Entries from 2013
Build HTML Tables Dynamically with PHP Part 3: CSS Alternative
Using HTML tables for design is typically frowned upon in the Web community and the last two posts talked about using tables to display pictures and names in rows of three. For those unfamiliar with the CSS alternative, I didn't want to leave you hanging. So let's look into solving our problem with CSS. [Continue reading]
Build HTML Tables Dynamically with PHP Part 2: Simplify with array_chunk()
Last week we built an HTML table on the fly using PHP. The process required a counter for monitoring which column was being displayed and some tests to determine when to add row tags. Let's look into simplifying the process with a built-in PHP function called array_chunk(). [Continue reading]
Build HTML Tables Dynamically with PHP Part 1
There is a built-in PHP function which would have really been useful back when using HTML tables for design was popular. Instead of setting up counters and testing when to add the opening and closing tags, we could have just read in the data and displayed it. Let's pretend we're back in the heyday of table hacking and look how the function saves time. [Continue reading]
Reduce Hassle with Ad-Blocking Plug-ins
Installing ad-blocking plug-ins within my browser has been on my mind for a while now. There just haven't been a lot of reasons to follow through with the installation process. It's not that the plug-ins are difficult to install; it's actually very simple. It's just been easy enough to ignore much of the advertisements out there. There have been a number of websites, however, which are trying hard to make ads difficult to miss. Some even resort to trickery for getting a few clicks. [Continue reading]
Using phpMyAdmin as a Checklist for Columns Used in a Script
One of my many coding habits I've been changing is the use of select all (SELECT *) in MySQL queries. Scripts usually don't need all the columns and grabbing unnecessary data reduces efficiency. Fixing the references usually involves me digging through the code, remembering the column names actually being used, and updating the query. This method works well when there are only a few columns to worry about. It gets more complicated with more columns or when they're used throughout a large script. That's where phpMyAdmin comes to the rescue. [Continue reading]
Modify Profile Pictures within Facebook
For a while now, I thought Facebook removed the option for editing profile pictures. The feature was useful for pictures that the social network crops incorrectly. Maybe the text within the image was cut or the picture isn't framed as desired. I'm fairly certain that there used to be a second step in the upload process for profile pictures. The extra step asked us to crop and position the picture, but that appears to have changed. However, profile pictures can still be modified. The process has just been separated—and somewhat hidden. [Continue reading]
Simplify Website Experiments by Creating Test Folders
While experimenting with new website features, I'm not always consistent with managing the files. I usually duplicate the file being updated, but sometimes I edit the original while other times I modify the duplicate. This normally isn't a problem since most projects are completed relatively quickly. However, there are times when a project is placed on hold. Depending on how long I'm away, it can be difficult determining which file to edit when returning. So let's talk about ways to differentiate the files. [Continue reading]
Position Photoshop Slices Precisely with X,Y Coordinates
When developing websites, it may be necessary to convert Photoshop compositions into website templates. One could manually crop the file into its various components and save them for the Web, but the process becomes very tedious. Especially when there are dozens of individual images needed from the original composition. That's where slices come to the rescue. [Continue reading]
RSS Feeds in Opera
For whatever reason, sticking with the Opera browser has been difficult. But they just keep adding features which make me want to try harder. How they handle RSS feeds is another nice feature for the list. Hopefully other browser vendors will steal the idea to keep the competition going…and I wouldn't be opposed to an enhancement or two. [Continue reading]
Prevent Broken Links in WordPress Posts by Using Root-Relative Links
WordPress does many magical things behind the scenes. HTML tags needed to display a blog post are added for us. Posts tagged with keywords are automatically connected to other posts with the same tag. Side bar widgets generate lists of recent posts, most used tags, etc. with no intervention from us. We just need to write the posts, add the tags, activate the widgets and WordPress does the rest. With all these automation features, I have overlooked a potential flaw in the system—they use absolute links. [Continue reading]
