#user-login li {background:url(../img/ui/grey_dotdiv.gif) repeat-y 100% 0;}
#user-login li:last-child {background:none;}

Which puts a background image on the right between each list tag and on the last list it removes the background image.

IE6 still puts the background image on the last list because its a crap browser.
Being fussy that I am I have to have it look at least close enough cos that little divider on the last list would bug me to death.

Using a separate stylesheet specified in the head code similar to:

<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">@import "css/ieglobal.css";</style>
< ![endif]-->

The CSS to fix the last-child issue in IE6 is as follows:

#user-login li {background-image:expression(this.nextSibling==null?'none':'../img/ui/grey_dotdiv.gif');}

If you are using the first-child Pseudoclass then use this.previousSibling in place of this.nextSibling

For one paragraph its simple enough using the opening quote as the background image to the blockquote itself and the closing quote as the background to the

tag as shown below.

CSS:

blockquote {
	background:url(open_quote.gif) no-repeat top left;
}

* top, left – can also be written as 0 0

blockquote p {
	text-indent:20px;
	display:inline;
	padding-right:20px;
	background:url(close_quote.gif) no-repeat bottom right;
}

* bottom, right – can also be written as 100% 100%
* the text-indent and padding-right are the values of the image width (or slightly higher if needed).

Thats just for one paragraph of text though, it becomes slightly trickier to style when quoting more than one paragraph as shown below.

CSS:

blockquote {
	background:url(open_quote.gif) no-repeat top left;
}
blockquote p:first-child {
	text-indent:20px;
}
blockquote p:last-child {
	display:inline;
	padding-right:20px;
	background:url(close_quote.gif) no-repeat bottom right;
}

The first-child, last-child pseudo classes dont work well in IE though, IE8 may work, I havent checked as yet.

Anyway among a few nuisances one is inline/single-line CSS. Since I use CSS frequently I like to write it all on a single line since I’m a neat n’ tidy freak or obsessive compulsive if you must call it.

When talking single-line I mean:

e.g .style { background-color: #ccc; }

Espresso likes to format as multiple-line by default which I find annoying, here is how you can change it to format into single-line.

In Finder press Shift+Command+G and type this into the input: /Applications/Espresso.app/Contents/SharedSupport/Sugars/CSS.sugar/TextActions

Open/edit the Actions.xml

you will see something like this:

Change to as follows:
(Bringing the <text> tags all into line)

Reload Espresso back up and it should work.

The only downside with doing so is each update this will have to be modified again until they add this feature in, if they ever do. (as I’ve emailed them requesting such a feature along with a few other people as well I’m sure)

<!–[if lte IE 6]>
<style type=”text/css”>
@import “assets/styles/ieglobal.css”;
</style>
<![endif]–>

The problem I had with it not working was that the path to the CSS wasn’t correct and I think that also having all the copies of IE (5.5, 6 and 7) within the one install of XP on VMWare Fusion wasnt a good idea I think it was reading the latest version, being 7, for all the browser windows, either that or its the path to the CSS I had wrong in the clients templated HTML.

Head over to Designers Toolbox and grab the PSD format elements for use in your concepts.

Covering on the Mac: Safari and Firefox and on the PC: IE(7 I believe) and Firefox.

I think from memory Safari on PC is basically the same as the Mac’s look and feel for the forms.

I don’t really fuss too much over the look of the forms as long as I pick a generic standard since its only for demonstration purposes anyway so my clients generally get the idea. As long as it doesn’t look too over the top different they wont notice a slight change due to the way HTML is rendered

Most clients and general users would be on PC so using the typical IE styled forms would be enough.

Handy – shame I already had most of these taken from screen caps of IE a few years back, it could have saved me.. 2 mins of design time – make that 5 mins, it was on a Windows XP machine and the clipboard on Windows is crap.

Go to the system blade and then select memory.

Press Y on the HD symbol and then press X,X,Left Bumper, Right Bumper, X,X. Once you do this a messsage will appear saying: Do you want to perform maintenance on your Xbox 360 storage devices?

Performing this function will also clear any software updates.

What this does? simple. it clears the cache.

What it does erase :
1. XBox360 Cache Partition
2. Backward Compability updates (dont worry it re-downloads it when you play it)
3. Some updates like the Oblivion Gold Cheat , you can steal gold again with this.

In other words removes the updates from XBLive if you preferred a certain patch that had glitches or certain cheats that the game manufacturers fixed.

What it doesn’t erase :
1. Game Profiles
2. Downloaded Content
3. Gamer Pictures , Themes
4. Soundtracks
5. Videos , music
6. Game Saves
7. Anybody that doesnt want you to play video games.

I also downloaded the LightBox-Auto plugin which automatically adds the rel=”lightbox[ID_OF_THE_POST]” to images linked in a post.

So you don’t have to add rel=”lightbox[ID]” when you write a new post manually each time.

The thing I noticed about WP it doesn’t place the TITLE=”" tag within the <a href> only on the <img> tag itself and LightBox uses the TITLE tag to show the name of the image its popped open in the larger version along the base of the image being viewed.

Bit irritating really since I just wanted to make this process easier and not have to then manually move the TITLE tag within the <img> tag.

So I got my friend Mark who’s greatly better than I am at using JavaScript and PHP to fiddle with the lightbox.js file (wp-content/plugins/lightbox-2/lightbox2/lightbox.js) and added just below this code which starts at line 160 and ended at approx. line 178:

var Lightbox = Class.create();

Lightbox.prototype = {

// initialize()
// Constructor runs on completion of the DOM loading. Loops through anchor tags looking for
// ‘lightbox’ references and applies onclick events to appropriate links. The 2nd section of
// the function inserts html at the bottom of the page which is used to display the shadow
// overlay and the image container.
//
initialize: function() {
if (!document.getElementsByTagName){ return; }
var anchors = document.getElementsByTagName(‘a’);

// loop through all anchor tags
for (var i=0; i<anchors.length; i++){
var anchor = anchors[i];

var relAttribute = String(anchor.getAttribute(‘rel’));

Added the following code to line 180-188

// If an anchor tag has no title, but the image inside it does have a title, use that title.
// Node type 1 means ELEMENT_NODE ie. it is a normal element.
if (anchor.hasChildNodes() && (anchor.firstChild.nodeType == 1)){
var fc = anchor.firstChild;
if (fc.nodeName.toLowerCase() == ‘img’ ){
var titleAttribute = String(fc.getAttribute(‘title’));

if (“null” != titleAttribute)
anchor.setAttribute(‘title’, titleAttribute);
}
}

and above this for reference:

// use the string.match() method to catch ‘lightbox’ references in the rel attribute
if (anchor.getAttribute(‘href’) && (relAttribute.toLowerCase().match(‘lightbox’))){
anchor.onclick = function () {myLightbox.start(this); return false;}
}
}

This then uses the TITLE I’ve filled in the WP uploader/gallery and uses it for the <a href> tag and LightBox works a treat now

Finally happy with a logo, since I’m my worst client when designing artwork for myself, I figured it was time to update the studio9ine logo from my freelance days.

Rather than create a symbol alongside the name and have the 9 within the name “studio9ine” which becomes doubled up, I decided on integrating the symbol within the name.

A friend pointed out that someone seems to have used my studio9ine name for a logo design either for an old client of theirs or just to add something to their existing portfolio. I just want to make it clear these guys did not create my logo, since I’m capable of doing them myself if not better than just choosing a font and colouring them

After installing Leopard this afternoon one of the first things I noticed had nothing to do with the updated operating system, but rather how form input buttons appeared in Safari. The classic silver aqua look had been replaced with a flat, unattractive, style that (for me anyway) left a lot to be desired.

But then I noticed something even stranger — not every web site had this problem. Inputs on some web sites looked like they used to, while others (including most of mine) were flat and fugly.So I googled around, but couldn’t find anything written about this. So I started messing around with my style sheets, turning attributes assigned to forms and inputs on and off, until I found the culprit: background.

Turns out in Safari 3 if you assign a background color to inputs the browser removes the aqua style button and uses the flat-button style to replicate the color you’re after. So if you have flat button syndrome, kill the background color assigned to your inputs (or create a specific class for inputs that has background set to none) and you’re be good to go.

Last week Jasmin and I went to Orbit fitness in Joondalup (near Freedom / Bunnings) and upon entering were greeted by Rob who was very helpful and friendly.

After spending a good 20-30 mins talking with Rob about a various weight machines and a cross-trainer that we have at home along with the newer treadmills. These newer treadmills (look like the command centre of a Star Wars Imperial Star-Destroyer) now have LCD screens in them which play DVD’s – good idea in theory but exercising to Lord of the Rings movie for example, if I got too engrossed in the film (not that it would happen with LOTR since I can’t stand that movie), spending 3 hours to watch the movie on the treadmill is probably pushing the cardio workout a little too much.

Anyway at the end of the discussion we decided on the Paragon weight bench, looks exact to whats in the photo minus the ezy-curl bar/weights. The preacher curl pad (shown) is an additional extra along with the leg extension pads/attachment (not shown either) – which we purchased.

The great thing about this bench is the backrest pad isn’t straight, it has an hourglass like shape which works well behind your shoulders so as not to put odd strain on the shoulders/scapula (shoulder blades) as you lower the weights back down for a bench press/flys etc compared to normal straight backed benches.

This is a commercial grade/quality bench also with thick padding and comfy padded back and seat rests making it perfect to lift those heavy weights and since its replacing the K-mart style bench I bought from a friend at the time of doing the Personal Training course for $50, it served its purpose well but couldn’t do decline or inclines too great. Plus it did get a little scary at times of lifting heavy weights hoping it didn’t collapse.

After a discount it came to around $600 or so ($499 for the bench itself and the rest on the leg extension attachment, as well as a padded mat to do sit-ups etc on).