The Webtender revision history

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Version 1.0

This was the initial version, based on the idea from the Amiga Bartender program (see background).
The database was slow and offered few possibilities to search. Users could add their own drinks, but that system didn't work well and required a lot of post-processing of incoming drinks before they could be added to the database.

Version 2.0

Much was improved during summer and autumn 1995. A lot of new recipes and features were added:

• Restructured data files resulted in higher speed.
• Advanced search capabilities:
  • Ingredient search.
  • Detailed search.
  • Fuzzy search.
• Random drink.
• Weekly, advanced statistics.
• Add drink form improved.

Further development of this version lasted all winter 1995/96, and some of the above improvements were not added until later.

Version 3.0

A lot of improvements. The main improvement was that the entire database engine was rewritten in C to add more speed and make a port to Windows easier (although that never happened). Other changes included:

• More cross references inside the database.
• "In my bar" search that generate a list of drink possible to make from a list of ingredients.
• Intelligent "Add drink" system. (MS Wizard like)
• New layout.

Version 4.0

The Webtender moved to its own domain!
Up to now The Webtender had been on a server at Programvareverkstedet, a computer society at The Norwegian university of science and technology.

Some changes since the release of V3.0:

• The Webtender Index and Bookstore has been added.
• The Webtender Forum was improved with support for multiple forums.
• Real time chat finally on-line.
• Introduced advertising.
• Updated drinking games section.
• Added some features to In-my-bar.
• Bugfixes (a few).
• New design (again).

Version 4.0 stats:

• 6500 lines, 150kb C-source
• 4500 lines, 100kb Perl and bash-scripts
• 150 HTML documents totalling 15.000 lines, 700kb.
• 100 GIF files, totalling 150kb.
• 3 mSQL databases with 12 tables.

Version 4.1

Revision of 4.0 done during summer and autumn 1997.

• New "Favourite drink list"-feature instead of the old print function.
• Included navigation links at bottom to ease the task of moving around.
• Improved the drink browser
• Reduced load time (smaller graphics). Main page should now take less than 10 seconds to load on a 28.8 modem.
• Added more drinking games and moved each game to a separate page.
• Fixed bug in Forum that caused problems displaying certain messages.
• Improved Forum navigation.
• The Forum now accept use of nicknames.

Version 4.1 stats:

• 8700 lines, 250kb C-source
• 5000 lines, 120kb Perl and bash-scripts

Version 4.2

Revision of 4.1 done during Christmas Holiday 1997 and January 1998.

• New, more advanced search system.
• "Email drink to someone"-feature added.
• Small update of database software.
• Random link added to Site Index.
• Forum is now searchable.
• Cascading Style Sheets now used on several pages.
• Reduced number and size of images on the drink pages, reducing the load time.
• Created Active Desktop search for IE4.

Version 4.3

• Several bugfixes
• Most e-mail addresses are now hidden to avoid robots collecting addresses to use in "spam" e-mail.
• The Add Drink system now require e-mail confirmation before the recipe is accepted.
• Forum updated.
• Chat removed due to low demand.

Version 4.4

• A lot of bugfixes
• Several improvements to search, recipe browser, index and forum.
• More info in handbooks and glassware sections
• Chat back, but in a new version.

Version 4.5

• Improvements to the In-My-Bar search function
• Changes in voting system to make it harder to fake votes
• New privacy policy
• More bug fixes
• Y2K fixes
• Moved all previous mSQL databases to MySQL.

Version 4.6

• New categories in the browser:
  • Drink by rating
  • Ingredient by alcohol
• Allow empty search strings in Advanced search
• Ingredient count as parameter for Advanced search
• WAP version of The Webtender for cellular phones (GSM) and handheld devices.

Version 4.7

• Improved the "Submit Drinks `Wizard'".
• New version of the forum software with many bugfixes.
• New layout of the drink recipe pages, with more information and easier navigation.
• More ingredient descriptions and images.
• Easier to print a single recipe
• Started periodic cleanups in The Webtender Index to remove dead links.

Version 4.8

• Improved quick search results ranking.
• Search now handle national characters better.
• Even more ingredient descriptions and images.
• Ingredient categories added.
• "Tidied" the recipes and ingredients a bit. Some of it is still a bit messy.
• Cleaned up Web Site Index.
• Re-furnished The Bartender's Handbook.