Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category

SQL Fiddle. This is a neat resource that could fit well among your bookmarks. A standalone Web app that lets you tinker around with SQL on the fly with no setup friction. It follows in the footsteps of one of the most useful code-sharing-for-the-purpose-of-debugging ideas I’ve ever seen, the original jsfiddle with the purpose of [...]

Bootstrap, from Twitter. Bootstrap 2.0 is here, and it’s beyond impressive. I don’t talk much about frameworks, especially frameworks involving CSS, but the purpose of Bootstrap isn’t really a springboard for your latest client project, it’s a springboard for your project and I love that. Version 2.0 blew me away with coverage and implementation. I’m [...]

dbdsgnr.appspot.com. Database schema design is a talent to me. I’ve designed some pretty awful databases in my time, but I think a tool like this could have helped with that. dbdsgnr is an HTML 5 Web app that lets you visually build out your database schema. Once you’re done, the app will spit out the [...]

As I’m writing more advanced software, I’m more consistently reflecting on the importance of testing. Specifically automated testing. Humans are far too likely to get lazy and cut corners, and testing is the worst time for that to happen. I’ve been thinking a lot about regression testing lately and how to implement it in my workflow. I thought about writing my own suite, but quickly remembered that it had already been done.

Since last discussing Custom Post Types, Taxonomies, and the associated Theme files, WordPress has made our lives quite a bit easier. Here’s how I go about extending Custom Post Type permalinks with Custom Taxonomy slugs.

Many designers and developers I’ve observed over the years have a particular way of tackling a new project. I approach new projects in a specific way, working from the inside out, in an effort to be as forward thinking as possible on as detailed a level as possible.

Content management doesn’t have to be restrictive to your clients, but it shouldn’t be an open door either. Shortcode-based content widgets in WordPress are a great way to provide your client some additional creative freedom without compromising your design.

Customizing and segmenting Custom Taxonomy archive pages can be a bit difficult until you determine what exactly is going on under the hood and implementing from there. Custom Taxonomies in WordPress are a very powerful feature, let’s figure out how to make some nice looking archive pages for them.

Custom Post Types are a huge boon to everything WordPress. The feature has been long awaited, and lays a nice foundation for WordPress becoming more of a CMS to those still convinced it’s merely a blogging engine.

HTML5 Boilerplate – A rock-solid default for HTML5 awesome. This rocks pretty hard. I’ve got a ‘new site’ framework I use on each and every project consisting of the latest WordPress release and all of my favorite plugins. I maintain the framework on a consistent basis and it lets me get up and running with [...]