Portfolio

Insight for Airbus

InsightThe Insight intranet site was my first intranet project for this client and was a resource of information on the development of a new aircraft.

Although not technically advanced, the site had to carry consistancy and usability due to the broad scope of user profiles – covering different languages and cultures.

The site contained technical information that had to be navigated quickly, so I used a DHTML drop down menu system that allowed users to jump to individual sections without having to follow a fixed path through other pages.

This site also had the unusual restriction of being targeted at Netscape’s 4.7 browser, as this was the standard browser installation across the company.

The site was challenging to work on, but fun too and feedback from the client was very positive: on hand-over I was told it was “the most technically accurate site they had ever taken delivery of.”

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Bookshelf

Professional PHP Programming

This is the book I’ve been using to put this site back together!

For anyone who’s gone as far as they can with HTML and JavaScript, PHP is probably the next step you should take. Unlike Cold Fusion from Allaire, it wont cost you thousands – it’s free and open source, and there are quite a few hosts out there who’ll provide it alongside a MySQL back end for you.

All you need is some basic SQL, of which the book contains plenty of examples, and you should be up and running in no time.

Wrox are starting to get quite a tidy range of manuals on the go to suit web professionals. I’mquite looking forward to their up coming WAP programming book. Until then the PHP should keep me busy and get this site working a bit better in addition!

Buy Wrox’s Professional PHP Programming from Amazon.co.uk

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Bookshelf

Tom Clancy’s Net Force: Breaking Point

After the dreary Night Moves, the Net Force series moves back into top gear with this installment

This time the team are on the track of a professor who makes other people absent minded, using mind control.

As with all of the books in this series so far, there are several sub-plots running along in the background, with each coming to the fore when the need arises. Towards the end of the book, this is handled to great effect, with several concurrent events – leading to a gripping finale. Breaking Point is the most apt title so far!

However, unless you cant resist it, skip the sugary sweet epilogue. It dips back into Night Moves’ territory by shining the spotlight onto Alex and Toni. In defence, at least this time around Tyrone’s testosterone account is kept to a minimum!

Probably the best book in the series so far – if Night Moves put you off, jump back on the band waggon with Breaking Point.

Buy Tom Clancy’s Net Force: Breaking Point from Amazon.co.uk

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