Blog

Programming insights to Storytelling, it's all here.

Ibrahim Diallo

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2015

August

Popups are dead, long live popups

Popups are dead, long live popups

We did it, we killed popups. Most of the time I don't even notice that some websites are trying to load a popup because the browser automatically blocks them. For those that manage to circumvent the browsers rules, I have an extra popup add-on that blocks them too. We should celebrate. We won the war!

My code doesn't work

My code doesn't work

One of the biggest problem we have in programming is: It doesn't work. When you talk to a mechanic, telling him "My car doesn't work" will not help him find a solution. You may say, the car doesn't turn on, I have a flat, the fog lights are always off. Not only this tells the mechanic that your car doesn't work, but it also gives him an idea of what is not working, helping him find a solution faster.

Dear developer, leave scrolling alone

Dear developer, leave scrolling alone

Developers are so nice. They want to do all the work for you so you don't have to lift a finger. If you look at modern video games, you press a single button and the character runs, jumps, shoots all the enemies while in the air, tackles the big boss, saves the world and is home in time for supper. Then when you press 2 buttons together... you get the point.

July

Do I have to use external CSS and JS files?

Do I have to use external CSS and JS files?

Every article you read will tell you to use external files for your CSS and JavaScript. Is this rule warranted for? Are there any advantages to it? Is it considered best practice? Yes, yes, yes. There are quite some good reasons to do so, but when we leave the world of web pages and enter applications, the rule is not so strict.

Master your skills

Master your skills

You can't keep up with the new things that technology brings to the table. Everyday, there are new things that come out and despite how much you try to ignore them, the whole world is taking them seriously. When there is a new JavaScript framework that comes out, you ignore it. Rightfully so. But every job post you look at requires a minimum 3 years experience using it.

Windows Phone? Android? or iPhone?

Windows Phone? Android? or iPhone?

The answer to this question has ended friendships, ruined relationships and lives. OK maybe not, but I am certain for the friendship parts. Just like people call themselves PC or Mac, the mobile industry has found a way to segregate us once more. We have the iPhone people, and the Android people. There are no Windows people, sorry. (Just like there are no Linux people)

Slowing down the web cause we can

Slowing down the web cause we can

A couple times a months, I play call of duty online. It is fascinating that when you are really into the game, you forget that the people you are playing with are no where near you. They could be thousands of miles away yet, playing the game feels instantaneous.

CRUD

CRUD

After the hello world application, the logical step for a beginner is to learn to build a CRUD. CRUD stands for Create Read Update and Delete. It refers to an application that can perform each of those tasks the name implies. The term is also often used to say a project is too simple, it's just a CRUD app. Most applications on the web do just that and after so many years of working as a web programmer, I can assure you that it is not so simple.

How to set up a firewall properly on your web server

How to set up a firewall properly on your web server

One of the things that get usually ignored on a server is the firewall. A firewall is a security measure to block all unwanted connections. Unfortunately, the rules are written in gibberish. That's how I felt every time I had set up a new server. I have to search through multiple tutorials to find the right values to add to my settings. This is my attempt to document as much as possible so I can come back here to refresh my mind, and you can help yourself too of course.

Understanding Cascades and Specificity in CSS

Understanding Cascades and Specificity in CSS

When you follow a CSS tutorial, you are presented with the simplest situations possible. When you want to change the color to a paragraph, write some pseudo code including color: red and the color changes to red. This is simple enough. However the moment you start creating styling for a whole website, you realize that things don't work the way you want them too. Sometimes you set a color to white, but it shows black. Other times, no matter how much you try, any of the styles you are applying simply refuse to work.

JS Tip of the day

Use of requestAnimationFrame for animation

It's hard to see what requestAnimaionFrame() does without reading about it. The traditional way of doing animation is to generate one frame then then run setTim…

Photography