dom.net

My RSS aggregator mysteriously broke, so I patched it up with Magpie.

The trick is to get your cache directory set to the proper permissions (755).

Now check out learning.dom.net and mob.dom.net.

Thanks for the hint, Eric!

May 15, 2005

I've started using the "experimental post to del.icio.us".

Creating a link blog was never so easy. Everything has an RSS feed, of course.

People are creating little web apps around it and whatnot.

It's hot. It is like so five minutes from now.

May 11, 2005

Tim Yang: 15 things you can do with RSS (it was supposed to be 10, but I got carried away).

If you're a Mac user, there is also this simple hack for a Gmail notifier.

Catch the drift!

May 9, 2005

This week we covered the following topics:

In Dreamweaver:

• Insert > HTML > Script Objects > Server-Side include
• The Power of the Server-Side include
• The Power of the Application panel (i.e. Build a Blog with Dreamweaver)
• Insert > Application Objects > Recordset
• Multiple Repeat Regions in the Same Page
• Insert > Application Objects > Master Detail Page Set
• PHP include syntax

On the Mac:

• The Importance of Tiger
• Running PHP
• Running MySQL

Regarding Design:

• Designing for Video
• RSS Tool: Newsfire
• PHP is FREE
• Designing for Mobile
• Designing for Ads
• Recycling Designs

Homework:

1. Set up a sub-domain as a PHP testing server
2. Set up your machine to run the latest PHP
3. Set up your machine to run MySQL
4. Draw a design flexible enough to incorporate an unknown amount of data.
5. Access student database via Application panel
6. Create a repeating region from the database, and place it in your design.
7. Prototype using Live Preview button.
8. Save to server, send URL.

Next Week: How to Create Flash With Dreamweaver!

April 14, 2005

This week, I've set up two different syndication sites:

Student Blog Aggregator

and

Mobile News Aggregator

Here's how to do it:

1. Upload and configure Magpie.
2. Use a simple PHP or HTML include to stick one of the PHP templates onto your page, surrounded by some important links.

And there you have it, your own custom news page!

April 1, 2005

This week we covered the following topics:

How Not to Use Dreamweaver:

• Dom: Don't prototype with an external CSS file. Embed your testing CSS in your example file. This allows easy undo and save. When you're done, export your CSS and link it to other pages.
• Christina: Don't bother configuring a remote server for testing. Preview to localhost on your Mac.
• Bryan: Don't just select in Design View. Use the Tag Selector to make sure you've got the right selection for a copy or paste.
• Sam: Don't use <font>. Also, don't use Expanded Tables mode, use Table Layout and Standard mode instead.
• Adam: Don't forget to rename your automatically created CSS.
• Maureen: Don't take it all in at once. Be methodical about learning. Start with the menus, learn some keyboard shortcuts.
• Ben: Don't mess up your links by moving your files around! Use root-relative links, or allow Dreamweaver to update your links if you do need to move a file.
• Jake: Don't guess about CSS. Watch the Relevant CSS panel to see what styles are applied.
• All: Don't forget to save!

Taking advantage of the Mac:

• Disclosure arrow/button in Open dialog allows you to navigate all folders.
• Screen Capture: Apple+Shift+3
• Your Mac is a Web Server:

1. System Preferences > Sharing > Personal Web Sharing
2. Then visit http://localhost/
3. Localhost directory is [root]/Library/Webserver/Documents/
4. Set up your Testing Server in your Site Preferences to be this Localhost directory.
5. Hit F12 for a local preview, with root-relative links intact.

Homework:

1. Draw a Web design on paper. Armed with CSS and tables, design your site in Dreamweaver. Try Table Layout mode. Try the table button in the Insert bar. Or use Insert > Table. Use right-click (Control +Click) in the table to access menus, or examine the Property Inspector. Remember Text > CSS Styles > New.
2. For inspiration, visit the CSS Zen Garden and try "select a design".
3. If you get stuck, try Help > Dreamweaver Support Center.
4. Go to Bloglines.com. Create an account. Figure out how to:
   • Add Dom.net's RSS feed.
   • Add news.bbc.co.uk's news feed.
   • Create a blog and post to it. Send me your Blog URL.

March 23, 2005

For your consumption, I've created a Feedburner RSS feed, which splices together this blog feed, my Bloglines clip blog, and my Flickr photos tagged with 'macromedia', like this one.

Too easy.

February 27, 2005