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
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
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
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
Over the years I have been confronted with the same issues over domain name choices made by those who do not consider themselves ‘savvy’, so I will compile a short list of rules to consider when choosing the domain for your next big idea.
- Less is more – One or two words at most.
www.thebestwebsitenameevervisitnow.com is not a good domain name.
- Your domain name does not necessarily have to be your company name.
(i.e. North Oakland Golf, Inc. can have a domain name like www.proshop.com)
- No funny spellings.
www.clickz4phun.com is not a good domain name.
- Bottom line…
It’s all about communication. If you find yourself having to explain the domain name to someone or having to spell it out, then it is not easily communicable.
Here is a quick place to register a new domain name, 1and1.com.
Web Design
I speak with many business owners and most all of them are interested in creating a website but often do not fully understand what their website should contain because there are so many bad examples out there.
Every business website needs only the following 3 goals…
- Describe your business
- Sell your business
- Support your business
Anything that does not belong to one of these goals is noise…noise is bad.
Examples of noise…
Flash intro page where corporate buildings float in with the intellectual fashionable business people standing around a computer is noise…noise is bad. Floating people do not describe your business and only prolong the wait for a client to enter your site for the 9th time to check on an order.
Articulate menu system that expands all over and looks way cool is noise…noise is bad. Visit this site and you will know what I’m talking about. www.cuh2a.com
If you upload every picture or thought you have then your site will lack direction from all the added noise. Many of the newer sites are adopting this ‘Web 2.0′ look, where you have large fonts, reduced color schemes, rich icons, and usually have as little as 3 pages. These focused websites are very clear in their goals.
Every single item on your website must support your goals. If it doesn’t, then it is noise…and noise is bad.
Web Design