Welcome to what is ostensibly the world's first and only Javascript graphical guestbook with an electronic sign interface, featuring the BetaBrite™ Classic. If you would like a guestbook like this, please contact the author.

Technical details: This page takes text and graphical input and displays it on a sign. The idea seems simple enough but in practice things are rarely so simple. There is currently no standard way for a visitor to paint pictures with the mouse, so we had to have some code execute on the both client and server. We could have used Java or Flash for this but we didn't want to discriminate against browsers who don't have these plugins. Our method involves using PHP and dynamically-created Javascript code. Images data is transferred via a hidden form element. We use PHP and MySQL to store and view the images. Communication with the sign is done via a specially-crafted serial cable. The sign takes block graphics in ASCII format. This guestbook has been tested to work on Linux; using Mozilla 1.8b2, Seamonkey 1.0 and Firefox 1.5.0.3; and on Windows; using IE6 SP1, Mozilla 1.5 or Netscape 8; without any add-ons or plugins.

To help the search engines find us, we will say that thenerdshow.com is your source for BetaBrite art, BetaBrite logos, BetaBrite images, sign art, artwork and pictures. If you are looking for LED signs, electronic displays, signs, sign programming, sign pictures or animated javascript paint or draw programs or interactive web sites, give us a call. This php doodle page is just one example of how active database-driven web sites can be both creative and fun.

BetaBrite&trade is a trademark of Adaptive Micro Systems LLC, with whom we are not currently affiliated. This page contains images and text submitted by third parties and we are not responsible for content. Please contact us with comments about the site.

Interactive, database-driven web sites by Henry Kroll III text message