Cumulus was just something I just knocked up in an afternoon, and it was never intended to be anything more than a quick prototype. And then I go on about how Cumulus 2 has/had an SQL database, but how I had to abandon that, and then everyone else in the forum who has read it all many times before starts falling asleep...

Well , it definitely wasn't my intention to say anything about what to change in cumulus , just noted what I found not suitable for my needs , only my own needs .

The way my site works is that there is a process which runs every 15 mins and parses the file at specified location and check for new records which than are inserted into database. At the moment that file is in easyweather format , but can be any formal like cumulus realtime etc - i.e. in principal that custom design doesn't replace cumulus functionality but just extends it to my own needs.

[duke]

how Cumulus was just something I just knocked up in an afternoon,

Steve, I believe you are being somewhat modest. And, I am sure I read somewhere you were having a break for a while now 'v1.9.3' is 'out the door'. Yet, this week I see already, 'v1.9.4'.

[steve]

I believe you are being somewhat modest

It's true; Cumulus was originally just a quick prototype to see if I could actually read data from my weather station. But of course, once you have something working, it's very hard to scrap it and start again with a proper well thought out design. You just keep adding bits on to what you have.

And, I am sure I read somewhere you were having a break for a while now 'v1.9.3' is 'out the door'. Yet, this week I see already, 'v1.9.4'.

No rest for the wicked

[holty1352]

While we are all created equal , isnt it great we are not all the same .

I gather I fall into the "most people" folder , I dont use the gauges at all and am in the process of removing them off my website in total as time permits . I do look at / use the graphs a lot especially when visitors want to know what "the poles are in the nursery ?"

Holty.

[duke]

once you have something working, it's very hard to scrap it and start again with a proper well thought out design...........No rest for the wicked

May be 'Cumulus 2' that you 'tease' us all with from time to time

[steve]

May be 'Cumulus 2' that you 'tease' us all with from time to time

Cumulus 2 is definitely dead. Maybe. But I do have something else in progress in the background.

[steve]

But I do have something else in progress in the background.

Ever curious as I am , any light to be shed on this yet......?

Duke, I'm going to take the liberty of moving your question to a new thread, where I will do my best to answer it.

Edit: moved to here: https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9782

[meteotortosa]

Hi All ,

While I found Cumulus web templates to be very good way to build weather sites for most people and SteelSeries gauges being packed with masses of useful features , they still don't give the same level of look customization I would like to have .

So I have created my web site from scratch by creating all gauges / graphs myself with the help of highcharts javascript library .

Please have a look : http://weather.belenkiy.co.uk , and share you thoughts.

Main difference is , besides doing custom web design myself , is that I didn't like the way how cumulus stores the information , i.e. all these files with min/max per month etc ... I though that the better way would be to have proper mysql database on the website , store realtime data there , and then when you need to retrieve anything you like just write sql query to get anything you want , like min/max values per period etc

I would welcome you opinions on this alternative design approach .

( note the weather data is designed to be updated every 15 min , but I don't run the application which does this at the moment 24h a day and just start it from time to time as it just sits on my home pc )

Thanks

Very nice web !!

[meteotortosa]

Is it posible to share the code of your web?

Thanks

Lluís

[TgT]

Page looks fancy, great work!

[gluepack]

How did I miss this? Wow! Beautiful.