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The Designer's Choice: Navigational Methods

Mention navigation to a web designer and they immediately think of hyperlinks of various shapes, sizes and colours. But of course navigation was needed before the web, even before the advent of printing, people needed to know how to get around hand-written manuscripts. In a wider context, the word navigation brings up mental images of seafarers, charts and compasses.

In this article Linda gives us a quick orientation (pun intended) in the historical ideas underpinning navigation, and briefly reviews the different styles and approaches used on the web (maps, bookmarks, breadcrumbs … footprints).

Who knows – thinking about the past and reviewing the present, may give you inspiration for future projects!

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Linda Goin
3310

SQL: Strings

Handling strings in SQL requires an understanding of basic string syntax, from declaring tables with character columns, to entering strings in SQL for inserting, updating, or searching for rows. 

But that's just the start. Databases also have a huge assortment of string functions, from simple concatenation to SUBSTRING, LENGTH, and a variety of even more powerful functions.

In this article, Rudy reviews the basic syntax and gives several tips for working successfully with strings, and then provides a number of examples of string functions in action, examples which you may think might only ever be solved with application scripting logic but which, upon closer inspection, can be accomplished with string functions in single queries.

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Rudy Limeback
5257
FREE

JavaScript Articles on DMXzone

Looking for a client-side code snippet, searching for a little bit of dynamism, can't quite put your finger on that piece of JavaScript?

Well try this brief summary of JavaScript articles in the DMXzone premium content area. There might be something that fits your bill.

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Ian Blackham
3608

Generating PDF Files with PHP: Pt. 1

In this multi-article series Gareth is going to look at creating PDF files using PHP via the use of a free code library from R & OS Ltd.

This approach offers several benefits over using the PDFLib that is bundled with PHP (namely the R&OS code library is free for commercial use and doesn't involve the installation of non-widely accepted modules on the PHP server).

In this first article Gareth considers the basics of this approach – downloading and setting up the PHP classes and creating simple PDF files, with basic output of text, images and tables. As the series progresses he'll be looking at creating more complex PDF files with graphics created on the fly, and other dynamic effects.

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Gareth Downes-Powell
9227

A Beginners' Guide to CSS Backgrounds

Backgrounds are one of the cornerstones of CSS-based design. At a basic level they allow you to put some colour or an image behind your elements. Sure, that doesn't sound too fancy. But once you get the hang of applying backgrounds to boxes you'll have a tool that is flexible and powerful.

In this tutorial Matt is going to take us through the basics of CSS backgrounds, how they work and some techniques that make them useful. In particular he'll be focusing on how to use them in Dreamweaver MX 2004.

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Matt Machell
5095

Typography IV (Part II): Logos, Branding and Copyright

In the second part of this mini-series, that could be termed logo design for non-graphic designers, Linda moves us on from the basic appreciation of the issues involved in this area (discussed last week in Typography IV: Corporate Identity, Logos, and Branding).

Here she'll outline a simple, efficient route to logo design, building on concepts we've seen earlier in this series. A case study is considered to exemplify how the straightforward typographical based approach recommended, still has the flexibility to evolve into a more complex design.

As this brings us further into the world of the graphic designer, Linda then introduces us to some thought provoking copyright (and hence billing) issues associated with logo production and sales.

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Linda Goin
2598

Extending the Flash/XML Photo Gallery

In my previous articles (Creating a Photo Gallery with Flash and XML: Part I and Part II) I showed you how to create a photo gallery using information contained within an XML file. The XML file provided a neat alternative to using a database for such a small application, as we used it to store the filename of the photo, the caption and the category.

One limitation of that application was that it used images that were exactly the same size and shape, but of course things aren't always that simple, so in this tutorial we'll look at how we can extend the photo gallery to work with different sized photos.

Not only that we'll also see how to create a gallery of thumbnail images.

As part of the tutorial, you'll learn more about the MovieClipLoader class (a new feature in Flash MX 2004). You'll also learn some techniques for dynamically creating and removing movie clips.

I've assumed that you've completed the first two tutorials before reading this one. If you haven't, you'll need to be familiar with adding ActionScript to buttons and using XML in Flash so that you can understand the existing code, however all the files you'll need to make this tutorial fly are contained in the code download.

Check also the new Dreamweaver extension Flash Album Generator that will allow to create Flash Galleries quickly and easy!

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Sas Jacobs
99544
FREE

PHP/MySQL Articles on DMXzone

Bewildered by the depth of our PHP articles? Confused by the range and scope? Perturbed by the DMXzone browsing system (don't worry that's high on the agenda in the next redesign)?

Well hopefully this laundry list of the DMXzone premium content articles covering the areas of PHP, MySQL and a few related topics will be of great assistance the next time you're looking for a nugget of PHP knowledge.

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Ian Blackham
8508

Creating a Photo Gallery with Flash and XML: Pt.II

In the first part of this multipart tutorial we took a quick look at XML and how XML files could, in certain circumstances, be a neat alternative to setting up a database. We then saw how easy it is to load an XML file into Flash.

In this tutorial we'll build on that foundation by using our XML file to provide the data for a photo gallery application. The XML file will list the filename and caption for each photo in the gallery, then Flash will extract the information and display it in a movie. We'll load each image as the user requests it so that the photo gallery will run very quickly and users won't have to download all of the images before starting to view pictures.

If you haven't completed the first part of the tutorial, you'll need to understand XML and be able to load an XML file into Flash before you can start this tutorial.  I'm assuming that you know how to enter ActionScript into the Actions panel and that you have some experience at using actions in your Flash movies.

Check also the new Dreamweaver extension Flash Album Generator that will allow to create Flash Galleries quickly and easy!

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Sas Jacobs
92798

Typography IV: Corporate Identity, Logos, and Branding

Could You Design a Logo?

There are plenty of small and midsize companies who don't just need a good website putting up, but also an improvement in their corporate branding to go along with this great new online presence. 

But are you the right person to help them? Surely that type of job is left to graphic designers?

Well, Linda Goin reckons not necessarily – after all, your SMB/SME hasn't got megabucks to blow and you're the 'creative person' that they know and trust. Armed with a little bit of confidence and an appreciation of typography and images you could provide a one-stop creative shop for your clients.

Read on for a short, sharp, insight into corporate identity, logos and branding.

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Linda Goin
10177

Creating a Photo Gallery with Flash and XML: Pt. 1

One of the great things about Flash is that you can use it to read information from other programs (such as databases and XML files). That means you can add this content to Flash to create more dynamic movies.

Well in this two-part tutorial we're going to make use of Flash's ability to work with external information, and develop a fully functioning photo gallery that derives it's information from data stored in an XML file.

Using XML can sometimes be a neat alternative to using a database (for instance when you don't have access to a database or an application server). It's also great for Flash movies that will be distributed on a CD-ROM.

In this part of this tutorial, we'll look at XML and some of the rules that you'll need to know to work with XML files. We'll also load an XML file into Flash and display the contents. In the second part we'll use the XML file to display images and captions. Then we'll see how to add categories to the photos in the gallery.

I'm assuming that you know how to enter ActionScript into the Actions panel and that you have some experience at using actions in your Flash movies.

Check also the new Dreamweaver extension Flash Album Generator that will allow to create Flash Galleries quickly and easy!

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Sas Jacobs
78259

SQL: NULL

Have you ever run across the suggestion that you should always use NOT NULL when creating a database table? What is NULL, anyway? Why would you want to use it?  What are the advantages to using NULL? How does NULL figure in to LEFT OUTER joins?

Rudy answers these questions with plenty of examples in this article about NULL.  The advantage to using NULL is described in the context of designing database tables where a column's value can be unknown or not appropriate. NULL is also discussed in the use of aggregate functions. Finally, an illustration of NULL in LEFT OUTER joins is provided.

Should you use NULL? This article answers the question positively.

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Rudy Limeback
5718
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