Dreamyguy | Web Design & Music in Oslo, Norway

jQuery Checklist

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:22:22 +0000

jQuery is, in my opinion, the best javascript library out there. With the help of jQuery I have been able to deliver elegant solutions that range from utter simplicity to minimalistic complexity – and it all happens without any cost to user experience.

But even jQuery can be challenging when we don’t take the necessary steps to make sure it will work optimally. In this article I will go through a short checklist, that explains how to load your jQuery in the most fool-proof way.

Make sure the jQuery library is being loaded before any custom jQuery

As with any other javascript library, jQuery has to be loaded before one can start using it. It can be a good idea to check if jQuery is already present in your system before you include the library. jQuery is, for instance, already present in many WordPress themes.


	 * tag of your theme, or you will break many plugins, which
	 * generally use this hook to add elements to  such
	 * as styles, scripts, and meta tags.
	 */
	wp_head();
?>

If jQuery library is already present, you will get a browser alert where it stands “jQuery library is loaded!”. In that case you don’t need to load the library again, but if you don’t get an alert box with this message you will have to include the jQuery library manually. You can do that by doing the following:

The file name will vary depending of the version you’ll be using, but for a production site I’ll always recommend to use the “minified” version (look for “min” in the file name). That will keep your bandwith lean and load the library faster. You also have the option to load jQuery libraries provided by CDNs (Content Delivery Networks). Click here for an updated list of CDNs providing jQuery libraries. Below are some examples, you will only need one of them:

Avoiding conflict between jQuery and other javascript libraries

Sometimes you will notice that even though jQuery is working as it should, a slideshow based on another javascript library stops working – or vice-versa. This happens because of a conflict among two or more javascript libraries.

jQuery has a very handy way of avoiding conflict with other javascript libraries (Mootools and Scriptaculous, etc.). By using jQuery “noConflict”, you will be avoiding some of the most commom conflicts among these kind of libraries, which often use the same symbol ($) to invoque their functions.

That will solve most problems, but to be on the safest side, it is considered a good practice to use “jQuery” instead of “$“.

It is a good practice to include “jQuery.noConflict();” in every page you’re using jQuery in, for the sake of future compatibility. It should load immediately below the jQuery library itself, before any jQuery plugin or jQuery custom script is loaded.

If you still experience conflicts after taking these precautions, make sure that all 3rd-party jQuery code is using “jQuery” instead of “$“. If after taking these all these measures you still experience a non-responsive jQuery script, make sure that the loading order for jQuery is correct. Then have a look at your syntax.

Load jQuery plugins after the jQuery library, but before any custom jQuery

Plugins can be a great way to simplify tasks, by shortening the code necessary to trigger certain behaviors you wish to use often. It is a good practice to load jQuery plugins between the jQuery library and your own custom jQuery scripts.

It can also be smart to include a plugin only on the pages that require it to be loaded, by wrapping the includes within conditions on either PHP or on jQuery itself.

Load your own custom jQuery scripts

Now that you have taken all the precautions to make sure jQuery will load and function in the expected way, it is time to load your own custom jQuery scripts. It is considered to be good practice to load javascript by including external files, like so:

Though it would be even better to merge these files into one, whenever possible:

Even though good practice determines that it is better to include jQuery through external files (like the one mentioned above), sometimes our variables are determined by values fetched from databases or through PHP calculations. In that case we need to use inline jQuery. The script will then look just like a javascript script, but have the syntax of jQuery:

Load your custom jQuery ONLY after the document has rendered

jQuery relies mostly on elements that need to be loaded before it can execute. Let us take an example:

jQuery('div.learning').hide();

In the jQuery above, all the divs with the class “learning” are getting the “display:none” CSS property. But if the divs with the class “learning” haven’t been fully rendered by the time the jQuery is triggered, it could mean that some of the divs with the class “learning” – if not all of them – will not get the “display:none” property and therefore still show after the document is fully rendered.

To avoid that, make sure that every jQuery script, be it external or inline, are invoked within the function below:

jQuery(document).ready(function() {
	// do all your magic here!
});

Wrapping it up

Below is everything put together (comments are within PHP so that they don’t render in the markup). Note that this applies for WordPress, but would be just as usable for other systems.

I hope you enjoyed it! This article is meant for beginners, but I’m sure I’ll find myself visiting it often enough!

Webdesign Oslo

admin — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:55:23 +0000

Letter du etter en webdesigner som kan hjelpe deg å lage en nettside? Det kan jeg! Jeg har drevet med webdesign siden 1999, og har lagt nettsider for flere bedrifter og privatpersoner i Norge. Jeg er brasiliansk, men har bodd i Norge siden 2003 og snakker flyttende norsk.

Som webdesigner jobber jeg direkte i koden. Jeg kan ulike programmeringsspråk som er nødvendige for en effektiv webutvikling, og har jobbet med flere åpen-kilde og kommersielle systemer for å nå kundenes forventninger og mål. Jeg jobber raskt, pålitelig og har gode kommunikasjonsevner. Alle mine kunder har fått det de betalte for, med et kirsebær på toppen. For meg er det et spørsmål om ære at mine kunder blir fornøyde med sine nettsider!

Jeg behersker bildebehandling og illustrasjoner godt, ved bruk av Photoshop og Illustrator. Absolutt alt er mulig med Photoshop! Jeg har ikke bare et, men to øye for design (hehe) – og har kunnskap innen brukervennlighet, GUI, riktig bruk av farger, “call-to-action”, konvertering, osv.

For mine kunder betyr ikke det at de får kun en nettside lagt av en webdesigner som har peiling. De får det og følgende fordeler:

En nettside lagt i følge deres villeste ønsker!
En nettside som er brukervennlig og enkel å navigere i.
En nettside som er behagelig å se på og ikke har grafiske elementer som påvirker brukeropplevelsen på en negativ måte.
En nettside som er naturligvis optimalisert for søkemotorene, og som blir indekserte av de oftere og fortere.
En nettside som er kompatibel med alle moderne nettlesere og utnytter alle de nyeste funksjonene de har.
En nettside som er lagt med den siste teknologien innen webdesign for optimal ytelse og langvarig kompatibilitet i fremtiden.
En nettside som bruker universale målkonverterings prinsipper – og derfor selger ditt produkt eller idé på en mer effektiv måte!
En nettside som er velfungerende og klar for videreutvikling fra andre aktører i fremtiden.
En nettside lagt av en webdesigner som har peiling. (har jeg nevnt det før?)

Alt dette er en selvfølge i alle mine webdesign prosjekter, så lenge jeg får grønt lys å bruke den tiden jeg må for å implementere det. Ellers har jeg alltid gode forslag på hvordan vi kunne få ting gjort innen en litt mer begrenset budsjett.

Jeg jobber på timebasis og har en fast pris per time for absolutt alle tjenester. Vennligst les detaljene om måten jeg jobber på, pris/time og fakturering her. Jeg fakturerer gjennom min egen enkeltmannsforetak, og pleier å sende fakturaer som PDF per e-post.

Ikke nøl å ta kontakt for en nærmere prat! Jeg bor i Oslo og kan møte deg sentralt hvis ønskelig. Tiden min er verdifull, akkurat som din, så jeg fakturerer for møter. Du får i hvert fall god råd, forslag på mulige løsninger til eventuelle problemstillinger og en bedre idé på hva du trenger for å gjennomføre ditt prosjekt, i det tilfelle du velger å ikke gå videre i prosessen.

Jeg kommer ikke til å oppdatere denne siden like ofte som de som er på engelsk, så jeg håper det er greit at dere besøker min engelsk portefølje og får en mer detaljert beskrivelse av mine webdesign tjenester på engelsk.

Håper vi høres!
Wallace

EiendomsMegler 1 (case study)

admin — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:21:38 +0000

More details coming soon…

Norda Renhold

admin — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:14:36 +0000

More details coming soon…

Fiber Protector

admin — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:08:22 +0000

More details coming soon…

Dreamyguy v3 is here!

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 22:22:14 +0000

That’s it folks, the version that was long overdue is finally live. A complete overhaul of every single bit is done, and this time it is done properly!

Since last version I decided to share not only my web design-persona but every other one: my music-self, my environmental-self, my vegetarian-self, my fantasy-reader self… the list goes on and on.

But all this was somehow set aside and had to wait for this version. This version also marks my undeniable self-promotion as a musician, it is the first time I make my music available from here. As stated, long overdue!

I hope you enjoy this version, it was created with WordPress & loads of funky code for your enjoyment.

Cheers,
Wallace

The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:53:29 +0000

For some reason I just kept delaying reading Abercrombie, not for lack of interest, but perhaps for going for other stuff. No regrets there, but I wish I had read it sooner. Joe Abercrombie writes in a way that appeals a lot to me: characters tell their own stories, share their thoughts, their impressions, and often see the same situation from very different perspectives, making a simple situation seem much richer and fulfilling.

There are a few characters that stand out of the crowd, each with very different backgrounds and personalities, somehow coming together in a very interesting plot. Well, not much new here, but the way they do it, narrated in a witty and humorous way even in the grimiest scenarios, make this reading very easy, in spite of the occasional boundless cruelty and blodshed! Highly recommended!!

Lightbringer by Brent Weeks

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:49:53 +0000

Now… this is what I call a very different and original kind of fantasy! Color drafters, people able to turn light into objects of different consistencies, shaping them according to their will, are the core of the story. An outlaw king is at odds with the current government, and means to take it over. There’s a lot at stake as a an ancient cult is loosing its grip after so many years of peace. A Prism, a “chosen by the gods” color drafter that can draft the whole spectrum of colors is challenged by forces beyond his control.

A very refreshing story for those bored with the all-so-usual course fantasy seems to take most of the time. Brent Weeks does it again! This is his second trilogy, still in the making. I also recommend his debut “The Night Angel Trilogy”, one of the best fantasies I have read.

The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:47:29 +0000

The book has two story-lines, one in the present and one in the past. The “current” story-line is but a few years after, and the main character – Kvothe – a widely known and respected Arcane tells his own story himself. The plot is not so complex at first, but the reading is easy and linear. Kvothe starts as a nobody, too clever by half, and slowly becomes a very important figure in the greater scheme of things…

I liked Kvothe a lot. He is charmy, witty, bright and nevertheless… young. He is good at being reckless, being on the wrong spot at the wrong time and being naive. But he also excels at being the opposite, and that makes his story as unpredictable as it can get.

This is a pretty light story, not a bloody or vulgar one. It can get a little too edgy for kids, but mostly for the language and not the events. Highly recommended!

The Chronicles of Siala by Alexey Pehov

admin — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:28:44 +0000

This was a very spontaneous buy, when I went by my favorite book store and could pick any book as a bonus (the shop gives points to every book you buy). The artwork in the cover was impressive, the author was a prized author in Russia and the page I randomly picked improved on my already good impression.

The book itself was very nice, but nevertheless just an introduction to a story that is probably going to be much longer. What you see in the cover is more or less the end of the book – a group of mercenaries sent by the king is going out on an obscure mission, and the outcome of that is yet to be seen… The translation from the original Russian is impeccable, very well written and seemingly true to the complexity of the original. Recommended, if you have the patience to wait for sequels still on the making. The second book was announced for April 2011, time to check out on your favorite book store!