7 CSS Tips to Reduce Development Time and Stress
April 7th, 2009 - CSS, Web DesignComments (6)
CSS is one of the first areas that aspiring web gurus encounter on their journey. It can prove to be a brutal test of dedication to the craft, browser quirks and compatibility issues can be enough to push one to a purely Flash based path. It’s not all bad though. Browsers continue to improve support with each iteration, and the web community has created solutions to fill in the gaps. Still, it’s good to be mindful of some of the lingering snags.
Below are seven things to keep in mind to reduce development time and stress when dealing with CSS.
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Comparing Mootools and jQuery Animation
March 26th, 2009 - JavaScript, Web DevelopmentComments (0)
An early form of the new Ractoon site included Flash navigation to create the effect you now see up there. Although it was straightforward, and performed as desired, the idea of a Flash navigation worried me.
My main concern was that it was a bulky solution to get an effect that, although nice, was not necessary for the user experience. In addition, creating the various stages of degradation would require additional CSS and graphics that the majority would not ever see, but was necessary for those that would.
IE8 and Safari 4, the Next Wave
March 16th, 2009 - Web DevelopmentComments (0)
The next step in browser evolution is almost here, and it’s bringing good news for developers!
As IE8 RC1 and Safari 4 Beta emerge on the scene it finally seems like web developers are getting some attention from all the major players. Both browsers are now offering developer tools that feature similar capabilities to Firebug, among other exciting improvements.
They also implement performance improvements for both JavaScript and HTML processing, and build upon the standards friendly trend that has been sweeping modern browsers, and easing the lives of developers. Continue reading…
The Great HTML Debate
March 9th, 2009 - Web DevelopmentComments (2)
The original focus for this post was to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of validating your website. However, Jeff Atwood at Coding Horror has just recently visited this topic in a well thought out post – which I believe covers it nicely. Take a look at the comments as well for more points of discussion, including how a valid site may help with Google rankings.
Instead this post will be devoted to discussing the topics of XHTML vs. HTML, and Strict vs. Transitional doctypes.
A substantial portion of modern sites are built using the XHTML doctype. But beyond being the default doctype of many web IDEs, is there an advantage to using it?
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Wabi-sabi Website Creation
March 2nd, 2009 - Web Design, Web DevelopmentComments (0)
Wabi-sabi is the Japanese concept of beauty based around simplicity, modesty, and the natural process. This concept works well with the building of websites to keep the creator in the proper mindset for the online world.
It’s easy to get caught up when creating a website ( either designing or developing ) and forget to look beyond the tree into the forest. The details of a site can easily drive the focus of a project into minute aspects, which may not be necessary in the initial stages. Keeping the concepts below in mind will help in realizing the big picture for your site. Create the function and the form will follow.