Archive for the ‘Web Design’ Category
What a Great WordPress Plugin Looks Like.
A good Word press plugin must have the following characteristics:
Straightforward and easy install procedure: Installation is the main process in the implementation of a plugin especially for a system such as WordPress. WordPress has a lot of features already built in and the plugins are developed to complement these features and add custom features for the easy administration and manipulation. If the installation of this system is complicated the administrator won’t go for it.
Straightforward un-installation process: Un-installation is as important thing for a plugin as the installation process. Un-installation gives the administrator the power to decide when to remove the plugin when it has no more function to perform, no administrator would want a plugin that cannot be removed and remain there forever.
Easy Upgrade of the plugin: A plugin would need updates to keep it running smoothly. A good plugin must be able to upgrade without troubling the user in any ways. Most software, however simple or complex it is needs constant upgrades to make it more stable and secure. Upgrades can also add features and options into the existing set to make the plugin more interesting and useful.
Language support: Good plugins always has options for other languages apart from English. Localization of a plugin is an important thing. People from many demographics use the WordPress software as Content Management System and Blogging system. A language is very important in both cases because not all end-users would know English and it is the duty of the administrator to make sure that the content is readable by most users.
Error recovery and processing of the error: It is always good to have error recovery system built into a plugin, this makes sure that the administrator is able to find out what the error is and correct it if he can, or in the case of a complex error go to the developer for support.
Import and Export options: There has to be an import and export option for any software plugin like the ones in Worldpress, this would enable the administrator while porting the whole system to someplace else or while changing the back end.
Great looking user interface: A good user interface is very important to make sure that the administrator is able to understand and work in the plugin.
Security of the system: Plugins have to be less vulnerable to attacks and make sure that an attack is not initiated on the system though the plugin. This is a very big concern and good plugins have good security features.
Keeping the records of the changes made: A good change log is necessary to keep track of changes.
Good support: A plugin that is well supported and documented is a big plus.
A great WordPress plugin must have all this and a few more features.
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Creating a Basic Web Design Template
A “template” is simply a design format which you can apply to all (or most) of the pages in your web site. The first advantage of using a “template” system is that it allows you to make your most important design decisions at the beginning, and then just focus on content. The second advantage is that it allows you to quickly create new pages based on your standard design.
The disadvantage is that many template-based websites look homogenized and seem to lack a unique character. Designers who sell templates tend to use the same formats over and over again, insert the same generic images, and use the same techniques.
Just as important, templates are often not ready-to-go right out of the box. They almost always need modification, and often modifying a professionally prepared template is difficult because the designer will have used techniques you may not fully understand or are specific to the tools he or she used to create it.
So it is preferable not to think of a web template as the kind of thing you buy from an online template store. Rather just think of it as a basic page format that can be used over and over again. The best template is therefore one that uses “standard” techniques that can be modified without the use of specialized tools or programs (like Front Page or Dreamweaver).
Creating a Basic Template
If you are not familiar with web design, try working with a “bare bones” template to begin with. There are two ways you can go. You can work with basic HTML and tables, or you can create your basic template with CSS. Since CSS is rapidly becoming the new standard, it is probably better to begin with CSS — especially if you have not yet become used to constructing web pages with tables.
CSS stands for “Cascading Style Sheets”, but at the beginning it is not important to understand what that means. What is important is to understand that CSS allows you to create a set of formatting parameters in a “style sheet” (a separate file) which you then can very easily apply to your individual pages. In other words, you separate the “style” from the “content”.
A simple style sheet can contain just three or four design elements. Here is an example which you are free to copy (right click and “Save target as” to a location on your hard drive, then change its name to “sample-1.css”.)