Linux for Designers

Besides Sifr, which is based an JavaScript and Flash, a new method embeding custom on websites poped up: typeface.js. Basically this method rendering text with Javascript, <canvas> and SVG/ VML. Check out the examples too. The bad thing about this method is that you can't select and copy text in a easy way
Myslef dreaming about the upcoming @font-face support included in Firefox 3.1 (and still available in Opera or Webkit (Safari)). May M$ get it ready in IE8 too.

After we getting the Beta2 of the Internet Explorer 8 and Googles Chrome Beta now the fight about the fastes browser is opened again. This Time it is now about rendering HTML, this time it is all about JavaScript. 2 Day's Chrome take the throne of speed but the new build of Firefox 3.1 with TracMonkey is very close. Check out that stats:
http://scr3.golem.de/?d=0809/Firefox_TraceMonkey&a=62200

Some older performance tests:
http://ejohn.org/blog/javascript-performance-rundown/
http://scr3.golem.de/?d=0809/Google_Chrome&a=62163

Ok you notice the difference between 17866ms of the IE 7 and 1209 of Google Chrome, but can you notice the difference of 200ms? In fact that Google collects so many data, i didn't like the vision that Google collect any step i make at the web.

Firebug is, besides Web Developer, one of the best extensions for web development on Firefox. A week ago Firebug raised from the death and this week another beta update of the 1.2 brunch shipped. A lot of potentials developers formed now the Firebug Working Group. They got a new member too: Azer Koçulu.
Azer Koçulu is the developer of the JavaScript tool pi.debugger. He startet now bringing Firebug to The Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera. This port called Firebug Lite and is now available for download.

I updated all my gEdit plugins to be completely localized in german or english. I added version numbers for all too, so you can easy check in the preferences which version you are using.

http://my.opera.com/area42/blog/gedit-language-reference-plugin
http://my.opera.com/area42/blog/gedit-browser-preview-plugin
http://my.opera.com/area42/blog/gedit-template-plugin

Happy coding!

Looking around the web about an update for my Linux-Mac-Windows CSS font matching list i found the interesting post "Are Vista Fonts Ready for the Web?". Windows Vista shipped with new screen optimized fonts that are only available there and it seems at the moment there aren't equal fonts on the other platforms available.

I'm on it to make the first version of CSSdev really feature rich in its basic features. In 0.4 i added support for font style and font weight for the default font (and later it can be used for text layers too).

» Read more...

Who-Hoo i get - CSSdev now supports the CSS property "clip" using Gimp layer masks. This was hard to code to make it working with white or black masks - but it works

» Read more...

So here comes my announced and awaited script "CSSdev for Gimp" that is a remastered and more feature rich Python implementation of the old and buggy Gimp2CSS. After a hacking session at area42 this is a first cool working version was available. Meanwhile i updated this script various times and added more features. The major goals for the future are adding support for floating design and nested layers.

Read more...

The Mozilla project published the 2nd release candidate of Firefox 3.0. Since the RC1 (that will available in Hardy soon) there are just bugfixes and improvements. So if no new errors will appear, this version could become the final. Once it is published you can help starting a worldwide download record.
If you didn't discovered all goodies of Firefox 3 yet then it's time for read more about the "Top 10 Firefox 3 Features".
Besides the announcement of the Mozilla project Opera 9.5 reaches the beta 2 state and will be available as a final soon too. The beta 1 of the Internet Explorer 8 is freely available and Microsoft announced the beta 2 for August this year.

Besides ySlow and Firebug another good addon for web development in Firefox ist Web Developer. Version 1.1.6 is now working with Firefox 3. A german version is available at erweiterungen.de other languages are available on the website of Web Developer.
Happy coding!