Anonimista

"Keeping spec work alive with a $50 carrot"
 
 
Sorry, couldn't resist.

You should read my post I've made in a related topic yesterday: http://www.webdesignerforum.co.uk/topic/72599-php-or-aspnet/?p=456044

You're approaching this wrong. You're trying to memorise the PHP syntax/language, and that's not going to happen. Even if you did learn 1000 PHP functions off by heart, the fact that you're memorising them tells me that you don't understand the fundamentals of why they exist. You need to understand the concepts behind Object Oriented Programming (OOP), and that will lead into a knowledge base that will lend itself to you picking up languages in a matter of minutes/hours.

I've built some fairly large, successful web applications using PHP, and I sure as hell don't know all the PHP functions I used. I use the PHP docs every few minutes when coding, to remind myself of syntax, or even find new functions/methods.

I've also built Android applications (Java/XML), large Javascript apps, and dabbled with ASP.net. The reason I can just pick up these languages is because I have a fundamental understanding of OOP, albeit fairly basic, and I got that through researching theory and applying concepts to small Java examples at University.

You seem to be concerned about 'functions', which concerns me as that word tends to refer to the procedural programming style. Most high-level languages you will use these days are object-oriented, meaning you have objects and methods, as opposed to just a mass of functions.

I hope that above helps you to take a step back and see the bigger picture. You need to learn to program; you don't need to memorise PHP.

Getting sacked off by one client despite having 2 websites in a top 3 ranking for a 3600 keyword and multiple websites in related locations but then the day after, being contracted to rank their competitor which now sits above them all hahahahahahahaha

Best place to start is by learning the fundamentals of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). From there, the language becomes irrelevant - Java, PHP, C++, etc., etc..
 
Once you've grasped fundamental concepts and principals of OOP, the PHP documentation should become your main source of wisdom.

Hi All,
 
I wanted to shared my stupidity incase it was of any use to anyone else.
 
I created a site using HTML and CSS.
 
It worked brilliantly. I also needed to create a secure area for the same site. It used the same appearance as the main site but had sensitive content on it so needed to be secure. I initially decided to use .htaccess but then it became apparent it wasn't secure enough even with an SSL as there was no timeout function for the htaccess. With the help of this forum I was convinced into creating a PHP login system so I could also have a logout feature sor the session.
 
It took me a while and assistance from a friend as I had never worked with PHP but got there in the end. It just so happened that at the same time as setting up the PHP pages I also installed the SSL certificate. When I went to the HTTPS secure side of the site it told me there was mixed content which could be insecure so therefore seemed to strip out some to text styles. I thought it was referring to the php/HTML mix so started looking at how to parse HTML through PHP.
 
While tinkering I realised that the font I used on the page was a google font and appeared on the page like this:
<link href="http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Abel" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
 
At that point I had a brainwave, add an S to the HTTP so it now looked like this:
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Abel" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
 
It worked a treat. The page now appears the same on the public side as it does in the secure side.
 
I made the mistake of over thinking it and wanted to share the point that it may be simpler than you think at times. I haven't been doing web design for long so this may appear obvious but it wasn't to me so wanted to share it.
 
Happy Days.

Here is a possibly related article:
 
Why can't we have column alias in ORDER BY?
 
I don't know why the query works against one database but not the other, maybe different compatibility level, but I can't test it right now.

why hate the marquee tag???? http://cdhost.co.uk/my_sites/marquee.php

I believe it is like this (only starting with WordPress):
 
- Register the sidebar in your functions.php:
 
 

if(function_exists('register_sidebar')){ register_sidebar();}
 
- in sidebar.php check if any widgets are added to the sidebar and if not display the static sidebar (dynamic_sidebar() displays the widgets):
 
 

<?php if(!function_exists('dynamic_sidebar') || !dynamic_sidebar()) : ?> <li> <h2>Static sidebar...</h2> </li> <?php endif; ?>
 
- include the sidebar in index.php:
 
 

<div> <?php get_sidebar(); ?> </div>
 
Like here:
 
See How Easy It Is To Widgetize WordPress Themes

Off the top of my head, you'd need to check if get_permalink($prev_post) or get_permalink($next_post) returns anything, if so display it, if not run an extra query limited to one post, ordered by either ASC or DESC (depending whether you need the first or the last post) - probably best to array_merge those two args with the existing wp_query object so the same function works everywhere - then retrieve the permalink of that post and format it the same as the built in prev/next.

Hi,
 
Got stuck again on another slight wordpress issue.
 
So I have links at the bottom of each post pointing to the next/previous posts. It works but not exactly how I want it, here's an example:
 
Post A
Post B
Post C
Post D
 
Let's say I'm on post D. The previous link should point to C, and it does. The Next post I want to point to A (back to the beginning) but instead it just points to D (the page we're on).
 
I'm sure it's possible and probably simple, I can't seem to find help on Google though
 
Here's my code:

<?php $prev_post = get_adjacent_post( true, '', true ); $next_post = get_adjacent_post( true, '', false ); $prev_post_id = $prev_post->ID; $next_post_id = $next_post->ID; ?> <a href="<?php echo get_permalink($prev_post); ?>" class="prev-footer-item"> <a href="<?php echo get_permalink($next_post); ?>" class="next-footer-item">
 
Would love a little help!
 
Cheers,
~evu.

I echo pretty much all of the points made above except for the one about Times New Roman. Just because it's the default font doesn't mean it's bad. A font alone is neither good nor bad; it's how you use it that counts.
 
Which leads me to my first point: typography. Yours needs a lot of work. Your choice of font sizes seems somewhat arbitrary, and the contrast on some of it is very eye-wrenching. As a rule, light text on a dark background is much harder to read than dark text on a light background, so for the sake of readability, I would suggest that this is your first change. Also do some reading up on typography here: http://webtypography.net/
 
Second point is alignment. While on the one hand you seem to have grasped the importance of a solid left margin, your site either has no grid, or is very poorly considered in this regard. If you don't know about using a grid to design a page, then here's a good place to start http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/five-simple-steps-to-designing-grid-systems-part-1
 
Hierarchy would be my 3rd point. Your site is lacking a clear visual structure. Look at other websites - there's a reason why they utilise colour and contrast to mark out the important areas such as header, navigation, sidebar and footer. It's to make it easier to look at, and see what you're looking for. Your site is really lacking in this regard, and the text effects on the nav labels really aren't working at all.
 
My 4th point would be content. You've obviously put a little thought into the words and images on your site, but in my opinion you need to redouble your efforts and change your perspective if you want to attract clients.
 
For example, your carousel headings are quite good "need help with social networking?" "is your business on the map?". Questions are good because they draw the reader in, and get them to read on. "Welcome to MB Freelance Website Designer" is not only a waste of a heading, but it sounds clumsy and workmanlike. The rest of your home page content suffers from a similar affliction. It reads like it was written for a school assignment.
 
Here's what you need to do: learn and apply the "so what" test.
 
When writing web copy, you should always write from your reader's point of view. People are shallow and predictable; they don't want to read about you - they don't care. They want to read about themselves. Sound harsh? But it's true. You do it too when you visit a website. It's just part of being human.
 
Every line you write, you should read as though you were a prospective client. Read it, and ask yourself "so what?" If what you've written doesn't convey some benefit to your prospect, or some reason to carry on reading, you should scrap it and write something else. Write exactly how you speak (minus the swearing, probably) - if you can't read your copy out loud without sounding like a bit of a tit, you need to rewrite it.
 
When you've written a page of compelling, interesting and appropriate copy, you need a call to action. This is the part that makes your hard work writing the copy pay off. It's no use saying "I can make a website that will pay for itself in 7 days" if you're unable to cash in on it. So you need to get the user clicking. A button is statistically the best way to invite a click - high contrast, as large as you can get away with - but the text is the most important part. "click here to take advantage of this limited availability offer" "discover how our websites help business find new customers" etc. You get the idea.
 
One final observation: lilac? You might want to reconsider the colour scheme too.
 
Best of luck with your site

I think you mean that you want the current page link highlighted in the menu. Have a look at
http://www.wickham43.net/highlighthome.php
Item 1 is simple but not recommended as you cannot use that method with a PHP "include" file.
Items 2, 3 and 4 are better.

Definitely don't do this. If you don't have a lot of content, rethink your site to adapt to that. Never create content just to fill space. A website is merely a holder for your information. The content available to you should control the design, not the other way around.
 
In short, make a website for your content. Don't make content for your website.
 
 
I'd suggest that this would be a last resort for a slow site, and perhaps some attention could be paid to optimising the images etc rather than simply 'getting a new server'.

Mike, RD beat you this time!
 
I agree with others about the flash, its slow, and not appealing to the end user. Also you really shouldn't use images for heading titles (home page) where possible.
 
Another thing is generally speaking people will look for contact numbers either in the header or footer, where your contact number is now is not the best place, and i imagine a nice appealing call to action would work much better there.
 
Good luck
 
 
My old man always taught me "if you cant say anything nice, or useful - dont say anything at all".

I'd recommend using excerpts instead of full posts on the homepage as probably the easiest and best solution. Makes it easier for users to scan the homepage and find a post that interests them, sidesteps the duplicate content issue and allows you to manually write your excerpts the same way you would meta descriptions, to improve clickthrough.

I disagree with that. Just because you might use a template doesn't mean you can't design something. You've just chosen not to for that project and for whatever reasons.

I use a page, as that's what it's for. You get far more insights into visits etc, much better idea to ditch the extra account and use a page.
Yes, i do accept friend requests from other developers/designers. The whole point in Social Networking is to 'Network'. If you ignore other designers you're removing yourself from a vast ecosystem that will help you build your business in the long run.
 
Make sure to keep an eye though to make sure they're not using your page to advertise their own services. Discussion, however, should be encouraged.

Firstly, that's a violation of Facebook's TOS. Use a Page.
 
Secondly, why would we give you advice on here? We're your competition.

Indeed. For the benefit of others, his error would have been down to a missing closing bracket on this line:
 

if (isset($_POST['username'] && isset($_POST['password']))
 
Should be:
 

if (isset($_POST['username']) && isset($_POST['password']))

Right away I want to apologise for the what is going to probably be quite a long post. I want to get as much of the idea/plan/thoughts down as possible so you can give me your proper opinions on it. I hope the length doesn't put anyone off but if you can't be bothered to read it just read the quote below;
 
 

 
---------------------------------
-- The idea/The Ethos/The Intention --
----------------------------------
 
The problem
The current crop of job board/outsourcing websites just.. suck. There really isn't any other way to say it. In my experience their main goal seems to be to churn through massive quantities of jobs, taking their cut along the way, rather than trying to create an environment that is conducive to good quality, legitimate work. Instead they artificially bump people to prominence based on things that bear no relation to their skill or commitment, like how easily you open your wallet.
 
Clients who post work have to base their decision on essentially 2 pieces of information. The ratings left by previous clients through the site and the bid amount. This causes a vicious downward spiral however. It incentivises bidding professionals to game the system, to low-ball and undercut just to get as many bids accepted as possible which they can then complete to a bare minimum standard that would get them positive ratings, increasing their chances of getting more bids accepted ultimately squeezing out what I would consider the good professionals. The professionals who clients might actually want to work with don't get a look in because they either maintain a higher standard or can't drop to the kind of insulting rates you see on these sites.
 
The goal
To create a site that very subtly encourages good behaviour from both the client and the professionals. To create a site where you can bid on a job knowing that although you might not get it you are competing on a level playing field with everyone else. To create a site where clients feel they can place a job and no matter who they choose can be reasonably certain they will be working with a legitimate professional who will deliver quality work and won't suddenly vanish or forget how to type after payment is received.
 
So what will tender.li do differently to make this happen?
I don't think any one thing is the killer feature. It's much more subtle than that. It's about nurturing a community with a certain shared set of ideals who encourages each other to raise their game. A community that thinks professionalism and ethics are important, who think doing the best job they can for their clients is more important than just getting the job done and moving on.
 
Firstly, there has to be some kind of fair metric by which to judge or rank professionals. Although client reviews are good for things like customer service they aren't so good at properly rating your proficiency with PHP. So you mix in their average bidding price, you mix in elements of peer review, of moderation and other secret sauce. If done right you should come up with something approaching a fair representation of that professional in relation to others.
 
Secondly, you moderate. It's a tricky line to walk and many of the digital industries being creative in nature, therefor subjective, you run the very real risk of being accused of removing good professionals simply because you don't agree with their style. Unfortunately there is really nothing much that can be done about this. To maintain the good environment the bad eggs have to be removed, there has be at least some element of elitism otherwise you get a free for all and we are back to square one.
 
Thirdly, you listen and you act on what the community has to say. You build features they might actually want to use, you encourage behaviour that benefits them and you incentivise doing good.
 
So what features have you got that make this happen?
1.) There is no pay-to-get-ahead feature. You don't get a bigger profile, put to the top of the list or any features at-all for opening your wallet. Every single person is treated exactly the same, has access to the same opportunities and the same data. It's down to you to convince the client you are better than everyone else. The same is true for clients, you make your pitch and it's shown to everyone. That's it. Nice and simple, nice and fair.
 
2.) There is no 'escrow' system. It's not a monetary middle man, it doesn't take a cut. It's your business, it's your contract. It simply facilitates the introduction and initial agreement of two parties. After that it's all on you, it becomes just a normal client/professional relationship and you have them sign your contracts, go on your books etc. Then when it's done you both come back and tell us how it went.
 
3.) There is a site wide automatic flagging of 'bad' behaviour. I won't go into too much detail, because that would make it less effective.. but things are flagged up and queued for moderators to check if they don't meet certain standards, standards that will be constantly evolving with community feedback and expectations. Flagged content still appears, it doesn't get hidden or anything.. it just points a mod towards it to have a look.
 
4.) Optional Detail Verification. Again to encourage a certain level of legitimacy you can have your profile details checked by a moderator. If they are satisfied you are being truthful you get 'verified' status. This effectively locks your account, in that any changes made to your profile after then removes the verification.
 
 
----------------
-- The Progress --
----------------
 
That's the general overarching idea, why I'm making this and how I plan to make something you might actually want to use dealt with. So let's move on to actually defining where I am in this process, what's not finished, what I'd like you to do etc.
 
Right now I would consider it in alpha. There are 3 fundamental functions that have to be in and working for the site to have any kind of purpose and being able to put it into a beta you guys can play with. I'd say I am roughly about 40% of the way there right now.
 

User system (90% complete - Only lacks changing of password & deleting account)
Tender system (40% complete)
Discussion/Messaging system (0% complete)

 
I have a very long list of other features but those 3 things are core to to the functionality of site.
 
----------------------------
-- What I would like you to do --
----------------------------
 
1.) If you like the concept and want to register your interest then head to tender.li and give me your email address. This help me properly see how many people are at least intrigued.
 
2.) Follow the twitter account @tenderdotli
 
3.) Ask me questions
 
4.) Suggest features
 
5.) Tell me what you don't like about current freelance/job board sites
 
5.) Give me your thoughts of the following specific things that I'm not entirely certain on.
 
First, a metric to rank users based on lots of useful criteria. I'm pretty positive this is a good idea to be used internally, a way to give some kind of indication to moderators what users aren't providing the standard we want to upkeep. However part of me is interested in the idea of making it public. The problem I see for a lot of freelancers is one of reputation, there is no real way to prove it..so why can't tender.li serve as a kind of defacto professional standards body? Why not let people embed their 'tender.li score' on their own websites as a way to show that they are approved of by people who know about that sort of thing.
 
The two drawbacks I have come with for this idea is that A) It would encourage people to game it rather than just accepting it as a passive reflection of their actions and B it hinges on both being able to produce a metric that is legitimately fair. C) it artificially punishes people who don't use the site at-all (but shouldn't punish less active users if it's done right and takes that into consideration).
 
 
Secondly. Moderators. They'll have access to much more information than regular professionals but they will probably be professionals themselves, competing for tenders. Would you prefer this was out in the open (Professionals who moderate are flagged as such and their actions made public) or would you prefer separate moderator accounts who's actions are still made public but perhaps you wouldn't know if they have professional accounts on the site too?
 
 
..... That's me done, I think. Oh damn it did turn out pretty long. Sorry

Honestly, I'd like to see them stop being made. There are way too many already and every new incarnation just adds useless fluff. Facebook before opening to non-school users was all I ever would need.

When you use Option Explicit in your code
 
" you must explicitly declare all variables using the Dim, Private, Public, or ReDim statements. If you attempt to use an undeclared variable name, an error occurs." (see here) (more information here)
 
In the first part of your script you use Option Explicit and the variables are declared immediately after the statement:
 

Option Explicit dim sName, sEmail, sMessage dim oCdoMail, oCdoConf, sConfURL
 
You have to do the same in the second part of your script - declare every variable that appears it that part before you use it. You received the error for the mainpageID because it is the first var used without being declared. So, for example:
 

Dim mainpageID, Con, sqlstring, RS ' etc for all your variables mainpageID = TRIM( "7" ) Set Con = Server.CreateObject( "ADODB.Connection" ) ...
 
Alternatively, you could delete the Option Explicit statement at the beginning of your script, but I believe it's considered bad practice because you could misspell the variable name in one or more locations, which causes unexpected results when the script is run.

Hello Sp00kie,
 
I saw you use this variable in the "from" part of your mail function: $_from.
This variable is not set, its undefined.
For every variable you make a new one with a bit of text included, but you forget the $_from.
I think thats the reason it falls back to "postmaster@r-m-t.org.uk".
 
Also, you don't use addslashes() or other functions to escape the variables properly.
For security reason I recommend you to fix that. ( google "MySQL injection" )

This.
 
Also, Access is not a good option for a database running a website. Theoretically it only supports 255 concurrent connections, in practice you're asking for trouble with more than a few dozen. Either bite the bullet and punt for a MSSQL licence if you want an end-to-end Microsoft stack, or use MySQL.

You use Option Explicit in your first script, try declaring your variables in the second part (Dim ...)