I've just released an article at the RIA Zone titled CSS3: A solution for applications, or are we the boiling frogs?. The article is about CSS and HTML for applications and begins like this:

I've made countless web pages using HTML + CSS and have no complaints about the technological combination for Internet documents and pages. The rub comes when trying to make an application. Note the distinguishing factors. HTML + CSS is a horrid combination for making applications.

To be true, the HTML + CSS isn't truly the problem, the problem lies in inconsistent rendering by the clients (browsers). However, a large part of my job is making sure an application works, not debating with users which browser renders 'correctly'.

When building an HTML + CSS based application, there will be some unanticipated time required to track down and hack around a strange edge case or rendering bug . The time spent to track down the source of the error, which by the way only happens in IE version 6.0.23234234 and in Firefox 2.098435 and not Firefox 2.102309, is lost time. I've even spent 8 or 9 hours tracking down the source of a CSS related problem, googling around, reading blogs to find a solution and then testing all the various browsers using various user interaction permutations to verify the fix didn't break another client implementation. While spending this time was necessary for the success of the application, I would have preferred to spend that time towards building another useful feature for the users.

The article is a lot longer. Give it a read and let me know if I am off base.

The first drop of JQuery UI was released September 16th 2007. This release includes:

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Dave Ferguson posted recently about HTML CFGRID style column content and focuses on how to style columns in an HTML CFGRID. The true gem of this post is how he used Firebug to walk down the markup and find the class names and properties of the CFGRID output.

Firebug is truly a wondrous tool. I use it every single day and I save a TREMENDOUS amount of time when working with HTML and Javascript. Also, I've really reduced the number of times typing:

or

I wrote about Firebug previously and provided a link to a Video by Joe Hewitt explaining the feature set of Firebug 1.0. Joe Hewitt created Firebug and does a great job showcasing the features on this video, courtesy of YUI Theater. I recommend viewing this video, if you have not already.

Thanks go to Dave his original post. I look forward to more great content at Dave Ferguson's blog.

I was digging through a bunch of javascript code today and trying to trace out some variables. In JSEclipse, an eclipse plugin made by Interakt(newly in the Adobe fold), if you highlight a variable name, or a property name, it not only highlights all instances in the file, it also places little markers for each instance on the right hand gutter of the IDE. A quick mouse click jumps right to the instance. I've used JSEclipse for a little while now, but this was the first I noticed this handy feature.

This particular JS file was well over 700 lines and I needed all the help I can get. Thank you Interakt for JSEclipse.

There are plenty of other nice features in the JSEclipse plugin such as:

1. Contextual code completion
2. Suggest parameters to be filled
3. Reads all classes in current project
4. Scan current file for words
5. Syntax Highlighting
6. Syntax based code folding
7. Error reporting

Get a full feature list here.

You can get JSEclipse here. (Registration Required).