Coffee and Code

Scriptaculous is an uber-cool set of javascript libraries geared toward rich, interactive user interface design. It's built on top of Prototype, another fantastic javascript framework,  and delivers a ton of easy-to-use, cross-browser effects, transitions, and other user interface tools.

I don't know why it took me so long to get into scriptaculous... maybe it's the do-it-yourself punker in me that avoids such conveniences (But why rewrite all of that code, when scriptaculous is well-written, robust, and free??) At any rate, I finally downloaded the libraries a few days ago while out searching for a good drag 'n drop script. Now, I feel like kicking my own ass for not downloading scriptaculous sooner!

The scriptaculous website has many usage examples, but I thought it was a little difficult to find specific usage examples; there were a couple of instances where I resorted to viewing the source code on the demo pages. All that aside, in many cases you can enable the scriptacular fanciness with one line of javascript (such as registering a draggable element on a page):

Not bad! And here's a quickie function that toggles between SlideUp and SlideDown:

function doSlide(id)
{
    var elem = document.getElementById(id);
    if (elem.style.display == "none")
        new Effect.SlideDown(id);
    else
        new Effect.SlideUp(id);
}

Script.aculo.us is, in my humble opinion, a worthwhile addition to any web developer or designer's arsenal.

This last week I attended IIS 6.0 training (MS 2576A) that was offered by Interface Technical Training out of Phoenix, AZ. I've gotta say that I wasn't disappointed, even though I've been elbow-deep in IIS 6 for a couple of years now.

The instructor did SUCH a good job of showing how to secure the server and why, that I left the class feeling considerably more paranoid of the threats that are out in the wild, but also more confident in my ability to mitigate the threats.

This was my 3rd course from Interface, and in every case, the instructors exceeded my expectations by a long shot: no bland recitations of the official curriculum or BS responses to specific questions,and the instructors always know their stuff, inside and out. Good show... I would recommend Interface courses to anyone who really wants to get the most out of the coursework. Interface training isn't cheap, but their prices are pretty comparable to other outfits, and the quality of instruction is the best that I've experienced so far. (Need I mention that the training was catered? Kick azzzzz....)