Scott Bolinger

Adventures in Software Engineering

  • Vertical Media Queries for Above the Fold Content

    What the heck is a vertical media query? We’ve all used media queries that look something like this: [css]@media screen and (max-width: 25em) {}[/css] A vertical media query targets height instead of width: [css]@media screen and (max-height: 15em) {}[/css] Why would you do that?

  • Responsive Off Canvas Navigation Menu

    Known as off canvas menus, shelf menus, or panels, they are commonly seen in apps, but they are getting popular in responsive desktop sites as well. There have been a lot of articles written on this, but I wanted to make a really simple, understandable version. This is basically a simple version of David Bushell’s…

  • Incredibly easy way to optimize jpg images in Photoshop

    Cut jpeg (.jpg) image size down by up to 63% in Photoshop without losing quality. What I normally do with .jpg images is save them at about 70% quality in Photoshop. That seems to be a safe place to retain acceptable quality while still slimming down file size. This trick absolutely blows that technique out…

  • Protocol Relative URLs

    Ever use a script that had a url without the http like this? [javascript][/javascript] I always wondered what that was about. Turns out it allows your browser to download the resource through http or https, which gets rid of any pesky warning messages about “Non-secure items” when viewing an https page.

  • Add a custom logo uploader to the WordPress theme customizer

    The WordPress theme customizer is famous for being able to change your theme colors in real time, but did you know it can handle almost any type of theme option? You can add layout options, image uploaders, text fields, and lots more. The possibilities are endless! There is almost no need for theme options pages…

  • Basic jQuery for Designers

    jQuery is like magic. It’s like the pixie dust of the web, sprinkle some here and animate a dead object to life, or there and add a subtle transition for a smoother user experience. If you’re like me, you waited way too long to learn jQuery. I hesitated to learn it because I’m not a…

  • Simple jQuery Drop Down Menu in WordPress

    There are lots of ways to make drop-down menus, and usually my preferred method is all CSS. However, an all CSS drop down menu relies on the :hover selector, which is not always desirable. It’s fine on desktops, but mobile touch devices don’t play nice with :hover. You can’t really hover with your finger, you…