Coding
I was recently introduced a group of really funky new HTML5 JavaScript methods, which make me seriously think we can avoid having to include the jQuery library in lots of small websites. These methods are querySelectorAll() and querySelector().
In a nutshell, these methods behave exactly the same as the jQuery selector but comes integrated into the browser, meaning you input the CSS selector (e.g. “#myDiv” or “.MyClass”) and out pops the first element in the tree, or a StaticNodeList of the elements (depending on whether you use the All part) .
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted March 18th, 2011
A few days ago I was researching methods of validating alphanumeric strings and I was shown PHPs Ctype Functions by Sebastian Roming.
In a nutshell they are a group of PHP functions why can be used to check strings to see if they are alphanumeric, numeric etc without using regex (So they are fast!). The key thing to remember is that they return TRUE or FALSE, unlike filter_var which returns FALSE or the string.
Here is the code example:
<?php
// Check if input is alphanumeric (letters and numbers)
ctype_alnum('abcdef1234'); // This returns TRUE
ctype_alnum('£%^&ab2'); // This on the otherhand returns FALSE
// check if input is alpha (letters)
ctype_alpha('dssfsdf'); // returns TRUE
ctype_alpha('12345dssfsdf'); // Returns FALSE
// Check if the input is numeric
ctype_digit('1234'); // TRUE
ctype_digit('1as2d34f'); // FALSE
?>
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted March 5th, 2011
Validating an email address is a great way to reduce spam on your website, but there are several methods to do it. You could use a messy regex approach or alternatively you could also use PHP built in functions, it’s really up to you. Here is the function I use:
<?php
function validEmail($email){
// Check the formatting is correct
if(filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) === false){
return FALSE;
}
// Next check the domain is real.
$domain = explode("@", $email, 2);
return checkdnsrr($domain[1]); // returns TRUE/FALSE;
}
// Example
validEmail('real@hotmail.com'); // Returns TRUE
validEmail('fake@fakedomain.com'); // Returns FALSE
?>
Free feel to copy/share.
Posted March 5th, 2011
A few months ago I made a small PHP class which can get the weather based on latitude and longitude. Anyway you can now download it and contribute to it over at Google Code.
Here is a code example of how to get the weather:
$w = new Weather('50.799995', '-1.065545'); // Input the Latitude and Longitude
echo $w->getLocation()->getWeather()->sayHuman();
// Ouput~: Portsmouth, England, PO4 8 | Partly Cloudy 4°C, Humidity: 93%, Wind: N at 8 mph
Enjoy!
Posted February 27th, 2011
The HTML5 canvas is a really neat new feature which allows you to draw shapes. It’s a little unknown of how it will be implemented in the mainstream web, however current forecasts suggests it can create really cool games such as Pirates Love Daisies, applications such as Sketchpad or even a new method of CAPTCHA.
Here is a quick cookbook on how to get started with Canvas where you will learn how to draw basic shapes and colours.
Finding your Feet
The first thing you need to start playing with the canvas tool is a browser which supports canvas. Currently most modern browsers do support canvas (This includes, IE9, Google Chrome and Firefox).
Next, set up the shell of your HTML5 page. To save you time I have made a basic example you can copy.
The important thing to remember about adding the canvas tag to your page is:
- Your page has the html5 doctype, otherwise it might not work.
- You add a width and height, otherwise your graphics may look cropped.
- You add a “Your browser does not support the HTML5 notice” notice in the canvas tag for older browsers.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted February 27th, 2011