One of the things I’ve been keen to do for a while is to add a better comments tool to London for Free.

Recently, I discovered an excellent script from GentleSource, which seemed to do the trick nicely. All I needed to do was to set up a mysql database from my webhost and download, install and configure the script. Then add it to some pages.

Simple – but there was of course the small matter of 150 code validation failures once the code was embedded in my site.

<rant>

Why can’t developers write validated code? If I can do it – and I’m not a developer – why can’t they. Or is it that they won’t or can’t be bothered. Don’t see its importance, etc etc.

Its the equivalent of writing a letter filled with lots of spelling and grammatical errors and they ought to be slapped with wet fish. Honestly.

</rant>

Faced with more failures than the X Factor panel, I ended up pulling the script apart, re-writing the include.php file and, instead of including the comments form as an SSI, sticking it into xhtml pages as an iframe. At least this way, I removed all the reported code failures and also had more control over the look and feel of the comments form through being able to edit the style sheet for it.

I’ve managed to get it working for two walks sections: cultural and royal walks and hope to get the rest done over the weekend.

At least I’ve now included a better comments tool – and with valid code, more or less.