************************************************************
Getting It DoneA comedian known as Larry The Cable Guy (apparently he has no last name,
only a reference!) who has recently become pretty popular in these parts,
chose a catch-line for himself of
"
Git-r-done
"
.
Of course, being a 21st
century kind of redneck, he has a website
—
you
’
ll find it at
(larrythecableguy.com)
—
shocker, huh?
But I digress.
The reason I though
of him is that slogan.
While it may not be the most correct pronunciation
(to many of us, at least) the philosophy behind it is absolutely flawless.
And it relates directly to the fine art of Website Development!
First there
’
s the obvious fact that if you
’
ve been toying with the idea of
creating a website for something, I
’
d say
"
git-r-done
"
in a heartbeat!
But
that is so obvious that I wont even mention it.
Instead, I think there
’
s a
subtler consideration at stake.
When it comes to creating web pages, there is a right way and a wrong way of
doing things.
For example, using tables to lay out items on your page is
generally considered to be the wrong way
—
the right way would be to use
CSS.
Correct as this is, at least, correct as any purist will tell you this
is, it actually contains a fundamental flaw.
When somebody first learns how to create a web page, they will, if they have
been following all the advice to be found in the world, start by learning
some HTML.
Of course, they may well also start with a generator like
FrontPage or Dreamweaver, but it won
’
t take long before they start seeing
the
"
behind the scenes
"
stuff and learning the ins and outs of HTML.
Tables, as you know, are constructed using HTML.
The upshot of this is that the novice quickly learns how to use a tool that
can quite easily be used to lay out text above, beside and around graphics,
create white spaces and all that sort of layout stuff.
A short amount of
learning and they can create an elegant looking page, using no technology
other than the one they started with, HTML.
Using CSS to accomplish this layout is without doubt a refinement of this
skill.
But it not an essential element of it.
To my way of thinking, it is far more important for our novice to start
creating their site and
"
git-r-done
"
so that we can see it than it is for
them to learn all the technologies needed to display a higher level of
refinement.
I want to see their stuff!
If they ask me to help them become
closer to perfect
—
well that
’
s something else; and they might just be
asking the wrong person!
Thanks for reading!
–
Vince Barnes
************************************************************
Q & A Goodies***********************************
Questions are taken from submissions to our Community
Mentors. You can ask a Mentor a question by going to
I
’
m out of work
&
learning Javascript to improve my skills, running W2K,
IE 6.0. Periodically when I try to use the sample exercises, I get an error
message saying that an object was expected. Here
’
s an example:
<
html
>
<
head
>
<
meta name=
"
GENERATOR
"
content=
"
Microsoft FrontPage 5.0
"
>
<
meta name=
"
ProgId
"
content=
"
FrontPage.Editor.Document
"
>
<
meta http-equiv=
"
Content-Type
"
content=
"
text/html;
charset=windows-1252
"
>
<
title
>
IMG1
<
/title
>
<
/head
>
<
body
>
<
center
>
<
FORM NAME = form1
>
<
IMG NAME =
"
IMG1
"
SRC=
"
images/dr1.jpg
"
WIDTH= 123 HEIGHT = 184
>
<
BR
>
<
BR
>
<
INPUT TYPE = BUTTON Value =
"
Change Image
"
onClick =
"
ChangeImage()
"
>
<
/FORM
>
<
/CENTER
>
<
/body
>
<
SCRIPT LANGUAGE = Javascript
>
function ChangeImage()
{
document.form1.IMG1.src =
"
images/woman1.jpg
"
}
<
script/
>
<
/html
>
I get
"
Microsoft Jscript runtime error: Object expected
"
on the line that
says
"
ChangeImage()
"
. I
’
m copying the scripts exactly. This is only one
example of a problem I keep having. Could this be because the people writing
the scripts are running NN and I
’
m running IE? Is it because I
’
m using
FrontPage?
A.The problem with your script is that the ending script tag is incorrect.
Instead of
"
<
script/
>
"
you should have
"
<
/script
>
"
.
In this particular case
have the script at the end of your document is ok, but in most cases you
should place it in the head section of your document.
Good Luck on your
quest to learn new skills.
I have a side menu that is part of the whole page, and was wondering if
there is a way to change the menu with out having to go through each page,
but with out using frames.
A.With out frames your best bet would be a Server Side solution such as
PHP.
To do it with JavaScript would involve some heaving coding in an
external JavaScript that could get rather ugly.
With PHP you could place
the HTML and or JavaScript code in a separate file and then just include it
in every page you want to display it.
[
Check out Goodies To Go #231 at
"
Including Easy Maintenance
"
—
it
includes a soup to nuts answer to your question! -Ed
]
Q.I would like to start a web design company, but I don
’
t want to be tied
down to html editors.
I can manipulate open source websites, such as the
ones found on
www.oswd.orgbut I would
like to be able to open up notepad and go to work designing my own.
I
thought maybe I could get some answers here.
I am not sure what you are looking for. You can certainly use Notepad to
create web pages. You just have to know HTML. You would have to have a
program for images if you are going to edit and/or create images for your
pages. An HTML editor is just a tool to make it easier to code a page. If
you were to type every line of code it would take you a lot longer than if
you used an editor. I
’
m not saying to rely on an editor completely. I have
to edit/tweak my HTML manually all of the time. If you are just starting out
trying to learn HTML you came to the right place. HTMLGoodies.com will get
you well on your way.
I uploaded some files via ftp and everything seemed ok, but when i go to
look at the site I get the old test pages not the new pages. I have several
machines all connecting to the internet via the same adsl router. I have
cleared out the browser cache and history on all the machines, rebooted
them, connected to the website and I
’
m still getting the old pages. But, if
I use www.anonymizer.com I get the
new pages!
A.You mention that you are using an
"
adsl setup
"
. This has been known to
cause caching problems. In the settings for your adsl modem look for the
"
webproxy
"
setting. Make sure that there is NOT a check in the box. If there
is,
"
un-check
"
the box and look at the website again. You may or may not
have to re-boot after making this change.
I help maintain a small site for a non-profit and am pretty much
self-taught (with the help of Goodies!).
I can
’
t figure out how to open a
new window launched from a JavaScript.
It
’
s a small script, coupled with a
form with dropdown links. Like
"
choose the issue of the newsletter.
"
After
selecting the issue, the PDF launches, but I want it to launch in a new
window. I
’
d like to do the same with the top navigation on the page, so all
PDFs open in a new window.
Every time I try to incorporate /target = _blank
or
"
resource window
"
,
it doesn
’
t work like in HTML. (Code provided)
A.One of the problems you were having is that you were trying to use the
target property with a drop down.
That will not work.
I have modified your
code and was able to get it to work.
Here is is:
<
html
>
<
head
>
<
title
>
Drop Down New Window
<
/title
>
<
script language=
"
JavaScript
"
>
function LinkUp(frmobj)
{
if(document.DropDown.DDlinks.selectedIndex!=0)
{
loc=document.DropDown.DDlinks.options
[
document.DropDown.DDlinks.selectedIndex
]
.value
NewWin=window.open(loc,
"
win1
"
,config=
"
width=400,height=500
"
)
}
}
<
/script
>
<
/head
>
<
body
>
<
form name=
"
DropDown
"
>
<
select name=
"
DDlinks
"
>
<
option value=
"
"
>
Select One
<
/option
>
<
option value=
"
http://www.wheatlandsalem.org/newsletters/May03.pdf
"
>
May
2003
<
/option
>
<
option value=
"
http://www.wheatlandsalem.org/newsletters/Apr03.pdf
"
>
April
2003
<
/option
>
<
option value=
"
http://www.wheatlandsalem.org/newsletters/Feb03.pdf
"
>
February 2003
<
/option
>
<
/select
>
<
input type=
"
BUTTON
"
value=
"
View
"
onClick=
"
LinkUp()
"
>
<
/form
>
<
/body
>
<
/html
>
You will notice that in the window.open statement in the JavaScript function
I set the width and height of the window.
You can also set other properties
such as wether to allow the status bar to display, the location bar, etc.
I
believe if you search the HTML Goodies web site there is a tutorial on
opening new windows.
Finally I also came up with an alternative that does
not use a button to activate the script that opens the selection in a new
window.
<
html
>
<
head
>
<
title
>
Drop Down New Window
<
/title
>
<
script language=
"
JavaScript
"
>
function LinkUp(selopt)
{
if(selopt!=
"
"
) // if variable is not empty then open window
{
NewWin=window.open(selopt,
"
win1
"
,config=
"
width=400,height=500
"
)
}
}
<
/script
>
<
/head
>
<
body
>
<
FORM NAME=
"
DropDown
"
>
<
SELECT NAME=
"
DDlinks
"
onChange=
"
LinkUp(this.options
[
this.selectedIndex
]
.value)
"
>
<
option value=
"
"
>
Select One
<
/option
>
<
option VALUE=
"
http://www.wheatlandsalem.org/newsletters/May03.pdf
"
>
May
2003
<
/option
>
<
option VALUE=
"
http://www.wheatlandsalem.org/newsletters/Apr03.pdf
"
>
April
2003
<
/option
>
<
option VALUE=
"
http://www.wheatlandsalem.org/newsletters/Feb03.pdf
"
>
February 2003
<
/option
>
<
/SELECT
>
<
/FORM
>
<
/body
>
<
/html
>
The above example uses the onChange event in the select tag to perform the
function LinkUp() when a selection is made.
It also passes along the value
of
the option that was selected to the function.
The term
"
this
"
refers to the
formelement and its properties such as the elements name, type, etc.
***********************************
Have you seen the discussion forums on the HTML Goodies website?
It
’
s a
great place to get help from others who, just like you, are developing web
pages.
Many different topics appear in the forum, and a new one will appear
if you create it!
Here
’
s a sample of recent topics:
Why can
’
t I create a directory by asp.net ?:
Prevent Multiple logins with same LoginID:
‘
open new window
’
works on IE but not Firefox? help please :):
Next, Previous and Jump:
Form Checking Help:
***********************************
Cyber Security Group Flunks Washington[
December 13, 2005
]
CSIA faults White House and Congress for failing to
adequately protect nation
’
s digital infrastructure.
Read the article:
[
December 13, 2005
]
The ISP buys a nationwide CLEC as it expands its
platform beyond the consumer base and into the business world.
Read the article:
[
December 13, 2005
]
The company snaps up another online photo service.
Read the article:
[
December 13, 2005
]
‘
Young Turks
’
is among a wave of original television
programming finding a place on the Internet.
Read the article:
[
December 13, 2005
]
The CEO identifies markets that the company hopes to
command and frankly assesses corporate shortcomings.
Read the article:
[
December 13, 2005
]
The company
’
s free software upgrade features an improved
browser and Web navigation.
Read the article:
[
December 12, 2005
]
Yes, but the question of who will pay is still
unanswered.
Read the article:
[
December 12, 2005
]
After six months of speculation, the companies partner
to bring blogging to Yahoo.
Read the article:
[
December 12, 2005
]
The storage software market tallied $2.1 billion in the
quarter, buoyed by key markets.
Read the article:
[
December 12, 2005
]
New testing service will let companies try out apps in a
parallel IT universe.
Read the article:
***********************************
Did you ever wish your newsletter was an easy two way communications
medium?
Ploof! It now is!
If you would like to comment on the newsletter or expand/improve on
something you have seen in here, you can now send your input to:
mailto:nlfeedback@htmlgoodies.com
We already receive a lot of email every day.
This address helps us sort out
those relating specifically to this newsletter from all the rest.
When you
send email to this address it may wind up being included in this section of
the newsletter, to be shared with your fellow readers.
Please don
’
t send
your questions to this address.
They should be sent to our mentors: see
Thanks for all your feedback!
***********************************
Examining ASP.NET 2.0’s Membership, Roles, and Profile – Part 1In this article series we will be examining the ins and outs of ASP.NET
2.0
’
s membership, roles, and pofile systems and the various security Web
controls. This particular article will examine the basics of membership with
a look at configuring and using the built-in SqlMembershipProvider. As we
will see, this particular provider stores user account information in a
pre-defined database schema. Read on to learn more!
Hot on the heels of last week
’
s Checkbox sample, this week, we
’
re covering
the checkbox
’
s closest relative: the radio button. This sample code
illustrates a number of different ways to use both the HTML radio input type
and the RadioButton control from ASP.NET.
The first step to developing great applications using .NET Framework Version
2.0 is to get it installed and start exploring the many resources available
in the Software Development Kit (SDK). This article will walk you through
the steps involved and will hopefully relieve some of the anxiety involved
for those of you who are new to the world of .NET.
***********************************
1989Leona Helmsley Sentenced to Jail
Known as the
"
Queen of Mean
"
for the terrible way she treated employees and
vendors and the way she looked down on anybody less wealthy than herself,
Leona Helmsley was sentences to four years in prison, 750 hours of community
service and ordered to pay a $7.1 million for tax fraud.
She became
particularly disliked by the public after quipping
"
only the little people
pay taxes.
"
Among her tax offences, she had written off personal furniture
as a business expense, and had the empty boxes from hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of purchases shipped from New York to Connecticut to avoid the
sales taxes.
In his public reprimand, Federal Judge John Walker said
"
"
Your
conduct was the product of naked greed
[
and
]
the arrogant belief that you
were above the law.
"
Today was also the day that in:
1577Sir Francis Drake set sail from
England on a three year trip around the world;
1642Dutch navigator
Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand;
1774400 attack Fort William and
Mary in New Hampshire, starting the American Revolution;
1843Charles
Dickens
’
"
A Christmas Carol
"
was first published;
1903Italo Marcioni
of New Jersey received a patent for the ice cream cone;
1903the
Wright Brothers achieve the first successful flight, at Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina;
1920the League of nations established the International
Court of Justice in The Hague;
1938Los Angeles froze with a
temperature of 28F;
1951Future British PM Margaret Roberts Thatcher
married Denis Thatcher;
1969Arlo Guthrie released
"
Alice
’
s
Restaurant
"
;
1975with Richard Prior hosting, Saturday Night Live
used a time delay for the first time;
1978the first US coin to honor
a woman, the
"
Susan B Anthony
"
dollar was released;
1983Martha Layne
Collins was inaugurated as Kentucky
’
s first female Governor;
1993was
the deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza
—
they didn
’
t;
US Federal Court voted that cable companies in the US must carry
local stations;
Born today were: in
1818first lady Mary Todd Lincoln;
1819composer Edwin George Monk;
1835composer (Little Town of Bethlehem)
Bishop Phillip Brooks;
1900actor Norman Foster;
1903guitarist Carlos Montoya;
1906soldier/explorer/conservationist
Laurens jan van der Post;
1910actress Lillian Roth;
1914actor Samuel
"
Larry
"
K Parks;
1920actor Dick van Dyke;
1929actor Christopher Plummer;
1930actress Genevieve Page; 1948 musician
Ted Nugent;
1948actress Kathy Garver;
1950actress Wendie
Malick;
1951English actor Robert Lindsay;
1967comedian Jamie
Foxx;
1973actress Christie Clark;
The original home of HTML tutorials. HTMLGoodies is a website dedicated to publishing tutorials that cover every aspect of being a web developer. We cover programming and web development tutorials on languages and technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. In addition, our articles cover web frameworks like Angular and React.JS, as well as popular Content Management Systems (CMS) that include WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. Website development platforms like Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix are also featured. Topics related to solid web design and Internet Marketing also find a home on HTMLGoodies, as we discuss UX/UI Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and web dev best practices.
Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved
Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.
