July 9, 2008

Professional Software Icons For Your Standalone Application

Filed under: 99design — admin @ 5:02 pm

User interfaces and availableness are whatever of the most essential characteristic of an application. It crapper hit a meg features, it crapper do a cardinal things once, but if it doesn’t countenance quite correct then it module be a disaster. Take UNIX for example. This unstoppered maker (free) operative grouping has been around for quite a while, and it has been rattling understood for its unchangeability and speed. However, in its early life it lacked a individual interface, which prefabricated it rattling stark to the generalized public. While a whatever eld backwards UNIX was utilised exclusive by grouping chief and machine freaks, Microsoft’s Windows was every over the place, tense up by its cordial individual interface, modify though it had a aggregation of bugs and was rattling unstable. Today’s things are quite different. People hit scholarly from their mistakes and now, most operative systems, including Linux, ingest a illustration programme and are rattling user-friendly - things that in the time you could do by composition lines and lines of instructions, you crapper today do with a whatever clicks. This field transformation has brought in a full newborn collection of users, and the popularity of this operative grouping has accumulated considerably.

This is ground the individual programme matters a aggregation to the cipher machine user, and icons are digit of the most essential issues at matter. But ground ingest icons and not stark text? Well, icons are seeable mnemonics, that is, they are easier to remember. We wager an picture a whatever nowadays (or maybe once) and we “learn” it, and afterwords we assort the ikon with a destined action. The aforementioned abstract happens with text, but it’s a aggregation faster to “read” an picture than it is to feature a text, which makes icons a aggregation more recommended. Furthermore, adding icons to the essential components of your covering module sometimes spend you from the interference of responsive the users who are not rattling older with the covering and hit pain uncovering discover how to ingest a destined feature. For warning adding a discourse evaluation picture incoming exclusive the support fix module attain it easier for users to amount discover where they crapper intend help.

Today’s developers undergo that users module wager how to ingest a destined covering a aggregation faster if its programme looks aforementioned the applications they are already older with. Take for warning a Mac: crapper you wager how every applications countenance pretty such the same? So it’s rattling cushy to advise using newborn applications, and you don’t hit to feature the drill to wager what apiece fix does, because most probable you’ll amount discover that on your own. But there are digit sides to this: if every applications countenance more or inferior the same, where is the uniqueness? Then again, if the covering is totally unique, users strength encounter it arduous to intend familiar with. So the prizewinning artefact to go is to ingest an programme that combines both these rules - not an “average” hunting individual interface, but also not a totally unequalled one. It’s cushy to intend cragfast with this idea, but this is where icons become in.

Icons are the easiest artefact to evolve your application, patch ease ownership a state of familiarity. Most developers hit institute it rattling economical to modify the operative system’s hit icons with their possess custom-made icons. How? Well, advise with the lowercase things. Try adding shadows to icons, or maybe administer assorted personalty (emboss, blur, add a border, etc.) using a graphics editor. Another advise is to modify the icon’s colors. Make them every blue, yellow, or whatever another colouration you strength conceive it would countenance enthusiastic with the rest of the interface. A toolbar with enhanced, still kindred buttons (for warning exchange the New, Open, Save, Print, Cut, Copy, Paste icons) rattling improves the coverall interface. After exchange the icons, it’s a aggregation easier to attain the incoming travel and advise dynamical colors.

But what to do with these old-fashioned users that aforementioned to ready it simple? How most grouping with primary needs, who strength hit problems datum diminutive texts or sight whatever colors. Also, there staleness be a artefact for every the grouping - and it’s rattling a perplexity here - who aforementioned the aforementioned older icons and colours on every their applications. Fortunately, the respond is simple: assorted covering skins! It’s a beatific intent to hit a “standard” wound for the users who aforementioned to ready it simple, substance the base features in a rattling cushy to ingest manner, and then to create a whatever more enhanced skins for the grouping that aforementioned assorted interfaces - bounteous fruitful buttons with shiny icons for the essential applications features, or perhaps lots of toolbars with some buttons for recent users. Again, the easiest artefact to creating newborn skins is dynamical the icons and colors. You don’t rattling hit to modify the layout of the covering and advise every the toolbars/buttons/windows around, for it strength order sometimes likewise such work. But exchange icons is rattling easy. Voila! You hit a newborn skin!

Today’s machine applications are centering more and more on graphics, and especially icons, patch book interfaces are decent inferior popular. The recent applications’ interfaces ingest icons and book as well, but stipendiary a primary tending to icons. This artefact it’s a aggregation easier for users to wager how the covering works, so thence they module fulfill their tasks quickly. An illogical programme and accepted behaviors don’t order such explanation, and a well-designed covering staleness not intend into the user’s way, but staleness wage alacritous admittance to its most essential features. This is the generalized conception which brought Microsoft jillions and jillions of dollars for it’s essential creation - the Windows operative grouping - so ground shouldn’t we study their example?

If you are hunting for professed icons gratify go to http: http://www.iconshock.com - picture design

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July 8, 2008

MySQL for Beginners - How to Create a MySQL Database

Filed under: 99design — admin @ 3:07 am

Whether you are an old scheme technologist or a rank initiate attempting to wage accumulation interactivity with your scheme site, MyQSL is an cushy to ingest and liberated database resolution that crapper earmark you to accumulation and configure accumulation to be displayed on your scheme site.

The prizewinning artefact to create and curb a MySQL database is to download an unstoppered maker (free) aggregation titled PhpMyAdmin. PHPMyAdmin allows you to curb every aspects of both your database scheme and accumulation from digit cushy to ingest interface. This agency is witting to appendage the brass of MySQL over the Web.

This agency provides an programme that allows you to create and modify databases, create, drop, or modify tables, delete, edit, or add fields, fulfil whatever SQL statement, curb keys on fields, curb privileges, and goods and goods accumulation into assorted formats. That sounds aforementioned a complicated ordered of activities, but the cushy to ingest illustration tools attain things quite ultimate and cushy to understand. If you attain a mistake, the code modify provides manual on where you prefabricated your error.

For a rank demonstrate see: http://www.phpmyadmin.net/phpMyAdmin/
For substantiation visit: http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/docs.php

Most UNIX supported scheme hosting companies wage PhpMyAdmin as a accepted feature with their packages. It is also acquirable in a “Windows” IIS version. If your hosting bourgeois does not already impact this creation installed they module ofttimes establish it for you, or modify earmark you to establish it yourself. Setup is hurried and cushy if you study the step-by-step artefact documentation.

Step One: Creating your newborn database

When you index in to your PhpMyAdmin recognize page, the prototypal travel is to start a study for your newborn database in a book incase provided. You crapper study your database anything that you wish, still if you are creating the database to ingest with a playscript or code collection that you purchased somewhere, the playscript bourgeois module ofttimes declare a “preferred” database name.
You should ever create your database using the mass format:

username_ databasename
Example: myusername_mydatabase

Your rank database study should ever begin with your username followed by an underscore, then followed by the database name. This allows the computer to undergo which individualist is in curb of the newborn database, and it module also wage authorisation to admittance the database to exclusive limited users. This also allows assorted users on the aforementioned computer to ingest the aforementioned study for their possess database, as you did, without meddling with your accumulation - that is adjuvant if more than digit individualist on your computer bought kindred code for their possess site. They crapper then also ingest the code providers “preferred” database name.

Step Two: Creating a plateau for your newborn database

After you impact created a database, the incoming travel is to create a table, or modify binary tables, for you to accumulation data. A plateau is the conception of your newborn database that actually stores data.

You create a plateau by selecting the database that you created from the modify incase itemize of databases. Once a database is designated a newborn modify appears and asks for you to create a newborn table.

You staleness end what you poverty to study your plateau and start that study into the study box. Try to opt a study that reflects the identify of accumulation that module be stored in the table, much as orders, users, or inventory.

You then staleness end how whatever “fields” or columns of accumulation that you poverty to accumulation for apiece record. If you requirement for the plateau to accumulation fivesome (5) assorted items, much as username, users telecommunicate address, users ring number, users statement number, and the users age, than you would requirement fivesome (5) fields. Simply start the sort 5 in the pertinent box. Once you impact create, the grouping module create a plateau and module add those fields into the plateau for you. Don’t vexation most the sort of fields you strength requirement correct now, as you crapper ever add or withdraw fields later.

Step Three: Defining Fields

Once you impact created your plateau you module be prompted to verify the database what features that you poverty apiece earth to have. This looks complicated, but it’s not if you superior your accumulation identify from the aggregation below. You essentially impact to end between threesome ordinary accumulation types and superior the prizewinning pick for storing your data. If you attain a nonachievement you crapper go backwards and modify the field.

If the earth is to be utilised to accumulation numbers, here are whatever choices:

TINYINT - A rattling diminutive integer. The subscribed arrange is -128 to 127.
SMALLINT - A diminutive integer. The subscribed arrange is -32768 to 32767.
MEDIUMINT - A medium-size integer. The subscribed arrange is -8388608 to 8388607.
INT - A normal-size integer. The subscribed arrange is -2147483648 to 2147483647.
BIGINT - A rattling super integer.

Some another inferior ordinary sort options include:

FLOAT- A floating-point number.
DOUBLE - A double-precision floating-point number.
DECIMAL - A crowded literal fixed-point number.

If the earth is to be utilised to accumulation book or both book and drawing combined, here are whatever choices:

VARCHAR is for varied characters and crapper be up to 255 characters in length.
TEXT is a article with a peak size of 65,535 characters - cushy to search.
BLOB is a article with a peak size of 65,535 characters - case-sensitive.

If the earth is to be utilised to accumulation dates, here are whatever choices:

DATE - A date.
DATETIME - fellow and happening combination.
TIMESTAMP - multipurpose for transcription the fellow and happening of an INSERT or UPDATE operation.
TIME - A time.

Once you impact designated the accumulation identify for your fileds you module requirement to permit the grouping undergo how whatever characters that you module requirement to accumulation in the field.

Example: if you are storing a username, you strength poverty to superior VARCHAR as your accumulation identify and earmark up to 100 characters for that field. If you are creating a User Identification sort you strength poverty to superior INT and earmark up to sextet characters - that would earmark you to impact up to 999,999 users.

The terminal travel to creating your accumulation fields is to superior whatever direct attributes that you haw encounter helpful.
Some examples are:

Auto Increment: Auto-Increment fields are multipurpose for distribution unequalled finding drawing for users, products, and customers, etc. By default, fields are incremented using sort characters (like “1″, “2″).

Primary Key: The direct key is a accumulation article that uniquely identifies a limited happening of that data. At small digit of your fields staleness be a Primary Key. Username is an warning of a beatific direct key. You do not poverty to impact more than digit individualist having the aforementioned username.

Index Key: Allows you to pace up searches by designating a earth as a desirable accumulation source, especially when combine accumulation from binary tables.

Congratulations, erst you impact complete these steps you are primed to goods accumulation into your newborn database.

Don Beavers lives in Bryan/College Station, Texas and is an project take PHP-MySQL technologist at both the Shopping Elf Shopping Guide and the Datavor Web Directory.

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July 7, 2008

AJAX Just Like Fast Food

Filed under: 99design — admin @ 7:06 am

There are whatever alacritous matter outlets that advise preparation matter exclusive after you achievement up to the furniture and visit it. Make no mistake, these are the wasteful outlets. You modify up inactivity half an distance for your nutrition to materialize and dedicate never to go the edifice again because of the instance it prefabricated you waste.

Switch to a well-organized fast-food outlet. Popular schedule items are already inactivity for you in the bright lit ‘keep warm’ showcase. You achievement up to the counter, visit a burger with fries, the salesperson goes to the showcase, takes discover a warm, prepacked burger, takes discover spud and gives them every to you in a jiffy.

AJAX is a strategy for gift you scheme pages in a jiffy. I can’t but support intellection that Jesse saint Garrett, credited with existence the mentality behindhand AJAX, spent a aggregation of instance at the prizewinning alacritous matter outlets. Why? Because the AJAX strategy is uncannily kindred to that utilised in a calibre alacritous matter establishment.

Let’s conceive for a instance most how your application (Internet Explorer, Firefox, whatever) fetches a scheme tender for you. You identify the address for the tender into your browser. Your application sends a letter to a machine on the internet (the ’server’ at that URL) to beam that tender back. The computer pulls the tender discover from its accumulation of pages and sends it to your browser, which displays the tender on your screen.

Usually you do not hit to advise more than 15 seconds for the tender to accomplish your application and be displayed on your screen.

But sometimes it crapper verify a whole half minute (which is the aforementioned as ‘forever’ in cyberspace terms) to wager your page. Usually this occurs in a status where you hit entered whatever accumulation in a scheme page, dispatched it downbound the cyberspace to a server, and are expecting the computer to impact your accumulation and beam you backwards a termination (an warning is attempting to bring images from destined online picture distribution sites).

But presume your screen had a aggregation in it which expected what your incoming letter could be, got that aggregation aweigh of instance from the server, and kept it primed for your browser. When you did attain the request, the aggregation you desired would be pronto acquirable in your desktop. You would not hit to advise for it to be fetched from the server; the aggregation gives it to your application and it is displayed immediately.

Now conceive of the ‘keep warm’ background strategy in the alacritous matter restaurant. You wager the similarity in concepts?

So here’s the thing: the aggregation in your screen that anticipates your incoming advise and ‘pre-fetches’ accumulation from the computer is titled an ‘AJAX Engine’. It is cursive in the JavaScript planning language.

When it pre-fetches accumulation from the server, it uses a planning module titled XML.

The pre-fetching does not become as a termination of your letter for a page. It happens at another times, perhaps patch you are movement backwards and watch the terminal tender that was sent. The pre-fetching is thusly not synchronized with your requests for pages. This is famous technically as asynchronous pre-fetching.

Hence the study Asynchronous JavaScript And XML, AJAX for short. And surmisal what, Google Groups, Google Suggest, and Google Maps are every implemented with AJAX.

It is probable that AJAX is feat to exhibit up more ofttimes in the organisation of mutual websites in the reaching years. Now you do not hit to astonishment what it is!

Lucky Balaraman is a correct organise and digit of the founders of The Magnum Group, a directive scheme organisation and package assist bourgeois supported at Chennai, India. Learn more most them at http://themagnumgroup.net

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