monday 12th may 2008
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archives:
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categories/tags:
- accessibility (2)
- ajax (9)
- blog (19)
- css (9)
- gadgets (12)
- javascript (7)
- laugh (7)
- php (3)
- rant (6)
- ruby (1)
- sites (11)
- standards (4)
- web (9)
- web dev (24)
techie stuff:
shameless plug:
7th march 2007
wow. clonefish.
currently doing a site with *a lot* of forms on it, and as i'm using php i had a look around for something that could help me out a bit. came across a product called clonefish and i have to tell you, i'm very, very impressed.
put basically, this is a php form class that takes all the tedium out of producing, often very repetitive, html forms. as well as obviously being able to produce the necessary form elements, it easily adds any optional html to your tags (class attributes, title attributes, whatever), can add code before or after each element (e.g. "required", "password must be 6 characters long", etc) and - best of all - adds validation right there and then. you can use ready made validation techniques ('required' tells the class that user input on that element is... well, required), or your own custom validation in - get this - *either* javascript or php! does it get any better? well, maybe - it can also hook up to your mysql database - using native php/mysql connectors, pear db or, my current favourite, adodb - to do things like outputting a select options depending on records from your db, or db validation ("select password where user ..."). you can style everything in the normal way, and it's down to you - not the class - whether you output valid xhtml.
more than that, the clonefish support has been fantastic. i've had a couple of queries/requests and they've done everything to help me out, even sending over new, updated files to suit my needs. better than "look, that'll be available in the next release, ok!?!".
if you're messing about with php and loads of forms, i really recommend you take a look.
- related:
- css,
- javascript,
- php,
- web dev
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/07/03/07/wow-c...
14th september 2006
bow down, for i am... the master
it's about time i got some credit for... well, anything really. lady and gentleman, i have just been awarded the title of "master" for my javascript knowledge on the ever excellent, and must have bookmark, experts exchange. not bad i reckon after only 12 weeks. if i keep this up, i'll be a "guru" in another 24 weeks.
- related:
- blog,
- javascript,
- web dev
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/09/14/bow-d...
21st june 2006
it's just like one of them there mac thingys
as you're obviously not doing anything, imagine if you will, a website that recreates a mac's os x right inside your browser window, complete with dock, menus, clock, etc. then, while you're at it, imagine that all of this is done using javascript and ajax goodness. having trouble picturing that? yeah, me too. so, instead, just go to flyakiteosx.
- related:
- ajax,
- javascript
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/06/21/its-j...
9th june 2006
a cracking read
never thought i'd be making a post about safe cracking, but i've just read a really, really interesting article on howstuffworks about... well, safe cracking.
the page on "safe manipulation" was fascinating - determining your contact points, parking the wheels, graphing the results. at the risk of alerting the metropolitan police force, i'd love to give it a go.
and here's something you'd never pick up from watching heist movies - "knowing the combination is the most common way safecrackers open safes". not exactly sexy though is it?
take five minutes out of your day, read the article, and learn something new.
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/06/09/a-cra...
5th june 2006
amen
youtube is showing a superb 18 minute documentary on the amen breakbeat - a 6 second drum sample from a 1969 track that you have heard a thousand times. if, like me, you're a fan of hip hop, or jungle/drum'n'bass, you've got to watch it.
- related:
- blog
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/06/05/amen/...
24th march 2006
for cool geeks. like me. obviously.
some superb t-shirts over at cascadingstyleshirts.com. apparently they are the "fashion home of the discerning web builder", and i'm not going to argue.
the copy is as good as the clothing. they tell us that their "asynchronous screened cotton messaging system improves user experience and ensures compliance". as for my favourite shirt, 'respect the dom':
"this is the best shirt. because people will ask you what the dom is. and you'll sort of know but you'll have trouble describing it. so you'll just sort of sneer and get defensive and act superior."
brilliant. i gotta get me one. and practice my sneer.
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/03/24/for-c...
24th march 2006
paint my pixels! for cash!
as much as i envy/admire the guy who came up with the million dollar homepage, he really does have a lot to answer for.
the latest one? paint my pixel. or to give it's full name, 'send me cash and i'll stick a 10px by 10px coloured gif on my site'.
what angers me about this thing - and some of the other that have come after million dollar homepage - are the statements they use to justify these things. paint my pixel tells us we can "own a piece of the world's first internet painting". gosh! and, it's actually an amazing experiment in the power of 21st century mass media - "can thousands of people all over the world work together to create a single painting, using only small blocks of colored pixels?"! wow, whatta guy!
at least send the suckers a shirt saying "i painted a pixel and all i got was this lousy t-shirt. oh, and a 10x10 coloured gif".
- related:
- rant
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/03/24/paint...
22nd march 2006
"you don't really listen to that do you?!"
mates and colleagues of mine, ben and tom, pointed me at last.fm today. after installing a small app for your default audio player (itunes for me) this thing lists all of the music that you play on your machine, and creates lists, charts and personal radio stations based upon what you're listening too. and yeah, it's free. very clever and very cool.
my favourite feature allows you to click on a track that you've listened to, and find out how many other people have listened to that track, and what percentage of the people who have listened to that artist have played that particular tune. completely useless, but addictive.
of course, the downside is that everyone can see what you're listening to. needless to say, i haven't played my grease megamix since i signed up.
if you want, take a look at the rubbish i listen to.
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/03/22/you-d...
13th february 2006
"irc is just multiplayer notepad"
i know bash's quote database has been around for years - i was first pointed at it in 2002 - but it's worth re-mentioning now and again just in case there are some who haven't heard of it. i think this really is one of the funniest places on the net. yeah, it's usually geeky, sometimes offensive, but often laugh-out-loud funny. i check the latest quotes once a week when i'm bored or grumpy. i'm bored and/or grumpy more than once a week, but i only use one weekly incident as a reason to visit bash.
if you want to give it a try, but can't be bothered to read through the latest, just check out the top 200 submitted quotes to read such simple beauties as:
<mage> what should I give sister for unzipping?
<Kevyn> Um. Ten bucks?
<mage> no I mean like, WinZip?
- related:
- laugh
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/02/13/IRC-i...
11th february 2006
rootdown is dope. word is bond.
we all like free stuff don't we? eh? and if, like me, you like hip hop too, rootdown radio is the place to be.
every monday, rootdown posts a 30 minute hip hop mix by dj mr werks, of classic cuts and brand new tracks - and some sweet funk gets thrown in there too now and then (gill scott heron anyone? yes please). they're up to show number 26, and you can download numbers 1 to 25 too. incidentally, the archive only lists shows 1 to 21 at the moment - bloody lazy web developers - but a clever person can change the mp3 name to the show they want to get shows higher than 21.
the sound quality isn't the greatest you'll hear - for shows 1 through 13 anyway - and you wonder why they don't set this up as a podcast so you don't have to manually download it every monday, but with artists like quasimoto, gangstarr, mf doom, brand nubian, etc, etc, etc, you can forgive anything.
while you're there, grab mr werks 30 minute best of james brown mix from the 'news & reviews' section too, and get on the good foot.
- permalink:
- http://www.oneplayer.co.uk/06/02/11/rootd...