Online Departure Board

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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 17:49 #49198
GW43125
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Hope this is in the right category,
I wonder if anyone knew of a website that would show me how to create a waterloo-style departure board website?
I am creating a database of all movements to use, but it would be good if i knew the code to actually create departure boards like the ones seen at waterloo and other london termini.
Thanks in advance.

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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 17:57 #49199
Sacro
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What language and how much are you willing to pay? /s
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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 19:02 #49201
GW43125
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" said:
What language and how much are you willing to pay? /s

English, and if it costs, forget it.

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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 19:06 #49202
Peter Bennet
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" said:
" said:
What language and how much are you willing to pay? /s

English, and if it costs, forget it.
I think he was being smart and asking about programming language which as not the question you asked.

Peter

I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs!
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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 19:35 #49203
headshot119
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" said:
What language and how much are you willing to pay? /s
You wouldn't need to pay as such surely? All the data you'd need is available through the open data feeds.

You would need a knowledge of programming to knock something to power the back end of the site, as I don't think I've seen someone use the open data feeds to create a departure board?

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 19:41 #49204
Sacro
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Yep, it's what Tom Cairns has done for This kind of thing

@Peter isn't that what he asked? "....it would be good if i knew the code to actually create departure boards...(sic)" seems to suggest that.

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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 19:45 #49205
GW43125
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" said:
Yep, it's what Tom Cairns has done for This kind of thing

@Peter isn't that what he asked? "....it would be good if i knew the code to actually create departure boards...(sic)" seems to suggest that.
I was trying to get at something that looks like the departure boards at the station... would be willing to learn the code for it

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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 19:48 #49207
headshot119
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You would need to take the Timetable feed, as well as the VSTP feed, this would give you all the train schedules, you'd need to filter that by station. Then use the live feed to get the live times, as well as the platform number.
"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 19:51 #49208
Sacro
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The Open Rail Data Wiki has information on the data available in the feeds.

For pretty much anything else, Google is a good place to start.

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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 20:06 #49209
GW43125
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" said:
The Open Rail Data Wiki has information on the data available in the feeds.

For pretty much anything else, Google is a good place to start.
" said:
You would need to take the Timetable feed, as well as the VSTP feed, this would give you all the train schedules, you'd need to filter that by station. Then use the live feed to get the live times, as well as the platform number.
Could you explain that please? I find it hard to understand it all, sorry! :doh

Last edited: 07/09/2013 at 20:08 by GW43125
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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 20:11 #49210
Sacro
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" said:
" said:
The Open Rail Data Wiki has information on the data available in the feeds.

For pretty much anything else, Google is a good place to start.
" said:
You would need to take the Timetable feed, as well as the VSTP feed, this would give you all the train schedules, you'd need to filter that by station. Then use the live feed to get the live times, as well as the platform number.
Could you explain that please? I find it hard to understand it all, sorry! :doh
Well what have you done so far, what has worked and what hasn't?

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Online Departure Board 07/09/2013 at 20:29 #49211
GW43125
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495 posts
" said:
" said:
" said:
The Open Rail Data Wiki has information on the data available in the feeds.

For pretty much anything else, Google is a good place to start.
" said:
You would need to take the Timetable feed, as well as the VSTP feed, this would give you all the train schedules, you'd need to filter that by station. Then use the live feed to get the live times, as well as the platform number.
Could you explain that please? I find it hard to understand it all, sorry! :doh
Well what have you done so far, what has worked and what hasn't?
Haven't Started Yet.

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Online Departure Board 08/09/2013 at 00:02 #49218
flymo
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You should get something usable using Flash but I am certainly no expert in this. The animation should be fairly straight-forward but linking it all up to a database is beyond me I am afraid.
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Online Departure Board 08/09/2013 at 00:04 #49219
Sacro
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" said:
You should get something usable using Flash but I am certainly no expert in this. The animation should be fairly straight-forward but linking it all up to a database is beyond me I am afraid.
Eeeush, you could also get something usable using Motorola 68k assembler but some things should be left to die!

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Online Departure Board 08/09/2013 at 01:38 #49220
flymo
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Sorry I spoke. I'll leave you all to it. Goodbye.
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Online Departure Board 08/09/2013 at 04:12 #49221
GeoffM
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" said:
it would be good if i knew the code to actually create departure boards like the ones seen at waterloo and other london termini.
It's not like it's a common enough problem that you'll find a "departure boards example" on one of the coding websites - a statement which is just asking to be proven wrong. Unfortunately I doubt that the companies that write such software for the real life departure boards are going to be giving away any of their code either. So it looks like you'd have to write it on your own. As to whether that's feasible, well, that depends how good a programmer you are! I would certainly have ideas of how I would write it but then much of my working life has been spent solving such problems.

As to the Flash idea, I guess a lot of people do find it useful, and certainly nothing wrong with suggesting it. Personally though, I'm afraid I'm in the "avoid Flash if possible" category. Reasons include:
1. Won't work on iPhone, iPad etc
2. Google/Bing struggle to index in Flash so you'll be ranked way lower than an equivalent page with "friendly" HTML.
3. Users with disabilities such as eyesight issues and using screen readers can't use Flash.
True, there are some workarounds that developers and end users can put in to try to get around those limitations, but if you want your website to work out of the box for the majority of people then Flash isn't it.

SimSig Boss
Last edited: 08/09/2013 at 04:13 by GeoffM
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Online Departure Board 09/09/2013 at 15:36 #49286
GW43125
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495 posts
" said:
" said:
it would be good if i knew the code to actually create departure boards like the ones seen at waterloo and other london termini.
It's not like it's a common enough problem that you'll find a "departure boards example" on one of the coding websites - a statement which is just asking to be proven wrong. Unfortunately I doubt that the companies that write such software for the real life departure boards are going to be giving away any of their code either. So it looks like you'd have to write it on your own. As to whether that's feasible, well, that depends how good a programmer you are! I would certainly have ideas of how I would write it but then much of my working life has been spent solving such problems.

As to the Flash idea, I guess a lot of people do find it useful, and certainly nothing wrong with suggesting it. Personally though, I'm afraid I'm in the "avoid Flash if possible" category. Reasons include:
1. Won't work on iPhone, iPad etc
2. Google/Bing struggle to index in Flash so you'll be ranked way lower than an equivalent page with "friendly" HTML.
3. Users with disabilities such as eyesight issues and using screen readers can't use Flash.
True, there are some workarounds that developers and end users can put in to try to get around those limitations, but if you want your website to work out of the box for the majority of people then Flash isn't it.
It's probably not going to work, come to think of it. Thanks anyway though.

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