March 2010
1 post
2 tags
Sorting a Multi-Dimensional Array with PHP |... →
This is a great function for sorting small multi-dimensional arrays based on a value in the nested array.
October 2009
1 post
2 tags
Tip: a lot of folks seem to think that starting a CSS class with a number is impossible. They are wrong. You can start your classes with numbers if you really want to, but you have to use a special syntax in the actual CSS. For instance:
<div class="404">No love!</div>
In the CSS you would target this div like so:
.\34 04 {
/* styling here */
}
The weirdness at the...
3 tags
Tip: if you have a custom array sorting function in Javascript that’s performing right in Firefox but not in Safari, you may need to change what you’re returning. For instance, returning 0 (use same order between first and second element) by default will typically work in Firefox, but for Safari to get the ordering right you’ll need to return a negative number (first item should...
August 2009
3 posts
3 tags
Setting up a killer, local web development... →
Easy to follow setup for a great local testing environment using MAMP and VirtualHostX. Definitely necessary for anyone coding websites on the Mac.
2 tags
Crazy Advanced Mod_Rewrite Tutorial →
I found this some time ago, but it deserves sharing again. A reference to mod_rewrite RewriteCond variables that says exactly what the variables contain (along with how to find out for yourself if you’ve got a server that’s behaving funny). This is a must-read for anyone who has wondered why the heck their mod_rewrite rules were failing.
2 tags
Flutter : WordPress CMS Plugin by Freshout →
Astonishingly useful looking plugin for turning WordPress into a CMS. Allows adding arbitrary custom fields to posts or pages, for easy creation of custom content types.
July 2009
4 posts
1 tag
One Star Pound Bypasses Needless Voicemail... →
Fantastic little tip for solving a classic time-waster: the voice mail automated message. Sounds like it works with just about every major cell carrier as long as you listen to what happens in between keypresses.
2 tags
SL Developer Info | Experience Internet →
Fantastic utility for anyone developing an ExpressionEngine site; solves the age-old problem of “what did I name that custom field again?”
2 tags
Tip: When compiling an external framework like JSCocoa for inclusion in a bundle, make sure to change the Installation Directory in the framework’s target to @loader_path/../Frameworks. This causes Objective-C to look for the framework in your bundle path instead of the application path or the standard framework locations.
(If you are working on a full application instead of a bundle, you...
2 tags
“Make something intended not for your own use, but for use by dummies, and you’ll...”
– John Gruber on Chrome OS
June 2009
2 posts
2 tags
Answers to small Illustrator and Photoshop... →
Some great solutions to niggling Photoshop and Illustrator problems; the tip about masking effects was one that I’ve struggled with a lot without realizing there was such a simple solution.
2 tags
Slideshow 2! A javascript class for Mootools 1.2... →
A beautiful slideshow module for Mootools; multiple transitions and easy loading of images.
May 2009
6 posts
1 tag
“1995 - Brendan Eich reads up on every mistake ever made in designing a...”
– A Brief, Incomplete, and Mostly Wrong History of Programming Languages
2 tags
Tip: when adding a number to the end of a string in Python, you can surround the number with backticks in order to automatically convert it to a string (rather than using str()). For example:
num = 10
my_string += `num`
Incidentally, I learned this from Oliver Crow’s article on Efficient String Concatenation in Python, which is a fantastic resource for anyone curious about the best way...
2 tags
SL Combinator: Combine and compress JavaScript and... →
Allows you to compress Javascript and CSS for an ExpressionEngine site on the fly. Very handy for switching from development to live site and back again easily, although it unfortunately uses Minify rather than YUI Compressor.
2 tags
jQuery vs MooTools: Choosing Between Two Great... →
Great article comparing the strengths of jQuery vs. Mootools. I’m with the author: jQuery is a great collection of tools for working with the DOM, but I prefer Mootools’ extensibility and explicit (if more verbose) code.
1 tag
From the Department of Badly Chosen Defaults →
Allow IE to resize images much more accurately and beautifully than otherwise using a proprietary CSS property. Must-know tip when you need to specify a size in the CSS or HTML.
2 tags
Tip: if Mail.app is autocompleting an out-of-date address for someone you can remove the address from its memory by selecting Window→Previous Recipients, searching the list for the problematic email, and clicking the Remove From List button.
Incredibly handy; incredibly hidden.
April 2009
10 posts
2 tags
Skew, the Frontend Engineer's Misery @ Irrational... →
An interesting look at the problems a frontend developer faces. For me, the best part of the article was in the footnotes:
For my purpose there is a distinction between a frontend engineer and a web developer. Within my definition, a web developer is creating an entire product, whereas a front end developer is developing the frontend portion of the product, but other portions are being a...
2 tags
Adventures with Yahoo Pipes .:. Beckism.com →
Some useful discoveries that I made while prepping the beckbits custom RSS feed in Yahoo Pipes.
1 tag
Note to current subscribers
If anyone has subscribed to the beckbits feed already, please unsubscribe and resubscribe at the new Feedburner URL:
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/beckbits/
Aside from Feedburner being awesome, the burned version of the feed has been tweaked via Yahoo Pipes to offer a better reading experience (direct links to external sites via headlines, explicit designation of permalinks, etc.).
1 tag
2 tags
“[When exporting from Illustrator to Photoshop,] generally in Photoshop if you...”
– Scott Weichert, Just Skins forums
2 tags
Free Notebook Paper Vector | The Pixlpusher →
Free notebook paper vector drawing; a central part of beckbits’ theme.
2 tags
Tip: when using Hazel to automatically manage or sort your files, make sure to place your most specific rules first in the list.
For example, I’m monitoring my Downloads folder with Hazel using three rules: “label orange if older than one week”, “label red if older than 10 days”, and “move to Trash if older than two weeks”. The “move to...
3 tags
ScreenCastle | One Click Screencasting →
Allows you to quickly record and upload a screencast straight from your browser; potentially very useful for quick demonstrations. Quality of screencasts is decent, particularly in full screen mode.
3 tags
zen-coding - Google Code →
Plugins for high-speed markup generation. Currently in a very early state (only support for Aptana and Textmate) and mostly in Russian, but some great ideas.
3 tags
Lighter.js →
Syntax highlighting script using Mootools. Looks promising, although I haven’t had a chance to try it yet.
March 2009
1 post
2 tags
Beautiful Horizontally Centered Menus/Tabs/List →
Fantastic trick for centering variable-width block elements.