Website Design and Inspiration (as a Programmer)

Posted in: Web Design by Steve on November 18, 2008

After using DotNetNuke for the last few years for one of my sites, I decided to build this site from scratch using ASP.NET MVC.  This way, I would have a reason to learn a new technology and try out new techniques. So, first thing I did was try to come up with a new layout.  I wanted to stick with something that was simple and incorporate other websites I’ve come across that make the experience of viewing their site enjoyable.

I haven’t really come up with a design that I am 100% happy with.  I thought about using an open source template from a website, but I still haven’t found anything that I like.  I’ve checked these sites:

• http://www.oswd.org
• http://www.freecsstemplates.org/
• http://www.openwebdesign.org/
• http://www.opendesigns.org/

What sites do you go to for templates?  Who do you use for building your templates?  Have you paid for templates?

I have tried to get inspiration from other sites (Smashing Magazine, etc…) but to no avail.  I wanted to know what other programmers did about their designs.

ASP.NET MVC & Master Pages

Posted in: Programming by Steve on November 5, 2008

I’m just getting started with my first ASP.NET MVC application and I’m already running into some roadblocks trying to grok it. 

I have used WebForms using VB.NET for about 6 years now and master pages were the best invention next to generics (at least for my apps).   I implemented them in my applications immediately and haven’t looked back.  In 3.5, I was glad to learn that nested master pages were now supported in the IDE.

Anyway, off topic; I am going to use one of my websites as a guinea pig to port over to ASP.NET MVC.  Naturally, I looked at the design and layout of the site.  Where did I turn?  The master page naturally.  However, because of the way that MVC is implemented, how can I pass data from a Controller to the master page?

So, for example: I have a dynamically created menu that I want to cache based on the available roles of the user.  In MVP, I would just pass the List<of MenuItemDTO> to the View.  How would this be done in MVC?

I searched a little to find a post by Stephen Walther on Passing Data to Master Pages and User Controls.  I didn’t find anything that was definitive on the best practice, even though he did recommend using an abstract controller base class.

Still, that leaves me wondering how this can be accomplished properly with ASP.NET MVC.  I would like to dive further into MVC before I judge it’s feasibility for my project.  I know I would be able to make it work in MVC, but I would like the pattern to be used properly so testing becomes part of my design process (which in MVP, it’s more building the interface before testing).

I’m doing it wrong.

Get out and Vote Buddy

Posted in: Politics by Steve on November 4, 2008

That’s right, you.

Even if the presidential race is locked up in your state (as it is in Illinois), there are still other issues that concern you.  In Illinois, a call for constitutional convention occurs every 20 years (since the rewrite of 1968) and the current state government is pushing hard for 60% of voters to say yes to this.  Before the 1968 rewrite, the constitution was in effect for 100 years without any problem.

I say, vote no.

Why?  Look who is in office right now.  Yes, Rod Roddy McDouchebag is governing our state and would have ample influence on the constitutional rewrite.

So no matter what, at least be sane and vote against the Illinois “Con Con”.