Expressing IT

Google starts a movement prompt people to dump IE6 … By bugging IE6 users with a POPUP on page load… may be not a very good idea … but being a UI developer , I have to join this band wagon … one less browser for me worry about … Sorry selfish it is! but I have include this javascript … ( TRY THIS PAGE IN IE6) …
Hey ! and on the brighter note … See it is a display of the POWER of JAVASCRIPT …. it can even bring down a giant (or once it was )

SO … Help rid the world of IE6 with one line of javascript!

http://code.google.com/p/sevenup/

With another browser to take care from tomorrow! (IE8 comes out of its Beta State tomorrow) … Its really high time IE6 is given its Long Due Mercy Death … United we stand for the fall of IE6 

“IE6 is the new Netscape 4. The hacks needed to support IE6 are increasingly viewed as excess freight. Like Netscape 4 in 2000, IE6 is perceived to be holding back the web.”

Jeff Zeldman, standards guru

And meanwhile  for those  like me who will be flooded with calls of  breaking CSS layouts in IE8,  here is the old work around/fix using Meta Tags (meta http-equiv=”X-UA-Compatible”) you could try…

Mis-behaving IE8 : CSS Layout breakages (Targeting a browser version using Meta Tags in IE8)

Heres another little peice of Javascript trickery that I had to dig around because the situation commaned it. In one of my web sites, I had this situation where I had to implement “windows.onload” twice. The first thing that would came to an inexperienced mind like mine ( I have to honestly say that, since I have been using javascript Frameworks and libraries, I have forgotton to do simple things on my own… sad but true), is the following method…

window.onload=onloadfn1;
window.onload=onloadfn2;
window.onload=onloadfn3;
etc...

Sorry to say but, this wont work… dont want to discuss the execution science of Javascript much … but according to my recent experience, only the last function (onloadfn3) will ill actually get executed.

In normal situations, unlike mine (which I’ll talk about a little later)… you could do one of the following to execute mutliple onload functions ….

OR something like this

function doOnLoad() {
        onloadfn1();
        onloadfn2();
        onloadfn3();
}
window.onload = doOnLoad;

For my current situation , I cannot use either of the above…
Why did I need to call windows.onload twice, rather that calling two functions within a single onload function? Here is quick look at my problem statement…

“My Site pages are structured like the WORDPRESS theme…. i.e. there is a common Header.php and Footer.php that gets included into all the site pages. There is an onload function implementaion in the Footer.php to do some common onload functions. AND there are few pages that need to something of their own ONLOAD , apart from those done by the common onload function. If I assign callback function directly to the window.onload handler, it will over-ride previously assigned callbacks in the Footer.php”

…. Is my problem understood ?

Well! there are few solutions that I did find. They all are very similar and mainly implementions of a solution given by Simon Willison (http://simonwillison.net/2004/May/26/addLoadEvent/)…

Solution :

Simply add this javascript code to site …

function addLoadEvent(func) {
    var oldonload = window.onload;
    if (typeof window.onload != 'function') {
       window.onload = func
    } else {
       window.onload = function() {
           if (oldonload) {
                  oldonload()
          }
          func()
       }
   }
}

And call it instead of the usual “windows.onload”

addLoadEvent(FunctionToRunOnPageLoad);
addLoadEvent(function() {
/* more code to run on page load *
}); 

Advantages of this code snippet …
1. Primarily, It lets you have multiple windows.onload events, called from seperate parts of your code, without overridding the previous definition
2. It is really unobtrusive. It can be placed in a file with your other scripts or in a separate file.
3. It works even if window.onload has already been set.

Another quick tut. Here is something simple and nice using the POWER of CSS… but was difficult concieve( and it surely wasn’t me) to begin with . Adding Dropshadow, might be a peice of cake for many of us, using some image editing tools like Photoshop anf Fireworks etc.
The reason why , I opted for drop shadow using CSS is that , usually while creating a page design/html of an application , the requirements keep iterating. What I mean is , In a existing web site with many images, like the ones displaying freinds list or an image gallery, it will be difficult to reprocess the entire load of images that had been already unloaded to add or remove the shadows, for that matter.
So If you have done a little forward thinking while creating the HTMLS to add these extra divisions or usually the situation is that you have a Loop Logic generating these icons/thumbnails in XSL, PHP. JAVA or any other programming /scripting language, you can add it anytime, then is just the matter of show and hiding these shadows using the CSS Display property,as per the clients ever changing requirements … I havn’t done this sort of forward thinking before this … but ahev started now!

In the example below, the original image is shadow free and the dropshadows are applied as required! ALSO, I have gone a little extra, by using the tricks of my earlier Tut ( Well! these probably are shortest variety of Tutorials , so it is only justified calling them “Tut”’s ) about Using CSS Clip Property for show off only

Original Image

CSS DropShadow Results

View Demo  | Download sourcefiles

Why do I want to understand this??? … Humm!!!!

Most of CSS writers would agree that CSS Clip property is probably one of most un-used CSS properties. It was so true for me too and was most happy to neglect it , until I started modifying the MOOTOOLS TWO Knob (Pin) Slider Component(with Range Indicator).

There was a good suggestion from one of the component users to modify the Slider Component using clipped backgroud images( against a variable width division) to indicate the slider range. Thus came my time to enter the fun but un-chartered (for me ofcourse) waters of the CSS Clip property.

Well! how difficult it can be? Not much at all …YES and NO. The syntax to use the CSS Clip property is pretty upright but the meaning/usuage is a bit croocked. With a memory like mine, everytime I sit to rework on my Slider Script… I have tokeep referring back to usage of this CLIP property , to remind myself the logic that I have created in my script …. HENCE! thought to pen it down, with a hope to remember it the future ( and also for the benefit of those who seem boggled by the CSS Clip Property)

What does CSS Clip do?

Clip is part of the visual effects module of CSS 2.1 . Simply put, its job is to place a visible window on top of an object that is being clipped , hence clipping images and creating thumbnails without having to create additional files( I have already put this feature to better use in the Slider Component )

Using the CSS Clip property, you can create a clipping using the rect shape. Like many other CSS Properties (like margin, padding etc),using rect requires four coordinates Top, Right, Bottom, Left (TRBL). The croocked nature of this property reflects when you take a closer look at how clip calculates the clipping region , using these four coordinates (sends brain into a toss for a while). Now to confuse you the bottom starts from the top, and the right starts from the left. . You see what i said? …. Hence this post …

This little confusion can easily disappear , with this visual explanation of the CSS Clip/rect property as below!!!!

CSS Clip Requirements

The task we have started is to clip the following Thumbnail image into a squarer looking image (and also a wide-angle image)

Original Thumbnal/Image	Clip Requirements for Sqaure Thumbmail

CSS Clip Results

View Demo  |  Download sourcefiles

Sometimes to keep the pageweight down … we have split our scripts into fragments…These javascript fragments can be loaded as and when required ( on an event or on click of a  link or button etc.).

Loading Javascripts dynamically is simple and pretty straight forward  as below… 

<script type=“text/javascript”>
function loadNewScript(source){
  var s = document.createElement(’script’);
  s.setAttribute(‘type’,'text/javascript’);
  s.setAttribute(’src’, source);
  document.body.appendChild(s);
}
</script>

and you can have the following call link anywhere in the body , or you can have this script “onLoad” of the document itself…

<a href=“javascript:loadNewScript(‘myDynamicScript.js’);”>Load Dynamic Script</a>

or

<body onload=”loadNewScript(‘myDynamicScript.js’);”>

If you are css person, you would know the pain in getting your layouts working cross-browser. IE8 is yet another spanner in the works for us developers. Anywaz! if you hit upon this issue, Like I did yesterday, where your perfectly working CSS in IE7 (and earlier) and  Firefox  has suddenly started throwing tantrums in IE8 , TRY This … It nicely seemed to fix my problems for the moment ….

Using Meta declaration, we can specify the rendering engine we would like IE8 to use. So to force IE8 to render as IE7 … Insert the following Meta Tag into the head of your document:-

<meta http-equiv=”X-UA-Compatible” content=”IE=7″ />

By default IE Meta would be:-

<meta http-equiv=”X-UA-Compatible” content=”IE=8″ />
which would make IE8 render the page using the new standards mode.

If required, this syntax could be used to accomodate for other browsers as below:

<meta http-equiv=”X-UA-Compatible” content=”IE=8;FF=3;OtherUA=4″ />

MORE About DOCTYPES :

IF you are yet unfamiliar with the sort of animal called “Doctype” … here is some quick read
What are DOCTYPES? What are BROWSER QUIRKS & STRICT Mode?
Setting the DOCTYPE in XSL

For a more in depth understanding about DOCTYPES , try visiting these links…
A List Apart : Fix Your Site With the Right DOCTYPE!
A List Apart : Beyond DOCTYPE: Web Standards, Forward Compatibility, and IE8

Note: Though many of us HTML/CSS people have been neglecting the importance of DOCTYPE decleration in our documents , Setting the right DOCTYPE , is usually the answer to most cross browser issues.

With a variety of Carousels out there , many for Mootools as well, I still decided to write my own Carousel Class, for some good reasons
1. Wanted a paging feature ( to be able to jump a particular slide/step in the carousel).
2. Wanted freedom with placement of the LEFT and RIGHT buttons/links , where ever I please.
3. More control over the Slide Steps.

I did manage to create a new Carousel , with the above features …as below … Feel free to suggest any modifications you would require!!!

My Example looks like this…[View Demo]

View Demo | Download Mootools Carousel With Paging Version 1.0 (Downloaded 1386 times)

1. Carousel Paging

You can easily add the paging to your carousel, simply by setting the paging flag, which is last parater passed while creating the instance of the MooCarousel to true( want paging) or false( donot wanting paging).

var carousel1 = new MooCarousel(‘carousel1_wrapper’,'carousel1_items_container’, ‘carousel1_moveleft’, ‘carousel1_moveright’, c_ns,c_sss, true); //ns= number of slides , sss = slide step size

And ofcourse you can change the look-n-feel of these paging achors as you please by modifying their CSS.

.carousel_paging {text-align:right; margin:5px 10px 0 0;}
.carousel_paging .current, .carousel_paging .page{ outline:none; width:15px; height:15px; line-height:15px; text-align:center; display:block; float:left; background:#D8D8EB; margin:0 1px 0 0; text-decoration:none;}

.carousel_paging a:hover, .carousel_paging .current{background:#4D4D9B; color:#ffffff;}

Well! there is a small issue though, The paging anchors if set, then it will get generated always after the Carousel component. I wanted to make it dynamic as well, but then just to keep the Script for blowing out of proportions, I decided to skip it.
But you know a little Javascript , you could easily modify the paging generation code in the MooCarousel class to please your needs.

2. Customising the Left & Right Icons

You can change the PLACEMENT, IMAGES or any displat property of the Left and Right Buttons simply by playing around with the CSS. to be able to change the placements of the Left and Right buttoms was the actual reason for me to right my our Carousel Class.
Since this MooCarousel Class, accepts the id’s of these buttons, you can actually place these buttons anywhere on the page, if you please… it does not have to be in the element hierarchy, as in my example.

var carousel1 = new MooCarousel(‘carousel1_wrapper’, ‘carousel1_items_container’,‘carousel1_moveleft’, ‘carousel1_moveright’,c_ns,c_sss,true);

CSS
.carousel_container_l, .carousel_container_r{margin:50px 0 0 0 ; position: relative;width: 23px;height:20px; float:left; cursor:pointer; }

.carousel_container_r{background-position: 0 -38px; }

.carousel_container_l{background-position: 0 -58px; }

3. Customising Slide Steps

WHAT DO I MEAN MY CUSTOMISING SLIDE STEPS?
Most Carousels slide the full with of the visible window. So say you had four items (like in my sample above), it will slide all the four items. With this Carousel Component, You pass the number of slides and the step size of your choice.

var carousel1 = new MooCarousel(‘carousel1_wrapper’, ‘carousel1_items_container’, ‘carousel1_moveleft’, ‘carousel1_moveright’, c_ns,c_sss, true);
c_ns= number of slides , c_sss = slide step size

Also, in my example1 I have calcuted the slide step size, based on logic where , I know number of items , width on each item and the margins that have given after each item in my CSS.

/*For Carousal 1 */

var c1_w = 92; // Carousal Item Width

var c1_n = 10; // Total Number of Comparision Carousal Items

var c1_pp = 4 // Number of Comparision Carousal Items perpage

var c1_marginFactor = 51;

var c1_sss = c1_w * c1_pp ; //sss = slide step size

var c1_ns = parseInt(((c1_w * c1_n)/c1_sss) + .5); //ns= number of slides

c1_sss += c1_marginFactor ; //sss = slide step size , 51 for margins

Requirements: Mootools 1.2

View Demo | Download Mootools Carousel With Paging Version 1.0 (Downloaded 1386 times)

MooRating is a simple ( cross browser , of course as it uses the power of the MooTools library) , lightweight and excellent Mootools based rating solution. It is not termed as “Star Rating”, simply because, the rating image could be as you choose ( I have provided Stars, Bars and Hearts with the download, but you can create your own variety and just drop it in).

How does it looks like :

	Mootools Rating with different images View Demo
	Mootools Rating with Percentage valuesView Demo
	Mootools Rating with Fractional valuesView Demo

Download Mootols Star Rating Script (Downloaded 507 times)

Rating data: Whole Number, Decimal or Percentage
Currently the script is designed to show the rating data as whole values (1,2,3,4,5), in decimals (1.24, 3.45 etc) or in percentages( 12%, 55% etc) . The choice to show data in any of the mentioned formats can be set simply by changing some flag values within the javascript( moorating.js)
Basically there are two e two flags to play with, for displaying values in the format of your choice…

var inpercent = false; // Set this flag to true , if you require percentage values to be displayed
var isFractional = false // Set this to true, if you want fractional values like 1.24, 1.25, 4.56 rather than 1,2 …5

And I dont think there is any explanation required for this. Moreover. The script is very simple. If you know a little javascripting, you could modify the script to get any sort of value displayed. For eg if you wanted three decimal places to be displayed … just tweak the script as below …

if(isFractional){if(x<=5 || x >=0) moostartval[i].innerHTML= formatNumber(x,3);} // 2 is changed to 3
else{moostartval[i].innerHTML= Math.round(x);

Updating Rating Value:
I havent bothered writing any AJAX scripts for updating the Ratings value, because I know from my experience that NOT ALWAYS do it intend to update the RATING as soon as the user rates something. You are free to do whatever you want with the rated value , Update it using AJAX or Submit it or Set a hidden form field value , to be submitted with the entire form etc.

function updateRating(id, rating) {
//alert(id + ” , ” +rating );
// DO WHATEVER WITH THE RATING
}

There is function in the javascript called “updateRating”. This function has been passed the the ID of the Rating Div, to identify as to which ratings ( if there are more that one ratings on the page) was updated and the value of the rating [updateRating(id, rating)]. You could choose to whatever you want with these values , as i mentioned earlier.

Rating Image: Stars, Hearts , Bars or anything you please
Changing the rating to any of the above types( stars, hearts etc) is very simple. Just create an image similar to the one provided and drop it in. Remember , if you change the name of the image, do make necessary changes in the CSS file , see below.

.moostar { margin:0px;padding:0px; overflow:hidden; width: 84px; height: 20px; float: left; background: url(’stars.gif’) repeat-x; }
.moostar span { float: left; margin:0px;padding:0px; display: block; width: 84px; height: 20px; text-decoration: none; text-indent: -9000px; z-index: 20; }
.moostar .curr { background: url(’stars.gif’) left 25px;}

Most ratings widgets use star and half-star images with mouse over events on each star. Moo Ratings uses a simple sprite image as a background image to achieve the required visual effects with a very low overhead.

Requirements: Mootools 1.2
Download Mootols Star Rating Script (Downloaded 507 times)

In Firefox… sometimes you might have noticed that  the cursor starts blinking on the screen. It might happen when you click on any element on the page , a division or an image etc. This Blinking Cursor in the browser window is actually an ACCESSIBILITY Feature of FireFox called ‘caret browsing’. This features  allows/enables  users to select text on the page with the keyboard ( Which we normally tend to do with the use of our mouse).

Well! if you donot want this feature … simple press “F7” to toggle it to false  and vice-versa ( if you want it ON).  You could also  type “about:config” in the address bar (type in “caret” in the filter box) and simply double click to change the option “accessibility.browsewithcaret” from “true” (turn caret browsing ON) to “false” ( turn caret browsing OFF)