recap 2008
I've written a lot this past year, some of these articles I could hardly remember anymore. So with 2008 coming to a full stop I figured it would be nice to take one final look back and filter out the best stuff I've written this past year. Mind that these articles are handpicked and not based on popularity. Time for a little trip down memory lane.
10. Leaving out css type selectors
Some problems in css are pretty trivial. So trivial that little attention is paid to them, often resulting in inconsistent code and messy results. Adding (or leaving out) the css type selector is one of those issues. Since not many pros and cons were found on the net, I tried to set up my own line of reasoning. I think some good came of that too.
09. Code delivery
Delivering code to be implemented in a different site is pretty difficult. You shouldn't overwrite their css and they shouldn't be able to add to or overwrite your own css for the code you're delivering. There is no failsafe way to avoid this but there are some measures you should take when writing code for external use.
08. css generated content
We know we have to separate content and design, but then why is there a content attribute in css? There are a few examples where it can come in handy, this articles gives you a start. Sadly, with crappy IE6 support it is of little use. Yet.
07. Border-model inconsistencies
A quirky little article on how different browsers can interpret an implementation. Take a closer look at how borders are drawn across different browsers and marvel at the inconsistencies.
06. Killing blog comments
I wrote this after reading an article that summed up several reasons for turning of commenting on blogs. It got me quite pumped so in response I tried to invalidate all of their concerns. The result is an article very much in favor of leaving blog comments alive.
05. html vs css
Some people noted that you can't set both technologies in opposition, but the reason behind this series is to shift the balance of importance between these two technologies. css is the junkyard of web development, often because html is prioritized. Unrightfully so in my opinion. This is the start of a four-part series on resetting the balance between the two of them.
04. Pretending to be the blind guy
We, web developers, make a lot of decisions based on hunches and so-called common sense. Still, reality can be different, so when we take accessibility measures, where can we go to receive feedback from people who experience these problems every day? Stop pretending to be the blind guy, just ask the blind guy for help.
03. Borderline semantics
When does a list become a paragraph, and why is a table with one row not merely a list? These are semantic questions arising when meeting borderline circumstances. How to tackle these issues? The answer is pretty simple.
02. Margins & paddings
When do you make use of paddings, when do you make use of margins? A simple question with a difficult answer. It took me five articles to find out what to prefer, but in the end I found an interesting method of working. Sadly IE6 is being a *** again, but apart from that, the result of this series was pretty interesting.
01. Writing flexible css
My main pet peeve of 2008. How to make my css more flexible. More easy to adapt and better to accommodate future changes. The resulting article should be a good base to start cleaning up your css file, resulting in better looking and easier to maintain css.