The MySQL Roadmap – What's Planned?

MySQL is old news ...or is it? In this fast-paced expose, Blane looks at where MySQL is now, and what's planned in Versions 4.1 and 5 - including the exciting developments of MySQL Cluster and Stored Procedures!

Warrene, Blane. SitePoint (2004). Articles>Information Design>Databases>Open Source

Painless JavaScript Using Prototype

Prototype is an object oriented JavaScript library (written by Sam Stephenson and friends) that makes JavaScript fun. So it says on the site, anyway. Those of you who are familiar with the open source community's latest and greatest application framework, Rails, may recognise Prototype as it actually forms the backbone of Rails' JavaScript helper. However, Prototype can be used independently of Rails to aid the coding of many JavaScript doodads and Web 2.0 thingy wangles.

Webb, Dan. SitePoint (2006). Design>Web Design>DHTML>JavaScript

Pervasive Usability - Planning For an Uncertain Future

Usability is a phenomenon that has dramatically changed the way the products, including Websites, are designed and manufactured.

Kheterpal, Suneet. SitePoint (2003). Design>Web Design>Usability

Re-Write a Layer's Content with Javascript

One of the most common tasks Web developers face every day is to change the content of a Web page, without additional requests to the Web server. The easiest way to accomplish this assignment is through the use of layers.

Todorov, Peter. SitePoint (2003). Design>Web Design>DHTML>Ajax

Read and Display Server-Side XML with JavaScript

XML is a very important base on which Web Services work, and, in conjunction with a number of client- and server-side languages, can be put to good effect. Let's see how we can use XML and client side JavaScript to display the contents of a XML file, access child elements, manipulate elements, and more!

Pillai, Premshree. SitePoint (2003). Design>Web Design>Interaction Design>Ajax

Rotate Regular HTML Content Via DHTML

One of the great pitfalls of using client side techniques, such as JavaScript, to display content on demand is the prerequisite that everything be contained in variables. This makes adding and updating the content very cumbersome.

Chiang, George. SitePoint (2004). Articles>Web Design>Information Design>DHTML

Rough Guide to the Document Object Model (DOM)

In two parts, this series introduces the Document Object Model, explaining its benefits, and exploring its implementation.

Icarus. SitePoint (2003). Design>Web Design>CSS>DHTML

Script Smarter: Quality JavaScript from Scratch

JavaScript is an amazingly useful language that offers many unique benefits. With a little consideration for how scripted functionality degrades, you can use JavaScript to bring a whole range of functional, design and usability improvements to your web sites.

Edwards, James and Cameron Adams. SitePoint (2006). Design>Web Design>DHTML

Seven Steps to Usable Forms

Follow these seven steps to make your forms - and your users - happy.

Reichley, Keith. SitePoint (2002). Design>Web Design>Forms>Usability

Simple Tricks for More Usable Forms

Web developers loathe the task of building forms almost as much as users loathe having to fill them in. These are both unfortunate facts of the Web, but some smart JavaScript and intelligent CSS can go a long way to remedying the situation. In this article, I'll introduce a number of simple tricks for improving the usability of forms, and hopefully inspire you to improve on them and create your own.

Willison, Simon. SitePoint (2004). Design>Web Design>Forms>Usability

Storing Hierarchical Data in a Database

Whether you want to build your own forum, publish the messages from a mailing list on your Website, or write your own CMS: there will be a moment that you'll want to store hierarchical data in a database. And, unless you're using a XML-like database, tables aren't hierarchical; they're just a flat list. You'll have to find a way to translate the hierarchy in a flat file.

Van Tulder, Gijs. SitePoint (2004). Design>Web Design>Information Design>Databases

Synchronize MySQL Data Using SQLyog Job Agent

As MySQL developers, we are often required to keep two databases in complete sync with one another.

Chand, Karam. SitePoint (2004). Design>Information Design>Databases>SQL

Take Command with AJAX

Want to get a bang out of your AJAX artillery? In this hands-on tutorial, Stoyan puts AJAX on the front line as he develops a Web app with which you can execute shell commands on your Web server. The downloadable code provides a real tactical advantage as Stoyan marshals JavaScript and XML to create the app.

Stefanov, Stoyan. SitePoint (2005). Design>Web Design>Programming>Ajax

Top Seven Usability Blunders Of The Big Players

I'm an avid surfer, and have been for several years. However, after all this time, I'm still astonished to see the same old usability blunders repeated in large, brand new sites. Though the use of technology may have changed, the issues with user interface and functionality design persist.

Randour, Philippe. SitePoint (2003). Design>Web Design>Usability

Usability and Accessibility with AJAX

The Ajax express train rumbles on, threatening to crush anything in its path. Recent discussion has turned to those critical elements of good web development, usability and accessibility. Accessibility is a major issue with Ajax, mainly because anything that relies on JavaScript to function is inaccessible pretty much by default. There are two solutions: either provide a fall-back system where the site remains useful without its Ajax enhancements, or provide a whole separate interface that works without scripting.

Willison, Simon. SitePoint (2005). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Ajax

Usability On The Cheap

Today's corporate firms focus increasingly on their online presence. However, not many understand the long-term implications of not testing their site's usability before it goes online, and in a recessionary era like the one just past, frequently usability is all too easily forgotten. Often no funds are allocated to conduct usability testing, even though it's a key component of any online or interactive project. In an ideal world, a Website should be evaluated for usability from the point of a new concept's inception, to the final execution and upload.

Kheterpal, Suneet. SitePoint (2002). Articles>Usability>Methods

Well-Behaved DHTML: A Case Study

It’s no secret that over the last few years DHTML has been used almost exclusively for evil purposes. Users associate the technology with intrusive advertisements and error-prone pages, while developers associate it with browser detection and hideous hacks.

Boodman, Aaron. SitePoint (2003). Design>Web Design>Interaction Design>DHTML

XHTML Web Design for Beginners

Explores exactly what XHTML is, and how you can use it to start producing the next generation of Web pages.

Peck, Nigel. SitePoint (2003). Design>Web Design>Standards>XHTML