Creative CG

Web Design/Development Inspiration, Tips, Tutorials and Resources

Development

Remove Duplicate Lines Using Sublime Text 3

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Here’s a simple way to remove duplicate lines of data within Sublime Text 3. This is a common practice with creating look up tables and needing to narrow down the few unique data lines from a large batch of data. Bear in mind that this will only be useful with a single column of data. Multiple columns will not operate correctly.

  1. Select the data set where duplicates exist (or is expected to exist). If a selection doesn’t exist it’ll run through the entire file.
  2. Select Edit => Permute Lines => Unique
  3. Sublime Text will remove the duplicate lines from the data selection

And for the shortcut for this is a custom combination to be added to your user keymap:


{ "keys": ["f8"], "command": "permute_lines", "args": {"operation": "unique"} }

Dynamically Add / Remove CSS Class with jQuery

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jQuery JavaScript FrameworkjQuery has built in functions designed to add and remove a CSS class or multiple CSS classes from selected elements (selectors).

.addClass() – Adds the specified class(es) to each of the set of matched elements.
The function simply adds the class, appending it to any which may already be assigned to the elements.

$("p").addClass('newClass');

More than one class may be added at a time to the set of matched elements. Each parameter must separated by a space.

$("p").addClass("newClass1 newClass2");

It is important to note that these classes will not replace existing classes. If you wish to replace the existing style you can first use the .removeClass() function or use the .attr(“class”,”newClass”) function instead.

.removeClass() – Remove a single class, multiple classes, or all classes from each element in the set of matched elements.
If no class names are specified in the parameter, all classes will be removed.

$("p").removeClass();

If a class name is included as a parameter, then only that class will be removed from the set of matched elements.

$("p").removeClass("newClass");

Both these functions can be used together in the same line as well.

$("p").removeClass("newClass1 newClass2").addClass("newClass3");

This resulting code would remove newClass1 and newClass2 as well as add newClass3.

These functions can be used with any selected element where style is valid.

Blogging with no money or technical skills

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Wordpress“It’s gotta cost something”

Have you wanted to take your blog idea to the web only to be stopped by potential costs involved and uncertainty of how to do it?   Getting your own blog going doesn’t need to cost you anything to get started. There are many blogging solutions available that are free of charge.  All it takes in the want to do it.

“But I don’t know the first thing about web design.”

You do not need to be a web developer to blog.  In fact it takes almost no technical knowledge at all to get rolling.  Many blogging sites have been designed with the non technical person in mind.  The solutions I will be talking about have the simplicity for the newbie blogger to get started, as well as, the depth to allow the more technical savvy blogger to dig in.

“Where do I start?”

Here are five free blogging sites that offer great features and versatility for just about anything you wish to do.

WordPress.com:  Wordpress is a website/blog engine that is behind millions of websites throughout the internet.  It’s ease of installation and use makes it very user friendly.  This site itself is running with the WordPress software.  Wordpress.com takes it even further by providing the hosting and backend essentials for free.  Create a free account at wordpress.com and you can create as many blogs/websites as you can think up names.

Blog.com: Blog.com uses the WordPress engine as well.  So why use it? If you don’t have your own domain name that you want to use then when you create a site at WordPress.com and Blog.com the domain will appear as whatever.wordpress.com or whatever.blog.com.  Wordpress is huge.  You may find a domain more friendly to what you want at blog.com.  I have not been a member of blog.com for any length of time to know its reliability.

Blogger.com:  If you have a Google account you can easily use Blogger.  Blogger is a widely used blogging platform.  Once again all backend elements are taken care of.  Blogger does not have the flexibility of WordPress.  It does however have the Google backbone behind it.  This is a reliable solution.

LiveJournal.com:  Another blog platform similar to the others.  Not as customizable as other solutions.  Reliable backbone with a large community of users.

Tumblr.com:  Tumblr.com has been called a blog but it is more of a stream of consciousness.  Very easy to post  and theme but not much else to it.

If you haven’t figured it out yet I lean towards WordPress as an easy solution for multiple reasons.   You can find documentation all over the web for anything you wish to do.  Dependent upon where your blog goes, if you grow beyond the free solution you can easily port the existing blog to a hosted solution of your own.

“I signed up now what?”

This is the hardest part. Write. Put together what it is that you want the world to know.  If it’s just a daily run down of what you are doing, to a mission to end hatred, whatever it is get it down.  Write and keep writing.  When you have a reader base you can actually begin to make money through ad placement, if that is something you would like.

“I want more…”

Each of these solutions has the ability to upgrade your accounts to gain more features and functionality.  In some cases these additions will take you out of the realm of non technical and require some amounts of development or technical knowledge behind the working of the site.  The alternative is SquareSpace.

SquareSpace.com: SquareSpace has premium services at small monthly costs.  Since it has monthly costs you get more support then you would at the free sites.  The interface is easy to use and they import from other existing solutions so your blog data is not lost.  They offer two week trials for free to allow you to try and see if it is something you would be interested in.

Garage Games returns to it’s Indie roots

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Garage Games is back!  With the recent demise of InstantAction.com  Garage Games sat in an uncertain position. They were picked up by some nameless folks and restored to glory.  Garage Games aim is to restore their place in the Indie game development scene.  To celebrate their newly restored vigor they have put their engines (Torque 3D, Torque 2D and ITorque 2D) at a tremendously low price point.  $99 each!! These engines have what it takes to produce professional grade games.  This is an limited time offer that should not be missed.