CSS: table-layout:fixed keeps Netscape 7 in line
Netscape 7 was squashing some table cells down, ignoring widths I had specified in the css.
The code for the table:
Category: Web Building
Java console on Mac
It’s not obvious when using Safari on the Mac how to get the Java console to start up. Go to Applications/Utilities/Java/Java 1.x/x Plugin Settings and turn it on there. Then it will show up whenever
Continue readingPreventing Printing on web pages
A tip I picked up from various sites, including This One Very useful for preventing printing of Perception quizzes, when you cannot use Questionmark’s secure browser. Stick this in the template for the quiz: HTML_HEADER=
Continue readingGoogle vs. AskJeeves
A 1-round search battle
I recently read that AskJeeves (now “ask.com”) would be making some changes to try to reclaim some market share from Google. I hadn’t used that site in a while, so I decided to test it against Google. I came up with one of those questions that rattle around in my head:
How do they train oil tanker captains?
Ask.com Results (click to enlarge)
Increasing System font size in Tiger
I got a new 30″ Cinema display, and the high resolution setting is wonderful for working, but the system fonts are too small in some cases for my tired eyes. Here’s how to increase their
Continue readingPart 3. Step by Step guide to using Fireworks to create Popup Menus
Editing Popup Menu Properties
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Now click back on Original to continue. The green web layer will reappear.
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Select your button by clicking on the green area. This will make the handles display, as well as the little register mark in the middle.
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Part 4. Step by Step guide to using Fireworks to create Popup Menus
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Create the navbar
Select your button, then duplicate it by selecting Duplicate or Clone from the Edit menu.
Part 2. Step by Step guide to using Fireworks to create Popup Menus
Make the rectangle into a functioning button
- To designate the rectangle as a button, so that it will react when your mouse rolls over it or clicks on it, it needs to be converted to a button symbol. Fireworks button symbols have some functions built in, making it very easy to create the behaviors you want.
With the rectangle still selected (the blue handles showing), select “Convert to Symbol” from the Modify menu.
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Part 1. Step by Step guide to using Fireworks to create Popup Menus
Many people don’t realize that a tool they already own, Macromedia’s Fireworks, is one of the best for creating buttons, navbars, and especially popup hierarchical menus. Try the steps below to see how easy it is to create customized menus.
Note: this tutorial is geared for beginning web developers, with very little knowledge of HTML.
Before we start, I’ll put in my plea for restraint when using popup menus. As handy as they are, I’ve seen them overused and misused.When incorporating these menus into your design, keep them brief and closely related to the button topic they are associated with so that your users can EASILY guess what might be under each topic. If you find yourself making huge lists of popup menus with many submenus, consider reorganizing your navigation scheme. Flatten it so that it is more easily scanned, either as a whole, or in sections. Perhaps use a site map, or table of contents at the start of each section of your site.
Continue readingMaking OS X more usable for seniors
In helping my father set up his new iMac, I found it necessary to modify many settings to make it easier for him to use the computer.
Although he has a strong interest in digital photography, and an active email communication with his friends, he’s always found computers to be a challenge. After years of struggling with a Windows-based laptop, he finally purchased an iMac, and it was quite a revelation. Tasks he had always wanted to be able to do now became possible. However, the OS X interface still needed adjustments to make it comfortable for him to use.
As we grow older, we become farsighted, motor coordination diminishes, and it is more difficult to learn completely new concepts. If you have never used a computer before, the metaphors we take for granted will make no sense. Icons, folders, desktops, windows all seem like byzantine concepts with no relation to the task at hand , and the entire language associated with them must be learned from scratch.
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