Hypermedia Production -- IDIA 616.185

12/6/07
I have eliminated the handheld stylesheet requirement from the Final Project.

10/2/07
Here is a link to a small application that will install multiple versions of IE on a Windows machine. I can't offer any support for this program, nor will I take responsibility for any adverse effects it may have on your machine. That being said, I did not experience any problems during installation and use it happily for my work. Enjoy!

http://tredosoft.com/Multiple_IE

9/22/07
I found a note that I was going to post something on the site about the child selector, '>'. In my hunt for information I found the W3C CSS2.1 Selector specification page to be very informative. Especially refresh your knowledge of descendant, child, and next-sibling selectors. Note the difference between descendant and child selectors.

Also, if you haven't installed the Web Developer's Toolbar add-on for Firefox, I recommend that you do so. Another good one is the Firebug add-on. It will be useful when debugging Javscript.

Don't forget to get DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model. We start Javascript on October 1st.

9/14/07
Someone just asked a good question that also led me to believe that there is some confusion out there about CSS properties and the correct usage of em vs. px. It is not necessary to use em to size block elements in your documents. Using ems for block sizing can be pretty problematic when trying to get designs to act consistently across browser versions. It is necessary that you use em for font sizing. This allows the user much more magnification flexibility. That is not to say that there isn't a counter-argument to using ems. The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines provide some good accessible CSS starting points. I especially like their direct answer to the immediate question:

"Use em or % for properties that need to change. Use px fpr properties that don't need to change."

9/13/07
I found this little note at the bottom of the UB Web Access page. It might apply to any lingering FTP problems:

"When connecting to home.ubalt.edu with an FTP client, type "CIS\" before your user ID."

There have also been some questions about Mac FTP clients. Here is a short list of common applications, in no particular order.

1. Fetch: http://www.fetchsoftworks.com/

   You can apply for a free educational license: http://fetchsoftworks.com/Licensing/edustore.application.html

2. FireFTP: http://fireftp.mozdev.org/

   This is a FireFox extension that runs in a Firefox tab or window.

3. Filezilla: http://filezilla-project.org/

   I haven't used this in a while, but it is probably fine, and not browser dependent.

4. Command-line FTP client:

   The last option that works in both Windows and Mac is the command-line FTP client. This is the least intuitive option. Slightly masochistic, but very quick once you get used to it. Some knowledge of UNIX shell commands would shorten the learning curve. A nice intro to both platforms from Adobe: Command line FTP instructions

All of these should allow you to upload entire directories. I will investigate the UB portal once I get an ID.

9/12/07
Most of you have sent me your web space information. Thank you. I recommend that all IAT students use the http://student-iat.ubalt.edu/ server, as this will probably be the main clearinghouse for all of the work toward your degree. Non-IAT students should take advantage of UB's free web space. You do not have to have a finished site on the server to send me your URL. I just need to know where to look for your homework.

9/10/07
I need everyone to email me the URL to their class site. As far as I can tell, everyone should have space available on the IAT student server: http://student-iat.ubalt.edu/. If you do not, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can arrange for you to have access.

8/30/07
I am checking on server space for those that don't have any, or whose space I had a difficult time accessing. Please be patient. Also, I will posting new material to the class site any day now. Please keep checking back. Have a great weekend.