New Lane Crawford site
It is incredible I have chance to participate in building up the Lane Crawford official site.
The visible website is just the tip of the whole iceberg. In the last 14 months, started from a 6 people team, we build up the whole project linking up various internal systems, collaborate with our vendor and overcoming different hardship. We finally come up with a presentable website. Yet it looks simple, the site aim to serve various browsers especially IE6. Yes, as its target audience is from the mainland...
Well, we finally have the site receiving order, having new income for the company. We still have lots of thing to work for, making the site run faster, using much elegant coding for page rendering are some of my new tasks. Not matter what, I have to devote my all kind of abilities to enhance the site.
HTML5 vs Flash
算不上是什麼 web development 方面的技術差異的偉大分享，以上純綷是個人對 FLASH 和 HTML5 的一點看法。
雖然花了一段時間學習 HTML5 ，算不上上手，而另一方面則利用 ActionScript 寫了數年 FLASH。老實說，當初還使用著Pentium II 有256MB記憶體的年代，我對FLASH頗有微言。每每遇著一些無謂的網站開場動畫，光飛了些字然後才能進入網站，這些多餘的步驟其FLASH動畫經已耗掉我那台電腦的大部份資源，該些網頁看下去也沒意思。可是，當慢慢接觸多些比較有深度，可看出製作時花了不少心思的FLASH SITE(整個站台也是FLASH建構)，與及隨著科技日新月異而多番昇級電腦機件，才能漸漸意會 FLASH 能帶給網路使用者更高層次的視覺享受和使用經歷(Site User Experience)。
無疑，FLASH 的確對其運行的電腦有一定的資源需求。很公平，有華麗效果當然需要相對的運算能力來造就。就正如你也不可能期望飛機能單靠那四個引擎飛上大空，總得附上兩三節推進器來看離地球擺脫地心吸力吧。然而在 HTML5 漸露頭角，人們一窩峰清算 FLASH 如何耗能，預測 HTML5 如何能替代 FLASH 的地位，我倒覺得這還有一段很長的路途。因為就算 HTML5 配搭 JavaScript 可達到編程層次來呈現互動效果，但單靠各家的瀏覽器來作為運行介面，總比不上 FLASH 利用自家經優化運行的 FLASH PLAYER 來執行運算程序來呈現效果來得可靠。FLASH PLAYER 對不同平台為 FLASH 檔案提供相對應的優化，有 ADOBE 來進行技術圍護和發展，這是 FLASH 能由簡單的動畫短片表現界系進化到站台開發與及互聯網應用軟體應用這一個廣域應用。
在細小的網站開發，HTML5可能讓網頁開發員花一點小功夫來把網站變得較美觀和添加互動元素。但論及大型網站開發，現階段 FLASH 仍然勝於 HTML5，至少Flash IDE 能提供一個比較完善的開發介面。
這寫分享其實出於為 FLASH 抱不平的心態，一些人對 FLASH 反感實在只是出於偏見。然而人們若能夠以開放的心態去了解 FLASH 這一門和學習如何好好應用 FLASH 來弄網站，這才能真正讓網頁開發的將來大放異彩。
海洋公園哈囉喂2010宣傳片製作特輯
這一趟實在是首次了解海洋公園哈囉喂是何方神聖。看過這個製作特輯，的確引起我有一份到海洋公園撞撞鬼的衝動。這麼一個哈囉喂，稍稍找找資料不難知道這是當年令海洋公園經歷財困之時起死回生的其中一項項目之一。這麼一轉眼經過十年的進化，由那時的簡單鬼屋谷夜場人氣，到近年愈玩愈出軌，引入鬼后鬼舞，挑戰公共廣播宣傳的尺度，為求越界愈盞鬼。海洋公園我真的佩服你！
看了這個宣傳片製作特輯，感覺恐怖得來卻很美。d鬼daners打成一片的起舞甚至整鬼攝影師猛來一句「望咩呀? 鬼都要食飯GAR...GAGA, WOLALA~ GAGA, WOLALA~ GAGA, WOLALA」很過癮。
十年來最強製作，實在當之無愧~
http://www.halloweenbash.com.hk
Move from PHP to JSP, the starting point of learning thing in all new
It has been around 8 years I work with PHP + MySQL, with additional technique like ActionScript 2.0/3.0 and Flex, jQuery, Ajax to enhance the front-end design, I start exploring a new era in my life recently, the JSP and related knowledges.
When talking JSP, JAVA is involved as well. I didn't learn JAVA with a complete course, so does JSP. At first I think 'they are just programming language, it shouldn't be hard to master it as long as it is Object-Oriented Programming language. But the more I read about JSP/JAVA, the more unclearness I encountered, and it really a tough stuff to master, especially there are many new concepts that are different from PHP or MC++.
The first step to master JAVA/JSP is to setup an environment for running your test script/sample script. Setting 'JAVA_HOME' is not difficult, but for some package code, it is far from easy to make the stuffs work finally. 'Servlet, JavaBean' those are new idea to me. Server like Tomcat/jBoss keep surrounding my mind without figuring them out clearly. It makes me more agree with that, despite the scalability of JAVA is far stronger than PHP, PHP make rich internet application development much easier.
I am still on the path of learning JAVA, JSP, Servlet. Hope to see anyone who skillful in PHP can provide easier way in mastering JSP.
What should a Front End Web Developer be?
Previouly I was a guy being called as Interactive Developer, help previous boss making his cool stuffs from concept into similar real visualization, no matter using ActionScript 3 to write Flash or using jQuery to write XHTML. Now come to a new job titled as Front End Web Developer, I try to look deeper in what the role should a Front End Web Developer be.
Some blogs shortlisted several programming skills a front end web developer should master, including beside basic HTML, CSS, but also various web programming language, subversion, database, SEO etc. And some stands on an opposite side declaring as a Front End Web Developer, that person should have know only standard HTML coding, CSS, cross-browser-support technique, accessibility, usability of a web site in addition of JavaScript for candy visual features. It comes to an interesting point that some people even get into debating about who is right, who is wrong in defining the nature of such role.
10 "Nice-To-Have" Skills for Front-End Developers
10 "Must-have" skills for Front-End Developers
In Hong Kong, people sometimes describe the IT industry is suck as web developer are usually low paid, the working hours is long so that not advisible for people to enter such industry. But just based on my job hunting experience after I quit my 1st full-time job, I spent 2 weeks for seeking ideal job position and sending out CV. It seems that the market still need people to pick up empty position, despite that the requirement of a Fron End Web Developer includes things that they may not need to be required. I can say, for typical Front End Web Developer they should mostly make their job done by ensure their product look good and universal among most of the popular browser, user friendly and good accessibility. But for Hong Kong, 'OUR BOSSES' used to wish their Front End Web Developer to be a genius guy who can also contribute in other part of any project development section, seems like this is a Hong Kong culture.
Although what I write seems like saying 'To be a front end web developer, I should only need to know ...', something like trying to limit my responsibility. No, actually no. In opposite, I think in such tough job hunting environment in Hong Kong, to fight for a good job, you need to make sure what you are much more capable to when comparing with other people. Only if you have sufficient talents or even more than enough, you can then own the decision position of decising what job you can choose, and ask for a more competitive salary.
'I know ActionScript 2.0/3.0, Flex, MXML, XHTML, CSS, jQuery, MySQL, C++, MC++, XML, SEO, cross-browser-support, Dreamweaver, PhotoShop, Illustrator etc.' saying something like this does not mean you are a qualified web developer in Hong Kong. For me, even thoguh I can master those mentioned skill, I still have far more skills have to master. To be a team member of a project, to be a valued member of a team, the more you know the more you can contribute/provide assistant to the team. JSP, software development process, subvision, even server installation all are not necessary but are on my list of learning. It really not necessary to master all for a Front End Web Developer, but it would be a benefit if you learn them so as to be a valued manpower.
Let see the importantness of a Front End Web Developer mentioned in this blog:
Why front-end developers are so important to the future of businesses on the web