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Published Comments (4):

cfrphoto1 wrote the following on 9/26/2008 2:42:31 AM: The transition to iFrame will be very awkward because the right rail introduces white space next to the description as does adaption of fixed width. Apparently if the width of the description is not specified, the iFrame defaults to a too-narrow width leaving much of the browser window blank on both sides. I notice that a significant number of listings show an iFrame scroll bar in Internet Explorer 7 (64 bit). This one for example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260282712596. I do not want to have to add code to check for iFrame to every listing in order to avoid making current listings fixed width. My current templates were designed to fill the browser window completely from side to side in order to provide the best possible viewing experience for images referenced from the description. I believe that jpg images reprocessed by eBay lose much of their appeal, especially of stamps with their innate fine detail. It appears that it will be necessary to modify every template to accomodate the harsh white and dirty yellow eBay color scheme. Why can't listing pages be allowed to fill the browser window from side to side. The narrowest monitor in this household is 1600 pixels wide.
laurel.developerrelations wrote the following on 9/17/2008 8:22:34 PM: Hi auctionplates1, I'll try to answer your questions as best I can. 1) The right rail is currently enabled in the sandbox, but it only shows up on listings by Stores sellers. When you check it out, you will see that it does not push the item template to the left or force it to be more narrow. It just adds on to the right of the page, and will be hidden in the browser window if you have a wide template. We're totally OK with that. 2) The iFrame width is absolutely, positively a "flex" width. I've tested listings that are 1200 px wide and it has handled them just fine. Now, since 10-15% of buyers are at an 800x600 resolution, so you may want to limit your width to ~750 px wide. But that's entirely up to you. See this blog post for screenshots of the page at different resolutions: http://developer.ebay.com/community/blog/article/?category=Blog.Developer&name=http://ebaydeveloper.typepad.com/dev/2008/09/how-the-right-r.html I have seen a glitch in Safari (on Mac and Windows) where you're getting a scrollbar in the iFrame at ~688 px. This is not supposed to happen, and we're working on fixing it. If you see it happen anywhere else, please let me know. 3) Our hope is that we can implement the new page in a way that doesn't require that you update your template. In most of the templates we've tested, we've been able to drop the template right in and have it work. In a few cases the images have been missing because the template used relative images links (../images/coolitem.jpg) instead of fully qualified image links (http://www.ebay.com/images/coolitem.jpg). For the release schedule, we are ramping up very slowly and testing all the way. Right now, it's on a very small number of listings, and we are tracking very carefully how buyers respond to them. If buyers love them and sales are high, we'll keep slowly ramping up the number of listings in the new page. With that happening, it is hard to give you an exact date that we'll go to 100%. We will make a decision before the holiday season on whether or not to continue this slow ramp up through the holidays. If the results aren't consistently great, we may pause the ramp up until holiday season is over. Then we'll start ramping things up again in Q1. As soon as I hear what that decision is, I'll share it here. Thanks! Laurel Kline Developer Relations
auctionplates1 wrote the following on 9/16/2008 4:13:25 PM: Where should we send in these questions since they are not answered here?
auctionplates1 wrote the following on 9/13/2008 2:54:15 PM: 1) Will we be able to see our test listings as a buyer would see them (with the right column). The viewer experience as a buyer is much different than as a seller when viewing ones listings. The only way for us to truly make sure templates fit is to be able to see listings as a buyer would. 2) There has been conflicting information regarding the width of the iFrame. Originally we were told 710px fixed. Then we were told it would be flex design. Next we have been told to use set widths not to exceed 800px. Later we were told no objects or elements that exceed 700px. And then individuals have reported in eBay forums that templates exceeding 688px causes right scroll in the iFrame (many have reported this and I have see objects in the iFrame which are only 690px wide cause right scroll). We need to know precisely the maximum width of the iFrame will be so our materials will fit in. 3) We need to know WELL IN ADVANCE when this page will roll out. Many of us have hundreds, if not thousands of designs to rewrite. How much advance notice will eBay be giving us as to the release date of this new page?

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