REGEX (Regular Expressions) had always been something that looked alien and seemingly impossible to learn with all the different rules. Like what the hell does this mean –
^\(*\d{3}\)*( |-)*\d{3}( |-)*\d{4}$
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Category Archives: New Developers
Datepicker and Usability on a Mobile Device
I’m currently working on redesigning a website for a hair salon in Atlanta Georgia by using WordPress, Bootstrap, SASS, jQuery, etc. The site currently is not responsive and it is looking very dated and I am working to bring it into the 21st century.
One of the things that too many web developers forget about while developing is usability and UI/UX TESTING. Oh – they make sure their code works, but often times forget about whether it provides a good user experience. I on the other hand, am CONSTANTLY TESTING the UI/UX design. As I make changes I test it on various browsers and ON ACTUAL PHONES. One thing I have seen developers ignore is the testing on the actual phones.Continue reading
Eclipse + Aptana Suite Plugin
Well for years I’ve used Dreamweaver, not only to design sites, but also to write PHP code. Â Well with doing Zend Framework and OOP Â and getting serious with PHP, Dreamweaver just doesn’t cut it as a code editor anymore. Â Dreamweaver is great at doing webdesign, which is what it’s primary function is and I will continue to use it for that, but for PHP coding, I will now be using Eclipse with the Aptana Plugin.
One thing I was very impressed with was Eclipse’s complete melding with the PHP language, and the code I am developing. Â It is a great way to learn about various PHP functions and interestingly enough – the Zend Framework since I am now working with that.Continue reading
Errors are a GOOD Thing When Learning a Programming Language
This may sound counter productive, but encountering errors when learning a language is a good thing. Â It helps you to understand how the language works and how to debug the code. Â All code has errors, whether it is syntax or logical. Â Logical errors are usually the hardest to find because the program is still working, it’s just not doing what it should be doing. Â It could be as simple as something like setting a database column to Tiny Int, but then trying to store a Integer size value in there. Â It will store the value, it just won’t be the value you started out with. You may not even know something is wrong until you go to view the value and you notice that it is obviously incorrect.
Syntax errors however are generally mistypes. Â An upper case letter in a class name, versus a lower case letter, missing semi-colon, undeclared class, etc. All of a sudden the system is complaining that it can’t find a class and you have to figure out why. Â Even though in general syntax errors should be easier to find, especially if you develop in a module format, constantly testing the modules as you go along, it can be very difficult when just learning.Continue reading
Getting Multiple Computer Books to Learn a Programming Language
I’m not sure how everyone else learns a new programming language, but I will share my years of knowledge with anyone who is wanting to get into computer programming.
As you can see from reading the posts, although I haven’t posted in a while, is that I am currently trying to conquer Zend Framework and AJAX, using JQuery, DOJO, Prototype, YUI or other toolkit. I find I have to immerse myself in the language, reading the chapters ahead, highlighting, doing the samples, trying to apply it to my own project. The more resources I have, the better.Continue reading