http://w-dev.net/articles/ en_GB 240 http://w-dev.net/img/icon_rss.png http://w-dev.net/ 88 79 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk/ Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://w-dev.net/articles/Database-Design-for-Web-Applications_5.html RDMS Design for Websites. Designing the database for a web application is critical. Get it right at the beginning, and everything will run smoothly/smoother. Discover you need to change the structure half-way through a project, and it's a nightmare. The theory on relational databases can be somewhat dry, but's important to remember that it's theory with a very practical application. Modelling Designing the database should be the first thing you do, before writing any code. Step away from the keyboard, get a pen and some paper, and begin analysing the system and determine the major objects http://w-dev.net/articles/Database-Design-for-Web-Applications_5.html http://w-dev.net/articles/comments.php?id=5 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://w-dev.net/articles/Launching-a-New-Website_4.html 3 2 1 Lift Off! Getting a new site off the ground. As part of a project, I'm sometimes required to help launch a new website that I've helped create. Even if as a developer you're not responsible for promotion, you still need to take care of the technical things such as correct meta-tags in dynamic pages, XML sitemaps, etc. Things to Make Clear First There's a couple of things you need to make clear to your client (and be clear about yourself). Build It and They Will Come... isn't true. It takes time and effort (and sometimes money) to get visitors. You won't appear in the search engine indexes for at least a couple of weeks, and it will take months before the site will appear high in organic search results http://w-dev.net/articles/Launching-a-New-Website_4.html http://w-dev.net/articles/comments.php?id=4 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://w-dev.net/articles/7-Deadly-Web-Design-Sins_3.html Suggestions on what not to do. A subjective list of things not to implement in a web design. When The Stars Are Right Designs Websites that say something along Best viewed at 1024x768, in IE 6.105, with one eye squinting, and when Saturn is conjunct with Uranus. This cartoon expresses pretty well what I feel about this. It usually means the designer was too lazy to test anywhere apart from their own machine http://w-dev.net/articles/7-Deadly-Web-Design-Sins_3.html http://w-dev.net/articles/comments.php?id=3