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PHP Magic Functions: Best Part of Object Oriented PHP – Part 1

June 23rd, 2011 -

Tags:

Functions, Magic, Object, Oriented

There are some reserved function names in PHP class starting with __ ( double underscore ). These are __construct, __destruct, __isset, __unset, __call, __callStatic, __sleep, __wakeup, __get, __set, __toString, __set_state, __invoke and __clone. You cannot use these functions to serve your logical purpose but these are meant to be used for providing magic functionality.

Lets start with the most familiar ones …

These methods are better known as constructor ( called when object is initialized ) and destructor ( called when object is destroyed or scope of an object vanishes ), well known keywords in Object Oriented Programming. Most of you guys are already familiar with these functions therefore I am not going to discuss them in detail.

There are two ways of calling a class function. First one is with Object Scope and second one is with Static Scope. In former case an object of the class is first instantiated and then a function is called using the -> ( I’m missing its name, any suggestion !!! ) operator while in latter case the function is called using the Scope Resolution Operator( :: ) with class name.

Whenever you try to access a function of your class with object scope which is not defined it throws an error. e. g.

showValue();

This will throw an error on execution:

Fatal error: Call to undefined method myClass::showValue() in .php on line 11

To avoid this you can use magic function __call, this function is called whenever an undefined function of a class is called with object scope. Lets have a look

steve(); $sayHello->adams(); $sayHello->dexter();

The output of the above code will be :

Hello Steve !!!Hello Adams !!!Hello Dexter !!!

Now think what will happen, if we call an undefined function with static scope, this will again throw an error on execution. To handle call to undefined static functions the __callStatic magic function is used.

The output of the above code will be same as it was for the former code :

Hello Steve !!!Hello Adams !!!Hello Dexter !!!

For rest of the magic functions keep visiting my blog and don’t forget to leave feedback about the the post.

Happy coding and keep it as simple as possible.

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11 free online plagiarism checker for your hard work

June 23rd, 2011 -

Tags:

checker, online, plagiarism

Steve is the Founder and Editor-in-chief of Web Developer Juice. He’s web developer with 4 years of experience in CSS, HTML, PHP and javascript. If you’d like to connect with him, point to the contact page and follow him on Twitter: @wdjuice.

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HTML 5′s Almost Forgotten Canvas Element

June 23rd, 2011 -

Tags:

Almost, Canvas, Element, Forgotten

Three of the most talked about elements in HTML 5 are the audio, video, and canvas elements. Much has been written about the audio and video elements, since they are so easily implemented into a web document. However, the canvas element hasn’t experienced the same notoriety as its two counterparts. To correct this oversight, this article discusses the basic information that you need to know in order to use the element. As always when creating new content, make sure not to copy others work, creating the possibility to have a patent lawsuit on your hands. It had happened many times before.

The Canvas Element
Thecanvas element has only one primary function, and that function is to provide a drawing surface for the Canvas Drawing API’s functions, which are also a part of the HTML 5 specification. When the canvas element is used without any default attributes, the element’s default behavior produces a drawing surface dimension of 300 pixels wide and 150 pixels high. To define a drawing surface dimension other than the default, web designers need to define the element’s width and height attribute. Another attribute that may also be defined is the ID attribute. Defining the ID attribute allows for each canvas element in the document to be styled independently using CSS. In addition, the ID attribute also serves another very useful function, which is the subject of the next section.

JavaScript
By itself, the canvas element adds nothing to the document. However, the value of the element becomes apparent when used with the scripting language, JavaScript. For any type of drawing to take place in the canvas element’s defined surface, JavaScript must perform this drawing, which it does by using functions and properties that are specifically designed for drawing. It is also worth noting that, unlike other HTML elements, the canvas element must use a secondary source, JavaScript, for it to be of any value in the HTML document.

The Drawing Context
As previously mentioned, the canvas element only provides a drawing platform for the drawing API. The drawing itself takes place on an object called a drawing context. This object is obtained by using the JavaScript’s getContext method. The word context, in this context, refers to the type of rendering that is allowed to take place. At present, the only object context that is allowed is the 2D context. Future implementations of the canvas element may allow 3D context to take place, such as with OpenGL ES.

To acquire the context of a particular canvas element, the element must call the getContext method. For example, a canvas with an ID of foo can be called using document.getElementByID(foo).getContext(2D) function call. The getContext method must also include the ’2D’ argument in the function. Furthermore, the return value of this function call can be stored in a variable. This variable can be used to call the other functions used with the drawing API. For instance, a variable with the name of bar can be used to call the fillStyle or fillRect function. The implementation of this example is shown below.

var bar = document.getElementByID(foo).getContext (2D);bar.fillRect(10,10,100,100);

It should be apparent by now that to comfortably be able to use the canvas element, web developers need to have more than a passing familiarity with JavaScript. And since the canvas object is based upon using a coordinate space, they also need to be comfortable using X and Y coordinates. Plus, since manipulation of the drawing elements requires that developers know more than just how to add and subtract, they also need to be comfortable using some basic algebra. Yes, I went there. Sorry.

Types of Drawings
JavaScript comes with many types of drawing functions that can be used with the canvas element. To do these functions justice, each function would need an article devoted to it. However, to give you a taste of what the functions have to offer, the following lists the types of drawing the functions perform, along with the functions that perform the drawing.

Rectangles: fillRect(), strokeRect(), clearRect()Paths: beginPath(),closePath(), stroke(), fill()Arcs: arc()Bezier curves: quadraticCurveTo(), bezierCurveTo()Images: drawImage()Gradients: createLinearGradient(), createRadialGradient()

To recap, the basic information that you need to know when it comes to using the canvas element is that, by itself, the canvas element adds no functionality to a web document. In addition, in order to draw within the element’s defined space, web developers need to use JavaScript functions. As long as they keep this in mind, learning how to use the element should be much simpler.

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An Insight Into JQuery Library

June 23rd, 2011 -

Tags:

Insight, JQuery, Library

jQuery can be defined as a cross-browser library that is made to ease HTML scripting from client-side. Making it easier and faster to build JavaScript web applications and webpages, jQuery allows web programmers to write single line of codes instead of 10-20 JavaScript code lines. With jQuery, writing a JavaScript code can be an absolute fun. It reduces the total time consumed by taking the most common and repetitive tasks while clearing out the extraneous markup to make them short and easily understandable.

jQuery can be used to develop extraordinary web 2.0 applications. By keeping the JavaScript code succinct and clear for programmers, jQuery library has overpowered JavaScript by providing exclusive functionality and features.

It is a freely available, open-source software that ensures easy navigation of a document, selecting Document Object Model, evolving pleasing animations, developing Ajax applications and handling events. Most of the web developers today make use of this Javascript library as it provides capability to developers pertaining to the evolvement of plug-in over JavaScript library. With intelligent features it provides, web developers are facilitated with animation and lower-level abstractions,theme-based widgets and many advanced effects. This further ensures development of powerful, static web pages.

In addition, jQuery allows web developers to search and manipulate HTML elements efficiently with minimum possible coding. The support is provided with the help of a ‘selector’ application programing interface that gives developers an opportunity to make HTML element related queries and further applying commands.

Another most intriguing jQuery command attribute is their ability to be hooked together. Such a thing allows feeding of one command into the other. jQuery also encompasses an already installed animation APIs set that can be brought to use as commands.

DOM functions of element selectionDOM modification and traversalCSS manipulations Events handlingAjaxAnimations and other effectsFlexibilityJavascript Plug-insUtilities

jQuery as we discussed is used for writing JavaScript applications without much difficulty and thus integrating captivating animated effects when compared to those developed in Flash. Besides this, jQuery can help web programmers in:

Addition of fading, sliding and expanding or contracting effects to elementsAllows Javascript to gather additional data from Web server without there being any need of reloading the pageNew content can be added, removed or rearranged over web page in just few lines of codeHelps in building animated slideshows and lightboxesAllows creation of multi-level dropdown animated menusAllows development of dragging and dropping interfaces.

Author Profile:

Maneet Puri is the Managing Director of a leading Indian website design company in Delhi, LeXolutionIT Services. Empowered with a team of experienced website designers in India, the company assures to provide comprehensive and affordable web solutions to clients internationally. Join him on LinkedIn

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Infographics: A great way to communicate

June 23rd, 2011 -

13 Comments

Tags:

communicate, great, Infographics

The need to present complex information in an easy to understand yet effective manner is always felt because only then readers feel interested to go through the content. It is quite obvious that nobody likes to read dull and ill structured information. Duly addressing this issue and providing an apt means, Infographics (Information graphics) have proved to be of much help and are increasingly used for communicating messages, simplifying the complex data, making information concise and other purposes.

The underlying principle behind the creation and use of Infographics is to blend information and graphic elements to create a visually appealing and self explanatory content. Another thing that an information graphic tries to achieve is break the complexity and present something which is quick to grasp by the readers. There are some useful considerations which are as follows.

Simplicity as an approach to explain things is considered best for it enables the readers to comprehend the various aspects quickly. So designing Infographics keeping them simple and straight forward is a good practice. It is important to use the right combination of text and graphics.

Information graphics is meant to convey easily comprehensible information. It is therefore essential to define the scope of information to be covered. Setting the limit helps in putting the required information in an effective way that not only addresses their interests but also retains their attention for long. On the other hand, if there is a lot of content, it will lead to clutter and may repel them from reading.

The capacity of colors to attract and highlight the important sections cannot be sidelined. They can be used to attract the viewers and thus play a crucial role in Infographics. However, colors must be chosen depending upon the subject and the target audience.

It is a highly efficient thing to do as it increases the quality of Infographics. 7Cs of communication stand for 7 common but very useful principles:
Correctness – Ensure that there are no grammatical and spelling mistakes. At the same time ensure the accuracy of facts and figures used.
Completeness – The message conveyed should be complete and must answer the readers’ queries.
Conciseness - Keep information short and apt for easy comprehension.
Clarity - It pertains to the purpose which must be made clear to the reader. There is no use of presenting information that makes reader guess about what he/she is reading.
Creativity - This helps in lending novelty to Infographics and can be done by using various styles, formats, graphics and other design elements.
Courtesy - This is applied in the style of writing to elicit the desired response. However, it depends on the type of Infographic. Quantitative Infographics may not require this principle but a product Infographic does.
Consideration – Always write bearing in mind the target readers of the Infographics. Consider their queries, needs, emotions and goals.

As readers feel attracted to read something which appeals to their eyes, it is important to load the Infographics with visually attractive elements such as charts, diagrams, symbols, shapes, etc. Use them in conjunction with text to create high visual appeal to catch readers’ attention.

It is to be made certain that the design of the Infographic is relevant to the topic it covers or the type it belongs to. Relevance of the design is an important consideration otherwise the readers may not find it interesting.

Infographics also need to present information upon which readers can rely. For this it makes sense to mention the sources of information which they can verify. It also helps them reach the right conclusion as they can check the information on their own. Maintaining transparency helps in building trust of the readers.
This was a brief guide on increasing the effectiveness of Infographics. We hope it helped our readers and look forward to their suggestions.

Written By: Mark Harvey, web developer working with XhtmlJunction, a popular web development company offering services like PSD to HTML, PSD to Magento, PSD to Drupal, PSD to WordPress and few more. PSD to HTML now at $39/8 hours. You can connect us on Facebook

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25 more Stunning Pricing Pages Design Not To be Missed

June 22nd, 2011 -

Tags:

Design, Missed, Pages, Pricing, Stunning

In previous post I have posted 25 pricing pages. Here are 25 more pages not be missed.

This post has been shared by PixelCrayons, a well known web design agency.

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How to Deploy an Ajax Application Safely and Easily

June 22nd, 2011 -

Tags:

Application, Deploy, Easily, Safely

AJAX, which is an acronym that stands for Asynchronous Javascript Technology and XML, is a collection of different technologies combined to produce a more user friendly web experience for web visitors. The technologies include javascript, XML and cascading style sheets (CSS) as well as XML HTTP Requests, the Document Object Model (DOM) and XSLT. Because AJAX is a combination of existing technoligies it is relatively easy to learn to use AJAX to develop richly interactive websites. But there is also a need for security awareness in using AJAX since it may combine the inherent weaknesses of the technologies utilized if the coder doesn’t follow best practices for each of the applicable technologies in use.

AJAX itself is not inherently more or less secure than the sum of its parts as long as care is taken to follow best practices and to write secure code.

What are some basic things web developers can do to ensure the security of an AJAX enabled application?

One issue with AJAX applications is that they may be bandwidth and resource hungry because the combination of technologies used in AJAX get their power from resource consumption. For this reason any web application that will be AJAX powered needs to be served from the best hosting possible. Use reliable hosting on beefy up to date hardware configured for high loads. Running AJAX applications on an old server located on an internet side street will result in frustrated visitors and slow load times.

In many cases a dedicated server on the best hosting is the best choice since then the application won’t be sharing resources with other websites the way it would on shared hosting.

Look for a reliable host with a great reputation, great security, and great uptime as well as generous hardware and bandwidth. Some hosting companies specialize in AJAX hosting.

Choosing a great AJAX enabled web host will ensure that you can deploy your AJAX enabled websites and applications easily and safely.

Even if you’ve chosen the best and most secure web hosting in the world if you design your AJAX application with a bunch of gaping security holes no amount of compensation by your host will save you from a serious hacking.

There’s a great tutorial written by Shreeraj Shah entitled “Top 10 Ajax Security Holes and Driving Factors” which is a must-read if you are writing AJAX applications. Following the recommendations within that tutorial will help to ensure that your application avoids the most common security mistakes.

If you follow those recommendations, you’ll find that the best practices for AJAX are very similar to the best practices for the security of any web scripting language.

What are the most vital aspects of security in writing Ajax?

- Authentication
- Authorization
- Access Control
- Input Validation

All four of these aspects need attention within your AJAX application but the most important is Input Validation which is the easiest entry point for untrusted sources and the most likely spot where a hacker will try to gain entrance to your application.

When you develop web applications the use of a test server will allow you to deploy your application so that you can fully test whether it works before launching on the production server. Anything that goes wrong will do no harm to anything live. Some hosts offer test servers but setting up an in house test server is relatively easy to do. Once you’ve started testing your application modifications and security provisions can be thoroughly put through their paces to ensure that everything is in fine working order prior to deployment on the production server.

It is critical that all elements of your application be tested prior to deployment. And the most important test is a self-hack test. The best ways to find out your applications vulnerabilities is by hacking the application when it is running on the test server. Some common self hacking tests look for cross site scripting and sql injection vulnerabilities and run a security audit of all forms on the website.

The one essential test that you should run to ensure your application’s heartiness is a load test. This should be performed both on the test server, and again on the production server. You should notify your host prior to deploying a load test as a courtesy, and it’s best to do it at a normally low load time.

If you’ve followed all security best practices, tested your application thoroughly, and chosen your web hosting with hardware and bandwidth needs in mind then you’ll find that AJAX offers a secure, friendly and interactive user experience for your web visitors.

Article contributed by Vanessa. You can visit Webhosting search to read more articles written by her, about web designing, web development, hosting plans and blogging.

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5 top evergreen drupal themes for your website

June 22nd, 2011 -

Tags:

drupal, evergreen, themes, website

The word Drupal originated from Dutch word which means tiny drop of water. Drupal is a content management system that was created by Dries Buytaert in 2001. It was released under GNU/GPL with hundred of contributors who worked continuously to improve it from that very point. Drupal has been programmed in PHP and it have covered a long journey till now, it’s almost a decade old CMS now with around million of users across the world, some of the most elite and high profile websites run on Drupal. That’s the power of Drupal.
CMS have actually taken away the burden of site construction and management away from developers, it also provide a hassle free maintenance experience for end users. Most prominent feature in entire website is its outlook or interface that is visible to users. Thousands of themes are available for Drupal that allows any one to create high end websites.
Some things remain evergreen they become iconic; we are providing you with list of top five evergreen Drupal themes.

Absynthe

Acquia Marina

Decayed

Retromania

Pluralism

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How To Protect Your WordPress Blog From Getting Hacked

June 22nd, 2011 -

Tags:

Getting, Hacked, Protect, WordPress

Setting up your blog is pretty straightforward. First, you need a domain and WordPress-friendly web hosting. If you’re not sure which host to sign up for, try to find a WordPress hosting review online. Once you have the hosting solution set, install WordPress, which can be pretty simple if your host utilizes a tool like Fantastico that allows you to install your blog in a few, short steps. This is something to look into when browsing for web hosting providers.

Once your WordPress blog is out on the internet, it is already at the risk of getting hacked. If you’re new to web hosting, WordPress, and web security, you’re probably hoping for a one-stop source or book with all the information you need. Unfortunately, with the internet and its constant updates, it really isn’t possible to write a book like this. You basically have to learn things as you go along while keeping up with recent web security news. However, there are some basic steps you can take to ensure the security of your WordPress blog. It is crucial to take the necessary precautions.

Rather than remedying the problem after the fact, which is much harder, it’s better to focus on preventing issues before they occur. That’s why you need to prepare for the worst. Redundancy is highly critical as you need up-to-date backups of your WordPress install and database in case of a terrible hack attack. Without such backups, your hard work on this site could possibly go to waste and disappear in a short amount of time. You wouldn’t want that to happen, right?

There are WordPress plugins available for doing this easily for you. It’s just a matter of searching for plugins through your install or the official WordPress website. Refer to reviews to pick the right backup solution for you, as there are many available. WordPress hosting providers also offer such tools for you as well. There are even backup solutions that handle these tasks in real-time, but that can be considered overkill even if you can find solutions like this. Regular daily, or even weekly, backup schedules should be enough for your needs.

In case of an attack on the security of your WordPress blog, it’s just a matter of reverting to the previous version of your database or website installation as preserved by your backup solution. This is why redundancy is critical in website security.

Once you get accustomed to regular backups, the following steps should be taken to make your blog as hacker resistant as possible. These steps should also streamline and organize the whole process for you:

1. Basic security best practices.

There are several simple steps that most webmasters tend to forget about or tend to take for granted. For example, you should keep your WordPress install up-to-date. Whenever a new WordPress installation update is released, you should update your plugins as well. Why? There usually are updates for plugins to ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress update. A constant update of administrator and user passwords is also a required best practice, in addition to making sure you sign out of your account if you logged in on a public computer. Anyone can access your account and wreck havoc on your site if you’re not careful.

2. Secure access.

Grant account permissions and set rules for various accounts properly. You can limit access to the administrator directory of your WordPress install using something like an IP restriction. However, be careful not to block your own IP address and prevent yourself from accessing your own site. Also, you can set particular files as read-only and make them accessible by only administrators and specific users.

3. Make your web server as bullet proof as possible.

The majority of hacks that occur from WordPress blogs result from holes within the web servers of those blogs. Thus, it is a must to strengthen your web server in order to fill in these hackable holes.

4. Ensure that WordPress plugins are secure.

A combination of WordPress plugins or any individual plugin can case vulnerabilities in your blog. As said before, keep your WordPress install and plugins updated to ensure compatibility and safety.

5. Use WP Security Scanner.

Use this tool as your final check as it is easily one of the best out there for finding vulnerabilities within your WordPress install. Download it and run a report to see any current holes in your blog’s installation so you can prevent any future attacks.

You can’t limit yourself to these 5 steps, but these are the mandatory measures to secure your WordPress blog.

This article is written by Vanessa. She writes for blog hosting guide WHS and has written more such related articles covering different blogging aspects including wordpress web hosting as well.

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