Development

List Files In a Directory Using PHP

This handy PHP script will print out all the specified files (.jpg and .png):


<?php
// open this directory
$myDirectory = opendir(".");

// get each entry
while($entryName = readdir($myDirectory)) {
$dirArray[] = $entryName;
}

// close directory
closedir($myDirectory);

// count elements in array
$indexCount = count($dirArray);

// sort 'em
sort($dirArray);

// print 'em

// loop through the array of files and print them all
for($index=0; $index < $indexCount; $index++) {
if ((substr("$dirArray[$index]", -4, 4) == ".jpg") || (substr("$dirArray[$index]", -4, 4) == ".png")){ // only list jpg and png files
print('<img src="'.$dirArray[$index].'">');
}
}

?>
Development

Simple Slideshow

I needed a simple slideshow to display images on a large-screen TV and I came across Simple Fullscreen Image Slideshow. It was exactly what I needed and the codes are just so simple. I loved it so much, I replaced all my Flickity slideshows with this one. Here’s an example. Although it works as webpage, my goal is to create a digital display slider. Here’s the entire page:


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width">
<title>Slideshow</title>
<style>
@keyframes fadey {
0% { opacity: 0; }
15% { opacity: 1; }
85% { opacity: 1; }
100% { opacity: 0; }
}
body {
  font-family: Avenir, Arial, sans-serif;
  font-size: 0;
  background: #000;
}

body, figure {  margin: 0; padding: 0;}

figure#slideshow {
  width: 100%;
  margin: 0 auto;
  position: relative;
  /*border: 1px solid #000;*/
  cursor: pointer;
}
figure#slideshow img {
  position: absolute;
  left: 0; top: 0;
  width: 100%; height: auto;
  opacity: 0;
}
figure#slideshow img:first-child { position: relative; }

#container:fullscreen {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  background: #000;
}
#container:-moz-full-screen figure, #container:-ms-full-screen figure, #container:-webkit-fullscreen figure, #container:fullscreen figure {
  width: 100%;
  margin: 0 auto;
  background: #000;
}
:-webkit-full-screen {
  width: 100%; height: 100%;
}
*:-moz-full-screen {
  background: #000;
}
*:-webkit-full-screen {
  background: #000;
}
</style>

<script>
function cancelFullScreen() {
if (document.cancelFullScreen) {
document.cancelFullScreen();
} else if (document.mozCancelFullScreen) {
document.mozCancelFullScreen();
} else if (document.webkitCancelFullScreen) {
document.webkitCancelFullScreen();
} else if (document.msCancelFullScreen) {
document.msCancelFullScreen();
}
link = document.getElementById("container");
link.removeAttribute("onclick");
link.setAttribute("onclick", "fullScreen(this)");
}

function fullScreen(element) {
if (element.requestFullScreen) {
element.requestFullScreen();
} else if (element.webkitRequestFullScreen) {
element.webkitRequestFullScreen();
} else if (element.mozRequestFullScreen) {
element.mozRequestFullScreen();
}
link = document.getElementById("container");
link.removeAttribute("onclick");
link.setAttribute("onclick", "cancelFullScreen()");
}

window.onload = function() {
  imgs = document.getElementById('slideshow').children;
  interval = 8000;
  currentPic = 0;
  imgs[currentPic].style.webkitAnimation = 'fadey '+interval+'ms';
  imgs[currentPic].style.animation = 'fadey '+interval+'ms';
  var infiniteLoop = setInterval(function(){
imgs[currentPic].removeAttribute('style');
if ( currentPic == imgs.length - 1) { currentPic = 0; } else { currentPic++; }
imgs[currentPic].style.webkitAnimation = 'fadey '+interval+'ms';
imgs[currentPic].style.animation = 'fadey '+interval+'ms';
  }, interval);
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<figure id="container" onclick="fullScreen(this)">
<figure id="slideshow">
<img loading="lazy" src="img/01.jpg" alt>
<img loading="lazy" src="img/02.jpg" alt>
<img loading="lazy" src="img/03.jpg" alt>
</figure>
</figure>
</body>
</html>
Development

Hanging Punctuation in CSS

To hang your quotes in CSS, this is all you need:


html {
  hanging-punctuation: first allow-end last;
}

At the time of this writing, only Safari implemented this property. To make it work in other browsers, negative text-indent is needed. Nevertheless, I went ahead and added hanging-punctuation and removed text-indent for the title of JAY-Z’s song from the Beacon of HOV project. That way, the hanging punctuation would just work in all browsers in the future.

Development

MODX Support Team Rocks!

The MODX Support Team had proved once again to be indisputable in customer service. Their team members assisted us every step of the way to migrate the Scalia Law School’s CDN and WAF from StackPath over to CloudFlare Enterprise. We ran into a few obstacles during the process, but they were patience, responsive, and diligence in making sure that we succeeded in the migration.

If you need a CMS that offers flexibility, durability, and security, MODX is the solution. If you need a rock-solid hosting with top-notch support, MODX Cloud is the way to go. The Scalia Law School Website has been powered by MODX for more than 15 years and hosted by MODX Cloud for more than 3 years.

In the CMS space, MODX beats WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Cascade to the pulp. Hats off to Jay, Liz, Garry, Ryan, and Jimmy. You all rock!

Development

Pretty Text Wrap

I just learned about a CSS feature that would prevent orphans on text blocks. Of course, I applied it to this blog:

.content {text-wrap: pretty;}

This will make my body text less lonely (no orphans left behind). Thanks to Robin Rendle and Stephanie Stimac for the tip.

Development

Install PHP 8.2 on DigitalOcean Droplet’s Ubuntu

Perform update and upgrade to the current Droplet.

List all the installed PHP version:

ls /etc/php/

The latest version should appear on the list.

7.4 8.0 8.1 8.2

If PHP 8.2 doesn’t exist, install it, but update the package lists first:

sudo apt-get update

Run the installation:

sudo apt-get install php8.2 php8.2-cli php8.2-common

Install additional PHP modules 

sudo apt-get install php8.2-mysql php8.2-soap php8.2-bcmath php8.2-xml php8.2-mbstring php8.2-gd php8.2-curl

Disable PHP 8.0:

sudo a2dismod php8.0

Enable PHP 8.2:

sudo a2enmod php8.2

Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Source: Based on instructions by Bobby Iliev

Development

Upgrade to PHP 8.2 on DigitalOcean Droplet’s Ubuntu

Perform update and upgrade to the current Droplet.

List all the installed PHP version:

ls /etc/php/

The latest version should appear on the list.

7.4 8.0 8.1 8.2

If PHP 8.2 doesn’t exist, install it. If 8.2 exists, disable 8.0:

sudo a2dismod php8.0

If the error message (ERROR: Module php8.0 does not exist!) occurred, install:

sudo apt install libapache2-mod-php8.0

Enable version 8.2:

sudo a2enmod php8.2

If the error message (ERROR: Module php8.2 does not exist!) occurred, install:

sudo apt install libapache2-mod-php8.2

Restart Apache:

sudo service apache2 restart

If WordPress throws PHP MySQLi Extension error, install:

apt install php8.2-mysql

Restart Apache:

sudo service apache2 restart

Check WordPress’s Site Health. If the optional imagick module occurred, install:

sudo apt install php-imagick

Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl reload apache2
Development

Upgraded to MODX 3.0.4

Just upgraded Scalia Law website to MODX 3.0.4. The upgrade process in MODX Cloud is simply a click of a button. This could be the last MODX upgrade. The new site is under development in a new CMS. It is expected to launch in March, 2024. We’ll see.

Development

Directing vs. Doing

I have been using DigitalOcean Droplets to host my sites for over two years now. Setting up the cloud servers was a great hands-on learning experience. The Droplets has been stable and solid. The only downside is that I have to do the update and upgrade every few months. I am fine doing it for now, but what will happen when I am gone?

I just read blog post from Matt Mullenweg on “Preserving Harvard’s Blogging History” and Pressable seems like an ideal solution for WordPress in the long run. Pressable will take care of all the maintenance to make sure my WordPress site up-to-date. The prices are reasonable; therefore, I might consider moving my blog to it in the future. For now, I just continue to do the updates myself to keep myself up-to-date on the backend technologies.

As Director of Design and Web Services at Antonin Scalia Law School, I am doing more of directing than doing myself. I actually enjoying it. Our leader outsources all designs and developments to outside vendors; therefore, my job is to make sure that they meet our requirements. From design, accessibility, accessibility, typography, front-end development, to back-end administrations, I know exactly what we need each step of the way. I have been asking lots of questions and making lots of requests. They might get annoyed with me, but I am just doing my job.

It feels nice to be on the directing side instead of the doing side. I just need to know what the fuck I am talking about.

Development

Sass?

Do web designers and developers still use Sass? I am still using it everyday, especially for nesting. That might change once CSS Nesting gets more support in the browsers.