javascript

I ran across an HTML/CSS challenge recently on a fairly large Drupal site (~ 400 pages). The designer specified using all-caps for headings and menu items. Naturally, using all-caps is a design decision that depends on the typeface, font size, kerning, etc. Typically, I don't care for all-cap text; but in this case, it was the right call. The catch (which we learned deep into the development process) was that the client wanted certain branded words and phrases to remain in mixed case.

Recently, I had a client ask me to upgrade an embedded Google map for their locations page. The map allows you to view their locations by category: Manufacturing, Corporate, Engineering, or Technical.

The problem was that some of the location markers were too close together. Two of their plants in Ohio are just down the road from each other, so trying to show those two location on the same map that shows facilities in Hawaii and Connecticut was nearly impossible. The two markers in Ohio are directly on top of each other.

At some point, you might find the need to rearrange or change the order of HTML unordered list items (<ul> <li>). There are a couple potential reasons: you might want to sort the list alphabetically, or, as in the case of a Drupal site we recently launched, you might need to turn an unordered list menu into columns.

Custom horizontal jQuery accordion menu

The products menu at ClarkDietrich.com is based on a custom-built horizontal accordion UI:

One of the decisions we make when creating a hierarchical menu for a website is whether to create a "landing page" for each section. In other words, does each parent menu item have its own page?

There are three options. Each parent item can:

In a previous article, I showed how to track comments and contact form submissions using Google Analytics' goals.  The method I described involved adding jQuery.  So I thought I'd take a few minutes to show how to write custom jQuery or other JavaScript and include it on a Drupal page.

The most important role of any stats software like Google Analytics is tracking the return on investment of your web site.  One way to do this is through Analytics' "goals".  By setting custom goals for your site within Analytics, you can track how many times your web site fulfills its primary purpose of converting viewers into contacts or paying customers.