Adobe has announced Adobe Edge – a new tool for creating web animation with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. One of the nice features is the ability to import SVG, PNG, JPG or GIF files. It looks like an easy learning curve if you’re used to working in Flash with the timeline. This will definitely help developers address Apple’s lack of support for Flash on its devices. You can download a free preview from Adobe to check it out.

While working through a code rework on an old site last week, I remembered a few CSS tricks I hadn’t had to use for a while. I thought I’d post a little refresher to share these tips that might help you out of a coding bind.

The child selector:

Let’s say you have an unordered list with an id of ‘nav’ and you only want a certain style on the top level list items. If you try to target them by using #nav li, all of the the list items, even in nested lists in that ul will be targeted. This is the perfect place for a child selector. If you use #nav > li, only the direct children (list items one level down) will be affected. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the very fun experience of building a social network using BuddyPress. I was pleased to find that it all comes together easily and, with the help of some great plugins and custom code, it’s a very good option for any client who wants to create a niche social network. It’s also a great solution for internal networks – I can see how it would work well for a college, or any organization that wants to have a central meeting place for its members. If you haven’t heard of BuddyPress yet, head on over to BuddyPress.org to check it out.

I thought I’d share some of the plugins I used as well as some tips for creating the best user experience. (All of this assumes a good working knowledge of WordPress.) Read the rest of this entry »