lecture links 2-12-09

CSS Type SetA great WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor for setting text with CSS. Brilliantly easy and great to use.

good tutorial on CSS positioning if you can grasp how to use CSS to put things where you want them to be in a browser window, there’s almost nothing you can’t do.

Google Search API Wizards This is a fantastic link of easy (no real coding necessary) ways of bringing external content to your site via XML-based APIs (application programing interfaces). From embedding videos to news into your site, this basic (and extremely extensible, if you want to go that route) collection of scripts will get you dynamic content with ease.

Custom RSS GadgetThis is a very customizable Google Gadget that allows you to embed a feed into a box on your site. You have extensive control over colors, sizes, etc. This is an excellent way to take query-based RSS (like a search on Craigslist) and turn it into content.

There are hundreds of APIs available with which to build upon. Most, however, are not as simple as the examples we worked on in class. If you’re at all curious at the possibilities, visit Programmable Web

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