Click to Activate in I.E. Fix

I recently got complaint from my client saying, when he launches his site in Internet Explorer the flash content needs user activation manually before using it. Well true, this is because of the I.E. Update.

When i searched for an answer, i found a clean Javascript from here.

Good work, Might be useful for everyone who is embedding flash / ActiveX content in a webpage.

Dreamweaver CS3 - The Good, bad and the ugly.

Though still comfortable using DW MX as well as DW 8, i was looking forward what's new it's gonnabe and was awaiting the new release of CS3 like every designer. Finally when it got released i downloaded the trial version of it and cutchly installed to checkout what's new.

The Good

Overall the drag and drop facility for creating a horizontal or a vertical menu system made life easier for a quite large site having numerous links. Next comes the very interesting spry framework for the Ajax. Quite amazed with the demo's of the spry effects. For a novice like me
the drag and drop utility for XML data connectivity and displaying the same means a lot.

Adding visual effects like shrink, grow, blind, fade for a specific element or a image, by just clicking the desired effect from the Behaviour panel is definitely a plus.

The Bad

Me jump started straight into launching the demo and fiddling around the Spry Framework, laidout few horizontal menu systems, built an accordion panel and when i previewed in IE as well as FireFox, everything looked fine for me then.

When i really opened one of my existing site and fiddling around the code, the code view didn't respond for refresh as well as ... when i tried selecting a particular text / copy in the code view in order to hyperlink in the properties panel.. it didn't refresh or doesn't make the link ... some serious bug.. later i found out many people complaining that DW CS3 doesn't respond / refresh when we make changes on the fly !

The Ugly

I should say, it's one of my very poor decision to trust DW CS3, for my new client's website project. As i mentioned earlier, as i was thrilled using those spry widgets, i was dreaming am gonna rock this site with lots of spry widgets! And i started authoring the site, on the fly previewing pages both in IE as well as FireFox, so over a week's time i finished the whole site. And i sent the first cut version for the client thinking he's gonna like it very much. Client instantly reverted back - "my site doesn't work well with IE 6 and IE7, specifically your accordion thingie doesn't work at all in IE"

"OMG, what a stupid mistake i have done, First thing is that i didn't check my site for Cross Browser compatibility (Which is a basic for any designer), Second, how i can trust a new technology which is just released and am not the master of it yet!"

But later found in the forums, the problem could be if there are no DOC type mentioned!
but what the heck, i have my doc type clearly mentioned right on top of my markup-
then one more solution -"Are you using XHTML or HTML 4.01 ?"
Oh please, why software developpers make life more complicated ?

So, someone already bought DW CS3, will be looking for updates / patches for those bugs! May their souls rest in peace until they get those answers!

List Menus and Cross Browser Support Chart

I never knew, that even a simple list menu will have rendering problems across various browsers, until i encountered this problem for myself, when i was authoring a list menu. Googled and got some interesting answers.

A very useful chart indeed:
http://css.maxdesign.com.au/listamatic/browser-support.htm

PNG fix for IE with Javascript

Wasn't having any problem in designing sites with Jpeg / Gif, but once we start to move and explore the possibilities of using PNG images which has Alpha Transparency in sites. They just don't work fine in IE. Been searching for a ideal Javascript which can take care of this problem.

This site had the resource, which i was looking for. The "pngfix.js" worked wonder for me.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bobosola/

Table to DIV

Usually work on designing new sites (:-Am a front end designer :D),but recently my design life is slowly transforming to pursue and deliver stuff, which has to carry individual identity, unique and someone should say; "yea, that's a good stuff".

Been using table layout for a very longtime in my designs, and got sufficient knowledge in html to tinker a maximum level to get what i want!, over a period of time, my friends predicted and put a mark on me, "Yay, box designer". Arg, that really hurts.

Actually getting hurt is a very good thing for any mortal, as it always open the next door: Learning.

Lesson no:1

"I Swear, hereafter, i should avoid table design."

Lesson no:2

"Spend some time on learning, how to efficiently use DIV tags.

Lesson no:3

"Be connected in a active forum, and get advice when needed. Coz, Advice is the only thing which comes free in the world!, Let's asurp some of them for your growth."