Web Development × Engineering Management × Philosophy (13)
Articles and books on the craft of web development (with a focus on HTML/CSS optimization and maintainability), engineering management, and philosophy.
How to Share Code With Users
If you share HTML/CSS code with users: Make sure that the code is valid and that ideally, it works with both HTML and XHTML. Focusing on valid code—a step towards quality code—should be obvious. “Invalidating” other people’s sites isn’t nice…
#75 · · development, quality
Asking for Your Feedback
I’d like to ask for 15 seconds (meaning exactly 15 seconds) of your precious time for a short survey related to this website, to learn about your perspective.
#74 · · misc
To Be Clear (on Conditional Comments and Resets)
My articles on Conditional Comments and “reset” style sheets belong to the most popular articles on the respective topics not just on this site, but apparently on the Web. Now, it looks like I could still clarify my standpoint.
#73 · · development, html, css
Best Practices for ID and Class Names
I’m working on another article for German Dr. Web mag, this time covering recommendations for IDs and classes, an issue likely as old as the Web itself. Taking a different approach than usual I’m feeling free to publish a “guerrilla sneak preview” in this place.
#72 · · development, css
A Few Words on HTML/CSS Frameworks
Public, or open, or external, HTML/CSS frameworks are rarely a good idea. Why? Because framework developers are outside of your organization and cannot know your needs. This simple fact, the inevitable ignorance of a third party, means that—
#71 · · development, html, css, frameworks, minimalism
Updating a Definition of Art
When I tried to define art, design, and decoration, I described art as: “Art hides. Art has a meaning, and it hides it, on purpose. Art delivers a message, and that message is hidden, on purpose. It is an art to create art. Art is unusable, by definition.” Continued.
Expertise and the Inverted Parabola
I’m not a mathematician!—but it looks like applying one’s experience and expertise results in an inverted parabola when it comes to the amount of work invested. That is, knowledge or its use, respectively, seem to mean that beginners don’t know what to do and thus don’t do much, while experts…
#69 · · misc
Yes, You Can Use HTML 5
You can already use HTML 5: Just use <!DOCTYPE html> as your HTML documents’ document type. This works even though you will not yet benefit from new elements and attributes.
#68 · · development, html
Compared to What?
…is probably one of the most important questions there is. “Compared to what?” is the question that should be answered every time it is about data, be it through charts, in newspapers, on websites, or in conversations. Yet it is rarely asked, rarely answered, and people end up with less or even false information.
#67 · · design
10 Measures for Continuous Website Maintenance
Website maintenance and quality assurance constitute the backbone of high-quality offers of information, and they make the difference between amateur and professional web design.
#66 · · development, quality, optimization
When Validation Becomes Unimportant
Validation becomes unimportant only once you’re ahead of the game. Even then, truly mastering HTML and CSS, it’s best to stick with valid markup and styling. Improving latency might constitute the only exception—if at all.
#65 · · development, html, css, conformance
Thoughts on Email
Email was, is, and will remain the Web’s true killer application, but spam, top-posting, incompetent use of newsletters, and the HTML email problem mean serious challenges.
#64 · · misc
Web Design: 10 Additional Research Findings You Should Know
Following up on last year’s post on web design research, here’s another collection of research findings, this time featuring further reading.
#63 · · design
Optional Tags in HTML 4
For your convenience, here’s a list of all optional tags according to the HTML 4.01 Strict DTD. Omitting these tags allows to save markup and thus file size—if you choose to. I created this list because even nine years after release of the HTML 4 specification…
#62 · · development, html
Ăśber-Semantics
Premasagar Rose recently published a great demonstration of what can be considered “über-semantic” code. I guess we can thank the microformats community here, which carefully avoids to rely on the semantics of HTML elements but…
#61 · · development, html, semantics
Tip: vi Configuration
Long story short: It’s easy to modify the vi editor’s standard configuration. The most useful changes probably relate to encoding (UTF-8) and display of line numbers…
#60 · · development
Less Is Still More
Time and money spent on making things worse is something I find absolutely fascinating. Let me elaborate, beginning with HTML newsletters: Hours are spent writing supposed content, creating and decorating mockups, working around email client limitations…
#59 · · development, maintainability
CSS: Simple Rules for Better Organization and More Efficiency
“Organization is not everything, but without organization, everything is nothing,” one of my teachers used to say. Almost everything benefits from organization, and so does work with CSS—especially when working with many people.
#58 · · development, css, maintainability, performance
Website Optimization Measures, Part IV
Once again, though already covering a few weeks of various improvements, some of which have been implemented in Bremen, others in Zurich, all on some of my sites. Enjoy additional optimization tips, this time touching typography, usability, SEO, and performance.
#57 · · development, design, optimization
The World’s Best HTML Template
…again, exclusively, and as long as HTML 5 is in progress.
#56 · · development, html, minimalism
Why “Reset” Style Sheets Are Bad
Jonathan set the pace, Eric countered, a few people chimed in, and I, having criticized reset and undo style sheet criticism back in January, feel obligated to repeat that reset style sheets are bad: A novice should not use them, an expert would not use them…
#55 · · development, css
CSS Properties Index
A list of all properties in CSSÂ 1, CSSÂ 2, CSSÂ 2.1, and CSSÂ 3, including their initial values.
#54 · · development, css
The 10 Design Theses of Dieter Rams
Moving up industrial design on my agenda and studying the work of German top designer Dieter Rams (who was responsible for the great design of Braun products for about 30 years), I deemed it useful to republish his design theses.
#53 · · design
Website Optimization Measures, Part III
Jens on quality assurance again, this week featuring the link density challenge, updated ping service lists, improved WordPress plugins and security, revised layout grids, font karaoke, and more prominent update information. Hot and spicy.
#52 · · development, optimization
Great CSS Techniques and the Simple Truth Behind Them
There’s a simple recipe to judge CSS techniques: Does the method in question require HTML additions and modifications (beyond introducing IDs or classes)? If yes, the technique likely isn’t elegant and might be inadvisable.
#51 · · development, html, css, maintainability
The Secret of Maintainability
Keep it simple.
#50 · · development, maintainability
The 1,000 Dollar Donation
A few minutes ago, I donated the 1,000 US dollars I offered in the 1,000 Dollar Comment Game. I rounded the 1,000 dollars to 700 euros and transferred the money to “Selbsthilfe für Wohnungslose e.V.”, Hanover.
#49 · · misc
Akismet Plugins Archive
Since no older versions of famous WordPress spam protection plugin Akismet seem to be available anymore, I decided to preserve the collection of Akismet plugins I could get my hands on. Get your API key all excited.
#48 · · misc
“helvetica, arial”, Not “arial, helvetica”
Unless you truly want Arial and not the better Helvetica font, use the order helvetica, arial in your CSS font declarations, not the all-so-common arial, helvetica.
#47 · · development
Website Optimization Measures, Part II
Now that we talked about blog cleanups, structure and element revisions as well as search engine verification in part I, here are some additional suggestions, small options for improvement consisting of .htaccess stuff, SEO, and consistency checks…
#46 · · development, optimization
Website Optimization Measures, Part I
Focus on QA requires occasional website reviews, not necessarily immediate redesigns or relaunches. This week I spent some time analyzing, refactoring, and optimizing my personal sites. I thought to share a few things for inspiration and discussion.
#45 · · development, optimization
CSS: Selector Variables
Complex projects suffer from higher cost of selector changes, and long sequences of simple selectors do impact the understandability and efficiency of style sheets. One solution could be selector variables or “synonyms,” a concept I proposed to the CSS Working Group …
#44 · · development, css
Choke Web Development Framework 1.0
After years of thorough research I may finally present the Choke Web Development Framework 1.0, “Choke” or “CWDF” in short. Choke is an easy-to-use, easy-to-maintain, and future-proof platform for web design and development…
#43 · · development, css, frameworks
Dark Days for Germany
Yesterday, on the historically significant November 9, the German government approved a law that requires telecommunications providers to retain all customer communication data for a period of six months, and allows authorities to gain access to stored communications…
#42 · · misc
3 Great Learning Strategies for Generalists
“Lifelong learning” sounds like some sort of buzzword, but it’s necessary to develop and progress, and awesome to cultivate. Mistakes are great, too, as they are accelerating the learning process, and this needs to be kept in mind…
#41 · · misc
Qualities of Design: It Works and It’s Durable
Attempting to improve my simplified definition of design I’d like to point out another important attribute beside functionality, namely durability (or robustness). This means that a design that works may nonetheless be bad if…
#40 · · design
User Agent Style Sheets: Basics and Samples
CSS manages the default formatting of documents through user agent style sheets, a cornerstone of the cascade. This means that a web browser doesn’t just present a line of text when it’s fed with an HTML document that has no styling information, but…
#39 · · development, css
Cost of Solution vs. Cost of Problem
Problems cost money, and problems require solutions that also cost money. This is known in all industries, but in many cases, there is focus on only one side: What does the solution of the problem cost? This ignores the other side, the cost of the problem.
#38 · · misc
Microformats Would Benefit From a Namespace
Microformats become more and more popular, accelerated by the questionable success of the nofollow microformat. However, those of them that mandate class names cause problems that could be avoided by using a “pseudo-namespace.”
#37 · · development, html, css, maintainability
7 Additional Ways to Focus on Users
Smashing Magazine just published my article on “20 (Alternate) Ways to Focus on Users,” and not only do I like to point to the article, I also like to extend it. A quick bonus level, so to speak.
#36 · · design
The Art of Dancing in 1910 and Narratives of Time and Space
Information design time travel with several photos of Zorn’s ancient “Grammar of the Art of Dancing.” Featuring craftsmanship, small multiples, and, surprise, “narratives of time and space.”
Are You a Web Designer or a Web Decorator?
This has bothered me for for a long time. The topic popped up when I thought about art and design, and it had to be covered when Roger asked whether we were designers or developers—
#34 · · design, usability, development
The 1,000 Dollar Comment Game
Finally, the remake of the infamous comment game. Easy money and link love.
#33 · · misc
Interview: Me on Blogs and Blogging
Bruce C. Brown interviewed me for his forthcoming book, The Secret Power of Blogging.
#32 · · interviews, misc
HTML Elements Index
A regularly updated list of all elements in HTMLÂ 1, HTMLÂ 2.0, HTMLÂ 3.2, HTMLÂ 4.01, XHTMLÂ 1.0, XHTMLÂ 1.1, HTMLÂ 5.2, and living HTML, including their meanings.
#31 · · development, html
Arguments for the “style” Attribute
The HTML Working Group is currently arguing whether to drop the style attribute. To encourage discussion outside the Working Group, here are the reasons I see to keep @style.
#30 · · development, html
A Plea for Better Software: Provide Auto-Save
So far, applications rarely automatically and periodically save users’ work. They therefore fail to prevent unnecessary, frustrating, expensive loss of work and information. Since this isn’t just a but a critical problem, we need to encourage application developers and owners…
#29 · · development, design
Load Time, the UX Factor: Facts and Measures
Load time of websites seems to remain our industry’s stepchild, but the vision is real-time surfing, not spending bandwidth improvements. There are still some facts and measures to consider when it comes to fast websites with a certain ease of use. Here are eight, to be exact.
#28 · · development, performance
WCAG, HTML, and CSS: Maybe the Standards Need a Break
The web development community worries about the development of WCAG, HTML, and CSS (about the latter since recently). These worries and the related criticism appear valid and legitimate, and there are things we could do.
#27 · · development, html, css, accessibility
Requirements for Website Prototypes (and Design Systems)
Best practices for website prototypes based on HTML, CSS, and DOM scripting, covering essential requirements from accessibility to universality, and including definitions, pros, and contras. Compiled from a recent presentation.
#26 · · design, development