Darice de CubaA weblog about everything

I am a Mac person since beginning 2004. The year before, still in college, I got hooked on weblogs that talked about XHTML/CSS and web standards which where a hot topic back then. Most of those webloggers are Mac users. When they talked about the apps they used and the browsers I just fell in love when seeing screenshots of their setups. Incidentally it was then that I ditched Internet Explorer for good and started using Mozilla.

So when I started my six months internship I decided to save the money and buy an iBook which I did. Now I’m on my third Apple computer, the Mac Mini. Plus I have a netbook with Leopard on it, so I really kicked that Windows habit cold turkey back then.

While many people’s objection to a Mac is that it doesn’t has many choice in apps like on Windows, which by the way is becoming less true. The apps available for the Mac are way nicer and better than Windows in my personal opinion. But then again everyone likes something different.

The apps

TextMate

For coding PHP, HTML, Javascript and others except CSS, I use TextMate. TextMate is a very versatile coding app that supports more then 50 languages. I’m not a hardcore coder so I don’t take advantage of all the shortcuts, macros, etc. But the lightweight and simplicity of the app is what attracts me. I use the very hard to find iLife color theme and Anonymous Pro as font. You can find the iLife theme in this theme bundle.

When editing files through Unix command I also use TextMate for editing. With a simple mate php.ini the task is done. I remember using vi for editing and it was just a pain while with TexMate and most other editors supporting command line it’s way easier. It even supports sql files, which make it a breeze to scan the content and with find and replace I can edit the whole sql file in one click to change tables name for example. Although this is something most apps dealing with code are able to do.

CSSEdit

For writing CSS I use CSSEdit which is like the easiest CSS editor I have ever used. It has auto-complete and suggestions, a validator and a sidebar with a list of each item you have in your style sheets plus comments that make it easy to browse your style sheet. Especially when working with large style sheets. I’m so used to using CSSEdit that I can’t even use other apps to do some small editing. At my old job they only had Windows and I never got used to using Dreamweaver.

Transmit

Another app that doesn’t has an equal on Windows, I have tried so many FTP clients on Windows and none come even close. Transmit is simple, nice interface and fast. I keep different FTP accounts sorted in folders, I live edit my files through Transmit. You can set it to edit specific files format with specific apps, so when I want to edit a css file it will launch CSSEdit, TextMate for html and php files, etc. For each FTP account I can specify which local folder to open with it so I don’t have to navigate to the local folders each time I use a different account. And with the sync option I can synchronize my local and server folders with each other. Transmit is a no-brainer to use.

I feel the price for each of these apps are worth it, I use them daily and they make my work flow easier. Which reminds me, all these three apps support the use of tabs. This means minimal windows clutter when working on several files at once.

Before settling for these apps I tried others like BBEdit, Coda, StyleMaster but none where to my taste. As long as TextMate, CSSEdit and Transmit do the job I want I’m satisfied.

Last week I spend reading Don’t make me think by Steve Krug. It was for work that I decided to purchase the book and I’m glad I did. It isn’t often you get such good books in content and writing. Now that I read it I see websites from a whole different point of view.

I was always aware my own weblog isn’t the best usability wise, but then my weblog is not focused in making money or providing valuable information. It’s my personal playground and outlet on the internet. But now that I’m working to better my usability knowledge I’m thinking about a new design more user focused…it’s just I quite like my current design.

I recently also purchased Five Simple Steps by Mark Boulton.

A simple approach to applying graphic design to modern web design.

I read the first two chapters and it promises to be a good read. I’m not completly inept at designing but I’m more of a coder. So I hope this book will give me some new insight on how to aproach design. While I do like that I’m able to do both design(at certain level) and code(front and server side). Sometimes it would be great if I could be a guru on one of them. But I’m more a jack of all master of none. But I have nothing to complain considering it was in year 2000 that I learned what HTML is, seems like ages ago.

Reading these books also made me think, why there isn’t any book in those format available for SQL. What I have seen a few times in the field is that lots of people are real strong at PHP or ASP. But the the databases lacks a lot. If it wasn’t for college I wouldn’t be good at databases at all. But there we had written and practice exam on relational databases and SQL. It was a prety hard course which forced me to really delve into it.

So now out of habit I will spend a few hours mapping out a database, thinking of all possible relations and possible sitauations. This way I minimize the chance of having to rehaul the database if a script is adjusted dramatically in the future. But on SQL queries a book would be handy, with real life examples using apps like Wordpress, or some other popular application.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for more useful books like these. Like “Don’t make me think” has been out for years already and just now came to my attention how such a good book it is. So sometimes the good ones slip under the radar. If you know any book I might like let me know.