Previously - I introduced a nice way to create drop down menus using HTML (lists), Javascript (drop down), and CSS (styling of menu). I put all of this together and called it: Jappler Menus. (See previous post about Jappler Menus).

Since writing that post - I have found a better, faster, cleaner way to work with drop down menus. I had originally seen some nice menus: http://help-developer.com and decided with some changes - that would be a much nicer way to work with menus. For this - I give you Jappler Menus version … [more]

If you install WordPress and use the media uploader to manage your images in your posts - you can easily style your images quickly by adding the following code to your theme's stylesheet.

This code will set up your images to float appropriately, as well as give a nice border as seen below.

I was talking to one of my friends today who does a lot backend programming but often needs a quick and easy 3 column layout that has the floats all figured out. His frustration with floats prompted me to make a very basic layout for him to use. If you find yourself in the same situation - check out my basic 3 column layout.

After spending an hour on something that should have taken me 20 minutes - I wanted to pass on something I should have caught right away. The problem: you use CSS to lay something out and it looks great in Firefox and Safari - but not in IE. At this point I validate the CSS to make sure I did not forget a bracket or something stupid. Next step - validate the XHTML. This is where I would have solved my problem, but I failed to take this step. At that point I would have ... [more]

There have been two great menu and navigation techniques I have used over the last few years:

1. Sliding Doors of CSS
2. Sons of Suckerfish (for drop down menus)

I have used both of these techniques on several web sites, but crazily not together...until a week ago when a client decided they wanted to move away from their antiquated menus that relied on hundreds of lines of javascript, HTML tables, and over 40 image files (for seven tabs). This technique works in IE 6, IE 7, Firefox, and Safari.

After I had put the code into place I thought it might be ... [more]

I have been working on a project for a few months that has been touched by many developers at various points in time. It is my job to optimize the code, ensure it works in multiple browsers, and then test new functionality. This is a huge project with tens of thousands lines of code. I recently got stuck on one issue that I could not figure out at all...so I finally decided to run everything through the W3C validators, and as soon as I did, I realized I should have done this as soon as I started ... [more]

I am working on a project that started small and got really big. Good for the company, bad news for the code. I am in the process of going through the code and to fix and optimize it for multiple browsers. One word of advice for developers: when starting a new project, expect exceptions. One issue I have run into: not all buttons will be 90px wide like once thought by the original designer. By using flexible code, your big and small sites can benefit from changes in the future. If you are going ... [more]

I use reuse a number of CSS/XHTML layouts everyday and feel it is time to share. This is the third of three articles in a series on how to create various CSS rounded corner or "fancier than a simple box" container with CSS and XHTML that work in IE 6, IE 7, Firefox 1.5, Firefox 2.0, and Safari 2.0. I have used this code on several large and small sites and have enjoyed the flexibility of both changing the height and the width. (Also see css containers: simple, fixed width, rounded corners, and css containers: fancier, fixed width, ... [more]

Over the past few months I have been busy working on client web sites and have neglected jappler.com. I have been using WordPress for a few years now with this site and had a number of plugins, CSS styles, and other items that needed to be pruned while I wanted to spruce up and clean up some other layout items.
Summary of the jappler.com tune up:

• Went through all my plugins and disabled and removed anything that could be replaced with a template tag
• Removed all old and un-used CSS styles
• Removed CSS code that I could do better or ... [more]
  

Ever wonder how to get a mouse over "tool tip" to appear without much hassle? Use the title attribute (keep your mouse over the link for a few seconds to see this in action). Not only does this help your users/readers get more information, it also helps people who are using auditory browsers will have the title information read to them. Not all links should use the title link, but if you want to provide additional information to your audience, give it a shot. Be aware ... [more]

After working with content management managements for well quite awhile now, the thought of creating more than seven (more than five, less than ten) static pages for a client makes me cringe. Why? I am spoiled by using template driven solutions. With templateing, if I need to make a header change, I change it one place and I am done with it. With using static .html pages, I have to make the change to all the pages. I have grown very reliant on using find and replace, but then - because of the person I am ... [more]

I am not sure that there are too many people like me still around...people that have used GoLive since it was actually called GoLive CyberStudio and owned by GoLive Systems Inc. I have been using GoLive for site management on static sites for nine years now and although I knew this day would come...Adobe finally announced they would phase GoLive out in favor of Dreamweaver. Thankfully I only use GoLive for one site (and hand code use CSS for all the others or use a CMS), but after using something for nine years it makes ... [more]