Carey Dayrit

Computer Platform: Windows XP SP 2

This is a short review about my editor, which is Rapid PHP by Blumentals Software. First of all my background. I have been developing websites since 2001, my editor of choice was Allaire's Homesite which have been acquired by Macromedia then Adobe. All the past 7 years been using it and was accustomed to it's features. Also there's a free CSS editor come's with it which is TopStyle. My recent problem with Homesite is it has not been updated thru the years, there isnt much development after Nick Bradbury left Allaire. I also have tried Dreamweaver but I found it much more applicable for HTML/XHTML codes only, well I need a code explorer for php and javascript.

I have tried many editors to replace my beloved Homesite, there's a list at the PHUGPH forum about the recent editors most PHP programmer would use. On the list which I havent tried is the Zend Studio. I cannot compare much of it to Rapid PHP except for the bloated price of Zend Studio.

The first attracted me to Rapid PHP is the loading time, it is very slick and smooth. Well most of the time of maintaining my clients site are only small edits. I woud not wait beyond 60 seconds loading an editor just to replace a small typo. Comparibly load faster than Homesite.

The interface was very convenient not too complicated, I quick started coding rather than spending time guessing toolbar icons. The syntax highlighting was very easy to modify. Code explorer was very helpful in coding classes and editing/analyzing php scripts which are written by others. There is a php function hint, well most of the time I always look at the php online manual regarding php built-in functions, in this editor I can skip that process also the php manual can be integrated once the manual has been downloaded in CHM format. Also on the menu under PHP, server variables can be inserted into the code. It is very quick indeed.

Another thing Rapid PHP is also a HTML, Javascript and a CSS editor, if you are accustomed using table's in a web layout shifting to div's is not very complicated. The code can be previewed horizontally and vertically and the preview can be done in IE and Firefox. Doing AJAX sites is a breeze because there's a javascript autocomplete.

The nice features prompted me to purchase Rapid PHP, up until now I didnt regret that I have done so and very grateful that I have discovered this nice software. There's a special discount offer $49.85 if you would purchase it now. Hurry Karlis the owner might change his mind, once you purchase there is unconditional 30-day Money-Back Guarantee, Instant Delivery via download, Secure Order Form with SSL encryption and Free Updates. Free Updates is not just a sales pitch, you will understand why when you order.

The Philippine National Bank has been once owned and managed by the government, I have a payroll saving's account which the University of the Philippines used as their means for financial transactions. Last year as it has been owned entirely and transfered to Lucio Tan Group and has been considered as a private bank, there's has been an existing rule that private banks cannot serve government offices. So the payroll has been transfered to Land Bank of the Phlippines but I keep my account there because I used it to deposit some of my international checks there.

Back then in PNB, It would took 45 banking days to clear an international check as promised by their tellers and helpdesk officers. On January 31, 2008 I deposited an international check and ask again to confirm how many days would the check would be cleared and the amount would be transferred to my account. The teller said "It would took 45 banking days to be in your account as it is our standard policy". I am expecting it by mid April 2008, to my surprise when I check my account today on their online banking facility it was cleared . LIARS, LOL.

I appreciate now their new system and used them in withdrawing funds from paypal. Again thanks PNB UP Diliman branch for the nice support.

I want to congratulate my office mate, Nelly for completing the course at UP Information Technology Training Center. Her course was Basic Web Development the course range from Basic HTML, Advance HTML, CSS and Javascript. Though she doesnt have any prior experience in web technologies, she was a complete newbie, but she completed it as the top of the class.

Having her work validated thru compliant standard code and render on different browsers, that has been a plus on her work. You can see her first work at http://doxiepet.freehostia.com/ . Not too fancy design isnt it but her teacher emphasizes more grades on the code besides it's web development not web design principle course. By the way her teacher is Regnard Raquedan.

Again congrats Ate Nelly.

Four days to go before one of my domains expired, if i wont get a paypal by this weekend, I think I need to go to my bank and deposit money to my EON account.

I just finished the report on average class size per unit, I first submitted it last week though there are some problems on my report pointed out by my supervisor. The average class size is verified thru the number of students per unit. Thus a given subject cannot be greater than the number of students enrolled on a particular unit. I dont have time to write a script for it so I verified it manually. After this I would update the academic management system which has MS Access as frontend and MS SQL Server 2003 as the backend data.

On my freelance time, as usual been swamped by work and the daily routine is back to 2 hours of sleep at night, I do sleep during lunch breaks. I have 4 sites to work on, the task range from PSD slicing, CSS coding, integrating javascript, script maintenance and script debug. I do have a recent request to update AWS3 to AWS4.

Been very busy coding sites in CSS, my favorite document type is xhtml transitional, i don't do much strict these days because some of sites am working on have flash objects which don't validate well. It's very hard to do code which would render on the 3 major browsers, Firefox, IE and Safari. Like in Firefox you are crap shooting in rounding some property values, in IE some default margin is implemented and in Safari once it encountered a property which it does not supported all the css definitions are ignored.

Example in Safari:

 
/* CSS Code */
.wrap_center{
margin:auto;
display:inline-block;
}
 

The margin would not set in auto since the value of the property display : inline-block; is not supported.

It's been a very busy weekend as I am debugging my authentication class in php, during my breaks I find time to relax improving my photoshop skills. I found out that there are two ways to extract a photo image using photoshop. One method is to use the Filter->Extract tool and the other method is to use path. I find the path method more precise and clean. Here is a sample image that I've practiced using the path tool.

Before:

After:

Also updated Caju's pic on my header.

Once in a while a visit Scriptlance.com, I have an account there also if I want to know the trend web master's ask. If I have free time, I bid on interesting projects. Today there's a job post which I got interested, a webmaster before he would hire a coder he needs to pass this task:

1) Using absolute position center #container and set the width to 800px

2) Add a border 15px color #ececec around #container

3) Construct horizontal tabs from the #nav

4) Capitalize the first letter of the first word of each paragraph in #main

5) position the h1 Logo 15px from the top margin 15px from the left margin. Set it's size to 18px. Set the padding to 5px, the back ground color to black and the font color to white.

Here's the link to the original file:orig_test1.html

Here's the solution:

 
/* CSS Code */
 
#container{
/* position:absolute; */
  left:0;
  right:0;
  margin-left: auto;
  margin-right: auto;
  width:800px;
  border:15px #ececec solid;
}
 
#nav{
padding: 3px 0;
margin-left: 0;
margin-bottom: 0;
margin-top: 0.1em;
font: bold 12px Verdana;
border-bottom: 1px solid gray;
}
 
#nav li{
list-style: none;
display: inline;
margin: 0;
}
 
#nav a{
  text-decoration: none;
padding: 3px 0.5em;
margin-right: 3px;
border: 1px solid #778;
border-bottom: none;
background: white;
}
 
#nav li a:link, #tablist li a:visited{
color: navy;
}
 
#nav li a:hover{
color: black;
background: lightyellow;
border-color: navy;
}
 
#nav li a.current{
background: lightyellow;
}
 
#main{
  text-transform:capitalize;
}
 
#logo{
  margin-top:15px;
  margin-left:15px;
  font-size:18px;
  padding:5px;
  background-color:black;
  color:white;
}
 

An interesting read, written by Dr. Paul Dobransky

"This Tortoise is such a dull, heavy creature!" said the Hare.

“Not really dull, but he’s heavy for sure,” said the Rat.

“And you, Rat,” said the Hare, ”Not so heavy, but just as dull. You are worse than either of us. Nothing but average. Average weight, and average smarts.”

Butting in, the Tortoise said, “Just because the Rat is average doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of great things. It is up to him to decide to do great things, just like one as heavy as me.”

“I completely disagree,” said the Hare. “You are what you are. We can’t change who we are. I, for example, am speedy, and you both are sluggishly slow.”

"We’ll see," said the Tortoise, "I'll run with you both for a wager." Then he looked at them all. "Done," said the Hare, and they asked the Fox to be the judge.

As the Tortoise, the Hare, and the Rat talked about the details of the race, the start and finish-lines, and strategy at their contest, a crowd of Rats began to gather around to see what all the fuss was about. (And to have something to gawk at while loitering.)

When the starting gun finally fired, the Tortoise began a steady jog, even as the Hare scampered far, far ahead.

But the Rat simply stopped a few steps from the starting line when he saw the amazing speed with which the Hare hopped along. “What’s the use?” he said, ”I can beat the Tortoise, but never would I catch that Hare! I have better things to do, like digging through garbage-cans. There is the easier prize, one I can taste—a nice, leftover piece of meat or bread.”

Now, meanwhile, the Hare laid himself down midway in the course, and took a nap. "No worries," he said, "I can catch up with the Tortoise when I please." But it seems he overslept himself, for when he came to wake, though he scuttled away as fast as possible, the Tortoise had slogged along to the post before him and won the wager.

The crowd of Rats was left scratching their heads as to why the race had gone that way. Dejected, they scampered away again to their Rat-lives, back to the old “Rat Race” with their heads hanging low. Their representative had not even made the effort. He did not decide to even try at racing. And the same is true for Humans. Slow and Steady wins the race, but never entering the race is a sure way to lose.

If you want to quit the Rat Race, you will have to join the Human Race. You will have to try. You will have to put yourself to the test. You will have to decide your fate rather than letting the world make decisions about YOU.

Check out his book