Archive for April, 2007

The other night I spent some time thinking about patterns and CSS. I wanted to find some intuitive way of developing/creating the styles for widgets, fonts, lists, etc.. without just mashing together styles were ever they fit. I came across an interesting discussion about the concept here. The one idea that stood out was the “Inheritance” pattern:

..CSS doesn’t have inheritance in the way that OOP languages do, but you can use something close to it using MultipleClasses. Here’s an example:

Code:

<style>
.baseClass { color: #fff; background: #009; margin: 10px; padding: 10px; }
.childClass1 { color: #f99; }
.childClass2 { text-transform: uppercase; }
</style>

<div class="baseClass">Some content here</div>
<div class="baseClass childClass1">Some content here</div>
<div class="baseClass childClass2">Some content here</div>

By applying both a base class and a child class (or classes) you get the properties of both, with the child overriding the base, much like in OOP inheritance. This is a design pattern rather than a specific technique because it can be applied to all kinds of situations..

I’ll be presenting this Tuesday (tomorrow) and Wednesday at TEC 2007.
I have 3 talks in total:

How do you know when to use use PHP/CGI/WebSphere?

Confused about all the options for iSeries Web Development such as PHP, CGI and WebSphere? Each has it’s own advantages and disadvantages and understanding what these are will help you choose the right one for the task at hand. This session will provide an introduction to PHP, CGI and WebSphere cover their advantage, disadvantages and other information to help you make the right choice. Co-Presenter: Don Yantzi

PHP For RPG Programmers

PHP is an open source web scripting/programming language used to create powerful web based applications. PHP takes the idea of rapid application development to the next level and is revolutionizing they way people make and think about web application. This session will provide RPG programmers with the insight needed to leverage their existing RPG knowledge and create fast, effective and secure web applications.

Web 2.0 for System i

Wikis, blogs, AJAX, The Long Tail… What is Web 2.0? And how does it related to System i? Web 2.0 is considered to be the second wave of the World Wide Web and its services. Web 2.0 highlights the role of the web as a platform, as well as a social collaborative medium for connecting people with other people, their content, media, and products. In this session we’ll look at examples of Web 2.0 related technologies and concepts to help define what Web 2.0 is all about. Then we’ll briefly explore how Web 2.0 can be produced and consumed with System i. Co-Presenter: Abe Batthish

I just picked up the Ontario Golf Book for 2007 from 3600 today at lunch. The book is 372 pages and features:

• Over 950 Green Fee Coupons at 172 Golf Courses
• Over 400 2 for 1 Green Free Coupons
• Weekend Play at 143 Golf Courses

Each course is given 2 pages, complete with map directions, prices, contact info, policies and course details.
2 for 1, 4 for 2, 4 for 3… the book is littered with discounts.
If anyones up for a round, let me know.

I think it’s best summed up by this quote from an ex Amazon employee:

We sold more books today that didn’t sell at all yesterday than we sold today of all the books that did sell yesterday.

It’s so interesting..