I would like to start by writing about compliance. No, I'm not talking about standards compliance between the top two browers which I've been batteling with for some time now... I'm talking about my own personal compliance to the level of technology we've been exposed to.
Yes, there is a small programming gene in me that enjoys the art of coding, but there's is a large part of me that does not. What can I say? It's a love/hate relationship. I love creating things for other people... creating the tools for creativity. But my true passion is people themselves. As far as technology goes, my feelings still remain about the same. To me, technology is like the flash on a camera. Althoug it lets us see more, it washes out one of the beauty elements of a photo... the color and its tones.
A part of me is a traditionalist. If I was allowed to live worry-free and choose a life where money, work, and productivity were not main concerns... I would choose a simple life, one without technology. Afterall, all we need is happiness. The use of technology can sometimes strive us away or make it a more complicated path to happiness or sometimes people look for happiness within technology... attempting to fill a void that can not be filled with technology. I don't know, I feel like I'm beginning to sound a bit too open-ended and philosphical... It is what happens when I think about the role of technology in our world.
It's ironic... although I might be considered a savy tech user, implementing technology into a lot of parts in my life, I hold strongly that technology does not belong in certain aspects of life. Heh, maybe I'm just short on sleep... but whichever the case, I should get to sleep before Bill Gates and Steve Jobes come after me for my comments.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Tuesday Update
Wow the time is sure going by.
Anyhow, updated progress list:
- [100%] Expand / Collapse feature
- [100%] Implement javascript variables into CSS *the backbone for the customization*
- [50%] Design customization page / Implement already written write cookie function
- [100%] Implement already written read/parse cookie function; map to CSS javascript variables
- [25%] Create directory structure and pages
- [0%] Create an alternative layout choice
- [0%] Work on content *some will be on hold until manager meetings
- [0%] Write up project report and documentation
Milestone Reached: I've probably reached the major milestone. On the shell, the website might not look that complicated, but under the hood... the innerworkings are just "cool". As I continue on with the project, I'm starting to notice that I'm designing somewhat of a client-side based content-management-system. There's quite a bit of little features that are finding their way into the code and as I keep adding code layers and functions within functions, it's becoming difficult keeping track of these features... I'll have fun writing up the documentation and who knows, a feature might sneak itself through the documentation and become a "programming egg".
Basically, this is a quick description so far (a very rough one):
- Collapsible Modules //triggered by users
- Programable Modules //can be set by users
- Module scroll or not //for module designers
- All color-related CSS styles adjustable //can be set by users
- Per page module definition, module overwrite, style overwrite //for designers
- Style-Protect Implementation //implemented into the Customs page to retain default style so a user won't be able to set background and text color to black, hence not being able to see how to set things back... and since cookie won't expire for a long time, without this feature, they'll be forced to remove styles with their browsers to be able to see the settings or clear their cookie cache.
- Dynamic menu built on the fly //user definable
- Global Link array that stores link caption and URL that users can choose from
- Global read/write of all cookie style variables from any function //all found in style_array[], for designers
COMING SOON
- Module definable placeholder height size //for module designers
- Function for defining module background and foreground colors //for users
- Function for defining link, hover colors //users
- Function for defining gradient background settings //for users
- Function for defining masthead background style //for users
- Customization User Interface
- Style import/export feature //intended for designers... style refers not only to the CSS but every variable that is used in determining a user's personal design of the website. This will also help in building themes intended to be predefined options for the users. I figure, give the users and designers the tools and see what happens.
Still some ways to go, but at least now I'm building on a some-what mature development environment. I might have to push back content-creation until I get back to San Antonio.
Anyhow, updated progress list:
- [100%] Expand / Collapse feature
- [100%] Implement javascript variables into CSS *the backbone for the customization*
- [50%] Design customization page / Implement already written write cookie function
- [100%] Implement already written read/parse cookie function; map to CSS javascript variables
- [25%] Create directory structure and pages
- [0%] Create an alternative layout choice
- [0%] Work on content *some will be on hold until manager meetings
- [0%] Write up project report and documentation
Milestone Reached: I've probably reached the major milestone. On the shell, the website might not look that complicated, but under the hood... the innerworkings are just "cool". As I continue on with the project, I'm starting to notice that I'm designing somewhat of a client-side based content-management-system. There's quite a bit of little features that are finding their way into the code and as I keep adding code layers and functions within functions, it's becoming difficult keeping track of these features... I'll have fun writing up the documentation and who knows, a feature might sneak itself through the documentation and become a "programming egg".
Basically, this is a quick description so far (a very rough one):
- Collapsible Modules //triggered by users
- Programable Modules //can be set by users
- Module scroll or not //for module designers
- All color-related CSS styles adjustable //can be set by users
- Per page module definition, module overwrite, style overwrite //for designers
- Style-Protect Implementation //implemented into the Customs page to retain default style so a user won't be able to set background and text color to black, hence not being able to see how to set things back... and since cookie won't expire for a long time, without this feature, they'll be forced to remove styles with their browsers to be able to see the settings or clear their cookie cache.
- Dynamic menu built on the fly //user definable
- Global Link array that stores link caption and URL that users can choose from
- Global read/write of all cookie style variables from any function //all found in style_array[], for designers
COMING SOON
- Module definable placeholder height size //for module designers
- Function for defining module background and foreground colors //for users
- Function for defining link, hover colors //users
- Function for defining gradient background settings //for users
- Function for defining masthead background style //for users
- Customization User Interface
- Style import/export feature //intended for designers... style refers not only to the CSS but every variable that is used in determining a user's personal design of the website. This will also help in building themes intended to be predefined options for the users. I figure, give the users and designers the tools and see what happens.
Still some ways to go, but at least now I'm building on a some-what mature development environment. I might have to push back content-creation until I get back to San Antonio.
Monday Update
Remaining items for Tuesday: (possible extension to Wednesday)
- [75%] Expand / Collapse feature
- [80%] Implement javascript variables into CSS *the backbone for the customization*
- [0%] Design customization page / Implement already written write cookie function
- [25%] Implement already written read/parse cookie function; map to CSS javascript variables
- [25%] Create directory structure and pages
- [0%] Create an alternative layout choice
- [0%] Work on content *some will be on hold until manager meetings
- [0%] Write up project report and documentation
Major milestone completed: Writing dynamic CSS styles with javascript after the page has loaded. Taking advantage of Gecko's and IE's DOM to accomplish the dynamic CSS. Of course, in reference to CSS stylesheets, the two browsers reference the document stylesheet in their DOM differently, so there's conditional javascript code... got to love non-compliant browsers.
- [75%] Expand / Collapse feature
- [80%] Implement javascript variables into CSS *the backbone for the customization*
- [0%] Design customization page / Implement already written write cookie function
- [25%] Implement already written read/parse cookie function; map to CSS javascript variables
- [25%] Create directory structure and pages
- [0%] Create an alternative layout choice
- [0%] Work on content *some will be on hold until manager meetings
- [0%] Write up project report and documentation
Major milestone completed: Writing dynamic CSS styles with javascript after the page has loaded. Taking advantage of Gecko's and IE's DOM to accomplish the dynamic CSS. Of course, in reference to CSS stylesheets, the two browsers reference the document stylesheet in their DOM differently, so there's conditional javascript code... got to love non-compliant browsers.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Weekend Update
Well the Tablet has gone through the weekend without a hiccup... and that's including several hours of playing Rise of Nations (I think I smelled some electronics burning) but the tablet handled 3-5hours of game play... keep in mind, this was for quality testing only :)
Anyhow, project update... Usually I'm not really emotional or show my emotions, but there's those few times that I just can't help it, and I hit this point just a couple of hours ago. In the middle of my CSS coding, I thought of a better way to structure the site so I rearranged and wrote a lot of lines of code to test out my theory... I calculated a lot of things in my head as far as pixel dimensions and layout; I began "seeing" the code. Usually when I preview the page after so much editing, I always miss something or there's something that needs some tweaking; but this time, when I previewed the site, it was just the way I had imagined it and it looked the same in IE and Firefox. I couldn't help it but notice I got a bit emotional, it's so unlike me. I took the time to experience the moment. I know, I'm weird, anyhow, enough of all this emotional stuff, on to the good news :)
The template for the TigerTV website has been all written up in CSS and everything looks good in IE and Gecko (Firefox) browser.
Schedule for the next two days:
Monday
- Comment CSS Code
- Implement iframes or some method of dynamically including code from another page
- Seperate CSS code into external file
- Implement javascript variables into CSS *the backbone for the customization*
- Design customization page / Implement already written write cookie function
- Implement already written read/parse cookie function; map to CSS javascript variables
Tuesday
- Create directory structure and pages
- Create an alternative layout choice
- Work on content *some will be on hold until manager meetings
- Write up project report and documentation
Anyhow, project update... Usually I'm not really emotional or show my emotions, but there's those few times that I just can't help it, and I hit this point just a couple of hours ago. In the middle of my CSS coding, I thought of a better way to structure the site so I rearranged and wrote a lot of lines of code to test out my theory... I calculated a lot of things in my head as far as pixel dimensions and layout; I began "seeing" the code. Usually when I preview the page after so much editing, I always miss something or there's something that needs some tweaking; but this time, when I previewed the site, it was just the way I had imagined it and it looked the same in IE and Firefox. I couldn't help it but notice I got a bit emotional, it's so unlike me. I took the time to experience the moment. I know, I'm weird, anyhow, enough of all this emotional stuff, on to the good news :)
The template for the TigerTV website has been all written up in CSS and everything looks good in IE and Gecko (Firefox) browser.
Schedule for the next two days:
Monday
- Comment CSS Code
- Implement iframes or some method of dynamically including code from another page
- Seperate CSS code into external file
- Implement javascript variables into CSS *the backbone for the customization*
- Design customization page / Implement already written write cookie function
- Implement already written read/parse cookie function; map to CSS javascript variables
Tuesday
- Create directory structure and pages
- Create an alternative layout choice
- Work on content *some will be on hold until manager meetings
- Write up project report and documentation
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