Archives
January 10, 2008
A while back a wrote a JavaScript script that automatically styled an HTML table. In a nutshell, the script automatically changes the background color of every 2nd row in an HTML table.
Anyway, someone recently sent me an updated version of the script. You will probably want to read the original article before looking at these changes.
From the email:
I did some simplification on the code for zebrastripes. I don’t bother with the last array bit because TR elements have the bgColor attribute.
trs[i].bgColor = ( i & 1 ) ? stripe_colour_even : stripe_colour_odd;
Greetings,
tarjei
The complete function:
function stripe_table(id_name) {
var my_table = document.getElementById(id_name);
/* For debugging */
if ( !my_table ) {
alert(“The ID ” + id_name + ” is not found.”);
return;
}
/* Table may have more than one tbody element */
var tbodies = my_table.getElementsByTagName(“tbody”);
for (var cnt = 0; cnt < tbodies.length; cnt++) {
var trs = tbodies[ cnt ].getElementsByTagName("tr");
/* Walk table row for row */
for (var i = 0; i < trs.length; i++) {
if (! hasClass(trs[i]) && ! trs[i].style.backgroundColor) {
trs[i].bgColor = ( i & 1 ) ? stripe_colour_even : stripe_colour_odd;
}
}
}
}
}
CIAO.
Stefan Mischook
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January 9, 2008
The web design business process is what happens between the web designer and the client they are serving.
–
The following article targets two groups of people:
- Web designers who want to get into the business of web design.
- People who are looking to higher a web designer and want to get a better idea of the process – at a high level.
When first approached by someone looking to get a web site built, the first thing you need to do is figure some details about the website. Things like:
- Features/functionality; do they need e-commerce, a blog, password protected pages etc.
- Scale: how big will the website be? How many pages?
- Purpose of the site: will it be a branding site? Will they need to be found by the search engines or will the site be more about serving an established client base?
These basic questions can have a big impact on how you build the site, the budget and the skills you will need as a web designer/consultant to complete the job.
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January 8, 2008
Hi,
I decided to create a dedicated WordPress section on killersites.com
Right now, I only a have a few videos (with a bunch more coming) but I am also thinking of maybe some written tutorials etc…
The videos:
So far I’ve only added a few videos but have another 40 minutes of video to edit that should be up this week.
Any comments or suggest are welcome.
Thanks,
Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com
www.killerphp.com
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January 5, 2008
A few days ago, I got this email that is all about starting a web design business, so I thought I would answer it here because I think a lot of people might find it interesting.
I need your opinion. I was looking to quote a friend a price for a small, simple, informational website. No more then 10 pages at the most. Possibly holding scedules for his football team too (which would need to be updated).
I know he wants a deal from me. Also, design is my weak point. How would i properly word the idea of using a website template? If i go and get a template from somewhere, it would be ethically correct to tell him since he could come across the same design someday. How would i go about doing that without him thinking- well i can go get a template and i don’t need you! Then I’ve lost a job!
Let me know your ideas.
Thanks,
Tim
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November 29, 2007
The WordPress text editor comes with a set of buttons that allows you to easily format your post by quickly inserting things like links, images and html list.
Though very useful, I found that I needed a few more buttons … and so I figured out how to do it.
I just released a new video tutorial on how to edit the WordPress text editor:
The Video: Customizing the WordPress Text Editor
I hope you find it useful!
Thanks,
Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com
www.killerphp.com
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November 23, 2007
Hi,
For the last couple of years I have been preaching that web designers should learn at least one blog or CMS (content management systems) software so that they can then offer blog/CMS installations and customizations to their clients.
The use of blogs/cms’ is also one of the reasons why I think web designers should learn PHP, given that most blogs are created with PHP these days.
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November 21, 2007
Hi,
I’ve just posted an article related to object oriented PHP:
An introduction to the Zend Framework: writing object oriented PHP with ease.
The article covers concepts that are a little more advanced, but I think John (the author,) has done a good job making things understandable.
… I think anyone with just a little PHP knowledge, will find the article a worthwhile read.
Let me know what you think and if you have questions … you know what to do!
Thanks,
Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com
www.killerphp.com
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November 13, 2007
Someone recently wrote to me where they were concerned about the future of web design as a profession. I’ve summarized the question as follows:
Given the rampant spread of website templates and point-and-click site builder tools (that more and more web hosts are offering) can web designers realistically expect to continue to make a good living building web sites for small business using traditional (from scratch) web design methods?
The answer to this question (and to find out clues on how to move forward) all we need to do is to look to web design’s past.
But before we go on, there is also something else to consider:
Web designers also have to deal with the reality that there are lots of kids out there willing to use pirated copies of Dreamweaver and Photoshop, to build a website for a fraction of what professionals have to charge.
Since (I’m guessing) most web design professionals don’t live with their parents anymore, it’s hard for them to compete with teenage nerds who just need XBox money.
How about the quality of the web design work – doesn’t that have an affect on who people will choose to build their website?
… Unfortunately, sometimes quality (for short sighted business owners) doesn’t fit into the equation. That said, there is good news for professional web designers. Read on …
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November 10, 2007
Every once and a while I use a question put to me, as the basis for an article. This time, we have Richard asking whether web design (as a profession,) will have bright future.
The email:
Thank you for having courses that make it easier for the average laymen to comprehend the basics which will allow the complex material to sink in. I have a question though.
I am in my fifties, have done many different things in my life, and I am looking for something as a career change to take me into my second half of life and into retirement. What do you think the opportunities are going to be in the future in this type of industry taking into consideration the advancements in technology?
In other words, where do you see a web page developer or designer 5, 10, 15 years from now. Thank you for your time and consideration in my attempts to make an educated decision about my future.
Sincerely,
Richard Sherban
Hi Richard,
I think the future is good for web design and development. That said, I would like point out a few things:
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November 7, 2007
Firefox is the Web browser of choice for most web designer’s, because it is fast and it sticks to the Web standards better than say IE6 or IE7.
That said, Firefox has a bunch of other features that makes it attractive to Web professionals. One of the big ones for me, is the ability for anyone to add to Firefox’s core functionality by way of plugins.
Add-ons/Extensions
My only complaint about Firefox plugins is that the Firefox nerds don’t call them ‘plugins’! Instead they use the terms ‘add-ons’ and ‘extensions’. Besides that little issue, Firefox plug-ins turn this nimble Web browser into an important tool for Web designers.
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