Entries tagged "Web Development"
Troubleshooting with var_dump()
When code doesn't perform properly, checking that the variables contain what you expect is an important step in solving the problem. Was the value ever assigned to the variable? Does the variable still contain the value? Is the value formatted for the given the scenario? Let's look at some options for finding out. [Continue reading]
Simple Bar Graphs Made Dynamic with PHP
The simple bar graph shown last week could be utilized to generate charts on the fly. This is great for showing responses from an online survey and other data collection methods. All that's needed is a scripting language such as PHP and direct access to the data. [Continue reading]
Creating Simple Bar Graphs with HTML
Looking for a quick and dirty way to make bar charts? While digging through old code, I stumbled across some simple HTML code for generating bar charts. I'm sure there are better ways to make fancier graphs, but I thought it would be fun to share this old-school technique. [Continue reading]
Sorting Two MySQL Table Columns as One
How do you sort database entries chronologically when there are two different date fields? One shows when the entry was updated. The other indicates when it was created. If the developer didn't have the hindsight to set both fields to the same date when an entry is created, how do you work with the fields for sorting? [Continue reading]
Advanced Uses of Google Forms: Customizing and Pre-population
As mentioned in last week's post, Google provides very few options for customizing their forms. However, with a little extra work, the form can look anyway we want. All the extra space between questions can be removed. Labels can appear on the same line as the corresponding form field. Let's look at customizing Google forms and other advanced usage of the service. [Continue reading]
Rapidly Developing Forms with Google Docs
If you develop surveys or data collection forms online, have you given Google Docs a spin? This free service is more than just creating spreadsheets and documents. It also provides a form builder which simplifies the development of online forms. The form responses are stored in a Google spreadsheet which can easily be exported to Microsoft Excel, CSV, etc. Plus, the forms can be embedded in your own website. [Continue reading]
Are Skinny Scroll Bars Worth the Hit to Website Usability?
When it comes to interface design, what's with websites (and applications) switching to the skinny scroll bar. Okay, it saves space. But are the usability drawbacks worth the few extra pixels? Since downloading and trying out Rockmelt a few weeks back, I've been asking myself this question. [Continue reading]
Naming Your HTML Form Fields with an Associative Array
When using database entries to dynamically build HTML forms, how do you go about naming the form fields? Do you name them "Field1", "Field2′, etc.? Or do you have a more efficient way to access the fields when processing the form submissions? If you haven't tried using an array as the name, you may be missing out. [Continue reading]
Industry News: CSS Media Queries and Call to Remove Share Buttons
What do you think about the recent call to remove share buttons from websites? Also, does your website utilize CSS Media Queries? If not, they may not be as difficult to incorporate as you might think. [Continue reading]
Going Beyond the Typical Sort: Sorting by Specific Values with MySQL’s Order By Clause
When performing MySQL database queries, have there been times where the "Order By" clause doesn't seem to cut it? Well it turns out that we can do more than sort by one or more columns in ascending and descending order. MySQL's FIELD() function provides a way to target a specific value from within a column. Let's take a closer look at the function. [Continue reading]
