theDigitalRyan

Let me just say, when you are writing a new web application, Ajaxify it!

Ajax takes your web app to the next level. The ability to access server side scripts and databases without having to reload the web page makes it absolutly amazing.

If you are unfamiliar or new to the concept then allow me to explain the basics. Ajax is not a new technology or programming language but rather a group of web languages that work together. While the official acronym stands for Asyncronous JavaScript and XML technology, the real explaination is the ability for client side JavaScript to access/run server side scripts like PHP and then apply the output of that server side script to the current web page without reloading the page or submiting a form.

So what are you waiting for? Here are some great places to get started:

www.w3schools.com
www.ajaxian.com

Enjoy!
Blogged on my iPhone

Online Software, Web Design

If you just switched office computers and you’re wondering why the TO box in Outlook doesn’t autocomplete your co-workers email address like your old computer did then what you have encountered is a missing Outlook.NK2 file. The Outlook.NK2 file is a cached list of all email addresses that you have sent to for future autocomplete use.

If you still have the old computer then you can simply copy offer that nk2 file to the new machine. Here is the file path:

C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.NK2

The filename may also be the name of the user account but still has the .NK2 file extension.

These files may also become corrupted (like anything microsoft). If that is the case then you can try to recover the data with a utility like NK2View.

Microsoft, Microsoft Exchange 2003, Microsoft Exchange 2007

I would just like to preface this article by saying IE sucks. Seriously… standards have been made, all browsers comply EXCEPT Microsoft Internet Explorer. Microsoft = marketing not quality.

I have just recently tried to dynamically generate an option element list for a select element via an AJAX call. This works great in FF and Chrome, but IE7 is just a giant fail. After some research and viewing several solutions, here is mine… straight forward and simple.

HTML:

<span id=”elementid”></span>

JavaScript:

document.getElementById(”elementid”).innerHTML=xmlhttp.responseText;

Server Side Script (PHP):

$result = mysql_query($sql,$dblink);
echo “<select name=’item’>”;
while($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) {
     echo “<option value=’{$row['ID']}’>{$row['ItemName']}</option>”;
}
echo “</select>”;

I ended up generating the select elements and the option elements within the JavaScript because IE would not allow me to use innerHTML to place option elements within the select element.

IE = fail

JavaScript, Web Design

Introduction

Microsoft Exchange 2003

Random

Is it Windows 7 or KDE 4? In this video, we take to Sydney’s streets to find out what people think of what they think is a Windows 7 demonstration.

Microsoft

Random

Online project management with a twist. I know we have started to see project management web sites pop up here and there since the success of Basecamp but this one brings a different angle to managing projects online. Basecamp and other copy-cats out there design there site to involve a single group that subscribes to the service, all working together on there projects as a group….well what happens if two members have a side project that they want to work on outside of the said group?…problems. With Critical7 the project environment is centralized around the project itself, allowing for subscribers to Critical7 to work on multiple projects with multiple groups. A truly effective approach to the way people are involved with any project from a college class project to a corporate software development release. The best part is you can sign up for a free account and try the service out.

Online Software, Web Design

If you are keeping Outlook data on your computer, you are using a Personal Folders file (.pst) or an Offline Folder file (.ost). To prevent data loss, you need to know how to repair these files.

If your .pst file becomes damaged, Outlook includes a tool that may be able to correct the problem without your switching to a backup copy. This tool, the Inbox Repair Tool, is installed on your hard disk when you install Outlook.

If your .ost file becomes damaged, Outlook includes a tool that may be able to correct the problem. This tool, the OST Integrity Tool, can scan and repair .ost files. If that doesn’t completely solve the problem, you can disable the .ost file and create a new one.

Repairing a Personal Folders file (.pst)

You may need to use the Inbox Repair Tool if you open your Outlook .pst file and receive this message:

Unable to expand the folder. The set of folders could not be opened. Errors could have been detected in the file drive:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.

Note  The path to the file specified in the message may vary depending upon the operating system you are using on your computer.

To repair the .pst file

1. On the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open box, typedrive:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\LocaleID\scanpst.exewhere LocaleID is the locale identifier (LCID) for your installation of Microsoft Office. For example, the LCID for English (United States) is 1033. For a list of LCIDs, see Microsoft Office Help.
3. Click OK.
4. In the Enter the name of the file you want to scan box, type the path and file name given in the error message above.Note  You may not be able to use the Browse button to locate this file because it is located in a hidden folder.
5. To change the options for logging errors during the scan, click Options. If you choose Replace log or Append to log, the log file is saved to the same directory as the .pst file.
6. Click Start.
7. When the file scan is completed, select the Make a backup of scanned file before repairing check box.
8. Click Repair.

If the file is successfully repaired, you will see a Repair complete message. If the Inbox Repair Tool was unable to repair the file, you will need to use a backup of your file.

To begin using your backup file as your new primary file

1. Start Outlook.
2. On the File menu, click Data File Management.
3. Select the .pst that is damaged, and then click Remove.
4. Click Add, select Personal Folders File (.pst), click OK, and then select the .pst file you want to use as the new primary file.
5. Click OK.

Important   You should not rely solely on the Inbox Repair Tool for disaster recovery. A system of regular backups of your .pst file is an important part of preventing data loss. You can back up the file in several ways, including copying it to another location, backing up all of the files on your computer, or by using the Personal Folders Backup utility, available on the Microsoft Office Online site.

Repairing an Offline Folder file (.ost)

You may want to scan and repair your .ost if you:

• Encounter a large numbers of conflict items.
• Cannot open particular Outlook items when offline.
• Receive unexpected synchronization error messages (as shown in the synchronization log in the Deleted Items folder).
• Receive the message:Unable to expand the folder. The set of folders could not be opened. Errors could have been detected in the file drive:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.ost. Quit all mail-enabled applications, and then use the Inbox Repair Tool.Note  The file path specified in the message may vary depending upon the operating system you are using on your computer.

In addition, you might be able to open folders in the .ost but get synchronization error messages that do not go away. This happens when a single e-mail message is damaged and the synchronization process cannot correct it. You can use the OST Integrity Tool to fix damaged messages or to move them so you can synchronize successfully.

Important  You may need to run scanpst.exe (see the first procedure above) first if the OST Integrity Tool cannot open the .ost file.

Details of actions performed during the scan and repair are saved as a message in your Outlook Deleted Items folder with the subject “OST Integrity Check.”

If the Offline Folder file cannot be repaired, you can disable it and create a new one.

Microsoft Exchange 2007

Every new project needs a great new look and what else can you do but just follow the trends. Here are a few sites I found that really helped with finding that just right color palette.

• Adobes very own Kuler, an online free resource for picking themes. Great for building ideas.
• Color palette generator for those who want to match their website colors to a pictures.
• And finally for those who just have no idea what to look for, check out Daily Color Scheme. Probably the best.

Web 2.0….the ladies love it.

Web Design