Utah Web Design Blog

There is a school of thought that externally referencing Google for your js library helps lower load times and is the preferred method of inclusion. If the visitor has frequented another website calling the same file, it would be cached in the browser and forgo the 50-60kb download. While this is true, have you considered the risk of doing so? What if the unthinkable happens and Google has a hiccup. Well today was one of those what ifkind of days for Google, the googleapi servers (“http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.3.2/jquery.min.js “) became unresponsive and hence so did some of our older applications.  Interestingly enough, we had such a debate internally a while back and deduced that we would no longer reference externally hosted libraries for just that reason, thank god for meetings.

Moral of the story being, a savings of 60KB is not worth your application failing. 

 

Red Olive’s little team of Utah Web Site designers pieced together a big project with UBI Federal Credit Union’s new site design. The site has some neat features not found on many landing pages for credit unions out there in the web ethers.

UBI members have some easy to find resources and some cool feedback tools we injected. The UBI people made it easy because they have all the helpful raw material to piece it all together. They were very helpful supplying us with the goods while we did the groovy room decoration.

Some highlights on the UBI site that our site designers made happen:

- From one of their tool options for finding surcharge free ATMs, you can enter your zip code into search and a map will pop up with all the local ATMs in your area.

- From the homepage left side navigation a Java script hovering pop up note will appear when mousing over the contact button, which looks like a cute little ripped paper note — complete with paperclip.

- From the homepage a display for survey feedback was constructed using Ajax. The current poll was asking “How are you managing higher gas prices?”

I X’d out option C — “buying a more fuel efficient car.” Because I recently got myself a subcompact Nissan Versa…man I feel like I’m doing product placement..oh wait I am. Sorry.

Thanks UBI!

Alright there is no debate includes are the best way to code a nav right? Well, what if someone wants to indicate to the use what page they’re on?  Or as I will call it the active page. Just include a script to the top of each page comparing strings with the window location, and if its true; make it look like the active page. I’m horrible with words but hopefully this is making sense. Now I’ll let the code speak:Â

var contact = RegExp("contact");
if(contact.test(window.location) == true)
{
$('home').addClass('active');
}


Nothing to complex- Just comparing our variable string of contact and comparing it with the window location. If there is a match then you attach an “.active” class to it. I know its nothing big; but a simple trick helps every now and again.