While the WrodPress system is Opensource and Platform Independent, many of the internal functionalities require a greater understanding of the Operating Systems they may reside on, the php settings that prevent/allow certain actions and last (definitely not the least) file/folder permissions on your Web server’s directories.

Windows and Unix based systems have a fundamental difference in how it handles the file permissions on a directory. Linux systems (derived from unix based) are pretty simple – Read Write and eXecute (rwx) permissions on the 3 basic groups – Owner, Group and Everyone. the 3 digits in the permissions – say 755 – means that System has rwx permission (7 – the first digit), Group and All have rx permissions (5 – Read/Execute).

Windows has always been a mess – a solid structure built with a rotten base. However, as most of us humans are infected by the Windows Gangrene, it’s useful to review the system of user permissions there.

If you are using a Plesk control panel (you will have different levels of access dependent on your Admin unless you are configuring a Dedicated Server), you have to go into the File Manager in Presk, click the ‘lock’ icon to get to the permissions – then click the Advanced button.

In windows (Plesk) there would be TWO entries – one for the Folder’s permission, one for the Files’ permission. There will also be multiple Users dependent on your IIS Server Settings. What you are looking for is the Internet User account – IIS_ or IUSR_ or similar. And don’t forget to ckeck the box for ‘apply to child objects’ check-box.

The Automatic Plugin Upgrades were problematic. un-checking the ‘php safe-mode on’ box to turn safe-mode off makes the ftp upgrade allowable.

Development of a truly worthwhile application arises from needs of an organization and the resources available.

The WBGO Events Calendar (also known as the music calendar) was comprised of a list that the Marketing Manager would update a couple of times a month. It turns out that all he was doing was emailing a list generated by an Access database to the Web person. The actual work was being done by the Events Coordinator.

When I took over the Website and had the Web Server in-house I was working a lot with ASP. So I made a page that connects directly to the Access Database and pulls up the data for the day. I even made a little calendar that lets people look ahead at the events.

After this was done, however, this section was destined to become very popular – as it is one of the only Jazz and Blues listing in the NY/NJ metro area. This meant that the updates to this listing now needed to be consistent and timely. Once a week, I would replace the server database which added the new content to the calendar. While the process was great, it still taxed the Events Coordinator over one entire day to update all the requests that came to her. A more efficient process could not be in place at the time.

Over the years WBGO established a great relationship with NJ.com who even helped WBGO stream online in the beginning. Years after this process was established, I came to know of siLive.com – owned by the same parent company – who was compiling similar lists for a much broader spectrum of events. I was able to establish a relationship and a possible partnership where our Events Coordinator would be the final authority on what goes up in the ‘Jazz and Blues’ listing (WBGO had more listings than silive.com at the time).

The biggest hurdle, by far, was the integration of their data with WBGO.org’s website. I had to learn the use of variables within their custom application, modify the SQL and create custom templates in addition to creating integration components using AJAX and PHP on WBGO.org.

To further enhance the experience, I created a Google Maps integration for the venues and another for listing all the events from a single venue.

A couple of weeks back I was thanked personally by the Events Coordinator for helping free up her time to do the other things that she enjoys doing.

It’s been about a year since this photo was taken. Christen Davidson Jules was not walking yet.

Her alert eyes and feint smiles have now become mischievous eyes and bursts of laughter. She’s growing up with the ambition to know about everything. I’m certain she’ll become a bright young lady.

Now she runs about everywhere, climbs on anything she can find, and when she’s unhappy or something is taken from her, she throws whatever’s in her hands, falls to the floor and throws a tantrum.

My high-school principal Mrs Morshed used to prefer ‘naughty’ kids to ‘good’ ones saying that it’s a sign of a bright future. This one’s future is fully illuminated

For the shadows on the font, I’m using the ‘dropshadow’ jQuery plugin (http://eyebulb.com/dropshadow/index.htm) and the code in the HEAD tag:

$(document).ready(function(){
$("#header h1").dropShadow({left: 1, top:1, blur: 3, opacity:0.35});
$("h4").dropShadow({left: 1, top:1, blur: 3, opacity:0.35});
$(".post-title").dropShadow({left: 3, top:-5, blur: 2, opacity:0.25});
});
So there are three types of tags on this page that are getting shadows:

1. the <h1> tags in the element whose ID is “header” (<div id=”header”> in this case)
2. all the <h4> tags in the document wherever they are
3. all the elements whose CLASS is “post-title” (<tagname class=”post-title”>)

The $(document).ready function makes sure that the entire DOM is loaded before the JavaScript in this function fires up. This prevents the script to try to modify something that may not have been loaded in yet.

This is same reason Google asks you to put their codes ‘right before the tag.’ The entire analytics function can be put in here and will work as expected (maybe my next project?).

Here’s a wonderful introduction to how to interpret color on a computer screen – seeing is not always believing.

Here’s a few lines from it:

Here’s the path that the graphic took to get to you:

1. The image was placed in an html script (web page) that can be read by all Web browsers. This script was sent to the Color Matters’ web server computer in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2. Your Web browser software connected your computer to our server and brought the image into your computer. The colors in this gif image passed through the browser and brought this information into your computer operating system.

3. The colors in the image passed through your operating system hardware. If you have a graphic card or video card it may have joined in to interpret the color.

4. Your monitor took all the information and sent it to your eyes.

In conclusion, remember that different computers do different things, many “systems” have different configurations of all of the above things, and browsers used to view the World Wide Web are part of the overall picture.

Related item to consider may be screen resolutions :

http://www.w3schools.com/sitemap/sitemap_references.asp

Display Resolution

The current trend is that most computers are using a screen size of 1024×768 pixels or more:

• download putty from here: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

To Find the php.ini file on the server

Mastering the VI editor.

after logging on, elevate to ROOT level access by typing this at the prompt:

• su -

It will ask for your Admin password for this.

The most common editor used is the ‘vi’ editor in this text-based system.
To navigate to the folder and edit php.ini fileusing ‘vi,’ use these commands:

• cd /etc (assuming it’s the php.ini is in this folder – see above)
• vi php.ini (opens the VI editor for editing the file)

Simple VI commands

• a to append
• : to user command line
• wq to write and exit on command line
• CTRL C to exit editing

For anyone developing a Website it is a challenge keeping track of the CSS files that drive the visual look and feel.

This article puts the Front-End developer in the right track to developing a strategy for StyleSheet implementation and gives detailed instructions on the reasons behind using multiple CSS files to drive a website.

It was used for several years by several Marketing staff to generate graphically appealing and consistent format for an online companion of the publication Upbeat. Email addresses would be imported/exported from the Membership database (if they have selected the option) to send the newsletter.

The inactive board members’ information is kept in the database for possible future use.

Possible future additions included Board-member access only pages and newsletters.