OK, so on Friday I went to show off my site to someone at work. I loaded it in my browser and what showed up looked like crap! I was sure I'd tested the site in IE before, but it was like half of the CSS worked. No idea why some did and others didn't. Now I have to consider how the hell I'm going to fix that all...
The link i posted the other day was sent to me by my brother. I posted it here as i knew i'd forget to check it out if i just left it in my inbox. After quickly scanning the sites, they look like they might be interesting, but not quite what I need right now.
What I need right now is to work out why on a couple of my pages, the divs are over lapping. My div within a div theory doesn't seem to be working on pages where the main text isn't long enough. To tell you the truth, I haven't compared my version of the three divs across the page set up to the suggested one. Might go and check out an expert's opinion now, to see what it is I'm doing wrong!
http://intensivstation.ch/en/templates/
http://www.brainjar.com/css/positioning/default1.asp
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Another password...
Learned about the wonders of the RSS feed last night. Very cool concept, should be much easier to keep track of everyone's blog updates now. If only I could remember the bloody password for the account i created last night...
Started rolling out the CSS to all of my pages last night. On the pages i just had picture placeholders for, things kept popping out of place until I put the div within a div! Layer upon layer upon layer etc. Also, I don't feel so ashamed of my site now. I worked out how to centre the whole thing on a screen and suddenly it actually looks like a web page, not just a document I could have created in word or ppt etc. Still basic, but that's not a bad thing!
Also loved the little pixie colour identifier thing Sarah showed me. Handy little tool, I put a link on the side here for easy access.
Leaps and bounds, man, leaps and bounds...
If only things were working as smoothly in my Still Image presentation. I have these great ideas in my head, but its just not happening for me on screen. I managed to get the photoshop animation thing happening, but its just not smooth enough for my liking. Wish i knew flash :-(
Blogging about the wrong subject, sorry!
Started rolling out the CSS to all of my pages last night. On the pages i just had picture placeholders for, things kept popping out of place until I put the div within a div! Layer upon layer upon layer etc. Also, I don't feel so ashamed of my site now. I worked out how to centre the whole thing on a screen and suddenly it actually looks like a web page, not just a document I could have created in word or ppt etc. Still basic, but that's not a bad thing!
Also loved the little pixie colour identifier thing Sarah showed me. Handy little tool, I put a link on the side here for easy access.
Leaps and bounds, man, leaps and bounds...
If only things were working as smoothly in my Still Image presentation. I have these great ideas in my head, but its just not happening for me on screen. I managed to get the photoshop animation thing happening, but its just not smooth enough for my liking. Wish i knew flash :-(
Blogging about the wrong subject, sorry!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Time flies when you're having fun...
OK, I've been coding for almost 9 hours now (except I did stop to have lunch with mum, and my bit of blog earlier today...). I keep having a-ha moments with CSS. Lots of faffing about today but my home page actually sort of all fits together now. Still needs tweaking (and the proper text/pictures) but I think my template is done!
I couldn't get things aligned and stuff was jumping about all over the place until I put it all in a big container. Suddenly things stayed in place. I'm going to have to go back and clean up some of my code though, I experimented all day and there were quite a few non-functioning attempts i think I've left scraps of behind...
I managed to resist looking to see how the experts have done the three columns of text without tables. I suspect I've done it the hard way, and there were moments today where I was questioning why i was bothering to reinvent the wheel again, but now I'm done, I feel I actually get it. I know my page isn't the most exciting and creative thing I've ever seen, but I'm bloody proud of it, actually. Not bad for a first go. Besides, its only an intro page for a small business. Must try to keep things in perspective :-)
I might check out the proper way to do it tomorrow...now I need to get back to the ordeal that is photoshop...who would have thought I would ever have said that!
I couldn't get things aligned and stuff was jumping about all over the place until I put it all in a big container. Suddenly things stayed in place. I'm going to have to go back and clean up some of my code though, I experimented all day and there were quite a few non-functioning attempts i think I've left scraps of behind...
I managed to resist looking to see how the experts have done the three columns of text without tables. I suspect I've done it the hard way, and there were moments today where I was questioning why i was bothering to reinvent the wheel again, but now I'm done, I feel I actually get it. I know my page isn't the most exciting and creative thing I've ever seen, but I'm bloody proud of it, actually. Not bad for a first go. Besides, its only an intro page for a small business. Must try to keep things in perspective :-)
I might check out the proper way to do it tomorrow...now I need to get back to the ordeal that is photoshop...who would have thought I would ever have said that!
How to impress boys (nerds) in bars...
All these years I've been working on my pool playing skills and refining my ability to throw back shots of alcohol like they're water, and all you need to impress boys in bars are a few well placed phrases in conversation...
A few weeks back, while out on a Friday night with the girls, i met a group of men in a bar in darlinghurst. It turned out they were software developers or something. Had some interesting conversation and many cocktails....
I bumped into them again on Friday night, and one of them, who I'd barely spoken to last time, remembered me purely because I had previously mentioned my fondness for Macgyver during my younger years. He queried what I was doing this weekend and I told him of my plans to code CSS, I've never seen someone get so quietly excited about stumbling upon a kindred spirit before. It was charming! He told me about a group of coders meet around darlinghurst every month. Apparently anyone can just rock up, and everyone just sits around drinking coffee and coding. I told him I really was a novice and would feel way too intimidated to turn up in a group like that, but he said they'd be cool. I get the impression they'd just love it if someone wanted to talk about coding with them... Anyway, he muttered something about feeling overwhelmed by all the people contact in the bar, and that he needed a computer or something and disappeared before I got a chance to give him my number...shame. He was cute and smart, just the way I like 'em...
So I've been having a crack at this CSS stuff and really liking it! I'm not creating grand art works or anything - yet! I've still been working on my site's home page (as a template), with most of the css in an external style sheet. I've been working my way through the W3schools tutorials and just applying bits I want to try. I'm going to try to do it all myself rather than visit one of those sites that give you all the layout code. Unless I get stuck.
Anyway, can't chat, coding...
A few weeks back, while out on a Friday night with the girls, i met a group of men in a bar in darlinghurst. It turned out they were software developers or something. Had some interesting conversation and many cocktails....
I bumped into them again on Friday night, and one of them, who I'd barely spoken to last time, remembered me purely because I had previously mentioned my fondness for Macgyver during my younger years. He queried what I was doing this weekend and I told him of my plans to code CSS, I've never seen someone get so quietly excited about stumbling upon a kindred spirit before. It was charming! He told me about a group of coders meet around darlinghurst every month. Apparently anyone can just rock up, and everyone just sits around drinking coffee and coding. I told him I really was a novice and would feel way too intimidated to turn up in a group like that, but he said they'd be cool. I get the impression they'd just love it if someone wanted to talk about coding with them... Anyway, he muttered something about feeling overwhelmed by all the people contact in the bar, and that he needed a computer or something and disappeared before I got a chance to give him my number...shame. He was cute and smart, just the way I like 'em...
So I've been having a crack at this CSS stuff and really liking it! I'm not creating grand art works or anything - yet! I've still been working on my site's home page (as a template), with most of the css in an external style sheet. I've been working my way through the W3schools tutorials and just applying bits I want to try. I'm going to try to do it all myself rather than visit one of those sites that give you all the layout code. Unless I get stuck.
Anyway, can't chat, coding...
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Lotto winner!
I was having such a crap day yesterday I thought - maybe all of my luck has gone elsewhere, so I did something I never do - bought a ticket in the Oz lotto. And I won! I got 3 numbers and a supplementary, which means I probably won enough to buy myself a sandwich at lunchtime tomorrow....I can feel the tide turning...
Tonight's class was about JavaScript. I enjoyed it as I am supposed to be including JavaScript in my final project and despite the fact that I researched it when I wrote the micro/macro thing, it all looked Greek to me. When we looked at it during the overview earlier in the semester, I hadn't got my head around XHTML and CSS yet, so it just looked like extra, confusing letters and symbols. The good news is after tonight, I sort of get it. I honestly felt my brain stretching when Alastair was going through it, but that whole thing re the full stop being the point that separates the action from the thing being acted on makes it easier of me to interpret the code. I'm not saying I'm ready to go out and start scripting like crazy, but I think I could at least read what I might end up borrowing for my project...
I also found it really useful having a chat with Alastair re my options for forms on my site. I think I should have swallowed my pride and started asking questions a long time ago...also helpful was his review of my micro/macro analysis with some useful feedback. Not to mention Wang Wei's feedback! That was a lovely surprise, with some constructive feedback as well as some kind words. Now I just have to find time to go back and amend the analysis...
I finished the XHTML pages for my final project on Sunday. Except for the navigation bar. Both top and bottom. I am thinking about having the navigation bar stay in place at the top of the page, by anchoring the div, but not sure if I should then not bother to put the old style link navigation along the bottom of the page. And what's the story with copyrights or disclaimer things at the bottom of the page? I clearly don't have copyright on the page. But maybe the client does with her logo? NFI...
Anyway, I thought the navigation bar was going to be a series of pictures (buttons) with links. Then I noticed the 'buttons' in the JavaScript examples tonight, set up as an ordered list and wondered if that's how I should have it set up. I whacked them in there like that for the mean time, plus divided up the XHTML into what seemed like logical divisions (incl naming them). Well, on the home page, anyway. It's going to be my test case - once I've worked out what I'm doing on that, I'm going to roll it out to the other pages.
I have to say, I think there's a latent nerd in me. I'm starting to enjoy the coding - even more than photoshop at the moment, as I feel more confident about fumbling my way through the code, or at least confident enough to know where to look to find out what I'm doing wrong. Photoshop on the other hand is just a vast, mysterious set of tools - they seem like they could probably do some interesting things, if I just had some time to faff about with them for a few days to work out what that is exactly...
I've also discovered I quite enjoy blogging. I might just have to start one of these up once this semester is over...sure beats a paper diary...
Tonight's class was about JavaScript. I enjoyed it as I am supposed to be including JavaScript in my final project and despite the fact that I researched it when I wrote the micro/macro thing, it all looked Greek to me. When we looked at it during the overview earlier in the semester, I hadn't got my head around XHTML and CSS yet, so it just looked like extra, confusing letters and symbols. The good news is after tonight, I sort of get it. I honestly felt my brain stretching when Alastair was going through it, but that whole thing re the full stop being the point that separates the action from the thing being acted on makes it easier of me to interpret the code. I'm not saying I'm ready to go out and start scripting like crazy, but I think I could at least read what I might end up borrowing for my project...
I also found it really useful having a chat with Alastair re my options for forms on my site. I think I should have swallowed my pride and started asking questions a long time ago...also helpful was his review of my micro/macro analysis with some useful feedback. Not to mention Wang Wei's feedback! That was a lovely surprise, with some constructive feedback as well as some kind words. Now I just have to find time to go back and amend the analysis...
I finished the XHTML pages for my final project on Sunday. Except for the navigation bar. Both top and bottom. I am thinking about having the navigation bar stay in place at the top of the page, by anchoring the div, but not sure if I should then not bother to put the old style link navigation along the bottom of the page. And what's the story with copyrights or disclaimer things at the bottom of the page? I clearly don't have copyright on the page. But maybe the client does with her logo? NFI...
Anyway, I thought the navigation bar was going to be a series of pictures (buttons) with links. Then I noticed the 'buttons' in the JavaScript examples tonight, set up as an ordered list and wondered if that's how I should have it set up. I whacked them in there like that for the mean time, plus divided up the XHTML into what seemed like logical divisions (incl naming them). Well, on the home page, anyway. It's going to be my test case - once I've worked out what I'm doing on that, I'm going to roll it out to the other pages.
I have to say, I think there's a latent nerd in me. I'm starting to enjoy the coding - even more than photoshop at the moment, as I feel more confident about fumbling my way through the code, or at least confident enough to know where to look to find out what I'm doing wrong. Photoshop on the other hand is just a vast, mysterious set of tools - they seem like they could probably do some interesting things, if I just had some time to faff about with them for a few days to work out what that is exactly...
I've also discovered I quite enjoy blogging. I might just have to start one of these up once this semester is over...sure beats a paper diary...
Sunday, May 4, 2008
And the XHTML begins...
re the last class - I quite enjoyed it, actually. I've set up and looked after databases before (when Tim asked he class if there was anyone that had been a database administrator, I hadn't even thought that might apply to myself, but I guess it does...). This being said, my databases weren't quite as complex as the video store example we worked through on Tues night.
It was a great way to get your head around how everything linked up, and how many tables to make etc. I found the exercise reading the table out strangely useful (not to mention challenging, I keep trying to go back to the 'pretend its a blind person on the phone you are describing it to' thing, yet still struggling not to miss things out). The whole arrow over the box thing also confused me slightly - which one to use when etc, but Tim had a go explaining it again, so I think I get it now...I suspect some trial and error using it in practice is what will gel it in my head!
I was absolutely horrified in class to find out we were allowed to submit out work in valid XHTML - of any kind!!! I was sure there was something, somewhere that said it had to be strict...why else would i have picked that? If Eric hadn't also been under the same impression, I would feel way worse. I think of that first assignment I banged my head against the wall over - it probably would have gone through fine with transitional XHTML! Oh well, at least now i get the strict one, which should mean I can write any of them...like learning to drive a manual car...
The older I get the more I'm realising the worth in planning things out before launching into the build, as far as saving time, long term. Especially when you aren't 100% sure of what you are doing. It certainly seems to be true of all of the subjects I'm doing this semester. Lots of planning going into things. This being said, I started building the XHTML for my final project today. Need work out the whole form issue ie how I'm going to do it all. I'm also thinking about adding a comments page on the last page. But is this something that should be moderated somehow? ie how I am going to set it up so Sue can take off any comments that might be wrong for the business? Will they just send the comments to her and she can decide what to post? How will she pot them if I do that? Decisions, decisions...but first, system plan peer review time...
It was a great way to get your head around how everything linked up, and how many tables to make etc. I found the exercise reading the table out strangely useful (not to mention challenging, I keep trying to go back to the 'pretend its a blind person on the phone you are describing it to' thing, yet still struggling not to miss things out). The whole arrow over the box thing also confused me slightly - which one to use when etc, but Tim had a go explaining it again, so I think I get it now...I suspect some trial and error using it in practice is what will gel it in my head!
I was absolutely horrified in class to find out we were allowed to submit out work in valid XHTML - of any kind!!! I was sure there was something, somewhere that said it had to be strict...why else would i have picked that? If Eric hadn't also been under the same impression, I would feel way worse. I think of that first assignment I banged my head against the wall over - it probably would have gone through fine with transitional XHTML! Oh well, at least now i get the strict one, which should mean I can write any of them...like learning to drive a manual car...
The older I get the more I'm realising the worth in planning things out before launching into the build, as far as saving time, long term. Especially when you aren't 100% sure of what you are doing. It certainly seems to be true of all of the subjects I'm doing this semester. Lots of planning going into things. This being said, I started building the XHTML for my final project today. Need work out the whole form issue ie how I'm going to do it all. I'm also thinking about adding a comments page on the last page. But is this something that should be moderated somehow? ie how I am going to set it up so Sue can take off any comments that might be wrong for the business? Will they just send the comments to her and she can decide what to post? How will she pot them if I do that? Decisions, decisions...but first, system plan peer review time...
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