Beginnercode.com » ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com The adventures of an amateur coder Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:17:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.beginnercode.com http://www.beginnercode.com/wp-content/themes/neuron/favicon.ico Beginnercode.com Using ui autocomplete as a dropdown, with type in http://www.beginnercode.com/2010/04/01/using-ui-autocomplete-as-a-dropdown-with-type-in/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2010/04/01/using-ui-autocomplete-as-a-dropdown-with-type-in/#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:25:46 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/?p=298 I had been using an autocomplete plugin by bassistance. 2 months later jQuery UI added autocomplete to their list of widgets. Like many plugins out there I was unable to find an autocomplete that was easy to use for my purposes. The closest I recently came to was the sexy combo plugin. I cant remember why but it was just a tad short of what I wanted to do, and I’m still quite a javascript novice.

I came up with a way to use the jQuery UI autocomplete widget as a <select> that you could also type in something if the choices in the dropdown didn’t fit your needs.

ui-autocomplete-dropdown

This example uses a local data source, but you can come up with creative ways to use remote JSON sources if you like.

<script type="text/javascript">
	$(document).ready(function() {

		// dropdown/ auto suggest
		$(".ui_dropdown").autocomplete({
			minLength: 0,
			delay: 0
		});

		$(".ui_dropdown").click(function(){

			var input = $(this);
			var inputID = input.attr('id');

			// close if already visible
			if (input.autocomplete("widget").is(":visible")) {
				input.autocomplete("close");
				return false;
			}

			// set source(s)
			var myData = '';
			if(inputID == 'input1'){
				myData = ["foo","bar","hello","world"];
			} else {
				myData = ["1","2","3","4"];
			}

			// load source
			input.autocomplete({
				source: myData
			});

			// fire search event
			input.autocomplete("search", "");
			input.focus();
			return false;
		});		

	});
</script>

In this script I am using the input id’s to define the data source.

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2010/04/01/using-ui-autocomplete-as-a-dropdown-with-type-in/feed/ 20 Cloning table rows and jQuery UI Datepicker() http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/12/17/cloning-table-rows-and-jquery-ui-datepicker/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/12/17/cloning-table-rows-and-jquery-ui-datepicker/#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:22:49 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/?p=254 I’m rather new to both javascript and jQuery. I ran into an issue while cloning table rows that had inputs, and jQuery UI datepicker.

The cloned datepicker input would insert the picked date into the original inputs rather than the cloned row.
cloneDatepicker

The inputs in my table rows had no ID’s. So what I found was either jQuery or UI was dynamically creating it’s own DOM id’s for the inputs in the table rows that had the datepicker call. Datepicker also was dynamically inserting a class “hasDatepicker” into the inputs that had the datepicker call.

I resolved this by:
1. Looping through the cloned rows inputs looking for any inputs with the class “hasDatepicker”.
2. Removing the hasDatepicker class from any inputs with that class.
3. Getting that inputs current id, incrementing it by 1, and reassigning it.
4. Re-initializing the datepicker call.

<script type="text/javascript">

$(document).ready(function(){

  // -- Clone table rows
  $(".cloneTableRows").live('click', function(){
    // do the cloning...

    // new rows datepicker need to be re-initialized
    $(newRow).find("input").each(function(){

      // if the current input has the hasDatpicker class
      if($(this).hasClass("hasDatepicker")){
        var this_id = $(this).attr("id"); // current inputs id
        var new_id = this_id +1; // a new id
        $(this).attr("id", new_id); // change to new id
        $(this).removeClass('hasDatepicker'); // remove hasDatepicker class
        $(this).datepicker(); // re-init datepicker
      }

    });

  });

});

</script>

Whats really neat about this particular js, is that you can call it from any table that has an id.

The only thing I have yet to figure out is how to reset the cloned datepicker to use the default class called date format.

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/12/17/cloning-table-rows-and-jquery-ui-datepicker/feed/ 3 Free DVD Software through October 31 http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/10/20/free-dvd-software-through-october-31/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/10/20/free-dvd-software-through-october-31/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:17:38 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/?p=236 ripperwinxdvd.com is giving away DVD Authoring, and DVD ripping software between now and October 31, 2009.

I downloaded and installed as soon as darkmoon told me about it. Thanks for the tip. They installed smoothly on my system, and at the price of FREE you can’t go wrong. Go grab your copies!

DVD Authoring: here
DVD Ripping/ Converting: here

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/10/20/free-dvd-software-through-october-31/feed/ 1 Javascript: Focus() on a textbox http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/08/12/javascript-focus-on-a-textbox/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/08/12/javascript-focus-on-a-textbox/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:09:47 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/?p=233 A dirty way to run js script inline and bring focus to an element:

<html>
<body>

    <form method="post" action="index.php" id="myForm">
        <p> Login: <input type="text" name="pwd" id="pwd" />  </p>
    </form>

    <script type="text/javascript">document.myForm.pwd.focus();</script>

</body>
</html>

Notice that both the form and form element have an ID

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/08/12/javascript-focus-on-a-textbox/feed/ 2 Backup your Notepad++ FTP items http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/08/04/backup-your-notepad-ftp-items/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/08/04/backup-your-notepad-ftp-items/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:02:08 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/?p=202 So in addition to reformatting friends and relatives computers, about every 2 years I clean out my own. Each time I have, I’ve lost my Notepad++ FTP synchronize settings.

In Vista they can be found in:
C:\Users\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\plugins\config\FTP_synchronize.ini

notepadFTPBackup

Copy them to backup and replace. In case an update gets hosed, or you are re-installing.

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/08/04/backup-your-notepad-ftp-items/feed/ 0 Get Acrobat Reader WITHOUT Adobe Update manager http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/07/30/get-acrobat-reader-without-adobe-update-manager/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/07/30/get-acrobat-reader-without-adobe-update-manager/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:16:50 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/?p=198 Recently I’ve been helping out friends and relations reformat a few computers. They are older, but are speedy enough for their basic needs. One of the sick system hogs (I’ve found) is the adobe update manager.

Most browsers come with update managers, so I feel the update manager is bloated and not necessary. It likes to place its services in the startup causing unneeded processing power.

When it came to reformatting my own laptop, there was no way I was going to install acrobat reader from adobe using their typical download page. Which incidentally, if your not careful will also install a toolbar. You need to uncheck that option.

Adobe does have a page where you can download directly without the ridiculous manager. Hat tip to Walker News, who provided me with the adobe direct download link. (http://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/).

UPDATE: This no longer works. I now run older versions from old version.com

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2009/07/30/get-acrobat-reader-without-adobe-update-manager/feed/ 0 Despite rampant bailouts, decency and self responsibility still live. http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/11/17/despite-rampant-bailouts-decency-and-self-responsibility-still-live/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/11/17/despite-rampant-bailouts-decency-and-self-responsibility-still-live/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:04:49 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/index.php/2008/11/17/despite-rampant-bailouts-decency-and-self-responsibility-still-live/ bailoutSign

So enraged at the bailouts I bought myself a nifty yardsign from cafepress. I’ve had several passerby’s knock on my door and ask where I got it. Even a few cars stopped and inquired.

Last Friday night we had just crawled into bed (was a rough week), and there was a knock at the door. It was one of those "Are you kidding me?" moments. Anyhow I went to the door. As I approached it I heard my next door neighbor lady giving a scolding. Now I was curious.

I turned on the porch lights and found her surrounded by 4 teenage boys, and she was still ripping them a new one. She spotted a strange vehicle parked along the road and had observed the teens yanking and ripping my sign from the ground. She basically arrested them, and brought them to my door. Most of them had a "ruh-roh" look in their eyes. She had asked them if they knew what "restitution" meant. One of them who seemed to care less what happened to them attempted to answer.

Then it dawned on me. It was getting colder, and the leaves on my silver maples finally fell, and I have been incredibly busy with life lately. Perfect! I suggested to the young men that 1/2 hour of raking from each of them would cover the expense as well as the inconvenience. However, it was late at night. My neighbor reminded the boys that she got their license plate. I asked them to return the next day on their honor to come and rake. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my share of mischief in my youth. So in a way I was thinking "awww you are sooo busted". Then I thought about the $30 the sign cost me, and how I don’t work for someone else to throw my work away. So then I was getting upset, especially since the sign was specifically about bailouts.

Much to my surprise 3 of the 4 showed up while I was at work. My wife handed them all rakes and away they went. I just want to say how proud I am of the young men who showed for their correction. These boys will go far in life if they continue to abide by such morals (which certainly means they don’t fit the bill for a congress person).

My wife gave them all bottled water. My toddler even went out and talked with them. One of them was aspiring to be a dentist. Funny how it struck me. At first I could care less.  After the whole thing was finished I realized it worked out exactly how it was supposed to. No bailouts for them, no grudges on both parties. Just facing the music, like men, and moving on.

As for the one that had no spine… I’m quite sure that he will someday be forced to grow one, but it’s too bad that it will probably be in a much severe way later in life. If he doesn’t learn life lessons now, he’ll end up in congress.

I’m so glad there are people like my neighbors and that there are young men like this.

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/11/17/despite-rampant-bailouts-decency-and-self-responsibility-still-live/feed/ 1 Return key doesn’t play nice in web form using Internet Explorer http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/09/26/return-key-doesnt-play-nice-in-web-form-using-internet-explorer/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/09/26/return-key-doesnt-play-nice-in-web-form-using-internet-explorer/#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:40:00 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/index.php/2008/09/26/return-key-doesnt-play-nice-in-web-form-using-internet-explorer/ I ran across an interesting situation where some users of mine were complaining that a form I created “didn’t work”. Kind of strange to get this complaint after almost a full year of operation. I remember testing the xhtml and css design in both firefox and IE browsers and it all checked out. What I didn’t think of checking was the behavior of browsers when one presses the return key. With the help of Fiddler (thanks to Casey Williams for the Fiddler suggestion) this is what I discovered:

IE Firefox
Submit Button Clicked All inputs $_POSTed All inputs $_POSTed
Return Key Pressed All inputs $_POSTed
except form buttons		 All inputs $_POSTed

(For a larger, more detailed image click here)

As you can see, when my IE users were pressing the return key, the button itself was not being $_POSTed. So what right? Well what if you were checking if the submit button was pressed before doing any processing? Like so…

< ?php
if(isset($_POST['button_name'])){
    // validate the user entries...
}
?>

This would fail if the user hit the return key in IE7. I haven’t tested earlier versions.

View the example. Test it in both browsers.

Right now the only thing that was suggested to me was to add a hidden field to mimic the submit button in your form like so:

<form ...>
    <input type="hidden" name="button_name" value="whatever"... />
</form>

That works just fine.

From perusing irc and several forums, the only response as to WHY this happens are comments like “It’s IE, what do you expect?”. I’m already annoyed that IE doesn’t think it has to adapt to web standards, but this ont really caught me off guard.

I’m wondering if any readers might have some input on my inputs ;P

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/09/26/return-key-doesnt-play-nice-in-web-form-using-internet-explorer/feed/ 5 Talk like a pirate day 2008 http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/09/19/talk-like-a-pirate-day-2008/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/09/19/talk-like-a-pirate-day-2008/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:46:35 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/index.php/2008/09/19/talk-like-a-pirate-day-2008/ Ahoy there!
Just a reminder that today is talk like a pirate day! Arggghhh!

All posts and comments for today will be translated in to pirate speak by using the nifty text plugin from Dougal Campbell. It looks like it hasn’t been updated in a while, but it still works. At least in version 2.1.3.

So what are you waiting for people!? Let’s have some fun in the comments!

]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/09/19/talk-like-a-pirate-day-2008/feed/ 1 Screen shots a snap with Vista snip tool http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/07/29/screen-shots-a-snap-with-vista-snip-tool/ http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/07/29/screen-shots-a-snap-with-vista-snip-tool/#comments Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:50:33 +0000 ^Lestat http://www.beginnercode.com/index.php/2008/07/29/screen-shots-a-snap-with-vista-snip-tool/ all programs -> accessories. By default there [...]]]> startMenu_snip I was searching my Vista accessories for hyperteminal and stumbled upon a built in screen shot tool in Vista called Snipping Tool. I’m sure to most it’s nothing new, but coming late in the game leaves for more surprises!

You can find it in the start menu -> all programs -> accessories.

By default there is an outline around any window space that you choose to grab. This can be turned off by clearing the check box in the options ->“Show selection ink after snips are captured“.

snip_Options

You can take snips of menus and the like this:

  1. Open Snipping Tool
  2. Press Escape
  3. Navigate to the menu, or start menu area
  4. Press Ctrl + Print Screen (PC)
  5. Use the snip tool

Of course to take screen shots of the snipping tool, I needed to use the old stand by Screen Grab Pro. Otherwise it took a selection of the desktop behind the app.

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]]> http://www.beginnercode.com/2008/07/29/screen-shots-a-snap-with-vista-snip-tool/feed/ 2