The 125k Challenge
This is a new thing I’m working on. My goal is to make $125,000 in one year, using only my own projects. Check it out!
Official Website: http://www.125kchallenge.com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/125kchallenge/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/125kchallenge/
Working on New Portfolio Theme!
Working on a new theme for my Portfolio! The theme I’m currently using is just something I grabbed off some site, to get my portfolio up and running. Now that I have time to rework it, I’m putting a little extra time and effort into it. So far my process has been to create a wire frame of the elements, and markup some basic functionality (I created an asset list document to work from, before creating the wires). This will make designing a whole lot easier and permit me to only have to worry about the “pretty factor”, since I’ve already mapped out my functionality and flow.
Check out my progress:
Wireframes (Layout):
Wireframe (Layout + Navigation Example):
Designing the Background:
( I’ve already got grid lines in place to make sure everything will work with 960px. width )
More Background Work + Some Layout:
Trying to find a good way to present the navigation:
Started Filling in the Content UI:
Continued:
Continued:
Continued:
Continued:
IE6 / IE7 jQuery Fix: Anchor Image Clickable Area
IE6 and IE7 both experience a problem in which images inside of block elements inside of anchors lose their click ability. Here’s an example:
<a href="rss-icon.png"> <span style="display:block; width:100px; height:100px;"> <img src="someImage.png" /> </span> </a>
Every area of the link remains click-able except for the surface consumed by someImage.png. (Note, this problem will not show in IE8, or FF)
Here’s a very small jQuery plugin I wrote to fix this particular issue.
(function($){ $.fn.fixClick = function() { return this.each(function(){ $(this) .css({cursor:'pointer'}) .click(function(){ window.location.href = $(this).attr('href'); }); }); } })(jQuery);
Simply select your target element(s) and use this plugin to make the entire anchor click-able again. Here’s an example:
$(document).ready(function(){ $('a').fixClick(); });
Scripting for Smarties : Application Portability 101
Here’s the first ‘tutorial’-esque video that I’ve published in my new Channel Scripting for Smarties.
Enjoy~
PHP Database Class
I just recently wrote a brand new Database class to add to my PHP library. The old one was starting to get stale. This class is capable of taking advantage of the Singleton design pattern.
<?php /** * @author Michael Hartmayer (michaelhartmayer[at]gmail.com) * @copyright 2009 */ class Db { static $ref; // Database Resource private $user = 'root'; // Username private $pass = ''; // Password private $host = 'localhost'; // Host private $db = 'test'; // Database private $err = array(); // Error Log private $errHalt = true; // Toggle: Halt on DB Error? static $q; // Last Query static $r; // Last Results static $singleton; public function Db() { return true; }//endMethod public function getInstance() { if(!self::$singleton) self::$singleton = new self; return self::$singleton; }//endMethod public function setUser($i) { $this->user = $i; return true; }//endMethod public function setPass($i) { $this->pass = $i; return true; }//endMethod public function setHost($i) { $this->host = $i; return true; }//endMethod public function setDb($i) { $this->db = $i; return true; }//endMethod public function setAll($h,$u,$p,$d) { $this->host = $h; $this->user = $u; $this->pass = $p; $this->db = $d; return; }//endMethod public function doConnect(){ if(!empty($this->ref)) $this->doDisconnect(); if(!$this->ref = @mysql_connect($this->host,$this->user,$this->pass)) return $this->dbErr(mysql_error()); if(!@mysql_select_db($this->db,$this->ref)) return $this->dbErr(mysql_error($this->ref)); return true; }//endMethod public function doDisconnect() { if(empty($this->ref)) return false; mysql_close($this->ref); $this->ref = null; return true; }//endMethod public function getRef() { return($this->ref); }//endMethod public function dbSet($q) { $this->q = $q; if($this->r=@mysql_query($this->q,$this->ref)) return true; return $this->dbErr(mysql_error($this->ref)); }//endMethod public function dbGet($q,$type='') { switch($type) { case 'STR': $resultType = MYSQL_ASSOC; break; case 'INT': $resultType = MYSQL_NUM; break; default: $resultType = MYSQL_BOTH; break; } $this->q = $q; if(!$this->r = mysql_query($this->q,$this->ref)) return $this->dbErr(mysql_error($this->ref)); $resultArr = array(); while($makeDbArr = mysql_fetch_array($this->r,$resultType)) { $resultArr[] = $makeDbArr; }//endWhile return $resultArr; }//endMethod public function dbCount($table, $matchPartialQuery='') { $this->q = "SELECT COUNT(*) AS 'COUNT' FROM `$table` $matchPartialQuery;"; if($this->r = $this->dbGet($this->q)) return $this->r[0]['COUNT']; return $this->dbErr(mysql_error($this->err)); }//endMethod private function dbErr($err) { if(empty($err)) return false; $this->err[] = $err; if($this->errHalt==true) { echo ">> System has halted on Db Error. <br />"; echo ">> Error Log:<br /><br />"; print_r($err); exit; } return err; }//endMethod public function strClean($str) { return mysql_real_escape_string($str,$this->ref); }//endMethod }//endClass ?>
960gs Margin Mod
Lately I’ve been working with the marvelously easy to use and understand CSS framework, 960 Grid System. After getting started with it, I very quickly noticed that, while easy and efficient, it has a flaw. You absolutely can NOT extend your elements to end after a margin, touching the next grid element. And so, one becomes effectively shackled to having margins between any horizontally placed grid elements.
Here’s a quick Mod that I wrote that will allow you to negate that problem, without modifying the 960gs CSS itself. Also, it is important to note, that while this does allow you to push your grid class over the margin, you still can’t pull the next element back. Still, another mod could be written using the same flavor to accomplish that as well.
So, without further adieu, here it is:
960.overExtend.css
/* Modifies the 960gs to allow elements to carry over into the margins, so that they may snugly touch the next grid over. Simply use the appropriate grid, as you normally would, and then attach the additional overExtend class to it, to make it over extend into the margin. Example: <div id="myContainer" class="grid_5 grid_5_overExtend"> ... </div> */ /* Margin Mod 12 Col */ .container_12 .grid_1_overExtend { width:80px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_2_overExtend { width:160px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_3_overExtend { width:240px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_4_overExtend { width:320px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_5_overExtend { width:400px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_6_overExtend { width:480px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_7_overExtend { width:560px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_8_overExtend { width:640px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_9_overExtend { width:720px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_10_overExtend { width:800px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_12 .grid_11_overExtend { width:880px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } /* Margin Mod 16 Col */ .container_16 .grid_1_overExtend { width:60px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_2_overExtend { width:120px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_3_overExtend { width:180px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_4_overExtend { width:240px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_5_overExtend { width:300px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_6_overExtend { width:360px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_7_overExtend { width:420px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_8_overExtend { width:480px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_9_overExtend { width:540px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_10_overExtend { width:600px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_11_overExtend { width:660px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_12_overExtend { width:720px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_13_overExtend { width:780px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_14_overExtend { width:840px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; } .container_16 .grid_15_overExtend { width:900px !important; margin-right:-10px !important; }
Alternating Styles in jQuery (Plug-In)
This is a little script that I wrote, that lets you easily alternate the style of repeating class elements, or w/e elements you want to select. This is particularly useful for lists, and the like.
function($){ $.fn.styleAlternation = function(aClass, bClass) { var i = 0; return this.each(function() { if (++i % 2 != 0 && aClass!='') { $(this).addClass(aClass); } else if(bClass!='') { $(this).addClass(bClass); } }); }(jQuery);
The usage is very simple. Here’s the JavaScript:
$("#awesomeTable tr").styleAlternation("cssClass1","cssClass2");
From there, all you need to do is create your CSS. Example:
.cssClass1 { background: #000; color: #444; } .cssClass2 { background: #999; color: #333; }
Here’s a screenshot:
AJAX Calendar Loader Using jQuery
My good pal Austin needed help turning his static calendar into one that could change the month, using AJAX. The calendar itself was written in PHP. Here is the quick and easy solution I came up with for him, using jQuery:
$(document).ready(function() { // Create Date Object var jsDateObject = new Date(); // Create Calendar Object ( Holds all your variables, etc ) var jsCalendar = {}; jsCalendar.currentMonth = jsDateObject.getMonth(); // Controls the NEXT button $("#jsCalendarNext").click(function() { // Update Active Month jsCalendar.currentMonth++; if(jsCalendar.currentMonth>12) { jsCalendar.currentMonth=1; } // Get New Calendar ajaxUpdateCalendar(); }); // Controls the PREV button $("#jsCalendarPrev").click(function() { // Update Active Month jsCalendar.currentMonth--; if(jsCalendar.currentMonth<1) { jsCalendar.currentMonth=12; } // Get New Calendar ajaxUpdateCalendar(); }); // Use AJAX to update the Calendar function ajaxUpdateCalendar() { $.post( "phpCalendarLoader.php", { calendarMonth: jsCalendar.currentMonth }, function(data) { $("#jsCalendarContainer").html(data); }, "html" ); } });
From here, all Austin had to do was set his $month variable to $_POST['calendarMonth'];.
My Dad :)
Just got my Dad’s CD put on YouTube. Nothing fancy~
He’s been singing and composing all his life and put out two CD’s. This is a small preview of his ‘Golden Classics’ Album. For more information about the CD, please get in touch with wolfhartmayer@gmail.com
PHP LoadScript Class
This is a really handy class I wrote that loads all your scripts Server Side so that when your page loads there aren’t so many HTTP Requests. Useful if you’re trying to load 6 different js files and 4 different style sheets, or whatever. That’s 10 requests, completely gone. Just keep in mind that it dumps all your files straight into the html document- so, as long as you don’t have a problem with that, this is a great tool.
In addition, it’s really easy to add your own script types. Check out the script for details.
( Available At: PasteBin: LoadScript Class )
Usage:
<?php # Include Class include_once('class.scriptloader.php'); # Instantiate $jsLoader = new ScriptLoader('JS'); # Add Scripts $jsLoader->addScript('my-javascript.js'); $jsLoader->addScript('jquery.js'); $jsLoader->addScript('other-scripts.js'); # Dump into Document $jsLoader->echoScripts(); ?>
On a quick note, it’d probably be a lot ‘neater’ to mod-rewrite a php file to handle at least one request per script type. That way it doesn’t all get dumped straight into the page.
Something like:
RewriteRule ^script\.(.*)$ script-loader.php?type=$1 [L]
And for script-loader.php
<?php switch($_GET['type']) { case 'js': // Load all of the JavaScript files here break; } ?>
That way when you load something like script.js it will dump all of your java scripts into a ‘fake’ file. Just make sure to use the default $ScriptLoader->type (don’t set one when instantiating) if you are loading it from a src=”foo.bar”.
.. or something like that xD