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Django cheat sheet
Published 1 day, 11 hours ago
With the release of Django 1.0, we're pleased to announce the release of a completely updated version of our highly popular Django Cheat Sheet which is crammed with a whole host of useful Django information.
Introduction to search engine optimization
Published 1 year, 7 months ago
With billions of web pages out there the vast majority of internet users have become reliant on search engines to find the information they are looking for. As a result, being listed near the top of appropriate searches has become a much-coveted goal. How do sites achieve this? That's where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in.
Layman's guide to web syndication
Published 1 year, 8 months ago
Talk to a web developer and they’ll tell you they’ve been using web syndication for years. But to those outside the industry it can be confusing: what does RSS mean? What is an XML feed? How do I use them? This article will explain it all, without jargon.
Django signals
Published 1 year, 11 months ago
Since December 2005, the Django web framework has supported signals (analogous to Java’s events and listeners). In this article we introduce the concept of signalling, discuss Django signals, provide examples of listening for Django's built-in signals, and show how to send custom signals.
Why are online communities so popular?
Published 2 years ago
What has prompted the expansion of people’s voice on the web? Where have these communities of bloggers and posters come from? Why have they arisen? In this article I intend to find answers to these questions and ask: “What makes online communities so popular?”
Extending Django’s database API to include full-text search
Published 2 years, 1 month ago
One valuable measure of a framework is the ease with which it can be extended to meet one's needs. Here we will introduce Django's database API, and demonstrate its flexibility by extending it to support MySQL's full-text search capabilities.
Building a more semantic web with microformats
Published 2 years, 2 months ago
This paper introduces the Semantic Web, the next stage in the development of the web. We will explain why semantics are important, how they can help computers catalogue data, and how this will benefit us as individuals. We will look at microformats, a project to help us create a more semantic web.
Beyond usability testing: user-centred design and organisational maturity
Published 2 years, 5 months ago
What lies beyond usability testing? User-centred design, based on ISO standards. We discuss this approach and the organisational maturity needed to put it into action.
Accessibility and usability for all
Published 2 years, 6 months ago
A paper discussing how the needs of all users must be addressed, including the varying level of computer literacy and competence. It is conjectured that building sites which address the specific needs of these audiences will benefit the general public as a whole.
A life online: living decentralised
Published 2 years, 7 months ago
Every wondered if you could be free of your desktop? This may be closer than you think. We discuss how you can edit documents, send emails, store photos, organise your life, and share this all with friends and colleagues - from within your browser.
The separation of structure, presentation, and behaviour as a software architecture
Published 2 years, 8 months ago
This paper discusses the MVC software architecture and how you can use it to separate structure, presentation, and behaviour when developing a web site. It talks about the benefits of such a decision and includes a working example of how to use MVC.
Issues when working with AJAX
Published 2 years, 9 months ago
AJAX is one of those buzz-words causing much excitement among the web-savvy, and is an integral part of the web 2.0 methodology. This technical paper covers the main stumbling-blocks you're likely to come across with AJAX: instantiating the necessary Javascript object, building the request, and using the response.
The publishing house: an exploration of the internet publishing revolution
Published 2 years, 10 months ago
This paper investigates the continuing role of the internet in publishing and discusses how internet publishing might evolve to better deal with the swell of published works.
Web 2.0: a very short introduction
Published 2 years, 11 months ago
A profound change is happening at the cutting-edge of web development: no longer is the information on a site restricted to that site alone. Instead, the information is free; it is being distributed across the web. Welcome to Web 2.0.
Good writing on your web site: how and why you should ensure the quality of your content
Published 3 years ago
This white paper, the first in a series, discusses how you can improve your search-engine ranking through good writing, and the tools that can help you.