November 12, 2003
Enter The Matrix
Here's a new Movale Type style that I've created with an image from the Matrix Reloaded poster.
Apply Matrix Code style
I noticed that it is the first dark style (white on black) that I've created for this site. The main <body /> element has a background image faded into black across the top, and the content/container pane also has a similar background image at the bottom. With the title elements, there's a transparent 8-bit PNG file that masks out every other pixel to create that "shaded" effect. Too bad that Internet Explorer does not have the alpha support in 32bit PNG files.
October 26, 2003
Style with Mac Stripe
I have been trying to come up with a style that assembles the look of Apple's operating system, but has found it quite difficult without modifying the template file, as the UI is quite graphical intensive with lots of images pasted here and there. Maybe it is just my CSS skill not mature enough...
At the end, I decided just to ripped the original "Clean" style of Movable Type, and then applies the background stripes in varies places, and call this new style "Mac Stripe"
Apply Mac Stripe style.
Hopefully I won't be followed up by a email from the lawyers from Apple...
October 16, 2003
Preferred/Alternate Spreadsheet
One feature in the latest Mozilla Firebird is the ability to easily switch between different alternate stylesheets provided by the document. It allows the author of the site to provide personalised look 'n' feel, without changing the HTML source dynamically. I think it also makes sense for MovableStyle to implement this standard, by including all the alternate style sheets in the HTML.
Obviously, switching between alternate stylesheets requires browser support, and MSIE certainly does not provide this functionality. So my next step will be providing a Javascript alternative, and apply it on the drop down box. Switching styles should no longer require reloading the current page again.
October 14, 2003
Moving Site
I have recently registered the domain movablestyle.com, and will serve this site at that same domain, using a separate MovableType database. It will still be on the same old home build Linux server through ADSL through.
The reasons of making the move:
- I have got quite a few hits on this site, so I want it to be separated from my main site to track traffic independently.
- Having its own domain looks more professional, even though the site will never be commercial and will be based on good will.
- I need the MT installation and the site to be on the same domain to track some cookies, which enables me to display the same style sheet in comment/traceback listing pages. This part has not been implemented yet...
October 05, 2003
Hitting with a bit or warmth
For the themes that I have created so far, you can see that I usually favour bright cold colour (either green or blue with white background). I decided that I want to try out something different today, and a warm orange colour as the main theme. I added some purple strips just to mark out certain parts of the page to make them look "distinctive". So there you go - my first attempt to add some warmth into my collection of MovableType style sheets.
Orange Purple
I just realised that I am very bad at naming things...
October 04, 2003
Slashdot Style
I have been reading Slashdot for at least 5-6 years I think, and it has to be one of the pioneers of weblogs. Even through it pushes out dozens of technology-related news everyday, Slashdot's HTML is still using HTML3.2 with lots of in-line formattings that are obsolete in today's HTML4/XHTML era.
It is actually not that hard porting the look and feel of Slashdot over to Movable Type, and I think more and more I felt the "real challenge" comes from the MT's default template. There are many tricks that I would like to do but would require changes to the default template...
Anyway. Here it is. I still haven't figured out a way to make the #links side bar to maximise to 100% of the height...
Slashdot Theme
Note - this style contains 2 .png files that needs to be unzipped into the same directory as the .css
Plain Blue
Getting sick of border of different shade wrapping around each other? This style is much plainer than the previous boxed styles. It places the #links side bar to the right hand side, flowing down from the very top of the page. Somehow I cannot get it to maximised to 100% of the page height...
Plain Blue Theme
