CrySineWave » Programming

Apache and php to test your site locally

matt — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:50:20 +0000

Before you upload tons of images and files to the web, you should consider using a http server (or daemon) to fine tune it locally.

When you go back and forth, editing your css and php, then uploading the files over and over again your spending time uploading your files that could be spend on design. To get around this takes only a few minutes, it’s a simple as downloading and installing.

First thing you’ll need is an http server, I recommend apache. It’s free and handles very well. You can find apache at http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi

If you use php your going to need to download and install that as well. You can find php at php.net. (if your using apache as your web server, you must install it before you install php)

After the installation open the directory (folder) where apache was installed. You should see the folder ‘htdocs’. That’s where you’ll put your homepage and the rest of your website. When you want to see what it looks like open your browser and goto http://localhost (this will load the index.html or index.php file in the ‘htdocs’ directory.

Now you can edit your files on your computer before uploading them to your webhost.
This will save you a lot of time.

Startup Manager

matt — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:41:41 +0000

Here’s a simple startup manager for anyone trying to stop a program from running when their computer starts up.

In early development, it’s a pretty simple and straightforward program that allows the user to add and remove startup programs from the registry. There is also a feature allow the user to backup and restore that portion of the registry. It wont remove new entries when restoring backed up startup values, but it will restore starup values that were changed and values that were removed since the time of the backup.

Download Startup Manager

The Batch File (win32)

matt — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:58 +0000

Ancient and archaic, yet ever so simply useful. The batch file. With a virtually non-existent learning curve, these simple to write scripts can be a valuable for programmers most skill levels. If your lost, batch files (usually) end with the ‘.bat’ or ‘.cmd’ extension on Microsoft systems. They can handle the same commands you would enter in the command prompt (cmd.exe – 32bit; command.exe – 16bit). You can copy files, move them, add/delete reg key (CAREFUL!), search for strings in files. All the stuff to make an installer for that program you made!

md %TEMP%\thingy
COPY c:\thingy\*.* %TEMP%\thingy\
cd %temp%\thingy
START go.exe
REM This file will md the directory(folder) ‘thingy’ in the
REM system’s temp folder. Then Copy files to it and start ‘go.exe’

Really, there usefulness may lie in the simplicity in which they’re run, and the ease of writing one… oh, and they can, of course, call other batch files and run executables.

while your still interested… check it out! http://ss64.com/nt/

You really should check out autoexecuting zips and and winrar if your looking for easy ways to package your applications for easy installation.

Tweeaks.com

matt — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:24:33 +0000

Tweeaks, a site for web designers.
Tons of resources, tutorials, with an active online community.

Tweeaks Design

Tweeaks has daily posts, and an active online community of artists and web designer. If your not sure where to look for tutorials or resources you should definity check out this site.

Sprite Based Game Development

matt — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 09:06:39 +0000

If your looking for the right platform to make sprite based games (without having to have a degree in computer science) ‘Verge’ may be the engine for you.

Verge

It’s geared to sprite based game development (similar to games for SNES and Sega Genesis), specifically RPG’s, but can be used to create pretty much any type of game you would have seen in that era. There is some programming involved but the website has all the information you’ll need to get started.

Verge Engine

Example Game: Sully Chronicles

Shuffling Letters in PHP and How We Read

matt — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:52:20 +0000

Today a tribute to the PHP function str_shuffle( ) !

I could give tribute to PHP all day long, so I decided to address one function at a time. This function will take a string and and jumble all the letters in it. So the output of:
$newstring = str_shuffle( "Hello Whats Up?" ); echo $newstring;
Would be something like:
os?U tpalHe lhsW

This function can be used with the substr( ) function to do a variety of cool things (ie. generate random passwords, or account confirmation links).
See Other used for this function at php.net

Outside the topic of the everyday conventional uses of this function; I ran across an interesting post on php.net – Which I thought was very cool.

jojersztajner at OXYGEN dot POLAND
16-Jun-2007 10:27

Aoccdrnig to rseearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is that the frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.
Read jojersztajner post at php.net