Tag: Writing

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01 Jul

Web Development Reading List #187: Webpack 3, Assisted Writing, And Automated Chrome Testing

by TBSCategories: News

   

This week, we’ll explore some rather new concepts: What happens if we apply artificial intelligence to text software, for example? And why would a phone manufacturer want its business model to be stolen by competitors?

Web Development Reading List 187

We’ll also take a look at how we can use the new headless Chrome browser for automated testing and learn to build smarter JavaScript bundles with Webpack 3’s new scope hoisting. Sometimes it’s easy to be excited about all the improvements and new things our industry has to offer.

The post Web Development Reading List #187: Webpack 3, Assisted Writing, And Automated Chrome Testing appeared first on Smashing Magazine.

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16 May

Introducing Mavo: Create Web Apps Entirely By Writing HTML!

by TBSCategories: News

   

Have you ever wanted to make a website that non-technical folks can edit right in the browser? Or have you ever wanted to make a website that presents an editable collection of items (e.g. your portfolio)? Or simply upload images to a website you made, right from the browser?

Introducing Mavo: Create Web Apps Entirely By Writing HTML!

Well, what if I told you, that you can do these things (and more!), just with HTML and CSS? No programming code to write, no servers to manage. You can make any element editable and saveable just by adding one HTML attribute to it. In fact, you can store your data locally in the browser, on Github, on Dropbox, or any other service just by changing an HTML attribute.

The post Introducing Mavo: Create Web Apps Entirely By Writing HTML! appeared first on Smashing Magazine.

Smashing Magazine

22 Feb

10 Tips to Master the Art of Writing PHP Code

by TBSCategories: News

PHP has become one of the most widely used languages among developers for developing web applications, such as Facebook, WordPress, and other popular resources.

However, you might find coding in PHP challenging and a daunting task, especially when you’re just a novice. So, to save you from making mistakes when writing PHP code, I’ve listed some great tips that will help you work on PHP language a lot easier.

Mastering PHP

1. Ditch the Use Of <? … ?>

When starting to write a PHP script, the standard code declaration blocks use “<? php … ?>” script delimiters. However, beginners can make the mistake of writing the script delimiters as <? ... ?> instead of <?php ... ?>. Make sure to avoid such a situation. That’s because, <? ... ?> when used in a PHP script may work on your server, but fails to work on other servers.

Secondly, you must avoid the use of shortcut tags when echoing a variable. That’s because, those tags aren’t supported everywhere. You may find it hard to prevent the use of shortcut tags, but doing so can help in making your code more portable.

Basically, you just need to avoid writing your PHP script only with shortcut tags such as <?=$ Var?>. You should rather write it as <?php echo $ Var ?>.

2. Understand the Difference Between Comparison Operators

Comparison operators are an extremely useful part of PHP. But let’s face it, some programmers fail to determine the difference between comparison operators, such as ‘==’ and ‘===’. Remember that == is for equality and checks whether the value on the left and right side are equal. On the other hand, === not only looks for whether the values on both sides are equal, but also checks whether the variable type is the same on both sides or not.

Let’s have a more detailed understanding of when you need to use the === comparison operator. For this purpose, consider an example of PHP code that requires using the strpos() function – that may return 0, which means that the string you’ve been looking for is located at the 0th index. Or else, it will be present at the first position of another string. Now, since zero is considered to be equal to FALSE in PHP, clearly from the result of strpos() you won’t be able to tell if something is at the beginning of a string or the function couldn’t find anything. 

 //This is an example of bad code  if ( strpos( $  inputString, 'abc' ) == false ) {   // do something  }  //This is an example of good code if ( strpos( $  inputString, 'abc' ) === false ) {   // do something   }

3. Replace If/Else With Ternary Operators

Rather than making use of an if/else statement, it would be better if you use a ternary operator instead. Here’s a line of PHP code that explains ternary operator usage:

 $  todo = (empty($  _POST[’todo’])) ? ‘default’ : $  _POST[’todo’];

This line of code is equivalent to the following if/else statement:

 if (empty($  _POST[’todo’])) { $  action = ‘default’; } else { $  action = $  _POST[’todo’]; } ?>

So, as you can see in the code above the ternary operator helps in making the code clutter-free and saves plenty of space, by writing the same code using the if/else statement in a single line.

4. Use Relevant Variable Names

This is the most obvious step you should follow when writing PHP code, ensure using variable names that add some value. Furthermore, include details about the data that those variables will store. Let’s assume, you need to use a variable as an integer. In that case, you must use a variable name with an “i” at the beginning. In fact, this is a crucial factor you must consider when writing PHP code, since we don’t require specifying a type during variable declaration in PHP.

Note: Though you can choose to use a variable name in caps or small letters, it is recommended that you focus on capitalizing the first letter of your variable.

Below is a list of some meaningful variable names:

 $  iNum = 12; // For Integers    $  fPi = 2.121956; // For Floats $  sName = "Mac"; // For Strings $  bIsMember = false; // For Booleans

5. Add Comments Alongside Each Important Action

Adding comments side-by-side to each important action will help you identify the need for any specific PHP code snippet, especially when you are handling a large size project. In addition, commenting helps make the code look neat and easy to understand to other programmers working on the same project as you. 

 // Function to Check Login if(!$  user_login){ header("Location:http://www.yoursite.com/"); die();  }

6. Use “str_replace()” Instead Of “ereg_replace()” and “preg_replace()”

If you need to improve the efficiency of your PHP code to replace strings, consider using str_replace() instead of using functions, such as: ereg_replace() and preg_replace(). In fact, according to an online report, “str_replace() is 61 percent more efficient compared to other regular expressions.”

But, in case you are using regular expressions, then ereg_replace() and preg_replace() will work faster compared to str_replace().

7. Consistent Naming Convention

Using consistent naming conventions is considered good coding practice. Mostly, writing classes, objects, etc. consistently makes it easy for your team members to work on your project without much confusion. Besides this, make sure that the files saved in local directories have an easy-to-understand name.

8. Use isset() Over strlen()

When checking out the length of a string, consider using isset() over strlen(). That’s because, the isset() function will help in making calls 5 times quicker. Another great advantage of using isset is that your function call will remain valid regardless of whether the variable exists or not.

Here’s a simple example to demonstrate the use of the isset() function: 

 if (isset($  username[8])) {  // The username is at least nine characters long. }

9. Prefer Using Single Codes Rather Than Double Quotes

While both single, as well as double quotes, serve several purposes, it is advised that you should use single quotes over double quotes. This is because the first option helps in executing the loops a lot faster. Let us see two different ways of printing long lines of information:

 //Using double quotes print “WorkStatus : $  workstatus. Location: $  location”;

Now, let’s check how the above line of code can be written using single quotes:

 //Using single quotes print ‘WorkStatus : ‘.$  workstatus’. Location‘.$  location’.';

10. Utilize a Framework

And lastly, the best way to work on a PHP project is to make use of a PHP framework such as Laravel, CakePHP, Yii, Symfony, CodeIgniter and many others. Using any one of these frameworks can help reduce the time in performing repetitive tasks when developing a site or a web application. Moreover, less code means you can debug and test your built web solutions quickly.

In essence, PHP frameworks help get rid of the overheads in building web apps.

Conclusion

Hopefully the tips discussed above will help you write efficient PHP code in a neat and more organized way. The tips included in this post are simple, so make sure to explore the topic more to have better familiarity with each concept.


Onextrapixel – Web Design and Development Online Magazine

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02 Feb

Writing Next Generation Reusable JavaScript Modules in ECMAScript 6

by TBSCategories: News

  

Are you excited to take advantage of new JavaScript language features but not sure where to start, or how? You’re not alone! I’ve spent the better part of the last year and a half trying to ease this pain. During that time there have been some amazing quantum leaps in JavaScript tooling.

Writing Next Generation Reusable JavaScript Modules

These leaps have made it possible for you and me to dive head first into writing fully ES6 modules, without compromising on the essentials like testing, linting and (most importantly) the ability for others to easily consume what we write.

The post Writing Next Generation Reusable JavaScript Modules in ECMAScript 6 appeared first on Smashing Magazine.

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BeCreative
18 Nov

10 Tips to Know about Content Writing

by TBSCategories: News

The main principles of content development are familiar to every online writer: uniqueness, quality, value, and focus. You know you have to provide top-notch content that will awaken the interest of your target audience, and you need to commit to a publication schedule to make your loyal readers happy. The only question is: how exactly do you achieve that?

Content marketing is an evolving category, so you need to update your approach towards writing as you follow the trends. Although you won’t have to make radical changes in style and form, you’ll still need to use some tricks to attract more readers and convince them to take a particular action.

In fewer words, you have to view content writing as a strategy. You need tactics that will lead you to success. The following 10 tips will help you create more attractive, shareable content that will help you achieve the results you aim for.

Tips for Content Writing

1. Make it Readable

You may choose the perfect subject, strategize your approach and provide really valuable information, but the piece will be completely useless if you don’t make it readable. The reader should stay focused when he goes through the text. Do not distract him with any digressions and make the paragraphs and sentences short.

Don’t leave huge blocks of text on the page. When you break them up with headings, sub-headings and lists, the format itself will contribute towards greater readability.

2. Don’t Be Afraid of Long, Elaborate Articles

The principles of clarity and simplicity do not collide with length. As long as you don’t use fillers for the sake of publishing more content, a longer post will attract diligent readers who want to get into details. Short posts are fun and effective, but the elaborate publications are valuable in the long term.

Do your research and use the information you find to construct a longer, high-quality article that will add value to the base of online content. Aim above 800 words if you want to attract serious readers, who will be eager to comment on the post.

3. Make it Fun

Humor is a huge factor of appeal. Go through the most successful blogs from different niches. Fun is the main thing they have in common. People respond well to writers with a natural sense of humor, which humanizes the website. If you make a reader laugh, you’ll know you’re a successful content writer.

Fun, relaxed content is also more readable. Don’t be afraid to add a hint of sarcasm, but do not get offensive under any circumstances.

Be Creative

4. Find The Right Questions And Answer Them

Great writers have a peculiar talent: they know how to ask questions. You have completed a nice piece of content? That’s awesome! During the editing stage, you need to place yourself in the position of a reader. What questions would you ask? Are there any gaps in the information? You need to serve everything, so your reader won’t need to hit Google in order to find the answers.

This strategy will help you gain more readers. They will ask their questions and Google will lead them to the place with answers – your site.

5. Write Evergreen Content

It doesn’t matter what niche you are focused on; you can always discover topics with universal value. Cover them! If you have a great team of content writers, you can afford multiple daily publications with short-term value. If that’s not your case, you have to get the most out of your current efforts by publishing content for continued use.

For example, you can write a long how-to post or a listicle that will be relevant years from now. Think about the posts you’ve already published. Can you adjust them to make them relevant again? Remind the audience to read some old posts by mentioning them in your tweets and Facebook updates. This approach will help you benefit from a single piece for a long period of time.

6. Don’t Write For Google. Your Readers Are Human!

Keywords are awesome. You should certainly infuse the right words and phrases that help Google locate your content and recommend it to its users. However, you should not go overboard with this practice. If you use too many keywords, the text will seem like it was written by a robot. Your readers won’t interact with such content.

With all those tools you use to gain greater visibility, it’s easy to forget about the human component that connects the writer with the reader. Talk to your audience! Ask questions and listen to their feedback. Communicate with them in the comments section, and don’t forget to connect via social media platforms. They should perceive your personality through the content you write.

7. Tell Stories

Great writers sure know how to tell a story. They grab your attention and you’re not interested in anything else until you find out where the plot will get you. That’s the effect you want to achieve through your online content. Storytelling is a useful strategy for blogging and article writing. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll publish short stories. You’ll only implement the principles of this type of writing into your own form and style.

When you write with sheer facts, data and information that’s easily available online, your content won’t be captivating. Use examples from real life to tell a story related to the topic. Such a tone will instantly make you a more appealing writer.

Tell A Story

8. Always Choose Quality Over Quantity

Your readers loved your previous posts and kept asking for more? That might tempt you to change your publication schedule. Think very carefully before you take that step: will you be able to achieve the same level of quality if you force yourself to write more?

If you can delegate some of the tasks to a team, then you can easily increase the volume of content you publish. For example, services like Australian Writings provide assistance by talented writers and editors. You can simply give the instructions and wait for your custom-tailored content to be ready on time. However, If you carry everything on your own back, it would be best to stick within the routine you’ve already established.

9. Measure The Results

Although technology can add complexity to your content marketing approach, it’s necessary for you to use some tools to track the performance of your pieces. Google Analytics, Scoop.it, Quintly, Buffer, and Addvocate are only a few of the tools that enable you to get insights of the results your online publications achieve.

The quantitative data you get will help you optimize your strategy, so you’ll produce better results with less effort.

10. Write For Your Target Audience

This is the ultimate tip that every content writer should keep in mind. Who is your target reader? What would he want to read at this very moment? Remember: you are writing for an audience; not for customers. Even when you’re trying to convince the readers to take a particular action, you should still make them feel good about spending time reading the article you served. They want to learn something new with each post they encounter.

Evolve!

You can’t achieve your highest point as a content writer. There is always room for improvement, so you need to learn, practice, and experiment with new approaches that attract more readers. The ten tips above can serve as a starting point in your journey, but remember that there are always new heights to explore.


Onextrapixel – Web Design and Development Online Magazine

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17 Nov

Writing Inspiring Job Descriptions For UX

by TBSCategories: News

  

To attract motivated designers and user researchers, keep your eye on the why. What’s the why? It’s the underlying purpose that brings you and your employees together. Why the why? Because if you focus only on what you need, then you run the risk of filtering down merely to an adequate match for the list of skills needed for defined tasks; however, if you lead with why a candidate would want to work with you each day, then you might just attract the best fit for executing your company’s mission.

Writing Inspiring Job Descriptions For UX

I’ve written job listings for a half-dozen organizations over the years and for all manner of user experience roles. When I wrote my first job description, I took other listings from my company as a base, looked around for some examples from other companies and ended up with what I see in hindsight as being the usual run-of-the-mill hodgepodge of bullet points. Presented with this today, I would throw out more than half the content in order to focus on what’s relevant and unique.

The post Writing Inspiring Job Descriptions For UX appeared first on Smashing Magazine.

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12 Oct

Tools to Boost Your Writing Creativity & Productivity

by TBSCategories: News

This post has been contributed by Jess Millis.

Creativity comes naturally to writers. They are usually very introspective, so they can analyze their thoughts and emotions, and turn them into the most amazing plots and characters.

However, it’s not always easy to stay passionate about a project that has been torturing you for a long time. You end up spending sleepless nights without a single idea crossing your mind.

Boost Your Writing Creativity & Productivity

You should never leave things to chance; the journey of becoming a better writer goes through hard work, lots of scrapped projects, and a good deal of mistakes. Instead of abandoning a project because you don’t feel like writing at the moment, you should first try to boost your creativity and productivity with the following 10 tools.

Canva

Canva screenshot

If you are reaching your target audience through online content, then you have to offer something more than text. At this website, you can design beautiful images that will make your posts, articles, and eBooks more captivating. You don’t need experience in programming to craft awesome graphics; Canva is really easy to use!

GatherContent

Gather content

Contemporary authors often publish some of their content online, so they can relate with their readers on a more personal level. GatherContent is a tool that enables you to plan, structure, produce, and organize online content. The drag-and-drop method enables you to restructure the content to your preference.

Piktochart

Piktochart screenshot

Have you ever been inspired to think and write by an infographic? That’s exactly what these materials are for – they serve bits of information that motivate you to conduct a more detailed research. Piktochart enables you to create your own infographics. If you have ideas for a particular project, you can use them to create an infographic that will combine textual and visual details.

Papersgear

Papersgear screenshot

Through this online writing service, you can collaborate with experienced writers and editors. They all hold university degrees in the niches they cover, so you can learn a lot from their knowledge, skills, and expertise. Don’t hold back to ask for assistance when you get stuck with a particular project because you don’t have the needed background information. This service will help you surpass the blockades and find inspiration to complete the content before the deadline.

Copyblogger

Copyblogger screenshot

Practice and learning never stop when you are a writer. Through this platform, you can discover new tricks and tips every day. Content writers and marketers find Copyblogger to be one of the most useful online resources that make them more effective at what they do.

Grammar girl

Grammargirl screenshot

Most writers are not willing to accept the fact that their grammar is not perfect. You cannot master grammar. If your education was not related to in-depth studies of the English language, then you need this website even more. Grammar Girl offers essential tips for everyone interested in improving their style and writing skills.

ThingLink

Thinglink screenshot

With this tool, you can add images, graphics, catalogues, maps, videos, and other types of content to your text. Interactive content enables you to engage online readers and grasp their attention for much longer. The best part is that you can keep track of the way people interact with your publications.

Creativity Portal

Creativity portal screenshot

This is the first website you should land on when your mind becomes blank. There is nothing scarier than a writer’s block, but Creativity Portal helps you find a way out. You can explore the blogs, case studies, images, news feeds, themes, and other category to find inspiration to carry on with the project.

Portent

Portent screenshot

Did you get stuck before you even started working on the content? That’s not uncommon; writers often have trouble thinking of a creative title. That’s where Portent can help – this tool will generate random titles around the keyword you insert. Also see this ultimate list of headlines.

As soon as you start using the above-listed online resources, you’ll fall in love with your profession all over again. Have you discovered any other tools that help you get more creative?

–

Jess Millis is an aspiring freelance writer, editor and educator at James Madison University.

JUST™ Creative

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