Posts in the Web Development category
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Ten reasons to use WordPress themes from StudioPress
25 August 2010 by
I’ve been using some WordPress themes from StudioPress in recent months and have been pretty impressed – so I thought I would highlight some of the reasons why in this short post.
Info: I have used the Genesis theme with various child themes on several projects.
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Getting started with Facebook pages for business
11 July 2010 by
Like many other folks, I have a Facebook account which I use for personal friends (and only friends). However, I have never used Facebook for business reasons until fairly recently. A few weeks ago, I was asked if I could create a Facebook page for a business and, whilst I’m sure I could do this, I had to be honest with the potential client and say that I’d never actually done this before. With some spare time last weekend, I thought I’d create my own business (page) on Facebook. I should be in a better position to advise clients if I have actually done it myself! Here’s what I have done so far and a few beginner tips.
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Five fantastic Firefox extensions you might not know
13 May 2010 by
Like many other Firefox users, the large number of Firefox add-ons that extend what I can do with Firefox means that it is my default browser. I probably use many of the add-ons that you know and love but I thought it would be interesting to list a few that are not so well-known… but that I find really useful. In no particular order, here they are:
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Create your own iPhone app quickly and easily
04 January 2010 by
The growth of the iPhone app store and market has been phenomenal in recent years. Many websites and blogs have developed their own iPhone applications as a way of promoting their brand.
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Advent calendar websites for web developers
07 December 2009 by
This is the time of year when online advent ‘calendars’ spring to life. As a web designer/developer, I don’t mean those nice pictorial calendars that we give to children but instead websites that publish an article a day for the first 24 days of December. Here are three that are aimed at geeks, developers, or web designers.
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Tooltips and slider JavaScript effects based on jQuery
13 October 2009 by
Used wisely, JavaScript effects can provide that extra Wow! factor to your website. I have been looking at a couple of different scripts recently because they seemed to be just what I wanted for a couple of websites. Both these are based on the jQuery library.
Info: JavaScript adds an extra level of interaction or behaviour to your website and it might be tempting to use scripts like these excessively. However, you should also consider what happens if your web visitors have JavaScript turned off. Is the content still visible? Does the website still provide a useful experience without these effects? See Unobtrusive JavaScript for more information on best practice.
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My favourite software at the moment
06 October 2009 by
Most software works great and does the job it was intended for. However, every once in a while I come across a programme that just seems to be perfectly thought out and that is a joy to use. Invariable the programme or software make me more efficient but, most of the time, it’s the way the programme works that elevates it above its rivals. Anyway, here’s a few programmes that I am liking a lot at the moment.
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Tips to help make your website more mobile-friendly
15 September 2009 by
This is not a comprehensive article about developing a mobile device strategy for your website. It’s simply some tips that are based on a couple of things that I have implemented recently so that this blog is more easily viewable on mobile or cell phones. In my case, I am assessing each of my personal websites in order to determine whether I want to make them more mobile-friendly. If Yes, my plan is that I will not be creating separate mobile websites but will be optimising the existing websites.
Info: There are several mobile device website strategies that you may consider [including the option of doing nothing]. Cameron Moll’s Mobile Web Book is a good place to start if you want to know more.
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Interesting links this week
15 February 2009 by
We often come across new applications and web stuff. In no particular order, here’s a few interesting links that we found this week.
Lovely Charts is a free online diagramming application that looks very easy to use. Check out the screencast for a demo. If you regularly create diagrams like wireframes, flow charts, site maps, and organisational charts, this might be the online application for you.
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Top 5 resources for building contact forms
12 October 2008 by
As a web designer or developer, contact forms can sometimes cause problems because there may be a degree of difficulty in getting the form to actually send the information and because using CSS to layout the form is perhaps a bit more difficult than you might have thought. Help! Luckily, there are some great resources out there to help you build website contact forms. Here’s my top five list (in no particular order).