Some of these tools are fairly basic, offering optimization and formatting without many options or user control, which are fine for coders with limited knowledge. For the CSS pros, there are some advanced tools and apps that will allow you to choose the level of compression and also offer many options regarding your optimized CSS. You can choose to eliminate unused selectors and properties, unwanted whitespace, tabs, comments and you can even change the longhand declaration to shorthand notations.

No one who codes there CSS has complete confidence that it is perfectly formatted, this is were these tools come in and help.
Please note, these tools are not CSS validation or error checkers, if you are looking for that try the The W3C CSS Validation Service.

flumpCakes Online CSS Optimiser/Optimizer

This feature rich tool takes your CSS file and parses and outputs a leaner version, removing any redundancies and attributes which are not needed. Here is a full list of what it can do:

• Removes comments
• Removes white space (such as excess spaces)
• Converts RGB values to Hex (they’re smaller)
• Converts Hex values in the format #RRBBGG to #RGB.
• Changes zero values with a size specified to 0. (0px would change to 0)
• Changes values such as border: 1px 2px 1px 2px; to border: 1px 2px;
• Converts multiple background, font, margin, padding, list attributes into a single attribute
• Converts multiple border values into single attributes
• Option to convert absolute values (PX & PT) into relative values (EM)
• Groups style attributes and values which appear mutliple times into a single style

This tool reads CSS just like a browser would. So using hacks which are browser specific will give random results, make sure any hacks are removed before use.

Styleneat – CSS Organizer

Styleneat organizes and standardizes your CSS – selectors, sub-selectors and properties – in a structure that makes it easier to define page areas making it easier to see how they relate to each other.
With this tool you have the option of sorting the properties alphabetically, sorting the selectors alphabetically and you have the choice of multi or single line formatting.

Clean CSS – Optmize and Format your CSS

CleanCSS is a CSS optimizer and formatter with a reasonable amount of options, that takes your CSS code and makes it cleaner and more concise.

Online CSS Optimiser

Online CSS Optimizer/Optimiser is a web tool for reducing the file size of cascading style sheets. In order to save more space optimized files would be messy even so you may output it as a file. Non-valid or hacked (for certain browsers) CSS files may result in error.

CSS Compressor – CSS Drive

Use this utility to compress your CSS and increase the loading speed of a web page and save a little on bandwidth as well. You can choose from three levels of compression, depending on how legible you want the compressed CSS to be versus degree of compression. The “Normal” mode should work well in most cases, creating a good balance between the two.
It also has the option of an Advanced Mode that gives you more compression options.

Step:1

Open the design you want to give a halftone dot effect.

Step:2

Create a layer under the original design.
Create a shape that you want to convert into dots.
I copied the outside shape of my design and filled it with black.

Step:3

You have to enlarge the shape so far that the later created halftone dots are visible below your original design.
My design is round so i can use the scaling option in Illustrator.
If your design has a special shape you have to manually adjust it.

Step:4

Select Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur

Use a Radius you want.

The result looks like this.

Step:5

Select Object > Rasterize…

The resolution should be 600 dpi or more.

Step:6

Select the object and select Effect > Pixelate > Color Halftone…

The color halftone dialog box will open where you can enter some numbers to adjust the appearance of the effect.
Set a number for the Max. Radius.
This will determine the size of the largest dot in the effect.
The screen angles should be equal.

Step:7

We need to convert the raster image to vector.
Select the shape and select Object > Live Trace > Make and Expand from the menu.

The shape is now a full vector object.

Step:8

Select with the Magic wand tool the white area and press delete.

Step:9

Step:10

Now we are able to assign the color and set the appearance of the design to overlay with the transparency menu.

Basic PHP Syntax

A PHP scripting block always starts with <?php and ends with ?>. A PHP scripting block can be placed anywhere in the document.

On servers with shorthand support enabled you can start a scripting block with <? and end with ?>.

For maximum compatibility, we recommend that you use the standard form (<?php) rather than the shorthand form.

A PHP file also have HTML tags,  just like stadard HTML tags, CSS tags, Javascript etc.

Below is a very simple script with PHP scripts, which display the test “My first PHP page”  on the web browser.

Without HTML

<?php

echo "My first php page";

?>

With HTML

<HTML>

<body>

<h1>

<?php

echo "My first php page";

</HTML>

Just write script on the any text or HTML editor like (Notepad, Dreamweaver etc..) and save the file with .php extinction.

Create and add content to a layer

Click on Insert>Layout Objects>Layers from the menu bar. The following image is displayed on the screen. This is the layer into which content will be added.

Click inside the frame and add content or insert an image

Changing Properties

Go to the properties window where you can give a background color, background image, edit the size of the layer, etc.

Naming a layer

Dreamweaver gives a generic name such as Layer1, Layer2, etc. when layers are created. You can give your own name for easy reference. To do this goto the Layers panel, if it is not displayed, goto windows and select layers, the panel will appear towards the right. Double click on the name of the layer and enter the new name.

Changing the visibility of a layer

In the above image you can see that all the three layers have the open-eye icon, meaning that the three layers are visible. While working on layers, specially overlapped layers, you can hide or show the layers by clicking on the eye icon.

Changing the order of the layers

The above image shows a column name Z below which are numbers. This column stores the stacking order of the layers, i.e. the order in which they are drawn in a browser. The layer with the highest number will top the stack and that’ll be the first layer. You can change this order by dragging the layer names up or down. Another way of doing this is by changing the number of Z-index.

So now you have learnt how to create layers.

If you’d like to share these brushes with your friends and colleagues, simply refer them to this page so that they can download their copy.

Below is a full preview of all 24 brushes for quick reference. The download link is at the bottom. Enjoy!

Download

Download .abr file

Note

Before you begin reading this tutorial, I highly recommend that you learn how to use the “Pen Tool”.

Step 1

Create a new Photoshop document with the dimensions of 512 x 512 pixels and a transparent background. This is the perfect size for the icon we are trying to make.

Step 2

Enable the Grid by going to View > Show > Grid. Also enable Snap by going to View > Snap. EnablingSnap makes it easy for us to draw precise shapes using the pen tool.

Also, set the Pen Tool to “Shape Layers” like shown below:

Step 3

Grab the Pen Tool and make a Shape similar to the one below and name it “Folder_Top”. If you have any difficulty in creating this shape, you may download this custom shape I made and use it instead.

Step 4

Double click on “Folder_Top” to activate Blending Options and apply Gradient Overlay using #a0c0d9 as the foreground color and #8cb2ce as the background color. Be sure to click on Reverse.

Now let’s add some Stroke to “Folder_Top”. Use the color #80adcf and lower down the Opacity to 80%. Also, add Bevel and Emboss to “Folder_Top”. Use the settings shown below:

Step 5

Now that we’ve created the top half of the folder, it’s now time to create the bottom half.

Hide “Folder_Top” and create a new Shape like the one shown below and name it “Folder_Bottom”. Again, if you have any problem in doing so, you may use this custom shape I made.

Step 6

Double click on “Folder_Bottom” to activate Blending Options and apply Gradient Overlay using #b2cbdeas the foreground color and #79a5c6 as the background color. Again, be sure to click on Reverse.

Now let’s add some Stroke to “Folder_Bottom”. Use the color #80adcf and lower down the Opacity to 80%. Also, add Bevel and Emboss to “Folder_Bottom”. Use the settings shown below:

Now make “Folder_Top” visible. Your resultant image should look something like this:

Step 7

Now that we’ve added Gradient Overlay and Stroke to “Folder_Bottom”, it’s time to get more precise so that we have a realistic feel.

So let’s add some Noise. Duplicate “Folder_Bottom”. Rasterize the new layer by simply double clicking and selecting the respective option. Name this layer “Folder_Bottom_Noise”. Also, be sure to turn off any layer style on “Folder_Bottom_Noise”.

Now select the Magic Wand from the Toolbox and click inside “Folder_Bottom_Noise”, selecting the folder shape like shown below:

Fill the selection with #79a5c6 using the Paint Bucket Tool. Then go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Use the settings shown below:

Once you have successfully added noise to “Folder_Bottom_Noise”, lower down the opacity of the layer to 15%.

Now let’s add some more detail to the folder. Duplicate “Folder_Bottom”. Rasterize the new layer by simply double clicking and selecting the respective option. Name this layer “Folder_Bottom_Sketch”. Again, be sure to turn off any layer style on “Folder_Bottom_Sketch”.

Now select the Magic Wand from the Toolbox and click inside “Folder_Bottom_Sketch”, selecting the folder shape like shown below:

Fill the selection with #79a5c6 using the Paint Bucket Tool. Then go to Filter > Sketch > Graphic Pen. Use the settings shown below:

Once you have successfully added the sketch effect to “Folder_Bottom_Sketch”, lower down the opacity to10%.

And finally, create a new layer and name it “Folder_Bottom_Scatter”. Grab the Lasso Tool and create random scatter like shown below:

If you have any difficulty in doing so, you may use this “scatter” brush I made. Now fill the selection with#80adcf. Once that is done, you should have something that looks like this:

Step 8

Hide “Folder_Bottom”, “Folder_Bottom_Noise”, “Folder_Bottom_Sketch” and “Folder_Bottom_Scatter”. Then select “Folder_Top” and Duplicate it. Rasterize the new layer and name it “Folder_Top_Noise”. Make sure that any layer style is set to off.

Now select the Magic Wand from the Toolbox and click inside “Folder_Top_Noise”, selecting the folder shape like shown below:

Fill the selection with #79a5c6 using the Paint Bucket Tool. Then go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Use the settings shown below:

Once you have successfully added noise to “Folder_Top_Noise”, lower down the opacity of the layer to 15%.

Now let’s add some more detail to the folder. Duplicate “Folder_Top”. Rasterize the layer by simply double clicking and selecting the respective option. Name this layer “Folder_Top_Sketch”. Again, be sure to turn offany layer style.

Now select the Magic Wand from the Toolbox and click inside “Folder_Top_Sketch”, selecting the folder shape like shown below:

Fill the selection with #79a5c6 using the Paint Bucket Tool. Then go to Filter > Sketch > Graphic Pen.

And finally, create a new layer and name it “Folder_Top_Scatter”. Grab the Lasso Tool and create random scatter like shown below:

Set “Folder_Bottom”, “Folder_Bottom_Noise”, “Folder_Bottom_Sketch” and “Folder_Bottom_Scatter” toVisible. Once that is done, you should have something that looks like this:

Step 9

Duplicate “Folder_Bottom” and Rasterize it. Name the new layer “Shadow_Top”. Also, be sure to turn offany layer styles. Place this layer between “Folder_Bottom” and “Folder_Top_Scatter” like shown below:

Then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Apply the settings shown below:

Once you’ve done that, position “Shadow_Top” like shown below: (Make sure it can be seen when “Folder_Bottom” is visible. You might also need to use the Free Transform Tool by going to Edit > Free Transform in order to change the size of “Shadow_Top” so that it looks like the image shown below)

Then lower down the opacity of “Shadow_Top” to 30%.

Next, grab the Rectangle Tool and draw a rectangle like shown below: (Make sure that the rectangle is below “Folder_Bottom” )

Name the shape “Shadow_Bottom” and Rasterize it. Then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Apply the settings shown below:

Position “Shadow_Bottom” like show below: (You might have to use the Free Transform Tool to edit the size of “Shadow_Bottom”)

Your resultant image should look something like this:

Step 10

Now let’s add a logo to our folder. Create a new layer and name it “Logo”. Now draw any shape you like (I’m using an “X” in this case).

Fill your shape with #7a9db8 and lower down the opacity to 80%. Then double click on “Logo” and selectBlending Options. Add Drop Shadow and Inner Shadow to your shape using the following settings:

Final Image:

Now that you have completed all steps, your image should look something like this: (If it doesn’t, then feel free to check out the .psd file included in this tutorial).

Download PSD

Tutorial Details

• Program: Adobe Illustrator CS4
• Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
• Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours

Step 1

Create a new document 11 inches by 8.5 inches. It can be CMYK or RGB, whichever you prefer. Before beginning, set up a color group of about eight different blues. I will refer to these colors as “1″ for the lightest, “8″ for the darkest, and the others numbered accordingly.

Step 2

Draw a square the same dimensions as your artboard, and fill it with a medium blue from your color group. Go to Object > Create Gradient Mesh, then enter 6 rows and 6 columns.

Step 3

Now manipulate the mesh points to create an amorphous, abstract background. Click individual mesh points and color them with different blues from the color group. It doesn’t have to be complicated. This will serve as an out-of-focus landscape or cityscape in the distance.

Step 4

Lock the layer with the background on it, and create a new one above it. Draw several circles of various sizes, and place them randomly above the background. Fill the circles with some of the lighter blues, and change the Opacity to 60% – 80%. These circles are meant to look like lights in the background.

Place lighter circles over the lighter areas of the mesh, and more transparent ones over the darker areas. Select all the circles and go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter 4 pixels. Select a few circles and change the blur to 6 pixels.

This will give more depth to the “lights.” It’s okay if some of the circles fall off the artboard — you can trim those later. The illustration should look like the image below.

Step 5

Lock the circles layer and create a new one above it. Draw an ellipse, and fill it with a four-stop radial gradient like the one below. Adjust the gradient so that the white is at the bottom edge of the ellipse. The Gradient Annotator in Illustrator CS4 makes this somewhat easier, but you can achieve the same result with earlier versions.

Step 6

Apply an Inner Glow to the ellipse, as below. Note: This step is optional. Raster effects may use more processing power, and thus slow things down. Proceed according to the speed of your computer.

Step 7

Draw a long, somewhat thin ellipse, and fill it with the lightest blue (Blue #1). Go to Effect > Warp > Arc, and enter the values below. This will be the highlight of the raindrop. Place the warped ellipse over the gradient-filled ellipse you just created.

Arrange it at the top and rotate it off-center. Enlarge or reduce it to fit the raindrop. When it looks good, go to Object > Expand Appearance. Apply a radial gradient to the highlight, as below, and change the Blending Mode to Screen.

Step 8

Duplicate the original ellipse, send it behind, and fill it with a subtle, dark linear gradient. Change the Blending Mode to Multiply and the Opacity to 80%. This will be the shadow of the raindrop.

Step 9

Duplicate the raindrop twice. Adjust the gradients on each; One will be a lighter version of the original, the other will be a darker version.

Step 10

Drag each drop into the Symbols panel. Choose Graphic as the Type, and name each new symbol if you like. I named mine “Droplet Light,” “Droplet Medium” and “Droplet Dark.”

Step 11

Now that you have the symbols created, tear of the Symbolism Tools by clicking and holding the Symbol Sprayer Tool (Shift + S). Move your mouse over the vertical tearoff bar, then release. This will make it easier to use the various symbol tools. Trivia: All the Symbolism tools start with the letter ‘S.’

Step 12

Select the Symbol Sprayer Tool, click on the lighter droplet symbol, and drag the cursor across the top third of the illustration. Spray a few symbols, then Command-click to deselect and start another group.

Loosely cover the top third with droplets. Do the same thing for the middle third, and the bottom third, using the respective droplet symbols for those sections (medium and dark).

Change the diameter of the tool, if necessary, by pressing the right and left brackets. You will end up with several symbol instances, and your illustrations should look something like the image below.

Step 13

Now select the Symbol Sizer Tool. Randomly click on the symbols to change their size. Hold down the Alt key to reduce the size. You want to end up with lots of different sizes of raindrops. It may take a few tries to get the hang of it. Try clicking directly on top of a droplet to change its size. To further randomize the symbols, use the Symbol Shifter Tool to move them around.

Step 14

You can duplicate individual symbol instances, and re-size them as a group. Try squishing some of the drops so they are longer than they are wide. It’s up to you how wet you want your window to be, so make as many copies of the symbol instances as you like, then rearrange them to look random and natural.

Once you’re satisfied with the raindrops, expand the Symbols by going to Object > Expand. This will result in individual symbols, so go to Object > Expand again to release the symbols to objects.

Step 15

You can now make final tweaks to the raindrops. Randomize the size and placement, and separate drops that overlap. Your illustration should look something like the image below.

Step 16

Now for some finishing touches. Make a new layer above the “circles” layer, and below the “drops” layer. Use the Blob Brush Tool (Shift + B) and draw a few loose drips, starting at the top of the page.

Fill the shapes with a dark gradient (Blue 8 to Blue 6), and change the blending mode in the Transparency panel to Soft Light. Adjust the gradients so that the drips fade into the window pane.

Conclusion

Press the right bracket key to enlarge the diameter of the Blob Brush and, if you like, draw other shapes or words on the window, as if you are making marks with your finger on a wet window. Finally, trim off the circles and drips that extend beyond the artboard, and you’re done!

Resource:

http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tools-tips/how-to-create-a-rainy-window-vector-background/

Download the theme for free!

Smashing Multimedia was designed especially for podcasters, photographers and users who can now easily embed videos and images, rate them and showcase them in their own WordPress-based blog. It has a parent theme and an easily customizable child theme. This Wordpress Theme comes with layered PSD source files, a visual help guide and is fully localized ready for you to translate it into your target language.

The theme is released under GPL. You can use it for all your projects for free and without any restrictions. Please link to this post if you want to spread the word. You may modify the theme as you wish.

• demo
• large preview (.jpg)
• installation guide and documentation (.zip)
• download the theme (.zip, 2 Mb)
• download the PSD-source (.zip)

Features

1. Easy media embed method, with shortcodes in the post content area or use a media plugin of your choice (supported are YouTube, Vimeo, Google Video, Blip.tv, Veoh, Viddler and Revver),
2. Feature any post, any category – the easy way – just make them sticky! Why restrict yourself to one featured category when you can have the freedom to pick and choose any post from any category to feature!
3. Choose and put together your Site’s Main Navigation without touching the code in the template files. All available options are right there for you included in the Theme Options.
4. Choose and put together your Site’s Category Navigation (appears in sidebar) without touching the code in the template files. Again, all available options are right there for you included in the Theme Options.
5. Choose the type of splash image for your media posts: sliding or static splash image. Do the same indepently for Category pages.
6. Choose the type of post teaser (the usual excerpt or text from the content) to appear on multible post pages and customize it’s word limit through theme options. The word limit can be adjusted independently for sticky (featured) posts or multimedia posts on the front page and on category pages.
7. Subpages appear dynamically in sidebar when created
8. Related posts: if there are any, appear in the single page sidebar. How many should appear is set by you from the theme options
9. 8 Independent widget areas: front page seperator (1) just below the featured area, front page (1 – index), category(1), archive (1 – daily, monthly, yearly, author and tag archives share the same widgets), single (1), page (1), search (1), 404 (1).
10. Security: 2 common sense security precautions already hooked in just for you; hidden login page error feedback and hidden WordPress version number,
11. Preventing Spam: a useful little function to deny Comment Posting to No Referrer Requests
12. Extra goodies: cformsII styles, wp-Pagenavi, wp-PostRatings, WP125: Easy 125×125 Ad Management For WordPress styles included, show your last tweet (shows on the front page and can be removed and replaced by any plugin of your choice so in other words you are not stuck with it if you don’t like it), Social share media, Feedburner Rss and Email, Follow on Twitter, “Give it a Tweet” call to action to your readers, styles for threaded comments (if enabled), seperated comments and trackbacks (appear in animated dropdown), styled admin comments, custom avatar image for when your users don’t have their own!
13. …and even more features! (pdf)

Resource

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/08/22/free-podcasting-video-and-photography-wordpress-theme/