March 20, 2010

Looking

I haven't been able to get to the studio for the past two weeks. I've been using my old Nikon with b&w film to fill in the gaps. This is what I've been looking at lately, pothole/wall fills and attempts at covering up graffiti.

March 19, 2010

Room to Work

I was just thinking about how nice it would be to have a Textmate command that could help you isolate the block of code you're working on.

Here's the  idea, when you're working in a big, messy file you could:

1. highlight a block of code
2. press a key combination
3. Textmate grabs that selected block
4. opens a new file and sets it to the current language
5. pastes in the block of code
6. make all of your edits
7. press the same key combo
8. Textmate cuts the edited code
9. closes the temp document
10. replaces the original block of code with the updated version

That sounds like it would be pretty handy. When I get some time I'll try to create such a thing. Plus, I need to rework my css property arranger. Some friends (and I) have found glitches.

March 11, 2010

Number D59

Ralph's has really good macaroni.

March 5, 2010

Using jQuery's queue(), dequeue() and delay() Methods

These methods were very confusing to me so I decided to do some demystification and see what the hell was going on. jQuery's documentation sets them up as methods related to the effects api. By default this is true, but I found this little misleading.

queue() / dequeue(), in short, allows you to create a queue of functions to be executed on the matched element(s) and then execute them in order.

delay() allows you to create a delay between functions in the queue.

None of the functions are run until the dequeue() method is run. This could be a click event, for instance.

Take for instance the following code:

$(document).ready(function () {
  // cache the body element
  var body = $('body');

  /*
      Create a "bodyQueue" queue for the body element and add a function into it. After this function runs it will delay the "bodyQueue" queue by 5 seconds. None of the functions are run until an event triggers the dequeue() method. This event is defined at the end using a click on the body.
    */
  body
    .queue('bodyQueue', function () {
      console.log('1st function. Next one is delayed by 5 seconds');
      $(this).dequeue('bodyQueue');
    })
    .delay(5000, 'bodyQueue');

  // Add another
  body.queue('bodyQueue', function () {
    console.log('2nd function (delayed 5 seconds)');
    $(this).dequeue('bodyQueue');
  });

  // Add another
  body.queue('bodyQueue', function () {
    console.log('3rd function');
    $(this).dequeue('bodyQueue');
  });

  // Add another
  body.queue('bodyQueue', function () {
    console.log('4th function');
    $(this).dequeue('bodyQueue');
  });

  // Add another and delay the "bodyQueue" queue by 5 seconds.
  body
    .queue('bodyQueue', function () {
      console.log('5th function. Next one is delayed by 5 seconds');
      $(this).dequeue('bodyQueue');
    })
    .delay(5000, 'bodyQueue');

  // Add the last one
  body.queue('bodyQueue', function () {
    console.log('6th function (delayed 5 seconds)');
  });

  // Show the queued functions when the page loads
  var queue = body.queue('bodyQueue');

  console.log(
    'There are ' + queue.length + ' functions left in the "bodyQueue" queue:'
  );

  console.log(body.queue('bodyQueue'));

  // Add an event to fire the "bodyQueue" queue
  body.click(function () {
    // Run everything in the "bodyQueue" queue
    body.dequeue('bodyQueue');
  });
});

What I've defined here is a queue with the name bodyQueue, attached it to the body element and added a series of functions. When the body element registers a click event, the callback runs body.dequeue('bodyQueue'), firing the queued functions in bodyQueue.

Resources:

jQuery for Designers | API: queue & dequeue

jQuery in Action 2nd edition: Queuing functions for execution

February 26, 2010

List of Computer Term Etymologies from A-Z

C++

C++ creator Bjarne Stroustrup called his new language "C with Classes" and then "new C". Because of which the original C began to be called "old C" which was considered insulting to the C community. At this time Rick Mascitti suggested the name C++ as a successor to C. In C the '++' operator increments the value of the variable it is appended to, thus C++ would increment the value of C.

A lot of interesting back-stories.

February 13, 2010

State of the Studio

Still sketching. Trying to add more color. No idea will this is leading, if anywhere. I've realized that I don't need to know, as long as I just keep making whatever it is I want to see. This way of thinking has helped me to relax and experiment more.

I've found that I like using very wet media. This line was made with a small rubber ear syringe with a inner tube needle inserted in the tip. I've used these a lot in the past, especially while making the wine and coffee drawings.

I made new tables! I love these suckers. So much space to spread things out. At some point I'll write a how-to on making one. Pretty simple design and solid as a rock.

Thinking about the color I choose to photograph, I shot this on my way out of the studio the other night. The crack's line quality also drew me in.

The building used to be an old Army Navy store.