Web 2.0 how-to design style guide

Yesterday I found this excellent Web 2.0 how-to design style guide by Ben Hunt. I accidentally found it while searching with the keyword “Web 2.0” in google’s new blog search.

This style guide focusses on the new trends in the web 2.0 designs such as:

  1. Simplicity
  2. Central layout
  3. Simple nav
  4. Bold logos
  5. Bigger text
  6. Strong colours
  7. Rich surfaces
  8. Gradients
  9. Reflections
  10. Cute icons

I can bet you’ll like this site as anything. Also do browse the other sections of the site, its a gold mine!!

Cake PHP : The ‘right’ framework!

My search for the right framework has ended today, when I discovered the Cake PHP framework ! By right framework, I am meaning the one:

  • having an easy learning curve,
  • facilitating the MVC pattern,
  • seperating display and business logic in a ‘meaningful’ way, and
  • with which making web apps is possible in considerably low time.

Well, to my surprise, Cake gives me all these and goes beyond my expectation. Maybe becauz the idea of Cake has come from the growingly popular Ruby on Rails. Nevertheless, to me the most important thing is that I am not going to switch to other language frequently (as I’ve built my competency in PHP for some time).

So, whats so special with Cake ? Lemme tell you some:

  • MVC pattern
  • Almost zero configuration (you just need to tell you db config to start)
  • Various application helper (Html, JavaScript, Date, etc)
  • Support for Ajax (using the famous prototype library)
  • In-built validation
  • Access Control Lists (ACL)
  • Security, sanitization, session handler, etc.
  • A very active community !

I hope you’re impressed enough. No, no….don’t take it as other frameworks you’ve tried already….test it out !! You wont regret.

Ok, cya you in the kitchen !! We’re baking yummy cakes !