Friday, March 29, 2024

Goodies To Go! Newsletter #377

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Goodies to Go ™

              
February 21, 2006 — Newsletter # 377

 

     This newsletter is part of
the internet.com network.

                 
http://www.internet.com

 

          Please visit http://www.htmlgoodies.com

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newsletters are sent from the domain “internet.com.”  Please use this
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e-mail or spam filter rules, if you use them.

 


Featured this week:

 

*   Goodies Thoughts – Over the Top
*   Q & A
Goodies
*   Discussion Goodies
*   News Goodies

*   Feedback Goodies
*   Windows Tech Goodie of the
Week 
*   And Remember This…

 

 

 

Over the Top

 

It has come to my attention recently, that some of the vendors upon whom we
all rely so much for the safety of our systems’ software and data are taking
their jobs very, very seriously.  So much so, in fact, that they sometimes
protect us from ourselves by preventing us from doing something we really want
to do.

 

The vendors I’m talking about are those who sell us “Internet Security”
software bundles.  Many of the recent offerings of these products include
any of a variety of “smart” technologies that detect maliciousnesses by
behavior.  Basically, they look for things that are behaving like
intruders, viruses or the like, and block them.

 

This is all well and good until you try to do something yourself that
starts to look like a bad guy to your security software.  At this point,
you are blocked yourself.

 

To be fair, they all also seem to have a means to specify an action that is
to be deemed acceptable, but it is frequently very far from apparent what,
exactly, the action is that you wish to have allowed.  If you are running a
game, for example, or visiting a company site that has “special software” that
is downloaded and installed automatically, it is quite likely that you do not
have sufficient information in advance to be able to specify the exception you
wish to allow.

 

While this security software may be good for many, it is now a bit over the
top for many other users.  It has become a little to clever for its own
good.

 

I have found several circumstances recently where it has become necessary
to remove the security package and replace it with some much simpler safety
precautions.  Most of these circumstances have cropped up in small business
offices where the staff using the computers may not be quite so familiar with
the machines they are running and therefore dont feel quite so comfortable
creation “exceptions”.

 

It has also happened to friends of mine who are game enthusiasts,
however.  In this case they are very familiar with the workings of the
games they play, but are not so much into the workings of their computers in
general.  “I just want it to work, and to keep working,” they tell
me.

 

Sometimes, simpler is better.  Next week, I’ll outline what I feel is
a simple but effective, security strategy for these situations.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

– Vince Barnes

 

 

 

 

 

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Q & A Goodies
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Questions are
taken from submissions to our Community
Mentors. You can ask a Mentor a
question by going to
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/mentors/

 


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X                       
X
X   Please take note:    X

X                       
X
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We have had a number of people indicate that their email client programs
are interpreting code examples in this newsletter as actual HTML code instead of
text.  To overcome this problem and to enable everyone to read the
newsletter, there is a period after the “<” in each tag.  If you cut and
paste to try out code examples, please remember to remove the periods. 
Wherever we intend you to use “<.” in your code, the example will show
“<..”.  In this way, you will be safely able to use a global edit to
change “<.” to “<“.  Thanks to all of you for your patience with
this; if this technique creates an undue problem for you however, please let us
know via our feedback address (see Feedback, below).

 

 

 

*** This question was submitted to our Mentor
Community.
    The answer was provided by one of our Mentor
Volunteers

 

Q. I have a webpage that has a navigation bar on the left, and want that
navigation bar to always be visible no matter how far a user scrolls down the
page.  Do I need a frame, or do I need JavaScript?

 

A. Take a look at this site:
http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex1/index.html

They have many navigation menus you can use. Just keep in mind that not all
of the menus will work with all of the browsers. Choose one that says it will
work with all of them unless you have a captured audience and know that they all
use a particular browser.

 

 

 


*** This question was submitted to our Mentor
Community.
    The answer was provided by one of our Mentor
Volunteers

 

Q. Do you know of any commands that will not display the password as you
type it, or put in a series of asterisks, while still keeping the data so that
it can be compared to the values in a database?

 

A. HTML has a password form field that displays asterisks.
<.input
type=”password” name=”var name” size=”40″ maxlength=”80″ value=”default
value”>

 

 

 


*** This question was submitted to our Mentor
Community.
    The answer was provided by one of our Mentor
Volunteers
 
Q. I have some experience with HTML and JavaScript, but
I recently visited a site that had a bunch of applet windows that popped up and
disappeared.  I would love to know how to get that.

 

A. What you were looking at was actually a Java Applet.  This is very
different from JavaScript – they are barely even related (except that they can
both be used on the web).  A Java Applet is like a program and JavaScript
is what it’s name implies, a scripting language.  The only way to get
something like that is to see if the developer at that site would be willing to
share it with you.

 

 

 


*** This question was submitted to our Mentor
Community.
    The answer was provided by one of our Mentor
Volunteers
    
Q. I would like to make a word a
clickable link to to another word…… such as 1st Th 5:17 clickable to the
scripture.

 

A. You can set an anchor that will bring up a certain part of the page
where the word is.
<. A name=”1st_th517″>  is placed by the
word.
<.a href=”#1st_th517″>Th 5:17<./a>  is placed as the
link

 

 

 


*** This question was submitted to our Mentor
Community.
    The answer was provided by one of our Mentor
Volunteers
    
Q. I’ve been using the <.BASE
FONT=3> command within the head tags thinking that would “fix” the page fonts
at a certain size, but it doesn’t. Is there any way to “fix” font size to the
way I need it for my designs to work?

 

A. I don’t use it but it does have to be used correctly. This element can
be used only within the BODY element or the HEAD element. BASEFONT should appear
before any displayed text in the body of the document. It can be overridden
using the FONT tag within the document. Maybe this is what is happening:
No
BASEFONT size specified yet.
<.BASEFONT SIZE=4> Set the BASEFONT
size.
<.FONT SIZE=2> Temporarily override the BASEFONT
size.<./FONT>
Resume the BASEFONT size. End of example.
Did you try
using a Cascading Style Sheet? You can manipulate the style of the font using
it.
<.HEAD>
<.TITLE>CSS Example<./TITLE>
<.STYLE
TYPE=”text/css”>
  H1 { font-size: x-large; color: red }
  H2
{ font-size: large; color: blue }
<./STYLE>
<./HEAD>
The
above style sheet tells the browser to show level-one headings in an
extra-large, red font, and to show level-two headings in a large, blue
font.

 

 

 

 

 

*** This question was submitted to our Mentor
Community.
    The answer was provided by one of our Mentor
Volunteers

 


Q. Hello, how can I use a jpeg picture of my own as
<.BODY
BGCOLOR=”C:WINDOWSDesktopHTMLorange.jpg”> ?

 

A. The first problem is your code instructs the browser where to find the
file on your PC, so it will work only on your PC. You need to use a relative
URL, so you can upload your site to your server and it will still work.
Typically images are in a directory called “images” which is a subdirectory of
the directory which holds your HTML files, so you should create such a directory
and code the background like so:
<.body
background=”images/orange.jpg”>.
Also note the the attribute for a
background image is “background.” “bgcolor” is for a background color. 

 

 

 


*** This question was submitted to our Mentor
Community.
    The answer was provided by one of our Mentor
Volunteers
    
Q. I am having trouble lacing an
apostrophe on my web site. How do I make the apostrophe?

 

A. You can use the ASCII code equivilent which is &#39; and it will
make the apostrophe display. Code it like
so:
<.p>&#39;<./p>
for just a plain apostrophe
or
<.p>Karen&#39;s<./p>
To get a name with an apostrophe
before the letter s.

 

 

 


*** This question was submitted to our Mentor
Community.
    The answer was provided by one of our Mentor
Volunteers
    
Q. I have link that is targeted to
open in a new browser window.  I want to force the behaviour of the new
window but cannot find out how to do so.  The behaviour I want to force is
as follows:
The browser window has no nav bar, address bar etc.; the size of
the browser window is dictated by me.

 

A. This script opens a new window:
<.SCRIPT
LANGUAGE=”javascript”>
<.!–
window.open (‘titlepage.html’,
‘newwindow’, config=’height=100,
width=400, toolbar=no, menubar=no,
scrollbars=no, resizable=no,
location=no, directories=no,
status=no’)
–>
<./SCRIPT>
The first parameter is the file
that opens in the new window, the second is the name of the window, the third is
the configuration of the window like size, toolbars and such. “No” keeps them
off, and “yes” includes them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discussion Goodies
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Have you seen the discussion forums on the HTML Goodies website?  It’s
a great place to get help from others who, just like you, are developing web
pages.  Many different topics appear in the forum, and a new one will
appear if you create it!  Here’s a sample of recent topics:

 


 


 


 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News Goodies
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Zero Day Exploit Hits Apple’s OS X
[February 21, 2006] No patch yet
released for highly critical flaw.
Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3586416

 


Microsoft Commerce Server in Beta
[February 21, 2006] The software
maker issues a beta version of its e-commerce site builder.
Read the
article:
http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/3586406

 


Sun’s Next-Gen Enterprise Java
[February 21, 2006] If you’re
building new enterprise Java apps, forget about J2EE. It’s time for Java EE.

Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3586371

 


Microsoft Spruces Up System Management Tool
[February 21, 2006]
System Management Server 2003 Release 2 features a custom inventory tool and new
security scanning perks. 
Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3586301

 


Google Admits Security Risks
[February 21, 2006] Internet giant
agrees with report saying there is ‘unacceptable risk’ in Desktop 3 Beta for
companies.
Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3586521

 


IBM Chip Path to Cheat Moore’s Law?
[February 21, 2006] Company
researchers blaze a path to extend Moore’s Law for shrinking computer
chips.
Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3586531

 


Google’s Doors Still Shut to Blind
[February 17, 2006] Six months
after we asked, search goliath still puts up visual barriers to
registration.
Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3586166

 


Microsoft Media Player Exploits Released
[February 17, 2006] Patches
are losing the race against attacker exploits. 
Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3586106

 


Report: Amazon Tunes Into Music Downloads
[February 17, 2006] Can
the company that revolutionized book selling and set the standard for e-commerce
hit a high note in subscription music?
Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/3586206

 


Quad-core: The Next AMD vs. Intel Battleground
[February 17, 2006]
Is multi-core the new megahertz?
Read the article:
http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3585966

 

 

 


 
 
 
Feedback Goodies

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Did you ever wish your newsletter was an easy two way communications
medium?  Ploof! It now is!
If you would like to comment on the
newsletter or expand/improve on something you have seen in here, you can now
send your input to:

 


 

We already receive a lot of email every day.  This address helps us
sort out those relating specifically to this newsletter from all the rest. 
When you send email to this address it may wind up being included in this
section of the newsletter, to be shared with your fellow readers.  Please
don’t send your questions to this address.  They should be sent to our
mentors: see http://www.htmlgoodies.com/mentors/

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for all your feedback!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Windows Tech Goodie of the Week 

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Using Strongly-Typed Data Access in Visual Studio 2005 and ASP.NET
2.0

 

As this article explores, strongly-typed DataSets offer a number of
advantages over alternative, loosely-typed data access techniques and, with
Visual Studio 2005, creating and using strongly-typed DataSets has never been
easier. Read on to learn more!

 


 


*** AND ***

 


Output Methods ASP.NET Sample Code

 

This sample examines the different ways to get the value of a variable
output onto a web page at runtime. In addition to the same old Response.Write
and <%= %> methods, ASP.NET throws a few new options into the mix.

 


 


*** AND ***

 


Introducing Perst, an Open Source, OO Embedded Database for .NET

 

This article serves as an introduction to Perst, an open source, OO
embedded database for .NET. In addition to high performance and a modest
footprint, one of Perst’s greatest achievements is its tight integration with
Java and C#, resulting in exceptional ‘transparent persistence’ and ease of
use.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


And Remember This …
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1885 The Washington Monument was Dedicated

 

Honoring America’s first president and hero of the revolutionary war, the
Washington Monument was dedicated on this day in 1885.  When George
Washington died in 1799 plans were made for a monument to memorialize the Father
of the Country.  No plans were adopted, however, until the centennial of
Washington’s birth in 1832.  A design for a hollow Egyptian style obelisk
made of marble and 555 feet tall, the work of architect Robert Mills, was then
accepted.  Work progressed very slowly, stopping completely during the
Civil War and it was not until Congress allocated $200,000 in 1876, the American
Centennial, that work began in earnest.  When the completed work was
dedicated in 1885, it was the tallest structure in the world.  It is still
the tallest in the nation’s capital, an honor that is protected by a DC
law.

 

 

 

Today was also the day that in: 1431 England began the trial of Joan of
Arc; 1804 Richard Trevithick successfully ran the first rail locomotive, the
Penydarren locomotive, in Wales; 1857 the US issued the Flying Eagle cent coins;
1857 the US Congress outlawed foreign currency as legal tender in the US; 1874
Benjamin Disraeli replaced William Gladstone ans British Prime Minister; 1885
the Washington Monument in DC was dedicated; 1916 the Battle of Verdun began
(WWI – 1 million casualties); 1922 Britain granted independence to Egypt; 1925
the first issue of “New Yorker” magazine was published; 1931 Alka Seltzer was
introduced; 1947 E.H. Land demonstrated the instant developing camera in NYC;
1924 24,000 rolls of Beatles wallpaper were sent from the UK to the US; 1970 the
Jackson 5 made their TV debut on American Bandstand; 1981 Peter Sutcliffe,
dubbed the “Yorkshire Ripper” for his murder of 13 women, was captured; 
1988 actor Dudley Moore married Brogan Lane;

 


Born today were: in 1915 actress Ann Sheridan; 1924 Premier of Zimbabwe
Robert Mugabe; 1925 film director Sam Peckinpah; 1927 humorist Erma Bombeck;
1931 actor Larry Hagman; 1932 King Harald V of Norway; 1934 actress Rue
McClanahan; 1935 actor Mark McManus; 1937 actor Gary Lockwood; 1943 record
producer David Geffen; 1946 Tyne Daly; 1946 Alan Rickman; 1953 actress Christine
Ebersole; 1958 singer Mary Chapin Carpenter; 1961 actor Christopher Atkins; 1966
British actress Bronwen Booth; 1971 actor Jose Solano; 1979 actress Jennifer
Love Hewitt;

 

 

 

 

 

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