Cetanu

Can you use PHP within Javascript? Say I want to make an box pop up containing PHP code (like a form?) can I use alert('') or the other pop up types to do this? >.> Thanks!

Yep, no problem.

Well I'm certainly not paying for hosting yet, I have no need. I'll stick with this host (and just make the link color the same as the background. That will eliminate the obstructive factor for the most part, until I can pay for hosting. I am starting to get more into that mindset, although I don't have access to Photoshop or Fireworks, I have Paint.NET which isn't nearly as good. I usually try and sketch out a design on paper, but it's not the same. Nor is Paint.NET since its tools are a little more limited than Photoshop. Anyway, I will keep this in mind since going at a web site blind isn't too good of an idea. This was an accident and I didn't realize it. XD I don't actually want the drop down to be colored. That's an amazing resource and I love it! Thanks for that! What's wrong with the ones now? - It's supposed to be a test scheme for some future website I may wanna make. - About the image on the left: does anyone know how I can create decent vectors? I don't have Photoshop, and the Photoshop brushes I have for Paint.NET come out waaaaaaay disproportionate and fraggy. I have to blur them to make them look less ugly, but I still hate them. I don't have control over the ad, it's the hosting company. Why are you asking for a critique after 1 hour of coding? Seems logical to me that if you've done 1 hour of coding than it's obviously not going to look spectacular. You should probably put some more time and effort into your site and not just slopping something together. I'm asking for critiques one hour into it because I'd rather start small and expand upon my design to make it evolve with the help of others. I have a preference that's different from other people, and I'd rather not just code for a week and then come here to have people say "Eewwwwww!" If I nip the problems in their infant stages, I have more time to fix problems, and I don't need to erase/modify all of the [potentially] time consuming/hard work. Thanks for the feedback! It's really appreciated, I'm going back to the drawing board for some design fixes and stuff.

I don't like the new one though.

It looks very drag 'n droppy, now that I think about that. I despise drag and drop. Notepad, ftw. You may just want start over, as MrAdam said, because right now you're just focusing on the current design and modifying it. If you start anew you'll be more open-minded. Well....you should be.

Okay, cool. I'll accept when I get home.

Well, judging by the results of the current one, I would suggest anyone that a) knows what they're doing, and b) is not the last guy. The two go hand in hand. It should be too hard, I am a web designer, as are most of all the people on this forum. Just ask around. If not, put an ad somewhere. >.>

Someone that knows what they're doing...?

So I've recently been reading everything I can find on minimalism in web design. I just felt very inspired to create a minimalistic template for any web sites I may like to make in the future. Personally, I feel that for one hour of raw coding, I've done okay, but my opinion doesn't matter: I want someone else's. http://mythscape.freezoka.com/testsite/indextest.php All critiques requested. PS The XHTML doesn't validate because my stupid webhost inserts their link with invalid JavaScript and HTML.

1) Flash games are USUALLY for children...therefore I suggest getting rid of Orgasm Girl and Torture Game (or whatever it's called). My god, you'll make a new generation of Serial Rapists! 2) Going along with that, the the colors look childish. Perhaps that's the idea, but it's like the opposite of #1. xD 3) Perhaps organizing your categories nicer would be less of a burden to those of us who don't know anything about the site. Perhaps making a table or something with entries for each category in a row. It's hard to distinguish in the list now. 4) Try more fonts? Times New Roman is terribly boring now. 5) JESUS! http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http://education.byethost31.com/&charset=(detect+automatically)&doctype=Inline&group=0 6) Invalid CSS http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/validator?uri=http://education.byethost31.com/CSS/Global.css - Cetanu

Hey! Entry Page -- No no no no. It's a burden to click that every time, just make a link inside the main site to the forums. Home Page has no title....which isn't a required thing, but it sure does look nice when you title your pages. I don't like the background image. It's too distracting for me. Try changing up the type faces so that there's some more variation in fonts. In terms of content, there's virtually nothing. I don't get it, why isn't the page just there, why is it in an iFrame? Oh my! This syntax and tag organization is terrible! (No offense to you, but I shall have to execute the coder ) There is no <html>, <head>, or <title> tags. That is bad. Not only does it go against HTML's syntax rules, it also is probably terrible for engines like Google or Yahoo!... Of course, the page doesn't validate, though there are less errors than I expected... >.> <.< Broken shopzone link... The belts clash with the everything. Sorry for being harsh, but it's a critique. I don't suggest using the coder ever, ever again taking into account the terrible syntax and lack of flow. - Cetanu

I liked the old pattern, if you just have photo-editing software you can just mess with the colors...

Better organization, but... ...blue and sea-green don't scream nuclear holocaust to me. :-\

Thanks, I liked those articles and will definitely bookmark them for future use. I have found other articles to use in conjunction, and sites with examples of minimalistic design. Thanks. Here are other articles with examples: http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/minimalistic-web-design/ http://rootapex.com/design/40-minimalist-web-designs http://www.skelliewag.org/a-guide-to-creating-a-minimalist-website-63.htm Thanks, guys.

Well then what good is it? I don't want people to see my tags and everything. It looks ugly (plus, it's purple when it is displayed). I really dunno what to expect, that's why I made this thread.

*Not sure if this is the correct board, if not could someone please move it? * I am going to be [maybe] making a site extension for my local library, and I really want to use minimalism because it is unique, very popular, and a challenge. My question is: what are the fundamentals of making a minimalistic design? I know: a) few widgets, videos, graphics b) focus on content c) extensive and avant-garde use of fonts But, it seems so difficult!! I mean, how do you draw the attention to the content and make it trendy with almost nothing? Nice, flush margins? Contrasting colors? Simple black and white? This doesn't need to be a thread to discuss my question (only), maybe it can be a discussion thread for minimalism. THANKS!

But when I do that the page says something like "There are no design elements associated, displaying raw XML" and then it just shows the stupid XML code...

It's really not very clear, though. Why is the 'Users" link more prominent than the 'Home' link? Why not have a login box right in the main page? Should things like users, ranks, and stats be visible to non-members? What does any of it mean in the context of the game? What is the game about, anyway? Everything is floating around without any context to put it all together. Your lack of page structure stems, in part, from that lack of content. Okay, this is some sort of post-apocalyptic game set in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. That's not really descriptive, though. It's a sentence, not a description. How do I play? What are the game's features? Is it a RPG? Is it a Civilization-esque game? Is it turn-based? Is there a way to win, or does it just progress infinitely? These are the things your site needs to address. No one is going to play a game they don't understand. Your home page should answer these questions briefly, with separate specialized pages for additional info if needed. Users shouldn't need to press 'Register' to get a taste of the game's story. In terms of making the site better looking, you really need to look critically at existing sites. The vast majority of sites share common design elements. Why? Because they work. Headers, footers, etc all serve a purpose. Not having them is a distraction. Keep in mind, you don't have to be a Photoshop expert to make a decent looking site. In fact, simple, clean designs are all the rage right now. But you should have some sort of overall structure and a look that will compliment your content rather than hide it. Yay! I like the way this was said, and I agree, you should listen to Nightslyr.

What do you mean with: 'to pick'? I'm not english so don't mind me To choose. Did you take into account the masses of info PHP Freaks has as opposed to what your site has? It's a big difference.

Nothing for me, don't like their designs.

I hate having to pick background stuff, it annoys me to death. I agree, append that to my list. Although I do think the things I gave were just basics, for those without any knowledge of coding. >.> Maybe you could have a simple background like a grid or something, not a normal grid, one that runs diagonally. Meh.

I too have the same question...why not use the top one? The bottom one looks like a mess. Why don't you just have EVERYTHING in a <?php tag ?? Would that be easier than <? blahblah ?> over and over and over?!?!!

I like that you're actually taking our advice! However, I don't like the gigantic background image 'cause it will take FOREVER to download on dial-up, and even my fast internet had to wait like 5 seconds. In my first web design course (I am taking now) so far the only thing I have learned (beginner course, meh) is that there are four elements of design: - Alignment - Proximity - Contrast - Repetition You should look them up, maybe get some books, or take some classes.

Is anyone here familiar with coding for Messenger Live Plus! ? I am coding some extra little features for my MSN live, and I've run into some problems with the JS. This is probably because I know nothing about JavaScript and I've just been learning as I go. If anyone has some experience your help is appreciated. I want to send messages automatically if a given instance is true, but to do this I need to make a ChatWnd object (reference for ChatWnd). I dunno how to MAKE an object of anything other than the two global objects, Messenger and MsgPlus. Here is the entire reference if anyone wants to look it over so they can help maybe.... http://mpscripts.net/docs/ref-objects.php Also, here is the reference for SendMessage (to send an automatic message): http://mpscripts.net/docs/ref-chatwnd-sendmessage.php Here's the code that I have so far, it all works and stuff, I guess it's just for reference... function OnEvent_Signin(Email){ if(Email == "predhead9@yahoo.com"){ var Message = "Hello there, "+Messenger.MyName+"!"; Message = MsgPlus.RemoveFormatCodes(Message); MsgPlus.DisplayToast("Welcome", Message); } } function OnEvent_ContactSignin(Email){ if(Email == "blackwings281@yahoo.com"){ Messenger.OpenChat("blackwings281@yahoo.com"); var Display = "Chat Started."; MsgPlus.DisplayToast("Notice!", Display); } } function OnEvent_ContactSignin(Email){ if(Email == "bat.kid@hotmail.co.uk"){ Messenger.OpenChat("bat.kid@hotmail.co.uk"); var Display = "Chat Started."; MsgPlus.DisplayToast("Notice!", Display); } } function OnEvent_Signout(Email){ var Message = "Bye byez."; MsgPlus.DisplayToast("Bye!", Message); } THANKS!

Okay, now I've run into something I NEED to use XML for. I am coding scripts for Windows Live Messenger Plus! and I need to create an XML file for a new window to be opened, but I don't know the first thing about XML, so I am trying to make a simple window and I figured I'd look over their examples.... ...meh. Can someone break it down REALLY simple? <Interfaces xmlns="urn:msgplus:interface" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:msgplus:interface PlusInterface.xsd"> <GlobalColors> <GlobalColor Id="green"> <Red>80</Red> <Green>200</Green> <Blue>65</Blue> <Alpha>220</Alpha> </GlobalColor> <GlobalColor Id="bg"> <BaseColor> <Saturation>2</Saturation> <Brightness>0.6</Brightness> <Transparency>82</Transparency> </BaseColor> </GlobalColor> </GlobalColors> <Window Id="PersoStatus400" Version="1"> <Attributes> <Caption>Personalized Status - Messenger Plus!</Caption> </Attributes> <TitleBar> <Title> <Prefix>Image</Prefix> <Text>Personalized Status</Text> </Title> </TitleBar> <Position Width="286" Height="246"/> <DialogTmpl> <BottomBar Style="Plain"> <LeftControls> <Control xsi:type="MenuButtonControl" Id="BtnPresets"> <Position Top="0" Width="66" Left="0"/> <Attributes> <AlwaysDisplayBorder>true</AlwaysDisplayBorder> </Attributes> <Image Margin="4"> <Name>icon-floppy</Name> </Image> <Caption>Pr&esets</Caption> </Control> </LeftControls> <RightControls> <Control xsi:type="ButtonControl" Id="BtnOk"> <Position Top="0" Width="60" Left="0"/> <Attributes> <IsDefault>true</IsDefault> </Attributes> <Caption>&Personalize</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="ButtonControl" Id="BtnCancel"> <Position Top="0" Width="60" Left="0"/> <Caption>&Close</Caption> </Control> </RightControls> </BottomBar> </DialogTmpl> <Elements> <Element xsi:type="FigureElement" Id="FigRectOptions"> <Position Top="139" Left="5" Height="43" Width="263"/> <Figure> <RoundRect><Radius>3</Radius></RoundRect> </Figure> <Border> <Color><GlobalColor>bg</GlobalColor></Color> </Border> <Fill> <PlainColor> <Red>255</Red> <Green>255</Green> <Blue>255</Blue> <Alpha>120</Alpha> </PlainColor> </Fill> </Element> <Element xsi:type="ImageElement" Id="LblBusy"> <Position Top="162" Left="138"/> <Image><Name>buddy-busy</Name></Image> </Element> <Element xsi:type="ImageElement" Id="LblAway"> <Position Top="162" Left="206"/> <Image><Name>buddy-away</Name></Image> </Element> </Elements> <Controls> <Control xsi:type="StaticControl" Id="LblTop"> <Position Top="9" Width="254" Left="9" Height="20"/> <Transparency>180</Transparency> <Caption>Fill the fields below if you want to customize your status. Your status will remain personalized until you change it for something else.</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="StaticControl" Id="LblNameTag"> <Position Top="36" Width="60" Left="9"/> <Caption>Name tag:</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="EditControl" Id="EdtNameTag"> <Position Top="35" Width="104" Left="80"/> </Control> <Control xsi:type="StaticControl" Id="LblPsm"> <Position Top="55" Width="70" Left="9"/> <Caption>Personal message:</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="EditControl" Id="EdtPsm"> <Position Top="54" Width="189" Left="80"/> </Control> <Control xsi:type="StaticControl" Id="LblResponder"> <Position Top="74" Width="70" Left="9"/> <Caption>Auto-responder:</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="EditControl" Id="EdtAutoMessage"> <Position Top="74" Width="189" Left="80" Height="38"/> <Help>Tip: you can fully customize your auto-responder message by creating a script.\nThen, all you need to do is call your script function here with the /script command.\nYou can also create a sequence of different messages by starting new lines with #.</Help> <Attributes> <Multiline>true</Multiline> </Attributes> </Control> <Control xsi:type="LinkControl" Id="LnkFilter"> <Position Top="113" Width="186" Left="80"/> <Caption>Select the contacts who will receive the message...</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="StaticControl" Id="LblMore"> <Position Top="128" Width="200" Height="12" Left="6"/> <Color><GlobalColor>green</GlobalColor></Color> <Font><Size>10</Size><Bold>true</Bold></Font> <Caption>More options:</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="CheckBoxControl" Id="ChkTime"> <Position Top="146" Width="125" Left="10"/> <Help>Use the following tags in your auto-responder message to refer to the remaining time:\n(!PS_R) (!PS_RH) (!PS_RM) (!PS_RS)</Help> <Caption>Automatically &reset my status:</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="DateTimeControl" Id="DatTime"> <Position Top="160" Width="110" Left="10"/> <Attributes> <AllowCalendar>false</AllowCalendar> </Attributes> <Format><Custom>HH:mm:ss '(time remaining)'</Custom></Format> </Control> <Control xsi:type="StaticControl" Id="LblStatus"> <Position Top="146" Width="119" Left="138"/> <Caption>Show me to my contacts as:</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="RadioControl" Id="RadBusy"> <Position Top="163" Width="54" Left="151"/> <Attributes> <IsNewGroup>true</IsNewGroup> </Attributes> <Caption>&Busy</Caption> </Control> <Control xsi:type="RadioControl" Id="RadAway"> <Position Top="163" Width="49" Left="219"/> <Caption>&Away</Caption> </Control> </Controls> </Window> </Interfaces> Thanks.