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"How do I create Stored Procedures?" ... ... ok, I know, this is very basic, but do not feel ashamed if you don't know the answer. When I started playing with SQL Server, Stored Procedures seemed to me a secret and foreign land where everything is difficult and hard to understand. Well, I must say, it is not. So get ready, put on your armor and let's go to slay the dragon (a.k.a. the Stored Procedure)!
Web development, web design and programming.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
jQuery & CSS: simulate windows (part 2)
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
jQuery & CSS: simulate windows
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In this post I will explain how to simulate a window effect using jQuery and CSS. What we want to achieve is to have a window like this one:
with those little close ("X") and hide/show ("_") buttons. It is very simple, so let's get to the code.
In this post I will explain how to simulate a window effect using jQuery and CSS. What we want to achieve is to have a window like this one:
with those little close ("X") and hide/show ("_") buttons. It is very simple, so let's get to the code.
Monday, 24 January 2011
ASP & jQuery: Obtain information about the browser (Browser Capabilities Component)
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There is a quite obscure asp component which might become useful in some - I believe exceptional - situations. The Browser Capabilities Component creates a BrowserType object which can be used to determine almost everything about a visitor's browser.
There is a quite obscure asp component which might become useful in some - I believe exceptional - situations. The Browser Capabilities Component creates a BrowserType object which can be used to determine almost everything about a visitor's browser.
Friday, 21 January 2011
SQL Server vs Ms Access: what should I use?
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I remember that, when I started developing my first Intranet back in 1998, my best dream was having a database connection. I couldn't use Ms Access or SQL Server, because the company didn't want to spend money on new softwares. I remember I even tried to use txt files and an Excel sheet without great performance results. Then I convinced the company's owner to buy an Office 2000 suite and so I had the opportunity to start playing around with Ms Access.
Today, sometimes I still find people wondering whether they should use Access or take the big step and use SQL Server. Generally, SQL Server is considered much more difficult to manage, while Ms Access is sometimes believed to be only a child toy. I consider the two solutions different in terms of performance and use, but I do not think SQL Server is always the best choice.
I remember that, when I started developing my first Intranet back in 1998, my best dream was having a database connection. I couldn't use Ms Access or SQL Server, because the company didn't want to spend money on new softwares. I remember I even tried to use txt files and an Excel sheet without great performance results. Then I convinced the company's owner to buy an Office 2000 suite and so I had the opportunity to start playing around with Ms Access.
Today, sometimes I still find people wondering whether they should use Access or take the big step and use SQL Server. Generally, SQL Server is considered much more difficult to manage, while Ms Access is sometimes believed to be only a child toy. I consider the two solutions different in terms of performance and use, but I do not think SQL Server is always the best choice.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
WordPress: ArrJS Random Quote and Testimonial Widget
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With this quick post I just wanted to let you know that byBML created a WordPress plugin taking "inspiration" from my post jQuery: random quotes from a txt file.
This plugin creates a widget which will load random quotes or testimonials from a text file via JQuery.
The plugin can be found here.
This plugin creates a widget which will load random quotes or testimonials from a text file via JQuery.
The plugin can be found here.
ASP: How long does my asp code take?
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Ever wondered how long does it take to run an ASP snippet? What a simple question! Ever needed to know? Have you ever thought that you really need to know it?
I'm not getting crazy, believe me. Those are simple questions, but rarely programmers know about a very simple way to calculate - in milliseconds! - how long it took to run a query, for example. Well, you might wonder if anyone really has ever cared about it. Are you sure? Let's try to imagine a situation where you might find it useful.
Ever wondered how long does it take to run an ASP snippet? What a simple question! Ever needed to know? Have you ever thought that you really need to know it?
I'm not getting crazy, believe me. Those are simple questions, but rarely programmers know about a very simple way to calculate - in milliseconds! - how long it took to run a query, for example. Well, you might wonder if anyone really has ever cared about it. Are you sure? Let's try to imagine a situation where you might find it useful.
Monday, 17 January 2011
jQuery Components by Matteo Bicocchi
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While searching for some jQuery plugins on the web, I found a great blog. I was actually looking for a drag and drop jQuery solution, similar to Draggable and Droppable in jQuery UI. I found Matteo Bicocchi's Blog by chance and I've literally spent a few hours exploring his jQuery components. Apart from the fact that Matteo seems to me a very good programmer - not to say a very kind person - I believe that the jQuery code he created is simply great. Just after looking at the demos on the blog, I realized that the solutions are neat, well conceived and really interesting.
While searching for some jQuery plugins on the web, I found a great blog. I was actually looking for a drag and drop jQuery solution, similar to Draggable and Droppable in jQuery UI. I found Matteo Bicocchi's Blog by chance and I've literally spent a few hours exploring his jQuery components. Apart from the fact that Matteo seems to me a very good programmer - not to say a very kind person - I believe that the jQuery code he created is simply great. Just after looking at the demos on the blog, I realized that the solutions are neat, well conceived and really interesting.
Friday, 14 January 2011
Firefox Extension: Web Developer
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If you are a web site developer you probably have got inspiration from other site sometimes. Again, while developing a new project, you had to deeply and thoroughly test your creation. These are the main reasons why - if you use Firefox or Chrome - you should consider installing the Web Developer extension.
If you are a web site developer you probably have got inspiration from other site sometimes. Again, while developing a new project, you had to deeply and thoroughly test your creation. These are the main reasons why - if you use Firefox or Chrome - you should consider installing the Web Developer extension.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Home Page design: keep it simple!
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Visitors are drawn to a specific web site at different levels. We can simplify things and say that the lowest level is the way a visitor finds the site. Ah! It is a simple thing, but - as you may already know - it is the most difficult goal to achieve. It involves site promotion and search engines ranking. However, that is not the main issue here, so - like it or not - we will skip that level and its implications.
The second level - provided your potential visitor finds your web page - is how to keep the visitor on your page. I already talked about complicated home pages and related stuff, nevertheless I would like to get a little bit deeper into the issue.
Visitors are drawn to a specific web site at different levels. We can simplify things and say that the lowest level is the way a visitor finds the site. Ah! It is a simple thing, but - as you may already know - it is the most difficult goal to achieve. It involves site promotion and search engines ranking. However, that is not the main issue here, so - like it or not - we will skip that level and its implications.
The second level - provided your potential visitor finds your web page - is how to keep the visitor on your page. I already talked about complicated home pages and related stuff, nevertheless I would like to get a little bit deeper into the issue.
Monday, 10 January 2011
jQuery & JavaScript: Analogue clocks
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Recently I had a customer who absolutely wanted an analogue clock on his company's home page. The page is already well balanced and a live clock on it will definitely ruin the overall look. However, - as you may understand - the customer is always right, so I had to do a little research and found some interesting jQuery and JavaScript analogue clock solutions that I like to share with you.
My problem remains, the defense rests and the executioner is ready with his axe.
I will have to find a suitable solution to my night question: "Where should I put that darn clock?"
Recently I had a customer who absolutely wanted an analogue clock on his company's home page. The page is already well balanced and a live clock on it will definitely ruin the overall look. However, - as you may understand - the customer is always right, so I had to do a little research and found some interesting jQuery and JavaScript analogue clock solutions that I like to share with you.
My problem remains, the defense rests and the executioner is ready with his axe.
I will have to find a suitable solution to my night question: "Where should I put that darn clock?"
Saturday, 1 January 2011
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