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jParse is a jQuery plugin that allows you to quickly and easily parse XML file that has been fetched with an Ajax request. jParse gives you options for custom output, limit, count of items and the ability to run functions before and after jParse is finished. It is lightweight and cross browser code that has been tested with Firefox 2+, IE 6+, Safari 3+ and Opera 9+.
Since jQuery ajax method does not allow for cross domain AJAX requests; the XML that you would like to parse using jParse must be on the same domain from which you are working. Using jParse is fairly simple and you can easily use it to pull value of an XML node, the value of an attribute of an XML node, or the number of <items> in an XML document.
Developed by Kyle Rush; jParse jQuery Plugin is available for download under MIT License. You can find further information, demos & download on jParse Website.
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Today, as part of our ongoing collaboration with Facebook, we released a very exciting new developer resource: the Microsoft SDK for Facebook Platform (http://www.microsoft.com/facebooksdk). This SDK combines the power of Web, client and social technologies to enable millions of developers to transform their imagination into next generation application experiences. We look forward to seeing the creative applications that developers will create for Facebook that will open up new avenues for users to share and connect with their friends.
WPF NewsFeed sample control
Since 2007, Microsoft has been working to provide developers with the option to quickly and efficiently build Facebook applications across the breadth of our portfolio, ranging from Visual Studio to Zune, Xbox Live, Windows Messenger and Live Search.
Additionally, in April 2009, we participated in the Facebook Technology Tasting event where we demoed two applications that showcased the ease of viewing photos with an application built in Silverlight and .NET (highlighted in an article by Jason Kincaid/TechCrunch: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/01/microsoft-shows-off-the-power-of-facebooks-new-apis/).
This latest release of the Facebook SDK (Toolkit) combines the latest in Web and Client platform innovations with leading Social technologies (services) together to enable millions of developers and designers to transform their imagination into the next generation application experiences.
Intellisense for the Facebook API
No matter what your application flavor is, the Microsoft SDK for Facebook Platform supports the development of applications across Silverlight, WPF, ASP.NET, ASP.NET MVC, and Windows Forms, enabling easy consumption of Facebook services delivered through the Facebook Open Stream API (http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Using_the_Open_Stream_API).
Sound daunting? It’s not – the SDK contains a wide range of samples, controls, templates and help documentation which means using the tools is a cinch. Let your imagination fly! With more than 300 million users and more than 1 million developers on Facebook, and 6M Microsoft software developers there is a whole new world waiting for you.
Get started today at www.microsoft.com/facebooksdk.
I’ve started doing some SharePoint development and have brought some of my favorite tools and practices with me. Like unit tests. And IoC. And that other SOLID stuff.
I’m writing a very basic WebPart to get started with SharePoint – this web part will display a list of links to other applications that the user is authorized to use. The source of this data (names, URLs, etc.) comes from an external-to-SharePoint system, accessed through another C# assembly. Once the web part gets the data there is some more processing to be done – we need to do more than just blindly display a list of URLs. Rather than get into details I’m just going to do some handwaving here and say that “if you have access to X, then {stuff happens}, or if you have access to Y then {other stuff happens}.” You know, business logic, stuff that is good to test.
the first thing I need to do is get business logic out of the WebPart and into something that I can write without having to reset AppPools over and over, not to mention have some unit tests to verify I’m going in the right direction. So, I created a standard application service class which has a dependency on the external authorization system, via constructor injection.
public class AuthorizedAppsService : IAuthorizedAppsService { private readonly ExternalAuthorizeService authService; public AuthorizedAppsService( ExternalAuthorizeService authService) { this.authService = authService; } public AuthorizedApplications GetAuthorizedApplications( string userName) { var allApps = authService.AuthorizedApplications(userName); // business logic stuff happens here return thoseResultsWeJustFiguredOut; } }
Next, I created a StructureMap Registry class to scan my assemblies, as well as adding in the details of how to create this external authorize service, using the typical method:
public class MyRegistry : Registry { public MyRegistry() { Scan(scanner => { scanner.TheCallingAssembly(); scanner.AssemblyContainingType(typeof(MyRegistry)); scanner.WithDefaultConventions(); }); ForRequestedType<ExternalAuthorizeService>() .AsSingletons() .TheDefault.Is.ConstructedBy(c => Provider.GetService()); // other dependency configuration... } public static void InitializeForSharepoint() { ObjectFactory.Initialize(init => init.AddRegistry<MyRegistry>()); ObjectFactory.AssertConfigurationIsValid(); } }
And then, what remains is to have SharePoint call my StructureMap initialization when my SharePoint application starts up. In an MVC or WebForms app, I’d just add code to the appropriate place in Global.asax.cs, but in SharePointLand, this is looked down on. Instead, the preferred mechanism seems to be to use an HttpModule and a FeatureReceiver to plug the Module into the app’s web.config.
public class MyStartupModule : IHttpModule { public void Init(HttpApplication context) { ConfigureOtherStuff(); MyRegistry.InitializeForSharepoint(); } public void Dispose() { } }
And then the FeatureReceiver to alter the app’s Web.Config looks something like this (note I borrowed most of this code from another sample SharePoint project:
// // this is borrowing heavily from http://www.codeplex.com/SPAXO // public class StartupFeatureReceiver : SPFeatureReceiver { public override void FeatureActivated( SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties) { var webApp = properties.Feature.Parent as SPWebApplication; AddWebConfigEntry(webApp); UpdateApp(webApp); } public override void FeatureDeactivating( SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties) { var webApp = properties.Feature.Parent as SPWebApplication; RemoveWebConfigEntry(webApp); UpdateApp(webApp); } private static void AddWebConfigEntry(SPWebApplication webApp) { SPWebConfigModification mod = GetModification(); var existingModifications = new List<SPWebConfigModification>( webApp.WebConfigModifications); if (existingModifications.FindIndex( value => value.Name == mod.Name && value.Value == mod.Value && value.Owner == mod.Owner) == -1) { // If the modifcation does not already exist // add the entry to the config webApp.WebConfigModifications.Add(mod); } } private static void RemoveWebConfigEntry( SPWebApplication webApp) { SPWebConfigModification mod = GetModification(); webApp.WebConfigModifications.Remove(mod); } private static SPWebConfigModification GetModification() { string asmName = typeof(StartupModule).AssemblyQualifiedName; string typeName = typeof(StartupModule).FullName; return new SPWebConfigModification { Path = "configuration/system.web/httpModules", Name = String.Format(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, "add[@name='{0}'][@type='{1}']", typeName, asmName), Sequence = 0, Owner = asmName, Type = SPWebConfigModification. SPWebConfigModificationType.EnsureChildNode, Value = String.Format(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, "<add name='{0}' type='{1}' />", typeName, asmName) }; } private static void UpdateApp(SPWebApplication webApp) { // Update the Web App and apply the changes // to all servers in the farm webApp.Update(); webApp.Farm.Services .GetValue<SPWebService>() .ApplyWebConfigModifications(); } }
Five years ago today, Firefox 1.0 was released. Thank you (and Safari, Opera, and other modern browsers) for changing the Web.
Join the celebration at Five Years Of Firefox.
Posted in Browsers.
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A defining factor in any freelancer or agency’s success in gaining new business is their ability to market their skills effectively. In this three-part series, we will explore ways in which designers can strategically promote themselves to get new clients. Securing new business by approaching companies can be a very challenging process, full of pitfalls. Here, we will look at 10 steps to impressing potential clients and avoiding the most common mistakes.
A focused approach to work is paramount for success. Freelancers often take on every job opportunity that presents itself. Although this would rapidly expand your showcase of work, more often that not it leaves you over-stretched, with a portfolio of odds and ends instead of specialized results. Focus instead on who you would like to work with. This could be based on a several factors, such as:
Once you have established the kind of organizations you would like to work with, learn how their businesses work. Visit a range of websites in the field and ask yourself some key questions, such as:
These kinds of questions will give you important insight into the services that an organization requires and, therefore, what services you can offer.
The power of face-to-face contact should not be underestimated. A common temptation for graphic designers is to manage their small empire from behind a desk over the Internet. Although work can be found online, the relationship between client and designer is often fleeting. Build strong links with your clients, which will increase the likelihood of repeat business.
One of the most important skills to learn, then, is face-to-face meetings. Meeting a client face to face forces them to give you their undivided attention. You will be able to convey your passion much more effectively and personally.
Actively seek out opportunities to meet potential clients face to face. Cold-calling or emailing can be a tiring and disheartening experience and may give you limited results. Instead, when approaching a business for the first time, find out the name and contact details of the marketing director, which you can often find on the company’s website. If it’s not there, make a quick phone call to to ask for it.
Before making your first contact with a client, do your research. Familiarize yourself with their business and understand of what they do. When you’re ready to make contact, have a few short sentences prepared that summarize the specific information you wish to communicate. This should include your:
Once you have arranged your meeting, research the company more extensively. Make notes on key areas of interest to develop later. For example, you could look at the company’s:
Having an informed opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of the company’s current marketing and perceived identity allow you to guide it to services that would benefit it. You may also find it helpful to compare its advertising to that of its competitors.
Also, prepare your “elevator pitch,” which is a brief summary of your business, its aims and how it helps clients. Being able to explain what you do concisely demonstrates that your business goals are clear and your approach targeted.
Standing out from the crowd is difficult, especially if you are an emerging talent. To stand out, come up with original ideas on how the company can market itself. Suggest options it may not have yet considered, such as viral marketing, Web-based promotion or targeted leafleting, and demonstrate how they would improve business.
Impress the client and exceed its expectations. If you are going to propose a website redesign, take time before your meeting to produce a few drafts of what it could look like. You could present alongside a concise wireframe showing how the information could be better presented. Alternatively, if you will be proposing to refresh the company’s branding and identity, bring some visual stimuli to support your argument. Don’t present a whole new identity, but rather suggest colors, layouts, typefaces and advertising formats that could guide the conversation.
The client will want evidence of your skill to deliver on your ideas, so bring your portfolio along to impress them, along with references and endorsements from previous clients.
Your first meeting with the potential client is of paramount importance because it will determine whether you gain their business. To make a good impression, be meticulous in your preparation. Research and plan you presentation well so that you are confident in your delivery and can support your proposals with facts. This means you should have a firm grasp of the figures and costs associated with your proposal.
For example, if you will be proposing an inner-city billboard and bus-stop marketing campaign, know the costs involved in producing large-format printing and renting advertising space. Find out the number of people who will see the advertisements daily. This will give the client a balanced appreciation of both the outlay and the benefits of your proposal.
Equally important is your appearance. Invest in a suit or smart business-wear. This will impress upon them that you are serious about what you do, which will make them take you seriously, too.
Listen to the client. This step is often missed by designers who are overly keen to explain their innovative ideas.
Listening is a powerful tool. It shows you truly care about what the client has to say. Take notes on any information they offer about the company, its plans and immediate requirements.
Every meeting with a client is an opportunity and should not be taken lightly. Approach meetings resourcefully and demonstrate your professionalism. You could even prepare a package of materials to leave with them, including:
Remember, the decision about which freelancer to hire may not rest with one person in the organization. By adhering to this simple step, you allow others who are involved in the process to see your work at their convenience, making your application even stronger.
If you do not hear from the client immediately, don’t panic or give up hope. Wait a few days, and then send a polite email, thanking them for their time. In the email, reiterate in brief your proposal and mention how you would love to work with them. Then wait. If you receive no response within three weeks of your meeting, you may wan to re-inquire by telephone. Chances are, they have not forgotten about you; moreover, your call will demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment.
Whether or not your meeting was successful, you can learn something from it. Evaluate your performance, what you did well and, importantly, what you could improve. Learn from your mistakes, and rectify them for your next venture. Your ability to do this plays a vital role in your future success.
These are just ten of the key steps to consider when approaching a company. Remember: be bold, be proactive and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Every person has their own methods of finding work, but learning these steps could be the difference between realizing a dream and settling for second best.
The following articles may be of interest:
(al)
© Peter Smart for Smashing Magazine, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us | Digg this | Stumble on StumbleUpon! | Tweet it! | Submit to Reddit | Forum Smashing Magazine
Post tags:
|
A defining factor in any freelancer or agency’s success in gaining new business is their ability to market their skills effectively. In this three-part series, we will explore ways in which designers can strategically promote themselves to get new clients. Securing new business by approaching companies can be a very challenging process, full of pitfalls. Here, we will look at 10 steps to impressing potential clients and avoiding the most common mistakes.
A focused approach to work is paramount for success. Freelancers often take on every job opportunity that presents itself. Although this would rapidly expand your showcase of work, more often that not it leaves you over-stretched, with a portfolio of odds and ends instead of specialized results. Focus instead on who you would like to work with. This could be based on a several factors, such as:
Once you have established the kind of organizations you would like to work with, learn how their businesses work. Visit a range of websites in the field and ask yourself some key questions, such as:
These kinds of questions will give you important insight into the services that an organization requires and, therefore, what services you can offer.
The power of face-to-face contact should not be underestimated. A common temptation for graphic designers is to manage their small empire from behind a desk over the Internet. Although work can be found online, the relationship between client and designer is often fleeting. Build strong links with your clients, which will increase the likelihood of repeat business.
One of the most important skills to learn, then, is face-to-face meetings. Meeting a client face to face forces them to give you their undivided attention. You will be able to convey your passion much more effectively and personally.
Actively seek out opportunities to meet potential clients face to face. Cold-calling or emailing can be a tiring and disheartening experience and may give you limited results. Instead, when approaching a business for the first time, find out the name and contact details of the marketing director, which you can often find on the company’s website. If it’s not there, make a quick phone call to to ask for it.
Before making your first contact with a client, do your research. Familiarize yourself with their business and understand of what they do. When you’re ready to make contact, have a few short sentences prepared that summarize the specific information you wish to communicate. This should include your:
Once you have arranged your meeting, research the company more extensively. Make notes on key areas of interest to develop later. For example, you could look at the company’s:
Having an informed opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of the company’s current marketing and perceived identity allow you to guide it to services that would benefit it. You may also find it helpful to compare its advertising to that of its competitors.
Also, prepare your “elevator pitch,” which is a brief summary of your business, its aims and how it helps clients. Being able to explain what you do concisely demonstrates that your business goals are clear and your approach targeted.
Standing out from the crowd is difficult, especially if you are an emerging talent. To stand out, come up with original ideas on how the company can market itself. Suggest options it may not have yet considered, such as viral marketing, Web-based promotion or targeted leafleting, and demonstrate how they would improve business.
Impress the client and exceed its expectations. If you are going to propose a website redesign, take time before your meeting to produce a few drafts of what it could look like. You could present alongside a concise wireframe showing how the information could be better presented. Alternatively, if you will be proposing to refresh the company’s branding and identity, bring some visual stimuli to support your argument. Don’t present a whole new identity, but rather suggest colors, layouts, typefaces and advertising formats that could guide the conversation.
The client will want evidence of your skill to deliver on your ideas, so bring your portfolio along to impress them, along with references and endorsements from previous clients.
Your first meeting with the potential client is of paramount importance because it will determine whether you gain their business. To make a good impression, be meticulous in your preparation. Research and plan you presentation well so that you are confident in your delivery and can support your proposals with facts. This means you should have a firm grasp of the figures and costs associated with your proposal.
For example, if you will be proposing an inner-city billboard and bus-stop marketing campaign, know the costs involved in producing large-format printing and renting advertising space. Find out the number of people who will see the advertisements daily. This will give the client a balanced appreciation of both the outlay and the benefits of your proposal.
Equally important is your appearance. Invest in a suit or smart business-wear. This will impress upon them that you are serious about what you do, which will make them take you seriously, too.
Listen to the client. This step is often missed by designers who are overly keen to explain their innovative ideas.
Listening is a powerful tool. It shows you truly care about what the client has to say. Take notes on any information they offer about the company, its plans and immediate requirements.
Every meeting with a client is an opportunity and should not be taken lightly. Approach meetings resourcefully and demonstrate your professionalism. You could even prepare a package of materials to leave with them, including:
Remember, the decision about which freelancer to hire may not rest with one person in the organization. By adhering to this simple step, you allow others who are involved in the process to see your work at their convenience, making your application even stronger.
If you do not hear from the client immediately, don’t panic or give up hope. Wait a few days, and then send a polite email, thanking them for their time. In the email, reiterate in brief your proposal and mention how you would love to work with them. Then wait. If you receive no response within three weeks of your meeting, you may wan to re-inquire by telephone. Chances are, they have not forgotten about you; moreover, your call will demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment.
Whether or not your meeting was successful, you can learn something from it. Evaluate your performance, what you did well and, importantly, what you could improve. Learn from your mistakes, and rectify them for your next venture. Your ability to do this plays a vital role in your future success.
These are just ten of the key steps to consider when approaching a company. Remember: be bold, be proactive and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Every person has their own methods of finding work, but learning these steps could be the difference between realizing a dream and settling for second best.
The following articles may be of interest:
(al)
© Peter Smart for Smashing Magazine, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us | Digg this | Stumble on StumbleUpon! | Tweet it! | Submit to Reddit | Forum Smashing Magazine
Post tags:
In what is a really interesting development, global travel company Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) is to partner with Tata Communications to provide Telepresence facilities. TelePresence is the Cisco high-definition videconferencing capability that tries to emulate a face-to-face meeting.
CWT clients will be able to access Tata Communications’ global network of public Cisco TelePresence suites. They will also have access to Tata’s Global Meeting Exchange (GMX), which supports sessions between any Cisco TelePresence rooms (public or private), irrespective of the network service provider.
The CWT’s Telepresence service will help customers in determining if and when a virtual meeting meets their business needs and will manage the process from reservation through to reporting on adoption of the service and related cost savings. It’s part of a wide range of travel-related services the company is now offering, ranging from organising meetings and events, implementing best practice, advising on travel policy, etc.
"CWT recognizes the intense pressure corporations are under to contain rising Travel and Entertainment costs and maximize return on investment," said Pauline Quéré, CWT vice president, Customer Product Marketing. "By incorporating Telepresence into the full range of products and services in our demand management offering, CWT provides a compelling alternative and solidifies its role as a key partner in helping clients demonstrate measurable return on investment."
The difference is that services to date have been travel–related, whilst this is an alternative to travel. It sends out a very clear message when a travel company feels that providing a service that is an alternative to its core business is a worthy investment. There must be a lot of companies reducing or avoiding travel and they’re not all going to go back to the old ways.
Here’s a a small problem that one of customers ran into a few days ago: He was playing around with some of the sample code I’ve put out for one of my simple jQuery demos which deals with providing a simple pulse behavior plug-in:
$.fn.pulse = function(time) { if (!time) time = 2000; // *** this == jQuery object that contains selections $(this).fadeTo(time, 0.20, function() { $(this).fadeTo(time, 1); }); return this; }
it’s a very simplistic plug-in and it works fine for simple pulse animations. However he ran into a problem where it didn’t work when working with tables – specifically pulsing a table row in Internet Explorer. Works fine in FireFox and Chrome, but IE not so much. It also works just fine in IE as long as you don’t try it on tables or table rows specifically. Applying against something like this (an ASP.NET GridView):
var sel = $("#gdEntries>tbody>tr") .not(":first-child") // no header .not(":last-child") // no footer .filter(":even") .addClass("gridalternate"); // *** Demonstrate simple plugin sel.pulse(2000);
fails in IE. No pulsing happens in any version of IE. After some additional experimentation with single rows and various ways of selecting each and still failing, I’ve come to the conclusion that the various fade operations in jQuery simply won’t work correctly in IE (any version). So even something as ‘elemental’ as this:
var el = $("#gdEntries>tbody>tr").get(0);
$(el).fadeOut(2000);
is not working correctly. The item will stick around for 2 seconds and then magically disappear.
Likewise:
sel.hide().fadeIn(5000);
also doesn’t fade in although the items become immediately visible in IE. Go figure that behavior out.
Thanks to a tweet from red_square and a link he provided here is a grid that explains what works and doesn’t in IE (and most last gen browsers) regarding opacity:
http://www.quirksmode.org/js/opacity.html
It appears from this link that table and row elements can’t be made opaque, but td elements can. This means for the row selections I can force each of the td elements to be selected and then pulse all of those. Once you have the rows it’s easy to explicitly select all the columns in those rows with .find(“td”). Aha the following actually works:
var sel = $("#gdEntries>tbody>tr") .not(":first-child") // no header .not(":last-child") // no footer .filter(":even") .addClass("gridalternate"); // *** Demonstrate simple plugin sel.find("td").pulse(2000);
A little unintuitive that, but it works.
The moral of the story is – stay away from TR, TH and TABLE fades and opacity. If you have to do it on tables use the columns instead and if necessary use .find(“td”) on your row(s) selector to grab all the columns.
I’ve been surprised by this uhm relevation, since I use fadeOut in almost every one of my applications for deletion of items and row deletions from grids are not uncommon especially in older apps. But it turns out that fadeOut actually works in terms of behavior: It removes the item when the timeout’s done and because the fade is relatively short lived and I don’t extensively test IE code any more I just never noticed that the fade wasn’t happening.
Note – this behavior or rather lack thereof appears to be specific to table table,tr,th elements. I see no problems with other elements like <div> and <li> items.
Chalk this one up to another of IE’s shortcomings.
Incidentally I’m not the only one who has failed to address this in my simplistic plug-in: The jquery-ui pulsate effect also fails on the table rows in the same way.
sel.effect("pulsate", { times: 3 }, 2000);
and it also works with the same workaround. If you’re already using jquery-ui definitely use this version of the plugin which provides a few more options…
Bottom line: be careful with table based fade operations and remember that if you do need to fade – fade on columns.
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