Not sure where to post this.. hope this spot is okay.

Is it possible to recode the shoutbox so that it has a refresh button on it so that you can refresh only the shoutbox instead of having to refresh the entire page?

I don't understand for what you need this?

Fel

Im not asking for auto-refresh - that puts too much of a load on the server. 

Many shoutboxs have a refresh button on them.
When you press it it refreshs ONLY the shoutbox.
You dont have to sit and wait for the entire page the shoutbox is to load.
Only the shoutbox would refresh.
Since there are dozens of shoutboxs that have this ability it feels like it would be possilbe for you to do this?

As it is now you have to refresh the entire page - which means refreshing everything on the page.
It would be MUCH faster when people are using it for them to be able to refresh ONLY the shoutbox.

 

If you add a new shout (or edit one), the same procedures runs as you add a new post and the page is reloaded. So I see no necessity for a separate shoutbox reload.

Fel

I realize that.  But that is my point. It refreshs the entire page when it could refresh only the shoutbox window.
I know for a fact this is possible with many shoutboxs, which is why I asked if you would consider doing so so we do not have to wait for the entire browser window to reload to see the new posts in it.   

Each block is a php Object, that is loaded and initiated at the page load time. Only the Contructor can read all the values (show or not, the viewmode and the content) and can prepare the content for the view methode.
If you don't like this, you have to use a other shoutbox (or a faster server).

Fel

My server is extremely fast actually.  Im thinking of members who have slow connections, and slower pcs, etc.

If it cannot be done, it cannot be done.. it was only a question

An easier method would be to create a PHP block with an HTML frame, and then call the shoutbox and have the frame itself refresh every-so-seconds.

yeah that would work -  except for when you are in the middle of typing a post in the shoutbox and it refreshs on you LOL

For lack of knowing what else to do about this for now I put a refresh button on the shoutbox for her - all it does is use the Home link so that when it reloads its not reloading like it does with a page refresh/reload and all the images on the page dont have to reload along with it.   

sorry to interject but if i'm not mistaken the shoutboxes you're referring to are ran my other sites and you're just putting the HTML code on your page. the actual shouts are stored on their servers and the refreshing is probably being done there too.