Of meaning only to the vaguely PHP-savvy

Friday, October 5th, 2007

I’ve updated the PHP code inside all the files in the current theme in the hope that this stops the random switching to the default theme that has been happening ever since upgrading to WP 2.3. Deprecated tags have been replaced (list_cats becomes list_categories, for example). Time will tell if I’ve solved the problem.

To be honest I’m quite impressed with myself for taking the bull by the horns and going into the code. I’ve learned something of PHP—just a little—as I’ve gone along, ever since I first switched to a self-hosted WordPress installation. I’m a long way from being an expert, though I’d like to be. Still, one of the best ways to learn anything is as you go along (and, in the case of websites, ensuring you have backups before you tinker just in case).

I hadn’t used the web creation tool Adobe Dreamweaver in years until today, although I’ve had a copy of the CS3 version for a while now as part of the Adobe Creative Suite that includes Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat. The last time I used Dreamweaver it was a Macromedia product, but I was pleased to see while it’s been massively improved upon it remains fairly familiar. I used it as far back as when it was called GoLive when I used to content manage websites for a living.

Over the past month I’d almost completely switched to using Apple’s Safari browser, simply but reasonably enough because it loads pages in a fraction of the time it takes Firefox (which nevertheless remains an excellent browser, unlike Microsoft’s Internet Explorer which remains the crapware it’s been for years). I was still using Firefox for one purpose, though: using the FireFTP plugin for accessing files on my FTP server. However, having at last got round to trying out Dreamweaver CS3 I will be using that from now on.

There’s no contest. Dreamweaver CS3 is far superior not only for the basic task of uploading and downloading files but I can also work on the PHP code and then synchronise remote and local copies of everything with ease from within the one package. I can’t fathom why I didn’t give it a go before today. I’m glad I did.

Oh, and a tech-tip for Mac users: there’s a fantastic shareware application called BookIt that synchronises your bookmarks across any and all browsers that happen to be on your hard drive. It’s very easy to use. It’s useful in our house because my beloved has thus far resisted using Safari, sticking with Firefox. It’s also going to be useful if you prefer, say, Firefox or Opera but have an iPhone or iPod Touch with Safari built-in. As those two devices sync bookmarks with Safari on your Mac, BookIt allows you to still use your preferred browser on your computer but access all your bookmarks when out and about. I’m sure there’s going to be a Windoze equivalent (not that I care anymore).

Sticking with all the technology talk, I can’t believe eBay actually points out it isn’t Safari-compatible if you log in using that browser. There’s no excuse given the huge profits that company makes. I mean, even banking sites are compatible now and it took them a while. What’s particularly galling is it offers advice on switching to a different browser. I don’t like (a) being patronised or (b) being told what to do.

Okay, that’s me done with the geekery for now. Please let me know if that damned irritating problem with the default theme showing up happens again (assuming I don’t spot it before you do).

categories: all wired up