Refactoring an old web site

The process of refactoring historyofcuba.com has begun.

When I began to code the site way back during the first Clinton Administration, it never occurred to me that one day, in some near future, I would be browsing websites on a telephone… but here we are.

It’s not my favorite way to see something… but you can’t argue with the convenience of finding something you need right now. Still, you won’t catch me watching Star Wars on a phone screen while riding public transportation… I still prefer a big screen most of the times… but I can see wanting to browse the timetables during a long bus ride.

The process of bringing site up to full modern coding standards is not new. Last year minor coding updates were made here and there but had to be set aside… until now. The process seemed too large and overwhelming, since I’m doing everything myself.

This process will include:

·        Update to html5 as needed

·        Update various CSS files

·        Remove old JavaScripts (no firing squads, just a hand-shake)

·        Fixing/updating bad links

·        Perform minor structural maintenance & some file reorganization

·        Minor corrections

·        Review the pages

·        Update NAV systems

·        Re-do the Galleries

·        Re-do some of the timetables

·        Remove ads and old links

·        Implement mobile tech where appropriate

The first phase will be the home page, which is tied to the menu2.css stylesheet. Originally this page was designed for the large screen, but screen-breaks were added for smaller screens.

The first part of the change will be to convert the style sheet into a “mobile-first” style sheet.

Aside from styling the Home Page, menu2.css is used on various menu-type pages, offering brief introductions to sub-topics and lists of related content and topics.

We’ve come a long way since the emergence of the flat screen.