Search engine friendly URL and navigation
A search engine friendly URL doesn't contain a question mark followed by a list of variables and their values. A search engine friendly URL is short and contains the keywords describing the page's content best, separated by hyphens. This does not only help with rankings, it helps visitors and especially bookmarkers too.
However, it's not always possible to avoid query strings. All the major search engines have learned to crawl dynamic pages, but there are limits:
· Search engine spiders dislike long and ugly URLs. They get indexed from very popular sites, but dealing with small web sites spiders usually don't bother fetching the page.
· Links from dynamic pages seem to count less than links from static pages when it comes to ranking based on link popularity. Also, some crawlers don't follow links from dynamic pages more than one level deep.
· To reduce server loads, search engine spiders crawl dynamic content slower than static pages. On large sites, it's pretty common that a huge amount of dynamic pages buried in the 3rd linking level and below never get indexed.
· Most search engine crawlers ignore URLs with session IDs and similar stuff in the query string, to prevent the spiders from fetching the same content over and over in infinite loops. Search engine robots do not provide referrers and they do not accept cookies, thus every request gets a new session ID assigned. Each variant of a query string creates a new unique URL.
· Keywords in variables and their values are pretty useless for ranking purposes, if they count at all. If you find a page identified by the search term in its query string on the SERPs, in most cases the search term is present as visible or even invisible text too, or it was used as anchor text of inbound links.
· There are still search engine crawlers out there which refuses dynamic links.
Thumb Rules On search engine friendly URL's:
· Keep them short. Less variables gain more visibility.
· Keep your variable names short, but do not use 'ID' or composites of entities and 'ID'.
· Hide user tracking from search engine crawlers in all URLs appearing in (internal) links. That's tolerated cloaking, because it helps search engines. Ensure to output useful default values when a page gets requested without a session ID and the client does not accept cookies.
· Keep the values short. If you can, go for integers. Don't use UUIDs/GUIDs and similar randomly generated stuff in query strings if you want the page indexed by search engines. Exception: in forms enabling users to update your database use GUIDs/UUIDs only, because integers encourage users to play with them in the address bar, which leads to unwanted updates and other nasty effects.
Consider providing static looking URLs, for example on Apache use mod_rewrite to translate static URLs to script URLs + query string. Ensure your server does not send a redirect response (302/301) then. Or, on insert of tuples in a 'pages' database table, you can store persistent files for each dynamic URL, calling a script on request.
For example a static URL like http://www.yourDomain.com/nutrition/vitamins-minerals-milk-4711.htm can include a script parsing the file name to extract the parameter(s) necessary to call the output script. In this example the keywords were extracted from the page's title and the pageID '4711' makes the URL unique within the domain's namespace.
The ideal internal link looks like
keyword-phrase
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 29, 2007
uesday, May 15, 2007
uesday, May 15, 2007
CSS Layouts
CSS page layout uses the Cascading Style Sheets format, rather than traditional HTML tables or frames, to organize the content on a web page. The basic building block of the CSS layout is the div tag—an HTML tag that in most cases acts as a container for text, images, and other page elements. When you create a CSS layout, you place div tags on the page, add content to them, and position them in various places. Unlike table cells, which are restricted to existing somewhere within the rows and columns of a table, div tags can appear anywhere on a web page. You can position div tags absolutely (by specifying x and y coordinates), or relatively (by specifying their distance from other page elements).
Creating CSS layouts from scratch can be difficult because there are so many ways to do it. You can create a simple two-column CSS layout by setting floats, margins, paddings, and other CSS properties in a nearly infinite number of combinations. Additionally, the problem of cross-browser rendering causes certain CSS layouts to display properly in some browsers, and display improperly in others. Dreamweaver makes it easy for you to build pages with CSS layouts by providing over 30 pre-designed layouts that work across different browsers.
Using the pre-designed CSS layouts that come with Dreamweaver is the easiest way to create a page with a CSS layout, but you can also create CSS layouts using Dreamweaver absolutely-positioned elements (AP elements). An AP element in Dreamweaver is an HTML page element—specifically, a div tag, or any other tag—that has an absolute position assigned to it. The limitation of Dreamweaver AP elements, however, is that since they are absolutely positioned, their positions never adjust on the page according to the size of the browser window.
If you are an advanced user, you can also insert div tags manually and apply CSS positioning styles to them to create page layouts.
CSS page Layout Tutorial Video
Requirements
To complete this tutorial you will need to download the following software and files:
Dreamweaver CS3 - 30 days trial download
About CSS page layout structure :
Before proceeding with this section, you should be familiar with basic CSS concepts.
Figure 1. A. Container div B. Sidebar div C. Main Content
In the above example, there is no “styling” attached to any of the div tags. Without CSS rules defined, each div tag and its contents fall into a default location on the page. However, if each div tag has a unique id (as in the above example), you can use the ids to create CSS rules that, when applied, change the style and positioning of the div tags. The following CSS rule, which can reside in the head of the document or in an external CSS file, creates styling rules for the first, or “container” div tag on the page:
#container {
width: 780px;
background: #FFFFFF;
margin: 0 auto;
border: 1px solid #000000;
text-align: left;
}
The #container rule styles the container div tag to have a width of 780 pixels, a white background, no margin (from the left side of the page), a solid, black, 1 pixel border, and text that is aligned left. The results of applying the rule to the container div tag are as follows:
Figure 2. Container div tag, 780 pixels, no margin A. Text aligned left B. White background C. 1-pixel solid black border
Figure 2. Container div tag, 780 pixels, no margin
A. Text aligned left B. White background C. 1-pixel solid black border
The next CSS rule creates styling rules for the sidebar div tag:
#sidebar {
float: left;
width: 200px;
background: #EBEBEB;
padding: 15px 10px 15px 20px;
}
The #sidebar rule styles the sidebar div tag to have a width of 200 pixels, a gray background, a top and bottom padding of 15 pixels, a right padding of 10 pixels, and a left padding of 20 pixels. Additionally, the rule positions the sidebar div tag with float: left—a property that pushes the sidebar div tag to the left side of the container div tag. The results of applying the rule to the sidebar div tag are as follows:
Figure 3. Sidebar div, float left A. Width 200 pixels B. Top and bottom padding, 15 pixels
Figure 3. Sidebar div, float left
A. Width 200 pixels B. Top and bottom padding, 15 pixels
Last, the CSS rule for the main container div tag finishes the layout:
#mainContent {
margin: 0 0 0 250px;
padding: 0 20px 20px 20px;
}
The #mainContent rule styles the main content div with a left margin of 250 pixels, which means that it places 250 pixels of space between the left side of the container div, and the left side of the main content div. Additionally, the rule provides for 20 pixels of spacing on the right, bottom, and left sides of the main content div. The results of applying the rule to the mainContent div are as follows:
Figure 4. Main Content div, left margin of 250 pixels A. 20 pixels left padding B. 20 pixels right padding C. 20 pixels bottom padding
Figure 4. Main Content div, left margin of 250 pixels
A. 20 pixels left padding B. 20 pixels right padding C. 20 pixels bottom padding
The complete code looks as follows
Note: The above example code is a simplified version of the code that creates the two-column fixed left sidebar layout when you create a new document using the predesigned layouts that come with Dreamweaver.
Create a page with a CSS layout using DREAMWEAVER
When creating a new page in Dreamweaver, you can create one that already contains a CSS layout. Dreamweaver comes with over 30 different CSS layouts that you can choose from. Additionally, you can create your own CSS layouts and add them to the configuration folder so that they appear as layout choices in the New Document dialog box.
Dreamweaver CSS layouts render correctly in the following browsers: Firefox (Windows and Macintosh) 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0; Internet Explorer (Windows) 5.5, 6.0, 7.0; Opera (Windows and Macintosh) 8.0, 9.0; and Safari 2.0.
1. Select File > New.
2. In the New Document dialog box, select the Blank Page category. (It’s the default selection.)
3. For Page Type, select the kind of page you want to create. Note: You must select an HTML page type for the layout. For example, you can select HTML, ColdFusion®, JSP, and so on. You cannot create an ActionScript™, CSS, Library Item, JavaScript, XML, XSLT, or ColdFusion Component page with a CSS layout. Page types in the Other category of the New Document dialog box are also restricted from including CSS page layouts.
4. For Layout, select the CSS layout you want to use. You can choose from over 30 different layouts. The Preview window shows the layout and gives a brief description of the selected layout.
The pre-designed Dreamweaver CSS layouts provide the following types of columns:
* Fixed Column width is specified in pixels. The column does not resize based on the size of the browser or the site visitor’s text settings. (Non recommended)
* Elastic Column width is specified in a unit of measurement (ems) relative to the size of the text. The design adapts if the site visitor changes the text settings, but does not change based on the size of the browser window. (Yahoo.com Layout)
* Liquid Column width is specified as a percentage of the site visitor’s browser width. The design adapts if the site visitor makes the browser wider or narrower, but does not change based on the site visitor’s text settings. (Accessible layouts)
* Hybrid Columns are a combination of any of the previous three options. For example, the two-column hybrid, right sidebar layout has a main column that scales to the size of the browser, and an elastic column on the right that scales to the size of the site visitor’s text settings.
5. Select a document type from the DocType pop-up menu.
6. Select a location for the layout’s CSS from the Layout CSS in pop-up menu.
* Add To Head Adds CSS for the layout to the head of the page you’re creating.
* Create New File Adds CSS for the layout to a new external CSS stylesheet and attaches the new stylesheet to the page you’re creating.
* Link To Existing File Lets you specify an existing CSS file that already contains the CSS rules needed for the layout. This option is particularly useful when you want to use the same CSS layout (the CSS rules for which are contained in a single file) across multiple documents.
7. Do one of the following:
* If you selected Add to Head from the Layout CSS in pop-up menu (the default option), click Create.
* If you selected Create New File from the Layout CSS pop-up menu, click Create, and then specify a name for the new external file in the Save Style Sheet File As dialog box.
* If you selected Link to Existing File from the Layout CSS in pop-up menu, add the external file to the Attach CSS file text box by clicking the Add Style Sheet icon, completing the Attach External Style Sheet dialog box, and clicking OK. When you’re finished, click Create in the New Document dialog box.Note: When you select the Link to Existing File option, the file you specify must already have the rules for the CSS file contained within it.
Note: Internet Explorer conditional comments (CCs), which help work around IE rendering issues, remain embedded in the head of the new CSS layout document, even if you select New External File or Existing External File as the location for your layout CSS.(Optional) You can also attach CSS style sheets to your new page (unrelated to the CSS layout) when you create the page. To do this, click the Attach Style Sheet icon above the Attach CSS file pane and select a CSS style sheet.
Add custom CSS layouts to the list of choices
1. Create an HTML page that contains the CSS layout you’d like to add to the list of choices in the New Document dialog box. The CSS for the layout must reside in the head of the HTML page.
TIP: To make your custom CSS layout consistent with the other layouts that come with Dreamweaver, you should save your HTML file with the .htm extension.
2. Add the HTML page to the Adobe Dreamweaver CS3\Configuration\BuiltIn\Layouts folder.
3. (Optional) Add a preview image of your layout (for example a .gif or .png file) to the Adobe Dreamweaver CS3\Configuration\BuiltIn\Layouts folder. The default images that come with Dreamweaver are 227 pixels wide x 193 pixels high PNG files. TIP: Give your preview image the same file name as your HTML file so that you can easily keep track of it. For example, if your HTML file is called myCustomLayout.htm, call your preview image myCustomLayout.png.
4. (Optional) Create a notes file for your custom layout by opening the Adobe Dreamweaver CS3\Configuration\BuiltIn\Layouts\_notes folder, copying and pasting any of the existing notes files in the same folder, and renaming the copy for your custom layout. For example, you could copy the oneColElsCtr.htm.mno file, and rename it myCustomLayout.htm.mno.
* (Optional) After you’ve created a notes file for your custom layout, you can open the file and specify the layout name, description, and preview image.
Labels: CSS2
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Sunday, May 13, 2007
Flash Video can be Progressive or Streamed
Social Network Video Publishing
What Is Flash Video ?
Flash Video (FLV) is a proprietary file format used to deliver Videos over the world wide web using Adobe Flash Player (Macromedia Flash Player). Prominent users of the Flash Video format are the social networks like YouTube, Myspace, Google Video, Yahoo! Video and a few more.
Technology behind Flash Video Files
Commonly Flash Video files contain video bit streams which are a variant of the H.263 video standard, under the name of Sorenson Spark. Flash Player 8.0 and 9.0 support the playback of On2 TrueMotion VP6 video bit streams. On2 VP6 Video Compression codec can provide a higher visual quality than Sorenson Spark, especially when using lower bit rates. On the other hand it is computationally more complex and therefore will not run as well on certain older server systems. on2 Flix Engine (compression technology) requires Redhat Linux Enterprise Version 4.0 to be upgraded to PHP Developer version.
Flash Video files can be published in two ways :
* PROGRESSIVE DOWNLOAD via HTTP (supported by Flash Player 7 and later versions). This method uses Action Script to include an externally hosted Flash Video file client-side for playback. Progressive download has several Advantages, including buffering, use of generic HTTP servers, and the ability to reuse a single SWF player for multiple Flash Video sources.
Flash Player 8 includes support for random access within video files using the partial download functionality of HTTP, sometimes referred to as streaming.
Disadvantage : However, unlike streaming using RTMP, HTTP "streaming" does not support real-time broadcasting.
Streaming via HTTP requires a custom player and the injection of specific Flash Video metadata containing the exact starting position in bytes and timecode of each keyframe. Using this specific information, a custom Flash Video player can request any part of the Flash Video file starting at a specified keyframe. For example, Google Video supports progressive download and can seek to any part of the video before buffering is complete, whereas YouTube cannot. The server-side part of this "HTTP pseudo-streaming" method can be implemented, for example in PHP or as an Apache HTTPD module.
* Streamingvia RTMP to the Flash Player using the Adobe Flash Media Server 2.0 is the most recognized and implemented by sites like Youtube. An alternative which promises the same quality is the open source Red5 server. However its still not an established server and we are not sure about its performance as none of the recognized social networks have used them.
Conclusion : Social Network Video Publishing requires three components :
* Compression Video Codec that generates FLV file format : on2 Flix Engine is generally the unanimous choice. Single client license costs 3,800 US$. Demo version is also available.
* Custom Flash Video player (you can embed your logo and brand it). Your developer can make this for you or you can order here.
* Streaming Videos require Flash Media Server 2.0. Singe client license costs 4,500 US$.
If you are looking to have Progressive Downloads then Flash Media Server (iii) is not necessary. The server-side part "HTTP pseudo-streaming" method can be implemented, in PHP or as an Apache HTTPD module.
If you are looking to build a social network with video streaming and convinced to go forward immediately, then you can contact us.
Labels: Video Broadcasting
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Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Search engine friendly URL and navigation
A search engine friendly URL doesn't contain a question mark followed by a list of variables and their values. A search engine friendly URL is short and contains the keywords describing the page's content best, separated by hyphens. This does not only help with rankings, it helps visitors and especially bookmarkers too.
However, it's not always possible to avoid query strings. All the major search engines have learned to crawl dynamic pages, but there are limits:
· Search engine spiders dislike long and ugly URLs. They get indexed from very popular sites, but dealing with small web sites spiders usually don't bother fetching the page.
· Links from dynamic pages seem to count less than links from static pages when it comes to ranking based on link popularity. Also, some crawlers don't follow links from dynamic pages more than one level deep.
· To reduce server loads, search engine spiders crawl dynamic content slower than static pages. On large sites, it's pretty common that a huge amount of dynamic pages buried in the 3rd linking level and below never get indexed.
· Most search engine crawlers ignore URLs with session IDs and similar stuff in the query string, to prevent the spiders from fetching the same content over and over in infinite loops. Search engine robots do not provide referrers and they do not accept cookies, thus every request gets a new session ID assigned. Each variant of a query string creates a new unique URL.
· Keywords in variables and their values are pretty useless for ranking purposes, if they count at all. If you find a page identified by the search term in its query string on the SERPs, in most cases the search term is present as visible or even invisible text too, or it was used as anchor text of inbound links.
· There are still search engine crawlers out there which refuses dynamic links.
Thumb Rules On search engine friendly URL's:
· Keep them short. Less variables gain more visibility.
· Keep your variable names short, but do not use 'ID' or composites of entities and 'ID'.
· Hide user tracking from search engine crawlers in all URLs appearing in (internal) links. That's tolerated cloaking, because it helps search engines. Ensure to output useful default values when a page gets requested without a session ID and the client does not accept cookies.
· Keep the values short. If you can, go for integers. Don't use UUIDs/GUIDs and similar randomly generated stuff in query strings if you want the page indexed by search engines. Exception: in forms enabling users to update your database use GUIDs/UUIDs only, because integers encourage users to play with them in the address bar, which leads to unwanted updates and other nasty effects.
Consider providing static looking URLs, for example on Apache use mod_rewrite to translate static URLs to script URLs + query string. Ensure your server does not send a redirect response (302/301) then. Or, on insert of tuples in a 'pages' database table, you can store persistent files for each dynamic URL, calling a script on request.
For example a static URL like http://www.yourDomain.com/nutrition/vitamins-minerals-milk-4711.htm can include a script parsing the file name to extract the parameter(s) necessary to call the output script. In this example the keywords were extracted from the page's title and the pageID '4711' makes the URL unique within the domain's namespace.
The ideal internal link looks like
keyword-phrase
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Search Engines Inside Stories
Recap:
Let's recap the basic methods of steering and supporting search engine crawling and ranking:
# Provide unique content. A lot of unique content. Add fresh content frequently.
# Acquire valuable inbound links from related pages on foreign servers, regardless of their search engine ranking. Actively acquire deep inbound links to content pages, but accept home page links. Do not run massive link campaigns if your site is rather new. Let the amount of relevant inbound links grow smoothly and steadily to avoid red-flagging.
# Put in carefully selected outbound links to on-topic authority pages on each content page. Ask for reciprocal links, but do not dump your links if the other site does not link back.
# Implement a surfer friendly, themed navigation. Go for text links to support deep crawling. Provide each page at least one internal link from a static page, for example from a site map page.
# Encourage other sites to make use of your RSS feeds and alike. To protect the uniqueness of your site's content, do not put text snippets from your site into feeds or submitted articles. Write short summaries instead and use a different wording.
# Use search engine friendly, short but keyword rich URLs. Hide user tracking from search engine crawlers.
# Log each crawler visit and keep these data forever. Develop smart reports querying your logs and study them frequently. Use these logs to improve your internal linking.
# Make use of the robots exclusion protocol to keep spiders away from internal areas. Do not try to hide your CSS files from robots.
# Make use of the robots META tag to ensure that only one version of each page on your server gets indexed. When it comes to pages carrying partial content of other pages, make your decision based on common sense, not on any SEO bible.
# Use rel="nofollow" in your links, when you cannot vote for the linked page (user submitted content in guestbooks, blogs ...).
# Make use of Google SiteMaps as a 'robots inclusion protocol'.
# Do not cheat the search engines.
Robots.txt
------------
http://www.yourdomain.com/robots.txt behaves like any other PHP script. Your file system's directory structure has nothing to do with your linking structure, that is your site's hierarchy. However, you can store scripts delivering content which is not subject of public access in directories protected by robots.txt. To prevent this content from all unwanted views, add user/password protection.
User-agent: Googlebot
Disallow: /*affid=
Disallow: /*sessionID=
Disallow: /*visitorID=
Disallow: /*.aspx$
User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Disallow: /*.gif$
"*" matches any sequence of characters, "$" indicates the end of a name.
The first example would disallow all dynamic URLs were the variable 'affid' (affiliate ID) is part of the query string. The second and third example disallow URLs containing a session ID or a visitor ID. The fourth example excludes .aspx page scripts without a query string from crawling. The fifth example tells Google's image crawler to fetch all image formats except .gif files. Because not all Web robots understand this syntax, it makes sound sense to put in a URL Specific Control: the Robots META Tag.
INDEX|NOINDEX - Tells the SE spider whether the page may be indexed or not
FOLLOW|NOFOLLOW - Tells the SE crawler whether it may follow links provided on the page or not
ALL|NONE - ALL = INDEX, FOLLOW (default), NONE = NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW
NOODP - tells search engines not to use page titles and descriptions from the ODP on their SERPs.
NOYDIR - tells Yahoo! search not to use page titles and descriptions from the Yahoo! directory on the SERPs.
NOARCHIVE - Google specific1, used to prevent archiving
NOSNIPPET - Google specific, prevents Google from displaying text snippets for your page on its SERPs
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Monday, April 30, 2007
Difference between Organic SEO and PPC
It doesn’t matter how great your website is if you don’t get visitors. This is where Organic (Natural) Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay per Click (PPC) becomes so important, as they drive traffic to your website. What are SEO and PPC and how exactly do they help your business?
Search Engine Optimisation and PPC: Conceptual Differences
The most important thing to remember is that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and PPC are complementary strategies. There is no conflict between using the two techniques, and both will be more successful if used together as opposed to using just one or the other in isolation.
The most obvious difference is the price tag that comes with these two techniques. You are paying for the clicks that PPC sends your way, whereas the clicks from Search Engine Optimisation are free. Getting to the top of the Search Engine Optimisation tree for your most lucrative search keywords requires extreme hard work. Getting to the top of the PPC for identical search terms requires financial potential (just how much is dependent on the competition for that particular search term) and work. Both PPC and Organic Search Engine Optimisation require hard work researching keywords so that you know which search terms to buy (for PPC) and which terms to optimise for (SEO). Different creatives per search term or group (PPC) and different tags for each page of your site (SEO) both need to be written to entice customers. Natural Search Engine Optimisation has the added complication that the title tags need to be written with the search engines in mind as well.
PPC can be characterised as INSTANT traffic to a site. If you’re willing to pay the price of the clicks, and your bid is on the higher side you can choose search terms in the major Pay per Click engines. Providing your search term has enough traffic, and your creative is tight and enticing, you should notice a bump in traffic.
Search Engine Optimisation is a slower process. You are unlikely to see major changes to your traffic in the early stages, as so much of Search Engine Optimisation is to do with the structure and environment of your site.
However, the effects of Search Engine Optimisation are long term thus making it far cheaper than PPC. With PPC, the moment you stop your payments the traffic dries up entirely. Search Engine Optimisation on the other hand will continue to bring in traffic even if you stop SEO work on the site, although you will need to ensure that your SEO campaign keeps abreast of changes in the search engine algorithms.
Search Engine Optimisation and Pay per Click go hand in hand and you have to implement a combined strategy to achieve best results. That is why you should hire a search engine optimisation company who has done successful campaigns. SEO India is our recommended SEO company who brings results. Try them.
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Friday, April 27, 2007
Build the Web Site Yourself or Hire a Web Designer and Developer?
Should you design your site or engage a Web designer and developer?
The decision boils down to a few factors:
Does your Web hosting service offer any tools and templates to help you? If so, you may be able to quickly create a Web site with little or no technical knowledge, and at no additional cost. Also, there are many free scripts available that enable you to add features to your Web site, such as a traffic counter or a customer feedback form, with very little technical knowledge.
If no templates are available, the next best do-it-yourself option is using WYSIWYG HTML/Web site software like FrontPage. These tools enable you to design a Web site with very little technical knowledge, and many include templates.
If you do not have templates or WYSIWIG software available, do you have the necessary skills in-house to design your Web site? To do the job yourself, you will need graphic design skills, the ability to create graphics, HTML and JavaScript programming skills, some knowledge of information organization, and a general familiarity with Internet technology and software. If you don't have these skills, are you willing to take the time to obtain them?
What is your Web site budget? Hiring a designer and programming company will probably cost more than doing it yourself. Indian Web designers typically charge from $10-$15 per hour. Before you hire a designer, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want your site to look like and how you want customers to navigate it.
Do you have some skills but lack others? If so, control your costs by hiring a designer or developer to do only the work that you cannot.
Labels: Steps to Build a Website
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Step 3: Host Your Own Web Site or Work with a Web Hosting Service?
The Web site you build must be stored on a computer that has a reliable, secure connection to the Internet. Hosting a Web site means providing the technical resources (the computer hardware and operating system, the networking equipment, the Internet connection, etc.) needed to make your Web site available to your customers. You can either host your own Web site or hire a Web hosting company, such as thePlanet, Interland, Rackspace to host your site. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
Hosting Your Own Site Advantages: You are in complete control. You have unlimited flexibility: you choose your own hardware, operating system, database, and other tools. You do not have to learn another company's Web hosting procedures. You will not pay additional charges for hard disc storage space or bandwidth usage.
Disadvantages: Purchasing and maintaining computer hardware and software can be expensive. Obtaining a reliable, fast connection to the Internet can be very expensive. You will need a high degree of technical knowledge, and if you have any problems, you're on your own.
Working with a Web Hosting Service
Advantages: Reliable and secure computer hardware with a fast connection to the Internet. Low start-up costs and relatively inexpensive monthly fees. You can get your Web site online much faster. Technical support is often free or available at a nominal charge. Purchase only the services you need and add more as your business grows.
Disadvantages: You are limited to the software and hardware options the hosting service offers. Monthly fees may vary depending on how many customers visit your Web site. Not all hosting services are created equal: it takes some research to find a reputable company that will be a trusted advisor and help you grow your business.
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
CSS Layouts
CSS page layout uses the Cascading Style Sheets format, rather than traditional HTML tables or frames, to organize the content on a web page. The basic building block of the CSS layout is the div tag—an HTML tag that in most cases acts as a container for text, images, and other page elements. When you create a CSS layout, you place div tags on the page, add content to them, and position them in various places. Unlike table cells, which are restricted to existing somewhere within the rows and columns of a table, div tags can appear anywhere on a web page. You can position div tags absolutely (by specifying x and y coordinates), or relatively (by specifying their distance from other page elements).
Creating CSS layouts from scratch can be difficult because there are so many ways to do it. You can create a simple two-column CSS layout by setting floats, margins, paddings, and other CSS properties in a nearly infinite number of combinations. Additionally, the problem of cross-browser rendering causes certain CSS layouts to display properly in some browsers, and display improperly in others. Dreamweaver makes it easy for you to build pages with CSS layouts by providing over 30 pre-designed layouts that work across different browsers.
Using the pre-designed CSS layouts that come with Dreamweaver is the easiest way to create a page with a CSS layout, but you can also create CSS layouts using Dreamweaver absolutely-positioned elements (AP elements). An AP element in Dreamweaver is an HTML page element—specifically, a div tag, or any other tag—that has an absolute position assigned to it. The limitation of Dreamweaver AP elements, however, is that since they are absolutely positioned, their positions never adjust on the page according to the size of the browser window.
If you are an advanced user, you can also insert div tags manually and apply CSS positioning styles to them to create page layouts.
CSS page Layout Tutorial Video
Requirements
To complete this tutorial you will need to download the following software and files:
Dreamweaver CS3 - 30 days trial download
About CSS page layout structure :
Before proceeding with this section, you should be familiar with basic CSS concepts.
Figure 1. A. Container div B. Sidebar div C. Main Content
Main Content
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Praesent aliquam, justo convallis
luctus rutrum.
Phasellus tristique purus a augue condimentum adipiscing. Aenean sagittis. Etiam leo pede,
rhoncus venenatis, tristique in, vulputate at, odio.
H2 level heading
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Praesent aliquam,
justo convallis luctus rutrum, erat nulla fermentum diam, at nonummy quam ante ac quam.
In the above example, there is no “styling” attached to any of the div tags. Without CSS rules defined, each div tag and its contents fall into a default location on the page. However, if each div tag has a unique id (as in the above example), you can use the ids to create CSS rules that, when applied, change the style and positioning of the div tags. The following CSS rule, which can reside in the head of the document or in an external CSS file, creates styling rules for the first, or “container” div tag on the page:
#container {
width: 780px;
background: #FFFFFF;
margin: 0 auto;
border: 1px solid #000000;
text-align: left;
}
The #container rule styles the container div tag to have a width of 780 pixels, a white background, no margin (from the left side of the page), a solid, black, 1 pixel border, and text that is aligned left. The results of applying the rule to the container div tag are as follows:
Figure 2. Container div tag, 780 pixels, no margin A. Text aligned left B. White background C. 1-pixel solid black border
Figure 2. Container div tag, 780 pixels, no margin
A. Text aligned left B. White background C. 1-pixel solid black border
The next CSS rule creates styling rules for the sidebar div tag:
#sidebar {
float: left;
width: 200px;
background: #EBEBEB;
padding: 15px 10px 15px 20px;
}
The #sidebar rule styles the sidebar div tag to have a width of 200 pixels, a gray background, a top and bottom padding of 15 pixels, a right padding of 10 pixels, and a left padding of 20 pixels. Additionally, the rule positions the sidebar div tag with float: left—a property that pushes the sidebar div tag to the left side of the container div tag. The results of applying the rule to the sidebar div tag are as follows:
Figure 3. Sidebar div, float left A. Width 200 pixels B. Top and bottom padding, 15 pixels
Figure 3. Sidebar div, float left
A. Width 200 pixels B. Top and bottom padding, 15 pixels
Last, the CSS rule for the main container div tag finishes the layout:
#mainContent {
margin: 0 0 0 250px;
padding: 0 20px 20px 20px;
}
The #mainContent rule styles the main content div with a left margin of 250 pixels, which means that it places 250 pixels of space between the left side of the container div, and the left side of the main content div. Additionally, the rule provides for 20 pixels of spacing on the right, bottom, and left sides of the main content div. The results of applying the rule to the mainContent div are as follows:
Figure 4. Main Content div, left margin of 250 pixels A. 20 pixels left padding B. 20 pixels right padding C. 20 pixels bottom padding
Figure 4. Main Content div, left margin of 250 pixels
A. 20 pixels left padding B. 20 pixels right padding C. 20 pixels bottom padding
The complete code looks as follows
Note: The above example code is a simplified version of the code that creates the two-column fixed left sidebar layout when you create a new document using the predesigned layouts that come with Dreamweaver.
Create a page with a CSS layout using DREAMWEAVER
When creating a new page in Dreamweaver, you can create one that already contains a CSS layout. Dreamweaver comes with over 30 different CSS layouts that you can choose from. Additionally, you can create your own CSS layouts and add them to the configuration folder so that they appear as layout choices in the New Document dialog box.
Dreamweaver CSS layouts render correctly in the following browsers: Firefox (Windows and Macintosh) 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0; Internet Explorer (Windows) 5.5, 6.0, 7.0; Opera (Windows and Macintosh) 8.0, 9.0; and Safari 2.0.
1. Select File > New.
2. In the New Document dialog box, select the Blank Page category. (It’s the default selection.)
3. For Page Type, select the kind of page you want to create. Note: You must select an HTML page type for the layout. For example, you can select HTML, ColdFusion®, JSP, and so on. You cannot create an ActionScript™, CSS, Library Item, JavaScript, XML, XSLT, or ColdFusion Component page with a CSS layout. Page types in the Other category of the New Document dialog box are also restricted from including CSS page layouts.
4. For Layout, select the CSS layout you want to use. You can choose from over 30 different layouts. The Preview window shows the layout and gives a brief description of the selected layout.
The pre-designed Dreamweaver CSS layouts provide the following types of columns:
* Fixed Column width is specified in pixels. The column does not resize based on the size of the browser or the site visitor’s text settings. (Non recommended)
* Elastic Column width is specified in a unit of measurement (ems) relative to the size of the text. The design adapts if the site visitor changes the text settings, but does not change based on the size of the browser window. (Yahoo.com Layout)
* Liquid Column width is specified as a percentage of the site visitor’s browser width. The design adapts if the site visitor makes the browser wider or narrower, but does not change based on the site visitor’s text settings. (Accessible layouts)
* Hybrid Columns are a combination of any of the previous three options. For example, the two-column hybrid, right sidebar layout has a main column that scales to the size of the browser, and an elastic column on the right that scales to the size of the site visitor’s text settings.
5. Select a document type from the DocType pop-up menu.
6. Select a location for the layout’s CSS from the Layout CSS in pop-up menu.
* Add To Head Adds CSS for the layout to the head of the page you’re creating.
* Create New File Adds CSS for the layout to a new external CSS stylesheet and attaches the new stylesheet to the page you’re creating.
* Link To Existing File Lets you specify an existing CSS file that already contains the CSS rules needed for the layout. This option is particularly useful when you want to use the same CSS layout (the CSS rules for which are contained in a single file) across multiple documents.
7. Do one of the following:
* If you selected Add to Head from the Layout CSS in pop-up menu (the default option), click Create.
* If you selected Create New File from the Layout CSS pop-up menu, click Create, and then specify a name for the new external file in the Save Style Sheet File As dialog box.
* If you selected Link to Existing File from the Layout CSS in pop-up menu, add the external file to the Attach CSS file text box by clicking the Add Style Sheet icon, completing the Attach External Style Sheet dialog box, and clicking OK. When you’re finished, click Create in the New Document dialog box.Note: When you select the Link to Existing File option, the file you specify must already have the rules for the CSS file contained within it.
Note: Internet Explorer conditional comments (CCs), which help work around IE rendering issues, remain embedded in the head of the new CSS layout document, even if you select New External File or Existing External File as the location for your layout CSS.(Optional) You can also attach CSS style sheets to your new page (unrelated to the CSS layout) when you create the page. To do this, click the Attach Style Sheet icon above the Attach CSS file pane and select a CSS style sheet.
Add custom CSS layouts to the list of choices
1. Create an HTML page that contains the CSS layout you’d like to add to the list of choices in the New Document dialog box. The CSS for the layout must reside in the head of the HTML page.
TIP: To make your custom CSS layout consistent with the other layouts that come with Dreamweaver, you should save your HTML file with the .htm extension.
2. Add the HTML page to the Adobe Dreamweaver CS3\Configuration\BuiltIn\Layouts folder.
3. (Optional) Add a preview image of your layout (for example a .gif or .png file) to the Adobe Dreamweaver CS3\Configuration\BuiltIn\Layouts folder. The default images that come with Dreamweaver are 227 pixels wide x 193 pixels high PNG files. TIP: Give your preview image the same file name as your HTML file so that you can easily keep track of it. For example, if your HTML file is called myCustomLayout.htm, call your preview image myCustomLayout.png.
4. (Optional) Create a notes file for your custom layout by opening the Adobe Dreamweaver CS3\Configuration\BuiltIn\Layouts\_notes folder, copying and pasting any of the existing notes files in the same folder, and renaming the copy for your custom layout. For example, you could copy the oneColElsCtr.htm.mno file, and rename it myCustomLayout.htm.mno.
* (Optional) After you’ve created a notes file for your custom layout, you can open the file and specify the layout name, description, and preview image.
Labels: CSS2
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Sunday, May 13, 2007
Flash Video can be Progressive or Streamed
Social Network Video Publishing
What Is Flash Video ?
Flash Video (FLV) is a proprietary file format used to deliver Videos over the world wide web using Adobe Flash Player (Macromedia Flash Player). Prominent users of the Flash Video format are the social networks like YouTube, Myspace, Google Video, Yahoo! Video and a few more.
Technology behind Flash Video Files
Commonly Flash Video files contain video bit streams which are a variant of the H.263 video standard, under the name of Sorenson Spark. Flash Player 8.0 and 9.0 support the playback of On2 TrueMotion VP6 video bit streams. On2 VP6 Video Compression codec can provide a higher visual quality than Sorenson Spark, especially when using lower bit rates. On the other hand it is computationally more complex and therefore will not run as well on certain older server systems. on2 Flix Engine (compression technology) requires Redhat Linux Enterprise Version 4.0 to be upgraded to PHP Developer version.
Flash Video files can be published in two ways :
* PROGRESSIVE DOWNLOAD via HTTP (supported by Flash Player 7 and later versions). This method uses Action Script to include an externally hosted Flash Video file client-side for playback. Progressive download has several Advantages, including buffering, use of generic HTTP servers, and the ability to reuse a single SWF player for multiple Flash Video sources.
Flash Player 8 includes support for random access within video files using the partial download functionality of HTTP, sometimes referred to as streaming.
Disadvantage : However, unlike streaming using RTMP, HTTP "streaming" does not support real-time broadcasting.
Streaming via HTTP requires a custom player and the injection of specific Flash Video metadata containing the exact starting position in bytes and timecode of each keyframe. Using this specific information, a custom Flash Video player can request any part of the Flash Video file starting at a specified keyframe. For example, Google Video supports progressive download and can seek to any part of the video before buffering is complete, whereas YouTube cannot. The server-side part of this "HTTP pseudo-streaming" method can be implemented, for example in PHP or as an Apache HTTPD module.
* Streamingvia RTMP to the Flash Player using the Adobe Flash Media Server 2.0 is the most recognized and implemented by sites like Youtube. An alternative which promises the same quality is the open source Red5 server. However its still not an established server and we are not sure about its performance as none of the recognized social networks have used them.
Conclusion : Social Network Video Publishing requires three components :
* Compression Video Codec that generates FLV file format : on2 Flix Engine is generally the unanimous choice. Single client license costs 3,800 US$. Demo version is also available.
* Custom Flash Video player (you can embed your logo and brand it). Your developer can make this for you or you can order here.
* Streaming Videos require Flash Media Server 2.0. Singe client license costs 4,500 US$.
If you are looking to have Progressive Downloads then Flash Media Server (iii) is not necessary. The server-side part "HTTP pseudo-streaming" method can be implemented, in PHP or as an Apache HTTPD module.
If you are looking to build a social network with video streaming and convinced to go forward immediately, then you can contact us.
Labels: Video Broadcasting
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Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Search engine friendly URL and navigation
A search engine friendly URL doesn't contain a question mark followed by a list of variables and their values. A search engine friendly URL is short and contains the keywords describing the page's content best, separated by hyphens. This does not only help with rankings, it helps visitors and especially bookmarkers too.
However, it's not always possible to avoid query strings. All the major search engines have learned to crawl dynamic pages, but there are limits:
· Search engine spiders dislike long and ugly URLs. They get indexed from very popular sites, but dealing with small web sites spiders usually don't bother fetching the page.
· Links from dynamic pages seem to count less than links from static pages when it comes to ranking based on link popularity. Also, some crawlers don't follow links from dynamic pages more than one level deep.
· To reduce server loads, search engine spiders crawl dynamic content slower than static pages. On large sites, it's pretty common that a huge amount of dynamic pages buried in the 3rd linking level and below never get indexed.
· Most search engine crawlers ignore URLs with session IDs and similar stuff in the query string, to prevent the spiders from fetching the same content over and over in infinite loops. Search engine robots do not provide referrers and they do not accept cookies, thus every request gets a new session ID assigned. Each variant of a query string creates a new unique URL.
· Keywords in variables and their values are pretty useless for ranking purposes, if they count at all. If you find a page identified by the search term in its query string on the SERPs, in most cases the search term is present as visible or even invisible text too, or it was used as anchor text of inbound links.
· There are still search engine crawlers out there which refuses dynamic links.
Thumb Rules On search engine friendly URL's:
· Keep them short. Less variables gain more visibility.
· Keep your variable names short, but do not use 'ID' or composites of entities and 'ID'.
· Hide user tracking from search engine crawlers in all URLs appearing in (internal) links. That's tolerated cloaking, because it helps search engines. Ensure to output useful default values when a page gets requested without a session ID and the client does not accept cookies.
· Keep the values short. If you can, go for integers. Don't use UUIDs/GUIDs and similar randomly generated stuff in query strings if you want the page indexed by search engines. Exception: in forms enabling users to update your database use GUIDs/UUIDs only, because integers encourage users to play with them in the address bar, which leads to unwanted updates and other nasty effects.
Consider providing static looking URLs, for example on Apache use mod_rewrite to translate static URLs to script URLs + query string. Ensure your server does not send a redirect response (302/301) then. Or, on insert of tuples in a 'pages' database table, you can store persistent files for each dynamic URL, calling a script on request.
For example a static URL like http://www.yourDomain.com/nutrition/vitamins-minerals-milk-4711.htm can include a script parsing the file name to extract the parameter(s) necessary to call the output script. In this example the keywords were extracted from the page's title and the pageID '4711' makes the URL unique within the domain's namespace.
The ideal internal link looks like
keyword-phrase
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Search Engines Inside Stories
Recap:
Let's recap the basic methods of steering and supporting search engine crawling and ranking:
# Provide unique content. A lot of unique content. Add fresh content frequently.
# Acquire valuable inbound links from related pages on foreign servers, regardless of their search engine ranking. Actively acquire deep inbound links to content pages, but accept home page links. Do not run massive link campaigns if your site is rather new. Let the amount of relevant inbound links grow smoothly and steadily to avoid red-flagging.
# Put in carefully selected outbound links to on-topic authority pages on each content page. Ask for reciprocal links, but do not dump your links if the other site does not link back.
# Implement a surfer friendly, themed navigation. Go for text links to support deep crawling. Provide each page at least one internal link from a static page, for example from a site map page.
# Encourage other sites to make use of your RSS feeds and alike. To protect the uniqueness of your site's content, do not put text snippets from your site into feeds or submitted articles. Write short summaries instead and use a different wording.
# Use search engine friendly, short but keyword rich URLs. Hide user tracking from search engine crawlers.
# Log each crawler visit and keep these data forever. Develop smart reports querying your logs and study them frequently. Use these logs to improve your internal linking.
# Make use of the robots exclusion protocol to keep spiders away from internal areas. Do not try to hide your CSS files from robots.
# Make use of the robots META tag to ensure that only one version of each page on your server gets indexed. When it comes to pages carrying partial content of other pages, make your decision based on common sense, not on any SEO bible.
# Use rel="nofollow" in your links, when you cannot vote for the linked page (user submitted content in guestbooks, blogs ...).
# Make use of Google SiteMaps as a 'robots inclusion protocol'.
# Do not cheat the search engines.
Robots.txt
------------
http://www.yourdomain.com/robots.txt behaves like any other PHP script. Your file system's directory structure has nothing to do with your linking structure, that is your site's hierarchy. However, you can store scripts delivering content which is not subject of public access in directories protected by robots.txt. To prevent this content from all unwanted views, add user/password protection.
User-agent: Googlebot
Disallow: /*affid=
Disallow: /*sessionID=
Disallow: /*visitorID=
Disallow: /*.aspx$
User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Disallow: /*.gif$
"*" matches any sequence of characters, "$" indicates the end of a name.
The first example would disallow all dynamic URLs were the variable 'affid' (affiliate ID) is part of the query string. The second and third example disallow URLs containing a session ID or a visitor ID. The fourth example excludes .aspx page scripts without a query string from crawling. The fifth example tells Google's image crawler to fetch all image formats except .gif files. Because not all Web robots understand this syntax, it makes sound sense to put in a URL Specific Control: the Robots META Tag.
INDEX|NOINDEX - Tells the SE spider whether the page may be indexed or not
FOLLOW|NOFOLLOW - Tells the SE crawler whether it may follow links provided on the page or not
ALL|NONE - ALL = INDEX, FOLLOW (default), NONE = NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW
NOODP - tells search engines not to use page titles and descriptions from the ODP on their SERPs.
NOYDIR - tells Yahoo! search not to use page titles and descriptions from the Yahoo! directory on the SERPs.
NOARCHIVE - Google specific1, used to prevent archiving
NOSNIPPET - Google specific, prevents Google from displaying text snippets for your page on its SERPs
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Monday, April 30, 2007
Difference between Organic SEO and PPC
It doesn’t matter how great your website is if you don’t get visitors. This is where Organic (Natural) Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay per Click (PPC) becomes so important, as they drive traffic to your website. What are SEO and PPC and how exactly do they help your business?
Search Engine Optimisation and PPC: Conceptual Differences
The most important thing to remember is that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and PPC are complementary strategies. There is no conflict between using the two techniques, and both will be more successful if used together as opposed to using just one or the other in isolation.
The most obvious difference is the price tag that comes with these two techniques. You are paying for the clicks that PPC sends your way, whereas the clicks from Search Engine Optimisation are free. Getting to the top of the Search Engine Optimisation tree for your most lucrative search keywords requires extreme hard work. Getting to the top of the PPC for identical search terms requires financial potential (just how much is dependent on the competition for that particular search term) and work. Both PPC and Organic Search Engine Optimisation require hard work researching keywords so that you know which search terms to buy (for PPC) and which terms to optimise for (SEO). Different creatives per search term or group (PPC) and different tags for each page of your site (SEO) both need to be written to entice customers. Natural Search Engine Optimisation has the added complication that the title tags need to be written with the search engines in mind as well.
PPC can be characterised as INSTANT traffic to a site. If you’re willing to pay the price of the clicks, and your bid is on the higher side you can choose search terms in the major Pay per Click engines. Providing your search term has enough traffic, and your creative is tight and enticing, you should notice a bump in traffic.
Search Engine Optimisation is a slower process. You are unlikely to see major changes to your traffic in the early stages, as so much of Search Engine Optimisation is to do with the structure and environment of your site.
However, the effects of Search Engine Optimisation are long term thus making it far cheaper than PPC. With PPC, the moment you stop your payments the traffic dries up entirely. Search Engine Optimisation on the other hand will continue to bring in traffic even if you stop SEO work on the site, although you will need to ensure that your SEO campaign keeps abreast of changes in the search engine algorithms.
Search Engine Optimisation and Pay per Click go hand in hand and you have to implement a combined strategy to achieve best results. That is why you should hire a search engine optimisation company who has done successful campaigns. SEO India is our recommended SEO company who brings results. Try them.
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Friday, April 27, 2007
Build the Web Site Yourself or Hire a Web Designer and Developer?
Should you design your site or engage a Web designer and developer?
The decision boils down to a few factors:
Does your Web hosting service offer any tools and templates to help you? If so, you may be able to quickly create a Web site with little or no technical knowledge, and at no additional cost. Also, there are many free scripts available that enable you to add features to your Web site, such as a traffic counter or a customer feedback form, with very little technical knowledge.
If no templates are available, the next best do-it-yourself option is using WYSIWYG HTML/Web site software like FrontPage. These tools enable you to design a Web site with very little technical knowledge, and many include templates.
If you do not have templates or WYSIWIG software available, do you have the necessary skills in-house to design your Web site? To do the job yourself, you will need graphic design skills, the ability to create graphics, HTML and JavaScript programming skills, some knowledge of information organization, and a general familiarity with Internet technology and software. If you don't have these skills, are you willing to take the time to obtain them?
What is your Web site budget? Hiring a designer and programming company will probably cost more than doing it yourself. Indian Web designers typically charge from $10-$15 per hour. Before you hire a designer, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want your site to look like and how you want customers to navigate it.
Do you have some skills but lack others? If so, control your costs by hiring a designer or developer to do only the work that you cannot.
Labels: Steps to Build a Website
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Step 3: Host Your Own Web Site or Work with a Web Hosting Service?
The Web site you build must be stored on a computer that has a reliable, secure connection to the Internet. Hosting a Web site means providing the technical resources (the computer hardware and operating system, the networking equipment, the Internet connection, etc.) needed to make your Web site available to your customers. You can either host your own Web site or hire a Web hosting company, such as thePlanet, Interland, Rackspace to host your site. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
Hosting Your Own Site Advantages: You are in complete control. You have unlimited flexibility: you choose your own hardware, operating system, database, and other tools. You do not have to learn another company's Web hosting procedures. You will not pay additional charges for hard disc storage space or bandwidth usage.
Disadvantages: Purchasing and maintaining computer hardware and software can be expensive. Obtaining a reliable, fast connection to the Internet can be very expensive. You will need a high degree of technical knowledge, and if you have any problems, you're on your own.
Working with a Web Hosting Service
Advantages: Reliable and secure computer hardware with a fast connection to the Internet. Low start-up costs and relatively inexpensive monthly fees. You can get your Web site online much faster. Technical support is often free or available at a nominal charge. Purchase only the services you need and add more as your business grows.
Disadvantages: You are limited to the software and hardware options the hosting service offers. Monthly fees may vary depending on how many customers visit your Web site. Not all hosting services are created equal: it takes some research to find a reputable company that will be a trusted advisor and help you grow your business.
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Picking clients who help your business
Picking clients who help your business
Posted by Jonathan on August 30th, 2007 in The Business of Design Comments
I have heard it said that a successful business never turns down work. I think that’s poppycock. For a graphic or web design firm to develop a solid portfolio they need to be selective about the clients they work with. Lately I have been working with a client who is not a terribly good fit for my business, and have been thinking about strategies for choosing projects that help my business to move forward.
Identify your business goals
Before you can choose clients who match your business vision, you need to identify your professional goals. The sort of things on your list might include:
* Produce innovative design work
* Develop a reputation for expertise in Flash development
* Work with clients who embrace creative design solutions
* Work with socially and environmentally conscious companies
* Improve business profitability
* Win web and graphic design industry awards
Zero in
Once you know the direction you want to go in, you can focus on winning projects that can help you get there. If you want to be known for producing cutting edge Flash websites, then clients in the arts and music sectors - who are usually open to innovative online solutions - would make a good addition to your client list.
Don’t be afraid to turn down work
If you focus on clients who help you meet your business goals, it follows that you will need to turn away prospects from time to time. When I’m approached about a new work opportunity I find it very difficult to say “no”. I hate to disappoint people, but in the long run it is much less painful to say “no” to an unappealing job than “yes”.
In most cases it isn’t necessary to invent an excuse for turning down work - simply explain to your client that the brief is not well matched to your business. If your specialization is building e-commerce websites, and the brief is to produce a rich media site for a hot new rock band, then your client will understand when you explain that their needs will be better served by a Flash specialist.
It can be tempting to use the “I’m too busy right now” excuse to turn down an unattractive project, but this approach can come back to haunt you. When the client calls back to see if your calendar has freed up, you will have to give them an honest refusal anyway. A firm but polite “no” to begin with will avoid an awkward situation later on.
Personally speaking
When jobs are few and far between it doesn’t make sense to be choosy, but in most cases I believe it is better to take on projects that help fulfill your business goals, and pass up those that don’t. At the end of the day the projects that I’m proudest of, and enjoy working on the most, are also the ones that help my business grow.
Further reading
8 Essential Strategies to Saying “No”
Leo Babauta has written an excellent article about strategies for turning down jobs.
Focused?
Ideadsonideas discuss the advantages of business specialization.
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Posted by Jonathan on August 30th, 2007 in The Business of Design Comments
I have heard it said that a successful business never turns down work. I think that’s poppycock. For a graphic or web design firm to develop a solid portfolio they need to be selective about the clients they work with. Lately I have been working with a client who is not a terribly good fit for my business, and have been thinking about strategies for choosing projects that help my business to move forward.
Identify your business goals
Before you can choose clients who match your business vision, you need to identify your professional goals. The sort of things on your list might include:
* Produce innovative design work
* Develop a reputation for expertise in Flash development
* Work with clients who embrace creative design solutions
* Work with socially and environmentally conscious companies
* Improve business profitability
* Win web and graphic design industry awards
Zero in
Once you know the direction you want to go in, you can focus on winning projects that can help you get there. If you want to be known for producing cutting edge Flash websites, then clients in the arts and music sectors - who are usually open to innovative online solutions - would make a good addition to your client list.
Don’t be afraid to turn down work
If you focus on clients who help you meet your business goals, it follows that you will need to turn away prospects from time to time. When I’m approached about a new work opportunity I find it very difficult to say “no”. I hate to disappoint people, but in the long run it is much less painful to say “no” to an unappealing job than “yes”.
In most cases it isn’t necessary to invent an excuse for turning down work - simply explain to your client that the brief is not well matched to your business. If your specialization is building e-commerce websites, and the brief is to produce a rich media site for a hot new rock band, then your client will understand when you explain that their needs will be better served by a Flash specialist.
It can be tempting to use the “I’m too busy right now” excuse to turn down an unattractive project, but this approach can come back to haunt you. When the client calls back to see if your calendar has freed up, you will have to give them an honest refusal anyway. A firm but polite “no” to begin with will avoid an awkward situation later on.
Personally speaking
When jobs are few and far between it doesn’t make sense to be choosy, but in most cases I believe it is better to take on projects that help fulfill your business goals, and pass up those that don’t. At the end of the day the projects that I’m proudest of, and enjoy working on the most, are also the ones that help my business grow.
Further reading
8 Essential Strategies to Saying “No”
Leo Babauta has written an excellent article about strategies for turning down jobs.
Focused?
Ideadsonideas discuss the advantages of business specialization.
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Ditch your meta keywords
Ditch your meta keywords
Posted by Jonathan on March 6th, 2007 in Web Design Comments
One of my clients is currently optimizing their website for search engines. As part of the process I met with a rep from an SEO firm, who suggested ways the website design could be tweaked to be as friendly as possible to search engines. Most of the ground he covered was not new to me, but one tip was an eye opener: he advised me to entirely remove the meta keywords tags from the website.
I’ve known for a long time that meta keywords do nothing to help a site’s ranking in Google, as the keywords selected by a webmaster might be misleading or downright false. What I didn’t realize is that Google and other search engines may in fact penalize sites that they believe are cheating the system with their meta keywords. For instance, a website that specifies meta keywords that don’t actually appear on the page may in fact have their ranking decreased.
This is significant if you are in the habit of specifying the same meta keywords for every page on a site, perhaps as a global include. Or maybe you forget to update the keywords whenever a webpage changes, and your keywords no longer match the on-page content. While these scenarios may seem harmless enough, if search engines truly do penalize sites for sloppy meta keywords, then you are much better off to ditch the keywords altogether.
Simply put, meta keywords can never help your search engine ranking, only hurt it.
Note: It is important to make a distinction between meta keyword tags and meta description tags. Google uses the meta description tag to display within its search result listings, so it is still very useful to provide potential visitors with a succinct description of a page’s content, and a unique meta description should be included on every page of a site.
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Posted by Jonathan on March 6th, 2007 in Web Design Comments
One of my clients is currently optimizing their website for search engines. As part of the process I met with a rep from an SEO firm, who suggested ways the website design could be tweaked to be as friendly as possible to search engines. Most of the ground he covered was not new to me, but one tip was an eye opener: he advised me to entirely remove the meta keywords tags from the website.
I’ve known for a long time that meta keywords do nothing to help a site’s ranking in Google, as the keywords selected by a webmaster might be misleading or downright false. What I didn’t realize is that Google and other search engines may in fact penalize sites that they believe are cheating the system with their meta keywords. For instance, a website that specifies meta keywords that don’t actually appear on the page may in fact have their ranking decreased.
This is significant if you are in the habit of specifying the same meta keywords for every page on a site, perhaps as a global include. Or maybe you forget to update the keywords whenever a webpage changes, and your keywords no longer match the on-page content. While these scenarios may seem harmless enough, if search engines truly do penalize sites for sloppy meta keywords, then you are much better off to ditch the keywords altogether.
Simply put, meta keywords can never help your search engine ranking, only hurt it.
Note: It is important to make a distinction between meta keyword tags and meta description tags. Google uses the meta description tag to display within its search result listings, so it is still very useful to provide potential visitors with a succinct description of a page’s content, and a unique meta description should be included on every page of a site.
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Web Creep Again
Web Creep Again
10.21.2007 by LukeW
Back in June of 2003, while guest blogging at 37Signals, I posted about an increasing amount of "Web Creep" or Web design seeping into our broader visual culture. A recent article from the New York Times tackled this topic in more depth:
Cluttered
"For better or worse, viewers say, the additions are making the experience of watching television more closely mirror the feeling of using a computer. The trend toward visual clutter has also reshaped television news broadcasts, where the familiar sight of a lone anchor talking to a camera has grown increasingly rare.
Research suggests that packed screens can impede comprehension. Tom Grimes, a journalism professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, Tex., said that people who are looking for quick information like stock quotes or a weather update can handle a certain amount of clutter. But “if they’re trying to listen to a reporter describe a complicated series of events, it’s very difficult to absorb that information” with too great a visual barrage, he said.
With the Internet offering an increasingly sophisticated yet chaotic visual experience, television must decide how much it wants to mimic the computer." -As the Fall Season Arrives, TV Screens Get More Cluttered
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interface, media
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SMORGASBORD-DESIGN : USABILITY: The Pervasiveness of the Web
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http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
10.21.2007 by LukeW
Back in June of 2003, while guest blogging at 37Signals, I posted about an increasing amount of "Web Creep" or Web design seeping into our broader visual culture. A recent article from the New York Times tackled this topic in more depth:
Cluttered
"For better or worse, viewers say, the additions are making the experience of watching television more closely mirror the feeling of using a computer. The trend toward visual clutter has also reshaped television news broadcasts, where the familiar sight of a lone anchor talking to a camera has grown increasingly rare.
Research suggests that packed screens can impede comprehension. Tom Grimes, a journalism professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, Tex., said that people who are looking for quick information like stock quotes or a weather update can handle a certain amount of clutter. But “if they’re trying to listen to a reporter describe a complicated series of events, it’s very difficult to absorb that information” with too great a visual barrage, he said.
With the Internet offering an increasingly sophisticated yet chaotic visual experience, television must decide how much it wants to mimic the computer." -As the Fall Season Arrives, TV Screens Get More Cluttered
Tags
interface, media
TrackBack URL for this entry
http://www.lukew.com/ff/ff_tb.asp?596
Trackbacks
SMORGASBORD-DESIGN : USABILITY: The Pervasiveness of the Web
“Interface orientated blog Functioning Form have used a recent NY Times article to highlight a seep of web-orientated design onto traditional media...”
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
T2 Icon Design - Keywords
T2 Icon Design - Keywords
Logo Magnified
Kenichi Yoshida, who is doing the application icon design work for T2, starts his design process by asking for keywords which describe the purpose and utility of the application.
This was a good exercise for me. I am used to describing Bee Docs' Timeline with many words ("Timeline makes it easy and quick to create beautiful timeline charts worthy of..."). However, using single words was a challenge. I think the ones I ended up with get to the heart and soul of the application:
* Visualization
* Presentation
* Charting
* Understanding
* Communication
I'm glad I have begun to pursue the icon design early in the development process. As an icon is a symbol that quickly conveys the utility of an application, I can use this design process as an opportunity to think through all the issues that will guide the design of the application itself.
Labels: icon design, t2, timeline software
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Logo Magnified
Kenichi Yoshida, who is doing the application icon design work for T2, starts his design process by asking for keywords which describe the purpose and utility of the application.
This was a good exercise for me. I am used to describing Bee Docs' Timeline with many words ("Timeline makes it easy and quick to create beautiful timeline charts worthy of..."). However, using single words was a challenge. I think the ones I ended up with get to the heart and soul of the application:
* Visualization
* Presentation
* Charting
* Understanding
* Communication
I'm glad I have begun to pursue the icon design early in the development process. As an icon is a symbol that quickly conveys the utility of an application, I can use this design process as an opportunity to think through all the issues that will guide the design of the application itself.
Labels: icon design, t2, timeline software
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
The Marcal brand is not only a c
Pippo Lionni
The Marcal brand is not only a celebration of design ingenuity; it reflects the artistic talents of special individuals who place reverence to the significance and placement of design within history, culture and our global environment.
Pippo LionniPippo Lionni is a world renowned designer whose visual statements transcend the conventions of design. Pippo’s creative contribution is celebrated through Marcal Silenzio Uno and Skwizmi designs.
After the very noisy period for design during the 80’s, colors, forms etc… Pippo wanted to create quiet visual forms. The name Silenzio (silence in Italian) is to celebrate this quietude. Uno (one in Italian) because the design is the first of the series.
Pippo Lionni’s work will be featured at the Max Lang Gallery NYC until September 1st 2007
– Keith Francis
Learn more about Pippo Lionni’s works
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
The Marcal brand is not only a celebration of design ingenuity; it reflects the artistic talents of special individuals who place reverence to the significance and placement of design within history, culture and our global environment.
Pippo LionniPippo Lionni is a world renowned designer whose visual statements transcend the conventions of design. Pippo’s creative contribution is celebrated through Marcal Silenzio Uno and Skwizmi designs.
After the very noisy period for design during the 80’s, colors, forms etc… Pippo wanted to create quiet visual forms. The name Silenzio (silence in Italian) is to celebrate this quietude. Uno (one in Italian) because the design is the first of the series.
Pippo Lionni’s work will be featured at the Max Lang Gallery NYC until September 1st 2007
– Keith Francis
Learn more about Pippo Lionni’s works
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Graphic Designer Karen Saunders Breaks Down Business Card Basics for Small Business Owners
Graphic Designer Karen Saunders Breaks Down Business Card Basics for Small Business Owners
Karen Saunders, award-winning graphic designer and owner of MacGraphics Services, has just posted the latest in a series of free articles on her website.
(PRWEB) October 11, 2007 -- Karen Saunders, award-winning graphic designer and owner of MacGraphics Services, has just posted the latest in a series of free articles on her website. You know the difference between a good business card and a bad one. But how do you make sure yours is a card that people will hang on to? Find the answers in this new article, entitled How To Make Your First Impression Last. The article and more marketing tips can be found at http://buyappealmarketing.blogspot.com
Business cards are something that a lot of people take for granted. They think about quantity, rather than quality. According to Saunders, a thousand poorly designed cards aren't worth ten carefully designed business cards. The ten will do more work and go farther if you incorporate the right techniques.
The business card is your mini-marketing tool
"The business card is your mini-marketing tool," says Saunders. "Sometimes people will give you their card and you'll say to yourself, 'Wow, this is a really nice card'. You immediately get a good feeling about them and their business before you even know what they do! This article was designed to help you create that great first impression."
Saunders has picked up more than a few techniques for making a strong business card, and she shares seven of them in this article. Business owners can find a library of past articles on her website, dealing with topics from designing your own logo to using the psychology of colors in your marketing materials.
Upcoming articles will continue to take the mystery out of marketing. Readers will learn:
* Tips on creating eye-catching covers for books and brochures.
* Top design techniques so their marketing pieces will rival ones created by a professional.
* The secrets to page layout, even down to what fonts work best for different markets.
* How to create visual branding that will turn potential customers into paying ones.
* Tips on creating the right advertising mood that will attract your perfect customers without saying a word.
To view the complete series, go to http://buyappealmarketing.blogspot.com/.
Saunders has won awards for her book cover designs, and is recognized as an expert in the field of graphic design. She founded MacGraphics Services in 1990 and is a leading designer of marketing materials such as ads, logos, one-sheets, audio and video packaging, and book covers and interiors. Saunders' award-winning covers can be viewed at http://www.macgraphics.net/
Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost entrepreneurs' money by signing up for her free e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients go to http://www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php
###
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Technorati Tags karen saunders graphic design macgraphics services business card marketing tips design techniques visual branding book cover design ads logos
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http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Karen Saunders, award-winning graphic designer and owner of MacGraphics Services, has just posted the latest in a series of free articles on her website.
(PRWEB) October 11, 2007 -- Karen Saunders, award-winning graphic designer and owner of MacGraphics Services, has just posted the latest in a series of free articles on her website. You know the difference between a good business card and a bad one. But how do you make sure yours is a card that people will hang on to? Find the answers in this new article, entitled How To Make Your First Impression Last. The article and more marketing tips can be found at http://buyappealmarketing.blogspot.com
Business cards are something that a lot of people take for granted. They think about quantity, rather than quality. According to Saunders, a thousand poorly designed cards aren't worth ten carefully designed business cards. The ten will do more work and go farther if you incorporate the right techniques.
The business card is your mini-marketing tool
"The business card is your mini-marketing tool," says Saunders. "Sometimes people will give you their card and you'll say to yourself, 'Wow, this is a really nice card'. You immediately get a good feeling about them and their business before you even know what they do! This article was designed to help you create that great first impression."
Saunders has picked up more than a few techniques for making a strong business card, and she shares seven of them in this article. Business owners can find a library of past articles on her website, dealing with topics from designing your own logo to using the psychology of colors in your marketing materials.
Upcoming articles will continue to take the mystery out of marketing. Readers will learn:
* Tips on creating eye-catching covers for books and brochures.
* Top design techniques so their marketing pieces will rival ones created by a professional.
* The secrets to page layout, even down to what fonts work best for different markets.
* How to create visual branding that will turn potential customers into paying ones.
* Tips on creating the right advertising mood that will attract your perfect customers without saying a word.
To view the complete series, go to http://buyappealmarketing.blogspot.com/.
Saunders has won awards for her book cover designs, and is recognized as an expert in the field of graphic design. She founded MacGraphics Services in 1990 and is a leading designer of marketing materials such as ads, logos, one-sheets, audio and video packaging, and book covers and interiors. Saunders' award-winning covers can be viewed at http://www.macgraphics.net/
Learn the Top 5 Mistakes that can cost entrepreneurs' money by signing up for her free e-course, available for a limited time. To take advantage of this e-course and find out how easy it can be to attract more clients go to http://www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php
###
Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/WmV0YS1TcXVhLUZhbHUtVGhpci1UaGlyLVplcm8=
Technorati Tags karen saunders graphic design macgraphics services business card marketing tips design techniques visual branding book cover design ads logos
Bookmark - Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl It | Spurl | RawSugar | Simpy | Shadows | Blink It | My Web
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Windbelt, Cheap Generator Alternative, Set to Power Third World PDF Print E-mail
Windbelt, Cheap Generator Alternative, Set to Power Third World PDF Print E-mail
Image
Windbelt, Cheap Generator Alternative, Set to Power Third World
By Logan Ward
Video by Virtual Beauty
Video Produced by Allyson Torrisi
Diagram by Dogo
Published in the November 2007 issue.
frayne-425-1107.jpg
Click HERE to see the video.
Working in Haiti, Shawn Frayne, a 28-year-old inventor based in Mountain View, Calif., saw the need for small-scale wind power to juice LED lamps and radios in the homes of the poor. Conventional wind turbines don’t scale down well—there’s too much friction in the gearbox and other components. “With rotary power, there’s nothing out there that generates under 50 watts,” Frayne says. So he took a new tack, studying the way vibrations caused by the wind led to the collapse in 1940 of Washington’s Tacoma Narrows Bridge (aka Galloping Gertie).
Frayne’s device, which he calls a Windbelt, is a taut membrane fitted with a pair of magnets that oscillate between metal coils. Prototypes have generated 40 milliwatts in 10-mph slivers of wind, making his device 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best microturbines. Frayne envisions the Windbelt costing a few dollars and replacing kerosene lamps in Haitian homes. “Kerosene is smoky and it’s a fire hazard,” says Peter Haas, founder of the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group, which helps people in developing countries to get environmentally sound access to clean water, sanitation and energy. “If Shawn’s innovation breaks, locals can fix it. If a solar panel breaks, the family is out a panel.”
Frayne hopes to help fund third-world distribution of his Windbelt with revenue from first-world applications—such as replacing the batteries used to power temperature and humidity sensors in buildings. “There’s not a huge amount of innovation being done for people making $2 to $4 per day,” Haas says. “Shawn’s work is definitely needed.”
windbelt-470-1107.jpg
In a conventional wind generator, gears help transfer the motion of the spinning blades to a turbine where an electric current is induced. The Windbelt is simpler and more efficient in light breezes—a magnet mounted on a vibrating membrane simply oscillates between wire coils.
Copyright © 2007 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4224763.html?series=37
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Image
Windbelt, Cheap Generator Alternative, Set to Power Third World
By Logan Ward
Video by Virtual Beauty
Video Produced by Allyson Torrisi
Diagram by Dogo
Published in the November 2007 issue.
frayne-425-1107.jpg
Click HERE to see the video.
Working in Haiti, Shawn Frayne, a 28-year-old inventor based in Mountain View, Calif., saw the need for small-scale wind power to juice LED lamps and radios in the homes of the poor. Conventional wind turbines don’t scale down well—there’s too much friction in the gearbox and other components. “With rotary power, there’s nothing out there that generates under 50 watts,” Frayne says. So he took a new tack, studying the way vibrations caused by the wind led to the collapse in 1940 of Washington’s Tacoma Narrows Bridge (aka Galloping Gertie).
Frayne’s device, which he calls a Windbelt, is a taut membrane fitted with a pair of magnets that oscillate between metal coils. Prototypes have generated 40 milliwatts in 10-mph slivers of wind, making his device 10 to 30 times as efficient as the best microturbines. Frayne envisions the Windbelt costing a few dollars and replacing kerosene lamps in Haitian homes. “Kerosene is smoky and it’s a fire hazard,” says Peter Haas, founder of the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group, which helps people in developing countries to get environmentally sound access to clean water, sanitation and energy. “If Shawn’s innovation breaks, locals can fix it. If a solar panel breaks, the family is out a panel.”
Frayne hopes to help fund third-world distribution of his Windbelt with revenue from first-world applications—such as replacing the batteries used to power temperature and humidity sensors in buildings. “There’s not a huge amount of innovation being done for people making $2 to $4 per day,” Haas says. “Shawn’s work is definitely needed.”
windbelt-470-1107.jpg
In a conventional wind generator, gears help transfer the motion of the spinning blades to a turbine where an electric current is induced. The Windbelt is simpler and more efficient in light breezes—a magnet mounted on a vibrating membrane simply oscillates between wire coils.
Copyright © 2007 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4224763.html?series=37
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
One Molecule Could Cure Our Addiction to Oil
One Molecule Could Cure Our Addiction to Oil
By Evan Ratliff 09.24.07 | 2:00 PM
Prologue
The Chemistry
On a blackboard, it looks so simple: Take a plant and extract the cellulose. Add some enzymes and convert the cellulose molecules into sugars. Ferment the sugar into alcohol. Then distill the alcohol into fuel. One, two, three, four — and we're powering our cars with lawn cuttings, wood chips, and prairie grasses instead of Middle East oil.
Unfortunately, passing chemistry class doesn't mean acing economics. Scientists have long known how to turn trees into ethanol, but doing it profitably is another matter. We can run our cars on lawn cuttings today; we just can't do it at a price people are willing to pay.
The problem is cellulose. Found in plant cell walls, it's the most abundant naturally occurring organic molecule on the planet, a potentially limitless source of energy. But it's a tough molecule to break down. Bacteria and other microorganisms use specialized enzymes to do the job, scouring lawns, fields, and forest floors, hunting out cellulose and dining on it. Evolution has given other animals elegant ways to do the same: Cows, goats, and deer maintain a special stomach full of bugs to digest the molecule; termites harbor hundreds of unique microorganisms in their guts that help them process it. For scientists, though, figuring out how to convert cellulose into a usable form on a budget driven by gas-pump prices has been neither elegant nor easy. To tap that potential energy, they're harnessing nature's tools, tweaking them in the lab to make them work much faster than nature intended.
While researchers work to bring down the costs of alternative energy sources, in the past two years policymakers have finally reached consensus that it's time to move past oil. The reasoning varies — reducing our dependence on unstable oil-producing regions, cutting greenhouse gases, avoiding ever-increasing prices — but it's clear that the US needs to replace billions of gallons of gasoline with alternative fuels, and fast. Even oil industry veteran George W. Bush has declared that "America is addicted to oil" and set a target of replacing 20 percent of the nation's annual gasoline consumption — 35 billion gallons — with renewable fuels by 2017.
But how? Hydrogen is too far-out, and it's no easy task to power our cars with wind- or solar-generated electricity. The answer, then, is ethanol. Unfortunately, the ethanol we can make today — from corn kernels — is a mediocre fuel source. Corn ethanol is easier to produce than the cellulosic kind (convert the sugar to alcohol and you're basically done), but it generates at best 30 percent more energy than is required to grow and process the corn — hardly worth the trouble. Plus, the crop's fertilizer- intensive cultivation pollutes waterways, and increased demand drives up food costs (corn prices doubled last year). And anyway, the corn ethanol industry is projected to produce, at most, the equivalent of only 15 billion gallons of fuel by 2017. "We can't make 35 billion gallons' worth of gasoline out of ethanol from corn," says Dartmouth engineering and biology professor Lee Lynd, "and we probably don't want to."
Cellulosic ethanol, in theory, is a much better bet. Most of the plant species suitable for producing this kind of ethanol — like switchgrass, a fast- growing plant found throughout the Great Plains, and farmed poplar trees — aren't food crops. And according to a joint study by the US Departments of Agriculture and Energy, we can sustainably grow more than 1 billion tons of such biomass on available farmland, using minimal fertilizer. In fact, about two-thirds of what we throw into our landfills today contains cellulose and thus potential fuel. Better still: Cellulosic ethanol yields roughly 80 percent more energy than is required to grow and convert it.
So a wave of public and private funding, bringing newfound optimism, is pouring into research labs. Venture capitalists have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in cellulosic-technology startups. BP has announced that it's giving $500 million for an Energy Biosciences Institute run by the University of Illinois and UC Berkeley. The Department of Energy pledged $385 million to six companies building cellulosic demonstration plants. In June the DOE added awards for three $125 million bioenergy centers to pursue new research on cellulosic biofuels.
There's just one catch: No one has yet figured out how to generate energy from plant matter at a competitive price. The result is that no car on the road today uses a drop of cellulosic ethanol.
Cellulose is a tough molecule by design, a fact that dates back 400 million years to when plants made the move from ocean to land and required sturdy cell walls to keep themselves upright and protected against microbes, the elements, and eventually animals. Turning that defensive armor into fuel involves pretreating the plant material with chemicals to strip off cell-wall protections. Then there are two complicated steps: first, introducing enzymes, called cellulases, to break the cellulose down into glucose and xylose; and second, using yeast and other microorganisms to ferment those sugars into ethanol.
The step that has perplexed scientists is the one involving enzymes — proteins that come in an almost infinite variety of three-dimensional structures. They are at work everywhere in living cells, usually speeding up the chemical reactions that break down complex molecules. Because they're hard to make from scratch, scientists generally extract them from microorganisms that produce them naturally. But the trick is producing the enzymes cheaply enough at an industrial scale and speed.
Today's cellulases are the enzyme equivalent of vacuum tubes: clunky, slow, and expensive. Now, flush with cash, scientists and companies are racing to develop the cellulosic transistor. Some researchers are trying to build the ultimate microbe in the lab, one that could combine the two key steps of the process. Others are using "directed evolution" and genetic engineering to improve the enzyme-producing microorganisms currently in use. Still others are combing the globe in search of new and better bugs. It's bio-construction versus bio-tinkering versus bio-prospecting, all with the single goal of creating the perfect enzyme cocktail.
President Bush, for one, seems to believe that the revolution is imminent. "It's an interesting time, isn't it," he mused this February. "We're on the verge of some breakthroughs that will enable a pile of wood chips to become the raw materials for fuels that will run your car." Whether the car of the future will be powered by wood chips isn't clear yet. But it may depend on the success of the hunt for tiny enzymes that could be discovered anywhere from a termite's stomach in Central America to a lab bench to your own backyard.
gr_enzyme1_580_f.jpg
Lynd's microbe would be an all-in-one ethanol factory.
Portrait: Peter Yang
Chapter 1
The Veteran
Trace the fortunes of cellulosic ethanol over the past three decades and you'll find that the arc almost perfectly mirrors Lee Lynd's career. The 49-year-old Dartmouth professor started in a compost heap in the 1970s, seemed on the verge of a breakthrough in the '80s, and nearly went bust in the '90s. "There were times," he says, "when my lab barely had a pulse." Now, as a central player in the burgeoning cellulosic industry, he works out of a rejuvenated Dartmouth lab and sparkling new offices in nearby Lebanon, New Hampshire, freshly equipped and staffed by nearly two dozen PhDs. Many are recent hires, the beneficiaries of $60 million that Lynd's company, Mascoma, has raised. The firm is beginning construction on a pilot-scale ethanol plant in New York state this year, and it recently announced plans for a $100 million production plant in Michigan, projected to break ground in 2008.
Lynd has deep-set eyes and wavy blond hair graying at the temples. He dresses the casual businessman, his inner environmentalist betrayed only by a pair of leather sandals. Working on a farm as a biology undergrad one summer in the 1970s, Lynd noticed that a thermometer stuck in a compost pile registered 150 degrees Fahrenheit. He knew that microorganisms must be at work in there, digesting the plants and turning them into... something. Lynd became obsessed with harnessing that biology to generate usable energy from plants.
He certainly wasn't the first scientist to try. The oil crisis of the '70s spurred a wave of federally funded research on cellulosic ethanol. Then, in the mid-'80s, when President Reagan declared the fuel crisis over, the DOE money vanished with few results. Many academics fled to other fields where funding was easier to get. But Lynd — descended from what he calls "several generations of social reformers" — remained enamored with the potential of cellulosic ethanol, and he pieced together small grants to keep his lab running.
For Lynd, the key to the future lies in combining the two main stages of the cellulosic conversion pathway into a single process inside a single microbe. Instead of using enzymes to make sugar out of plant material and then using yeast to convert that sugar to ethanol, Lynd is trying to create a bacterium that serves as an all-in-one fuel factory, taking up cellulose and spitting out ethanol. Called consolidated bioprocessing, or CBP, this has been his dream for two decades. "Almost everybody believes it's doable," he says. "People disagree whether it'll take two years or 20."
To get there, he needs to engineer cellulase production into a sugar-fermenting microbe like yeast or modify a cellulase-producing organism to make it ferment sugar. With plenty of research money in hand, he's trying to do both. To accomplish the latter, Lynd and his colleagues are working with a cellulase-producing bacterium called Clostridium thermocellum. "You can isolate this puppy out of garden soil, hot springs, compost heaps, forest floors," Lynd says. In 2005, the researchers proved that a bug very similar to C. thermocellum could be modified to make ethanol. Their goal is now to modify C. thermocellum to do the same. If he succeeds, Lynd's analysis shows that CBP — by reducing the raw materials and capital required — could cut overall processing costs twofold, potentially the difference between a profitable ethanol plant and a money pit.
Meanwhile, Mascoma is pushing ahead to build factories that will use commercial cellulase enzymes until the superbug is available. That may not happen immediately, but Lynd is patient, having sought a breakthrough for three decades. "I'm not sure if that makes me inspired or an idiot," he says. "Probably a little of both."
gr_enzyme2_250.jpg
Cherry is making existing enzymes cheaper and more efficient.
Portrait: Peter Yang
Chapter 2
The Suppliers
If you want to buy enzymes off the shelf, a good place to start would be Novozymes, the world's leading supplier of cellulases. Headquartered in Denmark, the company runs a tidy business selling millions of pounds of enzymes, used to do everything from brewing alcohol without malt to helping laundry detergent devour stains. Novozymes perfects its enzymes in state-of-the-art biotech labs and sends them to plants scattered around the world, where they are manufactured in bulk. Now, in a subsidiary office tucked away just off I-80 outside Davis, California, the company is prepping its next advance.
Back in 2000, Joel Cherry, a molecular biologist who now runs the company's research on biomass enzymes, began urging Novozymes to develop some that could be used to produce fuel. "There were a lot of people who said it wasn't worth doing," he recalls. But Cherry pressed the company to apply for a DOE grant, and the agency awarded Novozymes and Palo Alto-based Genencor about $15 million each to make the currently available cellulases cheaper and more efficient at chopping up plants. Cherry now heads a team of nearly 100 researchers focused exclusively on cellulosic enzymes, the company's largest single R&D effort.
The enzymes used today to make cellulosic ethanol come from a microbe that was discovered during World War II, eating away at the tents used by US forces in the South Pacific. It turned out to be a tropical fungus named Trichoderma reesei, which secretes a mixture of more than 50 cellulose-processing enzymes. Researchers have since bred strains of it that can produce the stuff much faster. "It's definitely the gold standard for cellulase production," Cherry says, holding up a sample plate covered in the green dust of T. reesei spores.
Novozymes sells T. reesei derived cellulases today, primarily to fabric companies that use them to create the stone-washed look for jeans. But profit margins are fatter on jeans than on commodities like fuel, and the enzymes have remained too expensive to make cellulosic ethanol commercially viable.
So Cherry's team transplanted four new enzyme-producing genes into the fungus — sequences from other cellulase-generating organisms in the company's culture collection. For some of the samples, bioengineers used what they call directed evolution: They mutated the genes and then used high-throughput screening to test the resulting enzymes for improvement in properties like heat resistance and ability to degrade cellulose. The best of the mutated-enzyme combinations were then tested in tabletop reactors on corn stover, the cellulose-laden stalks of the crop. After four years, Cherry and his team say they've reduced the cost of the enzyme mixture from $5 per gallon of ethanol to well under a dollar. Genencor claims similar improvement.
The only way to truly judge the enzymes' cost and effectiveness, however, is to put them to work on real feedstocks under industrial conditions. To that end, Novozymes is currently supplying its new enzymes to several companies in the US, Europe, and China that are building cellulosic demonstration plants. Those are among over a dozen outfits — from a company using a thermochemical process to break down wood chips in Georgia to a Massachusetts-based firm that is working on a CBP bug to rival Lynd's — scrambling for the first commercial cellulosic success.
"We're at the place now where the enzymes could be significantly cheaper, and we are going to continue to pound on it," Cherry says. "If one of those efforts can show a clear path to economic viability, I think it's just going to go crazy."
gr_enzyme3_580_f.jpg
Doyle looks to nature for better enzymes.
Portrait: Peter Yang
Chapter 3
The Collectors
Could there be better enzymes in the wild, as yet unknown, just waiting to be discovered? Verenium, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, thinks so, and it's prospecting the globe for a bug that produces them. The company's scientists will go just about anywhere — they've explored the excrement of rhinos and the stomachs of cows — but their most intriguing work so far took them to Costa Rica, home to one of the world's most diverse insect populations. There, working with Caltech microbiologist Jared Leadbetter and a group of Costa Rican scientists, the team gathered termites from the rain forest floor.
Termites are master cellulose processors, using a mixture of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms in their hindmost gut to break down leaves and dead trees. "There are lots of organisms that naturally degrade and digest plant cell-wall material," says biologist Kevin Gray, the company's director of alternative fuels. "Termites are top on the list."
After pinching out the termite's gut, which holds a microliter of material containing an entire ecosystem of microbes, they shipped it back to the US and isolated the DNA. Now, together with the DOE, they're sequencing that DNA to find the genes responsible for creating the cellulases. A preliminary analysis shows "a large diversity of enzymes," Gray says. Next, they'll determine the most effective mix of cellulases by testing what they've extracted on plant matter. They hope to find one that will chew up cellulose bonds faster and more efficiently than anything Novozymes' T. reesei fungus churns out.
But Verenium is not an enzyme company like Novozymes — it's in the fuel business. Just outside the farm town of Jennings, it also runs a pilot-scale biorefinery amid the steaming bayous of western Louisiana. This is one of the few places in the world where enzymes are already on the job, turning plants into usable fuel.
The process starts with a three-story-high mound of bagasse, a woody byproduct of sugarcane that farmers often discard. The bagasse, which resembles sweet-smelling mulch, travels on a conveyer belt through stainless steel pipes where it's treated with an acid mixture. Then it's dumped into 10-foot-diameter tanks for the two biological stages of the process. First, microbes that churn out cellulose-chomping enzymes are funneled into the batch, turning the bagasse into sugar. Then, two micro organisms — including a special strain of Escherichia coli bacteria developed by University of Florida microbiologist Lonnie Ingram — are used to ferment the sugar into alcohol.
This facility churns out enough ethanol to test the basic technology, if not to prove its viability at commercial volumes. But John Doyle, Verenium's vice president for projects, is overseeing the construction of a larger demonstration plant and hopes to show that the economics can scale, even before the company finds the right termite-derived enzymes.
"The high tech part of our process is the organisms," Doyle says, "and you can always swap new organisms into the infrastructure." The refinery, in other words, is just hardware, while the biology supplies the software — with the enzymes upgraded whenever a new, better one is pinched out and perfected.
Epilogue
The Forecast
Skeptics argue that rosy projections for cellulosic ethanol ignore its drawbacks — mainly, that cars need to be converted to run on it, that existing oil pipelines can't transport it, and that we don't have the land to grow enough of it. Advocates counter that if the fuel is cheap and plentiful enough, the infrastructure will follow. "If we could make ethanol at a large scale in a way that is sustainable, carbon-neutral, and cost-effective, we would surely be doing so," Lynd says, citing the fact that most cars can easily be converted to run on ethanol, something already done with most new cars in Brazil. "Meeting these objectives is not limited by the fuel properties of ethanol but rather by the current difficulty of converting cellulosic biomass to sugars."
Neither government funding nor venture capital, of course, guarantees research breakthroughs or commercial blockbusters. And even ardent proponents concede that cellulosic ethanol won't solve our fuel problems — or do much to stop global warming — without parallel efforts to improve vehicle efficiency. They also worry that attention could again fade if the first demonstration plants fail or oil prices plummet. "To get this industry going, you need some short-term breakthroughs, by which I mean the next five to seven years," says Martin Keller, a micro biologist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and director of its new BioEnergy Science Center. "Otherwise, my fear is that people may leave this field again."
The problem comes from the quotidian difficulties of making benchtop science work on an industrial scale. Undoubtedly, even some well-funded efforts will fail. But the proliferation of research — the prospect of Lee Lynd's superbug, the evolution of current cellulases, and the addition of new enzymes harvested from nature — stacks the deck in favor of cellulosic ethanol.
Alexander Karsner, assistant secretary for the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, says that with plants going up around the country, the industry could make cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive within six years. "I think there won't be a silver-bullet process, where you say, 'That has won, and everything else is done,'" he says. "So you need many of these technologies."
Having known lean times, Lynd is reluctant to predict the future. But given the freedom of fat wallets, he says, "I truly think that in five years all the hard issues about converting cellulosic biomass to ethanol may be solved."
The researchers' vision, of green and gold switchgrass fields feeding a nationwide network of ethanol plants and filling stations, often has an effortless quality to it — as easy as a few steps sketched out on a blackboard. The money and momentum is here. Solve the science, they argue, and the market will take care of the rest.
Contributing editor Evan Ratliff (www.atavistic.org) wrote about Google Maps and Google Earth in issue
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
By Evan Ratliff 09.24.07 | 2:00 PM
Prologue
The Chemistry
On a blackboard, it looks so simple: Take a plant and extract the cellulose. Add some enzymes and convert the cellulose molecules into sugars. Ferment the sugar into alcohol. Then distill the alcohol into fuel. One, two, three, four — and we're powering our cars with lawn cuttings, wood chips, and prairie grasses instead of Middle East oil.
Unfortunately, passing chemistry class doesn't mean acing economics. Scientists have long known how to turn trees into ethanol, but doing it profitably is another matter. We can run our cars on lawn cuttings today; we just can't do it at a price people are willing to pay.
The problem is cellulose. Found in plant cell walls, it's the most abundant naturally occurring organic molecule on the planet, a potentially limitless source of energy. But it's a tough molecule to break down. Bacteria and other microorganisms use specialized enzymes to do the job, scouring lawns, fields, and forest floors, hunting out cellulose and dining on it. Evolution has given other animals elegant ways to do the same: Cows, goats, and deer maintain a special stomach full of bugs to digest the molecule; termites harbor hundreds of unique microorganisms in their guts that help them process it. For scientists, though, figuring out how to convert cellulose into a usable form on a budget driven by gas-pump prices has been neither elegant nor easy. To tap that potential energy, they're harnessing nature's tools, tweaking them in the lab to make them work much faster than nature intended.
While researchers work to bring down the costs of alternative energy sources, in the past two years policymakers have finally reached consensus that it's time to move past oil. The reasoning varies — reducing our dependence on unstable oil-producing regions, cutting greenhouse gases, avoiding ever-increasing prices — but it's clear that the US needs to replace billions of gallons of gasoline with alternative fuels, and fast. Even oil industry veteran George W. Bush has declared that "America is addicted to oil" and set a target of replacing 20 percent of the nation's annual gasoline consumption — 35 billion gallons — with renewable fuels by 2017.
But how? Hydrogen is too far-out, and it's no easy task to power our cars with wind- or solar-generated electricity. The answer, then, is ethanol. Unfortunately, the ethanol we can make today — from corn kernels — is a mediocre fuel source. Corn ethanol is easier to produce than the cellulosic kind (convert the sugar to alcohol and you're basically done), but it generates at best 30 percent more energy than is required to grow and process the corn — hardly worth the trouble. Plus, the crop's fertilizer- intensive cultivation pollutes waterways, and increased demand drives up food costs (corn prices doubled last year). And anyway, the corn ethanol industry is projected to produce, at most, the equivalent of only 15 billion gallons of fuel by 2017. "We can't make 35 billion gallons' worth of gasoline out of ethanol from corn," says Dartmouth engineering and biology professor Lee Lynd, "and we probably don't want to."
Cellulosic ethanol, in theory, is a much better bet. Most of the plant species suitable for producing this kind of ethanol — like switchgrass, a fast- growing plant found throughout the Great Plains, and farmed poplar trees — aren't food crops. And according to a joint study by the US Departments of Agriculture and Energy, we can sustainably grow more than 1 billion tons of such biomass on available farmland, using minimal fertilizer. In fact, about two-thirds of what we throw into our landfills today contains cellulose and thus potential fuel. Better still: Cellulosic ethanol yields roughly 80 percent more energy than is required to grow and convert it.
So a wave of public and private funding, bringing newfound optimism, is pouring into research labs. Venture capitalists have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in cellulosic-technology startups. BP has announced that it's giving $500 million for an Energy Biosciences Institute run by the University of Illinois and UC Berkeley. The Department of Energy pledged $385 million to six companies building cellulosic demonstration plants. In June the DOE added awards for three $125 million bioenergy centers to pursue new research on cellulosic biofuels.
There's just one catch: No one has yet figured out how to generate energy from plant matter at a competitive price. The result is that no car on the road today uses a drop of cellulosic ethanol.
Cellulose is a tough molecule by design, a fact that dates back 400 million years to when plants made the move from ocean to land and required sturdy cell walls to keep themselves upright and protected against microbes, the elements, and eventually animals. Turning that defensive armor into fuel involves pretreating the plant material with chemicals to strip off cell-wall protections. Then there are two complicated steps: first, introducing enzymes, called cellulases, to break the cellulose down into glucose and xylose; and second, using yeast and other microorganisms to ferment those sugars into ethanol.
The step that has perplexed scientists is the one involving enzymes — proteins that come in an almost infinite variety of three-dimensional structures. They are at work everywhere in living cells, usually speeding up the chemical reactions that break down complex molecules. Because they're hard to make from scratch, scientists generally extract them from microorganisms that produce them naturally. But the trick is producing the enzymes cheaply enough at an industrial scale and speed.
Today's cellulases are the enzyme equivalent of vacuum tubes: clunky, slow, and expensive. Now, flush with cash, scientists and companies are racing to develop the cellulosic transistor. Some researchers are trying to build the ultimate microbe in the lab, one that could combine the two key steps of the process. Others are using "directed evolution" and genetic engineering to improve the enzyme-producing microorganisms currently in use. Still others are combing the globe in search of new and better bugs. It's bio-construction versus bio-tinkering versus bio-prospecting, all with the single goal of creating the perfect enzyme cocktail.
President Bush, for one, seems to believe that the revolution is imminent. "It's an interesting time, isn't it," he mused this February. "We're on the verge of some breakthroughs that will enable a pile of wood chips to become the raw materials for fuels that will run your car." Whether the car of the future will be powered by wood chips isn't clear yet. But it may depend on the success of the hunt for tiny enzymes that could be discovered anywhere from a termite's stomach in Central America to a lab bench to your own backyard.
gr_enzyme1_580_f.jpg
Lynd's microbe would be an all-in-one ethanol factory.
Portrait: Peter Yang
Chapter 1
The Veteran
Trace the fortunes of cellulosic ethanol over the past three decades and you'll find that the arc almost perfectly mirrors Lee Lynd's career. The 49-year-old Dartmouth professor started in a compost heap in the 1970s, seemed on the verge of a breakthrough in the '80s, and nearly went bust in the '90s. "There were times," he says, "when my lab barely had a pulse." Now, as a central player in the burgeoning cellulosic industry, he works out of a rejuvenated Dartmouth lab and sparkling new offices in nearby Lebanon, New Hampshire, freshly equipped and staffed by nearly two dozen PhDs. Many are recent hires, the beneficiaries of $60 million that Lynd's company, Mascoma, has raised. The firm is beginning construction on a pilot-scale ethanol plant in New York state this year, and it recently announced plans for a $100 million production plant in Michigan, projected to break ground in 2008.
Lynd has deep-set eyes and wavy blond hair graying at the temples. He dresses the casual businessman, his inner environmentalist betrayed only by a pair of leather sandals. Working on a farm as a biology undergrad one summer in the 1970s, Lynd noticed that a thermometer stuck in a compost pile registered 150 degrees Fahrenheit. He knew that microorganisms must be at work in there, digesting the plants and turning them into... something. Lynd became obsessed with harnessing that biology to generate usable energy from plants.
He certainly wasn't the first scientist to try. The oil crisis of the '70s spurred a wave of federally funded research on cellulosic ethanol. Then, in the mid-'80s, when President Reagan declared the fuel crisis over, the DOE money vanished with few results. Many academics fled to other fields where funding was easier to get. But Lynd — descended from what he calls "several generations of social reformers" — remained enamored with the potential of cellulosic ethanol, and he pieced together small grants to keep his lab running.
For Lynd, the key to the future lies in combining the two main stages of the cellulosic conversion pathway into a single process inside a single microbe. Instead of using enzymes to make sugar out of plant material and then using yeast to convert that sugar to ethanol, Lynd is trying to create a bacterium that serves as an all-in-one fuel factory, taking up cellulose and spitting out ethanol. Called consolidated bioprocessing, or CBP, this has been his dream for two decades. "Almost everybody believes it's doable," he says. "People disagree whether it'll take two years or 20."
To get there, he needs to engineer cellulase production into a sugar-fermenting microbe like yeast or modify a cellulase-producing organism to make it ferment sugar. With plenty of research money in hand, he's trying to do both. To accomplish the latter, Lynd and his colleagues are working with a cellulase-producing bacterium called Clostridium thermocellum. "You can isolate this puppy out of garden soil, hot springs, compost heaps, forest floors," Lynd says. In 2005, the researchers proved that a bug very similar to C. thermocellum could be modified to make ethanol. Their goal is now to modify C. thermocellum to do the same. If he succeeds, Lynd's analysis shows that CBP — by reducing the raw materials and capital required — could cut overall processing costs twofold, potentially the difference between a profitable ethanol plant and a money pit.
Meanwhile, Mascoma is pushing ahead to build factories that will use commercial cellulase enzymes until the superbug is available. That may not happen immediately, but Lynd is patient, having sought a breakthrough for three decades. "I'm not sure if that makes me inspired or an idiot," he says. "Probably a little of both."
gr_enzyme2_250.jpg
Cherry is making existing enzymes cheaper and more efficient.
Portrait: Peter Yang
Chapter 2
The Suppliers
If you want to buy enzymes off the shelf, a good place to start would be Novozymes, the world's leading supplier of cellulases. Headquartered in Denmark, the company runs a tidy business selling millions of pounds of enzymes, used to do everything from brewing alcohol without malt to helping laundry detergent devour stains. Novozymes perfects its enzymes in state-of-the-art biotech labs and sends them to plants scattered around the world, where they are manufactured in bulk. Now, in a subsidiary office tucked away just off I-80 outside Davis, California, the company is prepping its next advance.
Back in 2000, Joel Cherry, a molecular biologist who now runs the company's research on biomass enzymes, began urging Novozymes to develop some that could be used to produce fuel. "There were a lot of people who said it wasn't worth doing," he recalls. But Cherry pressed the company to apply for a DOE grant, and the agency awarded Novozymes and Palo Alto-based Genencor about $15 million each to make the currently available cellulases cheaper and more efficient at chopping up plants. Cherry now heads a team of nearly 100 researchers focused exclusively on cellulosic enzymes, the company's largest single R&D effort.
The enzymes used today to make cellulosic ethanol come from a microbe that was discovered during World War II, eating away at the tents used by US forces in the South Pacific. It turned out to be a tropical fungus named Trichoderma reesei, which secretes a mixture of more than 50 cellulose-processing enzymes. Researchers have since bred strains of it that can produce the stuff much faster. "It's definitely the gold standard for cellulase production," Cherry says, holding up a sample plate covered in the green dust of T. reesei spores.
Novozymes sells T. reesei derived cellulases today, primarily to fabric companies that use them to create the stone-washed look for jeans. But profit margins are fatter on jeans than on commodities like fuel, and the enzymes have remained too expensive to make cellulosic ethanol commercially viable.
So Cherry's team transplanted four new enzyme-producing genes into the fungus — sequences from other cellulase-generating organisms in the company's culture collection. For some of the samples, bioengineers used what they call directed evolution: They mutated the genes and then used high-throughput screening to test the resulting enzymes for improvement in properties like heat resistance and ability to degrade cellulose. The best of the mutated-enzyme combinations were then tested in tabletop reactors on corn stover, the cellulose-laden stalks of the crop. After four years, Cherry and his team say they've reduced the cost of the enzyme mixture from $5 per gallon of ethanol to well under a dollar. Genencor claims similar improvement.
The only way to truly judge the enzymes' cost and effectiveness, however, is to put them to work on real feedstocks under industrial conditions. To that end, Novozymes is currently supplying its new enzymes to several companies in the US, Europe, and China that are building cellulosic demonstration plants. Those are among over a dozen outfits — from a company using a thermochemical process to break down wood chips in Georgia to a Massachusetts-based firm that is working on a CBP bug to rival Lynd's — scrambling for the first commercial cellulosic success.
"We're at the place now where the enzymes could be significantly cheaper, and we are going to continue to pound on it," Cherry says. "If one of those efforts can show a clear path to economic viability, I think it's just going to go crazy."
gr_enzyme3_580_f.jpg
Doyle looks to nature for better enzymes.
Portrait: Peter Yang
Chapter 3
The Collectors
Could there be better enzymes in the wild, as yet unknown, just waiting to be discovered? Verenium, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, thinks so, and it's prospecting the globe for a bug that produces them. The company's scientists will go just about anywhere — they've explored the excrement of rhinos and the stomachs of cows — but their most intriguing work so far took them to Costa Rica, home to one of the world's most diverse insect populations. There, working with Caltech microbiologist Jared Leadbetter and a group of Costa Rican scientists, the team gathered termites from the rain forest floor.
Termites are master cellulose processors, using a mixture of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms in their hindmost gut to break down leaves and dead trees. "There are lots of organisms that naturally degrade and digest plant cell-wall material," says biologist Kevin Gray, the company's director of alternative fuels. "Termites are top on the list."
After pinching out the termite's gut, which holds a microliter of material containing an entire ecosystem of microbes, they shipped it back to the US and isolated the DNA. Now, together with the DOE, they're sequencing that DNA to find the genes responsible for creating the cellulases. A preliminary analysis shows "a large diversity of enzymes," Gray says. Next, they'll determine the most effective mix of cellulases by testing what they've extracted on plant matter. They hope to find one that will chew up cellulose bonds faster and more efficiently than anything Novozymes' T. reesei fungus churns out.
But Verenium is not an enzyme company like Novozymes — it's in the fuel business. Just outside the farm town of Jennings, it also runs a pilot-scale biorefinery amid the steaming bayous of western Louisiana. This is one of the few places in the world where enzymes are already on the job, turning plants into usable fuel.
The process starts with a three-story-high mound of bagasse, a woody byproduct of sugarcane that farmers often discard. The bagasse, which resembles sweet-smelling mulch, travels on a conveyer belt through stainless steel pipes where it's treated with an acid mixture. Then it's dumped into 10-foot-diameter tanks for the two biological stages of the process. First, microbes that churn out cellulose-chomping enzymes are funneled into the batch, turning the bagasse into sugar. Then, two micro organisms — including a special strain of Escherichia coli bacteria developed by University of Florida microbiologist Lonnie Ingram — are used to ferment the sugar into alcohol.
This facility churns out enough ethanol to test the basic technology, if not to prove its viability at commercial volumes. But John Doyle, Verenium's vice president for projects, is overseeing the construction of a larger demonstration plant and hopes to show that the economics can scale, even before the company finds the right termite-derived enzymes.
"The high tech part of our process is the organisms," Doyle says, "and you can always swap new organisms into the infrastructure." The refinery, in other words, is just hardware, while the biology supplies the software — with the enzymes upgraded whenever a new, better one is pinched out and perfected.
Epilogue
The Forecast
Skeptics argue that rosy projections for cellulosic ethanol ignore its drawbacks — mainly, that cars need to be converted to run on it, that existing oil pipelines can't transport it, and that we don't have the land to grow enough of it. Advocates counter that if the fuel is cheap and plentiful enough, the infrastructure will follow. "If we could make ethanol at a large scale in a way that is sustainable, carbon-neutral, and cost-effective, we would surely be doing so," Lynd says, citing the fact that most cars can easily be converted to run on ethanol, something already done with most new cars in Brazil. "Meeting these objectives is not limited by the fuel properties of ethanol but rather by the current difficulty of converting cellulosic biomass to sugars."
Neither government funding nor venture capital, of course, guarantees research breakthroughs or commercial blockbusters. And even ardent proponents concede that cellulosic ethanol won't solve our fuel problems — or do much to stop global warming — without parallel efforts to improve vehicle efficiency. They also worry that attention could again fade if the first demonstration plants fail or oil prices plummet. "To get this industry going, you need some short-term breakthroughs, by which I mean the next five to seven years," says Martin Keller, a micro biologist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and director of its new BioEnergy Science Center. "Otherwise, my fear is that people may leave this field again."
The problem comes from the quotidian difficulties of making benchtop science work on an industrial scale. Undoubtedly, even some well-funded efforts will fail. But the proliferation of research — the prospect of Lee Lynd's superbug, the evolution of current cellulases, and the addition of new enzymes harvested from nature — stacks the deck in favor of cellulosic ethanol.
Alexander Karsner, assistant secretary for the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, says that with plants going up around the country, the industry could make cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive within six years. "I think there won't be a silver-bullet process, where you say, 'That has won, and everything else is done,'" he says. "So you need many of these technologies."
Having known lean times, Lynd is reluctant to predict the future. But given the freedom of fat wallets, he says, "I truly think that in five years all the hard issues about converting cellulosic biomass to ethanol may be solved."
The researchers' vision, of green and gold switchgrass fields feeding a nationwide network of ethanol plants and filling stations, often has an effortless quality to it — as easy as a few steps sketched out on a blackboard. The money and momentum is here. Solve the science, they argue, and the market will take care of the rest.
Contributing editor Evan Ratliff (www.atavistic.org) wrote about Google Maps and Google Earth in issue
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Extending Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Office OneNote 2007
Extending Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Office OneNote 2007
Summary: Using an extensibility model, you can build a solution that integrates Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 with a line-of-business CRM system. (13 printed pages)
Jeff Cardon, Microsoft Corporation
Rachel Drossman, Microsoft Corporation
October 2007
Applies to: Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
Contents:
*
Integrating CRM and OneNote 2007 with CRM2OneNote
*
Using CRM2OneNote
o
Using Show Accounts/Show Contacts
o
Downloading Notes from an Entity
o
Attaching Notes to an Entity
o
Creating an Account or Contact from OneNote 2007
*
Known Limitations of the Solution
*
Conclusion
In today’s business world, collecting customer information is essential to building customer relationships and a sales pipeline. Through advances in customer relationship management (CRM) systems, organizations are better able to track sales opportunities and capture customer information.
You can use additional tools like Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 in conjunction with a CRM system to capture rich notes about customers.
When a sales representative takes notes during a customer visit using OneNote 2007, these notes can contain images, audio recordings, embedded files, and other rich information.
Integrating a CRM system and OneNote 2007 with CRM2OneNote provides sales representatives with a streamlined process for capturing, storing, and finding relevant customer notes.
Integrating CRM and OneNote 2007 with CRM2OneNote
CRM2OneNote is a tool that joins Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the note-taking capabilities of OneNote 2007.
Figure 1. CRM Server with OneNote Clients (High-level architecture)
CRM2OneNote High level Architecture
Written in Microsoft Visual C# and designed to work with the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, the CRM2OneNote tool uses features of the OneNote API to communicate and collaborate with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, or other CRM systems.
This technical article presents using CRM2OneNote to update contacts and accounts in a CRM system with notes taken using OneNote 2007.
NoteNote:
This tool is designed to work with CRM 3.0. For more details about known limitations, see Known Limitations of the Solution.
The following images demonstrate how a sales representative uses CRM2OneNote to track his customer visits.
Peter is a sales rep who works for Contoso, Inc. He is responsible for all of the Fabrikam Grocery Stores in his area and he regularly visits the stores to meet with the store manager and other department managers. He uses OneNote 2007 to take notes in his Fabrikam Grocery notebook on his laptop computer and then uses CRM2OneNote to store his customer notes in his company’s CRM system.
He starts his day in OneNote and uses the Download from CRM button that CRM2OneNote added to his OneNote tool bar to get the OneNote file that contains all of his Fabrikam Grocery information. He can select the latest section of notes and easily download them to his OneNote notebook on his laptop.
Figure 2. Before running CRM2OneNote
Before running CRM2OneNote
After Peter’s visit to Fabrikam Groceries, he can easily upload his new notes back to the CRM system, by clicking Upload to CRM in OneNote.
One of the benefits of using a CRM system is that it gives all members of the account team information about their customers. Jeff, a colleague of Peter's, also works on the Fabrikam account. Because notes from OneNote are associated with the account in the CRM system, Jeff can download the latest notes about Fabrikam before his next meeting. Since these notes are taken in OneNote 2007, Jeff not only has basic text, he also has any picture, audio, and video that his colleagues capture during their visits. When Jeff finishes his meeting at Fabrikam, he can easily upload his new notes to the CRM system to ensure that the entire account team is kept up to date.
Figure 3. Uploading new notes
Uploading new notes
Finally, as Peter and Jeff attend meetings, they may encounter new contacts or even new accounts. Using CRM2OneNote, they can create additional accounts or contacts in their CRM accounts from within the OneNote client. They can use OneNote on site with customers and use CRM2OneNote to ensure that their data is also available in the CRM system after they add it.
Figure 4. Creating accounts in CRM from OneNote
Creating new accounts in CRM from OneNote
Using CRM2OneNote
CRM2OneNote is available to customers and partners as a no-charge, shared-source download through CodePlex, the Microsoft open-source project-hosting Web site.
Setting Up CRM2OneNote
1.
Download the CRM2OneNote application from CodePlex.
2.
Run Setup.msi.
Setup adds a CRM2OneNote button in the Standard tool bar in OneNote.
3.
Click CRM2OneNote to display the CRM2OneNote tool.
The tool displays two tabs: one for CRM-related actions and one for OneNote-related actions.
Figure 5. Adding CRM2OneNote icon
Adding CRM2OneNote icon
The CRM tab displays all accounts or contacts in the CRM service.
Figure 6. Viewing the CRM tab
Viewing the CRM tab
The OneNote tab displays all accounts and contacts created in CRM during the session.
Figure 7. Viewing the OneNote tab
Viewing the OneNote tab
When you select an action that requires communication with the CRM service, such as Show Accounts or Show Contacts, the tool does the following:
*
Attempts to find the address to the CRM service from the registry.
*
Creates a key in the registry HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\Software\CRM2OneNote, PlatformRoot where it stores the address for future reference.
*
Prompts the user to type an address, if the tool is unable to find a valid address to the CRM service in the registry.
*
Writes the user-entered value to the key identified earlier.
*
Establishes a connection and carries out the requested action.
Using Show Accounts/Show Contacts
To retrieve a set of accounts or contacts (entities) from the CRM service, the tool must first log onto the service. It does so by supplying default credentials and making a request. The following code carries out the request.
C#
//Retrieve a request using the following methods.
RetrieveMultipleRequest request = new RetrieveMultipleRequest();
request.ReturnDynamicEntities = true;
request.Query = query;
RetrieveMultipleResponse response = (RetrieveMultipleResponse)crmService.Execute(request);
BusinessEntity[] dynamicEntities = response.BusinessEntityCollection.BusinessEntities;
After the tool has the data, it populates a grid with the information and displays the entities. The user can then select an entity and perform an action.
Figure 8. Selecting an entity
Selecting an entity
Downloading Notes from an Entity
You can download and open notes that are currently attached to a CRM entity in OneNote 2007 to review or add additional notes.
Downloading notes
1.
Highlight an entity and click Download Notes to OneNote.
2.
The notes associated with the entity are opened in OneNote for review.
Clicking this button directs the tool to request and retrieve the attached file using the service. To do so, use the DownloadFile method as follows.
C#
//Download the attachment using the DownloadFile method.
DownloadFile(url, fileName);
*
If the attachment is a OneNote section, CRM2OneNote copies the file to the active notebook location and opens it as a section in OneNote.
*
If the attachment is a notebook, CRM2OneNote creates a folder called _CRM_Notes in the default notebook folder and opens it in OneNote as a new notebook.
Typically, an account team member taking notes on a customer creates a single OneNote notebook per customer, with sections for the different people or departments that the account team works with.
To open a section in OneNote, the tool uses the OneNote OpenHierarchy method followed by the OneNote NavigateTo method as follows.
C#
//Open the CRM attachment using the method.
OpenHierarchy(fileName, null, out newObjectId, OneNote.CreateFileType.cftNone);
onApp.NavigateTo(newObjectId, null, false);
The process is more complex if the attachment is a notebook. First, the tool unpacks the file and then opens it. Because it is a notebook, and OneNote is working against the local cache, the tool must ensure the cache is updated before navigating to it. After the cache is updated, the navigation can occur. The code is as follows.
C#
//Extract the package using the OpenPackage method.
OpenPackage(fileName, crmNotebookPath, out pathOut);
//Open the notebook in OneNote using the OpenHierarchy method.
OpenHierarchy(pathOut, null, out newObjectId, OneNote.CreateFileType.cftNone);
//Ensure the notebook is synced with the cache.
while (EnsureSync(crmNotebookName))
break;
//Navigate to the notebook using the NavigateTo method.
NavigateTo(newObjectId, null, false);
NoteNote:
If the entity does not currently have an attachment, then generic data about the entity, such as name, address, and phone number are inserted on a new page in the current notebook section.
Attaching Notes to an Entity
You can attach OneNote notes to an entity in the CRM service. Using CRM2OneNote, you can determine whether to upload a page, a section, or notebook to an entity in the CRM system.
Attaching notes
1.
Click Upload Notes.
2.
Select the current page, section, or notebook to attach, and then click OK.
CRM2OneNote publishes the specified set of notes to the Microsoft Windows temporary folder.
NoteNote:
We recommended that you use one notebook per a customer with each section representing different people or departments.
To publish a page or a section, use the Publish method.
C#
//Publish a section using OneNote’s Publish API
Publish(objectId, fileName, OneNote.PublishFormat.pfOneNote, null);
To upload an entire notebook, use the Publish method with the publish format specified as pfOneNotePackage constant to package all sections in the notebook together into a single file, as shown in the following.
C#
//Publish a notebook using the Publish method.
Publish(objectId, fileName, OneNote.PublishFormat.pfOneNotePackage, null);
After you create the file that contains the note, you must convert the file to a base64 string to be stored on the CRM service. To do so, use the System.Convert.ToBase64String method, as shown in the following.
C#
//Use System.Convert.ToBase64String method to convert the file to base-64.
byte[] byteData;
using (FileStream reader = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open))
{
byteData = new byte[reader.Length];
reader.Read(byteData, 0, (int)reader.Length);
}
string encodedData = System.Convert.ToBase64String(byteData);
After the file is contained in the base-64 string, upload it to the CRM service using the following code example.
C#
//Generate the upload request using the UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationRequest method.
UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationRequest upload = new UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationRequest();
upload.AnnotationId = annotationId;
upload.FileName = strFilename;
upload.MimeType = "message/rfc822";
upload.Base64Data = encodedData;
//Execute the request using the UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationResponse method.
UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationResponse uploaded = (UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationResponse)crmService.Execute(upload);
Finally, after you upload the file successfully, the published notes are removed from the Windows temporary folder.
Creating an Account or Contact from OneNote 2007
In addition to attaching notes to an entity, CRM2OneNote also allows users to create a account or contact in Dynamics CRM based on data stored in OneNote. The data must be in a minimum of a 2-column table in OneNote, with the field names in the left column and the data in the right column, similar to this:
Table 1. Sample column for creating accounts in OneNote
First Name:
Brian
Last Name:
Cox
Address:
123 Main Street
The tool gets the data from the table in OneNote and parses it by the columns in the table. The tool uses the following logic to match the field names found in the table with the field names in the CRM service:
*
Strips out all spaces and non-text characters.
*
Converts all text to lower case.
For example, the field name First-Name becomes firstname.
To create an account or contact from OneNote
1.
With the cursor positioned inside the table, click Create Account in CRM or click Create Contact in CRM to create the CRM entity.
2.
An account containing information found in OneNote is automatically created in the CRM system.
Table 2. List of supported field names for Accounts
Accountnumber
*upszone
*city
Description
*country
Accountdescription
*county
*email
*fax
Mainemail
*address
fax1
*address1
ftpsite
address2
ftp
address3
accountname
Headquarters
*name
Mainaddress
Account
Addressname
Sic
*zip
Stockticker
*zipcode
Stock
*postalcode
Ticker
addressline1
Tickersymbol
Primaryaddress
Stocksymbol
*pobox
Mainphone
*postofficebox
Web
*primarycontact
*website
Contact
Webpage
*state
url
*province
*websiteurl
*phone
Internet
*telephone
Internetsite
*ups
Interneturl
Items with asterisks (*) are supported for both accounts and contacts.
Table 3. List of supported field names for Contacts:
Firstname
Cellphone
Fullname
Cell
givenname
email1
middlename
email2
middleinitial
email3
Lastname
Job
Surname
jobtitle
Street
department
streetaddress
description
mailingaddress
employeeid
street1
managername
streetaddress1
managerphone
mailingaddress1
nickname
addressline1
pager
primaryaddress
primarycontactname
address2
contactname
street2
salutation
streetaddress2
spousesname
mailingaddress2
spousename
addressline2
nameofspouse
address3
Suffix
street3
assistant
streetaddress3
assistantname
mailingaddress3
assistantphone
addressline3
children
St
childrensnames
Dayphone
externaluserid
phone1
externaluseridentifier
phonenumber
externalid
telephonenumber
ftp
workphone
Ftpsite
worknumber
ftpsiteurl
phone2
governmentid
eveningphone
Gid
eveningnumber
note
homephone
Notes
mobilephone
When CRM2OneNote receives the data from OneNote, it creates the entity in the CRM service by accessing the service and using the following code to create the entity.
C#
//Create an entity using the CRM Create function.
service.Create(entity);
CRM2OneNote prompts you to associate the new contact with an existing account when it creates a new contact.
Click Yes to select an account from a list of all existing accounts in the service and then click OK.
The contact is now associated with the account. The following example demonstrates the association.
C#
//Associate contact with account using the CRM parentcustomerid function.
Customer customer = new Customer();
customer.Value = gAcctGuid;
customer.type = EntityName.account.ToString();
crmContact.parentcustomerid = customer;
CRM2OneNote creates the entity and updates the content in OneNote with metadata that contains the CRM entity’s ID. If you try to create another entity based on the same OneNote data, CRM2OneNote prompts you to update it, create an additional entity, or delete it from the CRM service.
Known Limitations of the Solution
CRM2OneNote is a proof-of-concept solution that demonstrates how OneNote 2007 can interact with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 server. As a proof-of-concept, it has not been rigorously tested. The following are known limitations of the solution:
*
This solution was designed and tested against the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 server. It may work with beta versions of later CRM systems, but was not thoroughly tested.
*
CRM supports various types of fields, including Boolean, Currency, Lookup, and String. CRM2OneNote only supports fields of type String. For a list of supported string fields, see Table 1 and Table 2 in Creating an Account or Contact from OneNote 2007.
Conclusion
CRM2OneNote shows the power and possibilities for integrating OneNote 2007 with CRM systems such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Using this solution allows organizations to empower their sales representatives to use the tools they feel most comfortable with to gather customer information informally, and then capture and retain the most complete customer information in the enterprise CRM systems as well.
Additional Resources
*
Microsoft Office Developer Center: OneNote Developer Portal
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Summary: Using an extensibility model, you can build a solution that integrates Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 with a line-of-business CRM system. (13 printed pages)
Jeff Cardon, Microsoft Corporation
Rachel Drossman, Microsoft Corporation
October 2007
Applies to: Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Office OneNote 2007
Contents:
*
Integrating CRM and OneNote 2007 with CRM2OneNote
*
Using CRM2OneNote
o
Using Show Accounts/Show Contacts
o
Downloading Notes from an Entity
o
Attaching Notes to an Entity
o
Creating an Account or Contact from OneNote 2007
*
Known Limitations of the Solution
*
Conclusion
In today’s business world, collecting customer information is essential to building customer relationships and a sales pipeline. Through advances in customer relationship management (CRM) systems, organizations are better able to track sales opportunities and capture customer information.
You can use additional tools like Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 in conjunction with a CRM system to capture rich notes about customers.
When a sales representative takes notes during a customer visit using OneNote 2007, these notes can contain images, audio recordings, embedded files, and other rich information.
Integrating a CRM system and OneNote 2007 with CRM2OneNote provides sales representatives with a streamlined process for capturing, storing, and finding relevant customer notes.
Integrating CRM and OneNote 2007 with CRM2OneNote
CRM2OneNote is a tool that joins Microsoft Dynamics CRM with the note-taking capabilities of OneNote 2007.
Figure 1. CRM Server with OneNote Clients (High-level architecture)
CRM2OneNote High level Architecture
Written in Microsoft Visual C# and designed to work with the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, the CRM2OneNote tool uses features of the OneNote API to communicate and collaborate with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, or other CRM systems.
This technical article presents using CRM2OneNote to update contacts and accounts in a CRM system with notes taken using OneNote 2007.
NoteNote:
This tool is designed to work with CRM 3.0. For more details about known limitations, see Known Limitations of the Solution.
The following images demonstrate how a sales representative uses CRM2OneNote to track his customer visits.
Peter is a sales rep who works for Contoso, Inc. He is responsible for all of the Fabrikam Grocery Stores in his area and he regularly visits the stores to meet with the store manager and other department managers. He uses OneNote 2007 to take notes in his Fabrikam Grocery notebook on his laptop computer and then uses CRM2OneNote to store his customer notes in his company’s CRM system.
He starts his day in OneNote and uses the Download from CRM button that CRM2OneNote added to his OneNote tool bar to get the OneNote file that contains all of his Fabrikam Grocery information. He can select the latest section of notes and easily download them to his OneNote notebook on his laptop.
Figure 2. Before running CRM2OneNote
Before running CRM2OneNote
After Peter’s visit to Fabrikam Groceries, he can easily upload his new notes back to the CRM system, by clicking Upload to CRM in OneNote.
One of the benefits of using a CRM system is that it gives all members of the account team information about their customers. Jeff, a colleague of Peter's, also works on the Fabrikam account. Because notes from OneNote are associated with the account in the CRM system, Jeff can download the latest notes about Fabrikam before his next meeting. Since these notes are taken in OneNote 2007, Jeff not only has basic text, he also has any picture, audio, and video that his colleagues capture during their visits. When Jeff finishes his meeting at Fabrikam, he can easily upload his new notes to the CRM system to ensure that the entire account team is kept up to date.
Figure 3. Uploading new notes
Uploading new notes
Finally, as Peter and Jeff attend meetings, they may encounter new contacts or even new accounts. Using CRM2OneNote, they can create additional accounts or contacts in their CRM accounts from within the OneNote client. They can use OneNote on site with customers and use CRM2OneNote to ensure that their data is also available in the CRM system after they add it.
Figure 4. Creating accounts in CRM from OneNote
Creating new accounts in CRM from OneNote
Using CRM2OneNote
CRM2OneNote is available to customers and partners as a no-charge, shared-source download through CodePlex, the Microsoft open-source project-hosting Web site.
Setting Up CRM2OneNote
1.
Download the CRM2OneNote application from CodePlex.
2.
Run Setup.msi.
Setup adds a CRM2OneNote button in the Standard tool bar in OneNote.
3.
Click CRM2OneNote to display the CRM2OneNote tool.
The tool displays two tabs: one for CRM-related actions and one for OneNote-related actions.
Figure 5. Adding CRM2OneNote icon
Adding CRM2OneNote icon
The CRM tab displays all accounts or contacts in the CRM service.
Figure 6. Viewing the CRM tab
Viewing the CRM tab
The OneNote tab displays all accounts and contacts created in CRM during the session.
Figure 7. Viewing the OneNote tab
Viewing the OneNote tab
When you select an action that requires communication with the CRM service, such as Show Accounts or Show Contacts, the tool does the following:
*
Attempts to find the address to the CRM service from the registry.
*
Creates a key in the registry HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\Software\CRM2OneNote, PlatformRoot where it stores the address for future reference.
*
Prompts the user to type an address, if the tool is unable to find a valid address to the CRM service in the registry.
*
Writes the user-entered value to the key identified earlier.
*
Establishes a connection and carries out the requested action.
Using Show Accounts/Show Contacts
To retrieve a set of accounts or contacts (entities) from the CRM service, the tool must first log onto the service. It does so by supplying default credentials and making a request. The following code carries out the request.
C#
//Retrieve a request using the following methods.
RetrieveMultipleRequest request = new RetrieveMultipleRequest();
request.ReturnDynamicEntities = true;
request.Query = query;
RetrieveMultipleResponse response = (RetrieveMultipleResponse)crmService.Execute(request);
BusinessEntity[] dynamicEntities = response.BusinessEntityCollection.BusinessEntities;
After the tool has the data, it populates a grid with the information and displays the entities. The user can then select an entity and perform an action.
Figure 8. Selecting an entity
Selecting an entity
Downloading Notes from an Entity
You can download and open notes that are currently attached to a CRM entity in OneNote 2007 to review or add additional notes.
Downloading notes
1.
Highlight an entity and click Download Notes to OneNote.
2.
The notes associated with the entity are opened in OneNote for review.
Clicking this button directs the tool to request and retrieve the attached file using the service. To do so, use the DownloadFile method as follows.
C#
//Download the attachment using the DownloadFile method.
DownloadFile(url, fileName);
*
If the attachment is a OneNote section, CRM2OneNote copies the file to the active notebook location and opens it as a section in OneNote.
*
If the attachment is a notebook, CRM2OneNote creates a folder called _CRM_Notes in the default notebook folder and opens it in OneNote as a new notebook.
Typically, an account team member taking notes on a customer creates a single OneNote notebook per customer, with sections for the different people or departments that the account team works with.
To open a section in OneNote, the tool uses the OneNote OpenHierarchy method followed by the OneNote NavigateTo method as follows.
C#
//Open the CRM attachment using the method.
OpenHierarchy(fileName, null, out newObjectId, OneNote.CreateFileType.cftNone);
onApp.NavigateTo(newObjectId, null, false);
The process is more complex if the attachment is a notebook. First, the tool unpacks the file and then opens it. Because it is a notebook, and OneNote is working against the local cache, the tool must ensure the cache is updated before navigating to it. After the cache is updated, the navigation can occur. The code is as follows.
C#
//Extract the package using the OpenPackage method.
OpenPackage(fileName, crmNotebookPath, out pathOut);
//Open the notebook in OneNote using the OpenHierarchy method.
OpenHierarchy(pathOut, null, out newObjectId, OneNote.CreateFileType.cftNone);
//Ensure the notebook is synced with the cache.
while (EnsureSync(crmNotebookName))
break;
//Navigate to the notebook using the NavigateTo method.
NavigateTo(newObjectId, null, false);
NoteNote:
If the entity does not currently have an attachment, then generic data about the entity, such as name, address, and phone number are inserted on a new page in the current notebook section.
Attaching Notes to an Entity
You can attach OneNote notes to an entity in the CRM service. Using CRM2OneNote, you can determine whether to upload a page, a section, or notebook to an entity in the CRM system.
Attaching notes
1.
Click Upload Notes.
2.
Select the current page, section, or notebook to attach, and then click OK.
CRM2OneNote publishes the specified set of notes to the Microsoft Windows temporary folder.
NoteNote:
We recommended that you use one notebook per a customer with each section representing different people or departments.
To publish a page or a section, use the Publish method.
C#
//Publish a section using OneNote’s Publish API
Publish(objectId, fileName, OneNote.PublishFormat.pfOneNote, null);
To upload an entire notebook, use the Publish method with the publish format specified as pfOneNotePackage constant to package all sections in the notebook together into a single file, as shown in the following.
C#
//Publish a notebook using the Publish method.
Publish(objectId, fileName, OneNote.PublishFormat.pfOneNotePackage, null);
After you create the file that contains the note, you must convert the file to a base64 string to be stored on the CRM service. To do so, use the System.Convert.ToBase64String method, as shown in the following.
C#
//Use System.Convert.ToBase64String method to convert the file to base-64.
byte[] byteData;
using (FileStream reader = new FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open))
{
byteData = new byte[reader.Length];
reader.Read(byteData, 0, (int)reader.Length);
}
string encodedData = System.Convert.ToBase64String(byteData);
After the file is contained in the base-64 string, upload it to the CRM service using the following code example.
C#
//Generate the upload request using the UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationRequest method.
UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationRequest upload = new UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationRequest();
upload.AnnotationId = annotationId;
upload.FileName = strFilename;
upload.MimeType = "message/rfc822";
upload.Base64Data = encodedData;
//Execute the request using the UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationResponse method.
UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationResponse uploaded = (UploadFromBase64DataAnnotationResponse)crmService.Execute(upload);
Finally, after you upload the file successfully, the published notes are removed from the Windows temporary folder.
Creating an Account or Contact from OneNote 2007
In addition to attaching notes to an entity, CRM2OneNote also allows users to create a account or contact in Dynamics CRM based on data stored in OneNote. The data must be in a minimum of a 2-column table in OneNote, with the field names in the left column and the data in the right column, similar to this:
Table 1. Sample column for creating accounts in OneNote
First Name:
Brian
Last Name:
Cox
Address:
123 Main Street
The tool gets the data from the table in OneNote and parses it by the columns in the table. The tool uses the following logic to match the field names found in the table with the field names in the CRM service:
*
Strips out all spaces and non-text characters.
*
Converts all text to lower case.
For example, the field name First-Name becomes firstname.
To create an account or contact from OneNote
1.
With the cursor positioned inside the table, click Create Account in CRM or click Create Contact in CRM to create the CRM entity.
2.
An account containing information found in OneNote is automatically created in the CRM system.
Table 2. List of supported field names for Accounts
Accountnumber
*upszone
*city
Description
*country
Accountdescription
*county
*fax
Mainemail
*address
fax1
*address1
ftpsite
address2
ftp
address3
accountname
Headquarters
*name
Mainaddress
Account
Addressname
Sic
*zip
Stockticker
*zipcode
Stock
*postalcode
Ticker
addressline1
Tickersymbol
Primaryaddress
Stocksymbol
*pobox
Mainphone
*postofficebox
Web
*primarycontact
*website
Contact
Webpage
*state
url
*province
*websiteurl
*phone
Internet
*telephone
Internetsite
*ups
Interneturl
Items with asterisks (*) are supported for both accounts and contacts.
Table 3. List of supported field names for Contacts:
Firstname
Cellphone
Fullname
Cell
givenname
email1
middlename
email2
middleinitial
email3
Lastname
Job
Surname
jobtitle
Street
department
streetaddress
description
mailingaddress
employeeid
street1
managername
streetaddress1
managerphone
mailingaddress1
nickname
addressline1
pager
primaryaddress
primarycontactname
address2
contactname
street2
salutation
streetaddress2
spousesname
mailingaddress2
spousename
addressline2
nameofspouse
address3
Suffix
street3
assistant
streetaddress3
assistantname
mailingaddress3
assistantphone
addressline3
children
St
childrensnames
Dayphone
externaluserid
phone1
externaluseridentifier
phonenumber
externalid
telephonenumber
ftp
workphone
Ftpsite
worknumber
ftpsiteurl
phone2
governmentid
eveningphone
Gid
eveningnumber
note
homephone
Notes
mobilephone
When CRM2OneNote receives the data from OneNote, it creates the entity in the CRM service by accessing the service and using the following code to create the entity.
C#
//Create an entity using the CRM Create function.
service.Create(entity);
CRM2OneNote prompts you to associate the new contact with an existing account when it creates a new contact.
Click Yes to select an account from a list of all existing accounts in the service and then click OK.
The contact is now associated with the account. The following example demonstrates the association.
C#
//Associate contact with account using the CRM parentcustomerid function.
Customer customer = new Customer();
customer.Value = gAcctGuid;
customer.type = EntityName.account.ToString();
crmContact.parentcustomerid = customer;
CRM2OneNote creates the entity and updates the content in OneNote with metadata that contains the CRM entity’s ID. If you try to create another entity based on the same OneNote data, CRM2OneNote prompts you to update it, create an additional entity, or delete it from the CRM service.
Known Limitations of the Solution
CRM2OneNote is a proof-of-concept solution that demonstrates how OneNote 2007 can interact with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 server. As a proof-of-concept, it has not been rigorously tested. The following are known limitations of the solution:
*
This solution was designed and tested against the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 server. It may work with beta versions of later CRM systems, but was not thoroughly tested.
*
CRM supports various types of fields, including Boolean, Currency, Lookup, and String. CRM2OneNote only supports fields of type String. For a list of supported string fields, see Table 1 and Table 2 in Creating an Account or Contact from OneNote 2007.
Conclusion
CRM2OneNote shows the power and possibilities for integrating OneNote 2007 with CRM systems such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Using this solution allows organizations to empower their sales representatives to use the tools they feel most comfortable with to gather customer information informally, and then capture and retain the most complete customer information in the enterprise CRM systems as well.
Additional Resources
*
Microsoft Office Developer Center: OneNote Developer Portal
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 2 of 2)
Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 2 of 2)
Summary: This article provides detailed instructions about how to install and use the Outlook 2007 Tool: HTML and CSS Validator. Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 1 of 2) provides reference documentation related to supported and unsupported HTML elements, attributes, and cascading style sheets properties. (6 printed pages)
Zeyad Rajabi, Microsoft Corporation
Erika Ehrli, Microsoft Corporation
August 2006
Applies to: 2007 Microsoft Office System, Microsoft Expression Web Designer 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, Microsoft Office Word 2007, Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Download Outlook 2007 Tool: HTML and CSS Validator.
Contents
*
Introduction to HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Capabilities in Outlook
*
Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using HTML Editors
*
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Visual Studio 2005
*
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar using Office SharePointDesigner 2007
*
Walkthrough: Validating HTML Grammar Using Expression Web Designer 2007
*
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Dreamweaver MX 2004 or Dreamweaver 8
*
Conclusion
*
Additional Resources
Introduction to HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Capabilities in Outlook
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 uses the HTML parsing and rendering engine from Microsoft Office Word 2007 to display HTML message bodies. The same HTML and cascading style sheets (CSS) support available in Word 2007 is available in Outlook 2007.
*
Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 1 of 2) provides reference documentation related to supported and unsupported HTML elements, attributes, and cascading style sheets properties.
*
This article provides detailed instructions about how to install and use the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool.
The Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool helps you to validate HTML and cascading style sheet grammar using some of the most popular Web development tools, such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, Microsoft Expression Web Designer 2007, Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004, and Macromedia Dreamweaver 8.
These articles and accompanying tools are provided for your use and can help you to understand the new capabilities offered with the switch to the Word 2007 HTML parsing and rendering engine. This information can help you understand how to create e-mail newsletters or other complex HTML documents that render in Outlook 2007.
Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using HTML Editors
Some HTML editors enable you to validate HTML and cascading style sheets grammar. The Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool helps you to determine if your Web (HTML and cascading style sheet) files will render correctly in Outlook 2007 using some of the most popular Web development tools.
The Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool installs and configures the following schema, XML, or text files to your computer depending on which Web development tool you are using:
*
WordHTML.xsd Schema used to validate whether the specified HTML file will render correctly in Outlook 2007. This file is used by SharePoint Designer 2007, Expression Web Designer 2007, and Visual Studio 2005.
*
WordCSS.xml XML file used to validate whether the specified cascading style sheets file will render correctly in Outlook 2007. This file is used by SharePoint Designer 2007, Expression Web Designer 2007, and Visual Studio 2005.
*
Word2007.txt Text file used to validate whether the specified HTML file will render correctly in Outlook 2007. The file is used by Dreamweaver MX 2004 and Dreamweaver 8.
*
Word2007_CSS.xml XML file used to validate whether the specified cascading style sheets file will render correctly in Outlook 2007. The file is used by Dreamweaver MX 2004 and Dreamweaver 8.
During setup of the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool, you can choose among five different Web development tools.
Download and install Word2007MailHTMLandCSS.exe if you work with:
*
Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007
*
Microsoft Expression Web Designer 2007
*
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Download and install Word2007MailHTMLandCSSMacromedia.exe if you work with:
*
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004
*
Macromedia Dreamweaver 8
Based on your selection, the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool deploys the appropriate schemas and configures your computer.
To download and install the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool
1.
In your browser, go to Outlook 2007 Tool: HTML and CSS Validator.
2.
Download and save the file to a folder on your computer.
3.
Run the Word2007Support.msi or Word2007SupportMacromedia.msi file from the location where you saved it. This launches the installation wizard.
Figure 1. Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator Setup Wizard
Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator Setup Wizard
4.
Click Next and then accept the license agreement.
5.
Click Next again. If you are running Word2007MailHTMLandCSS.exe, select one or more Microsoft HTML/cascading style sheet editors.
Figure 2. Select among the Microsoft HTML/cascading style sheet editors
Select among the Microsoft HTML/CSS editors
If you are running Word2007MailHTMLandCSSMacromedia.exe, select the installation folder for the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator files.
Figure 3. Select the installation folder
Select the installation folder
6.
Click Next, and then click Next again to finish the installation.
7.
Click Close to exit the wizard.
After installing the tool, you can start validating HTML and cascading style sheet files using your HTML editor.
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Visual Studio 2005
To optimize performance, Visual Studio uses the Microsoft Windows registry to specify which schemas to load. You must configure Visual Studio to load this file.
NoteImportant:
Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer.
To configure the registry
1.
Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
2.
Locate and click the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages\{1B437D20-F8FE-11D2-A6AE-00104BCC7269}\Schemas
3.
Create a subkey with the next number in sequence. For example, if the highest schema number listed is Schema 20, create a subkey named Schema 21.
4.
Create additional registry keys in the folder with the keys, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 4. New registry keys for the HTML schema file
New registry keys for the HTML schema file
5.
Locate and click the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages\{A764E895-518D-11d2-9A89-00C04F79EFC3}\Schemas
6.
Create a subkey with the next number in sequence. For example, if the highest schema number listed is Schema 4, create a subkey named Schema 5.
7.
Create additional registry keys in the folder with the keys, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 5. New registry keys for the cascading style sheet schema file
New registry keys for the CSS schema file
8.
Exit the Registry Editor.
To validate schemas using Visual Studio 2005
1.
Start Visual Studio 2005.
2.
Open an HTML file to validate against the Word 2007 schema or create an HTML file.
3.
From the validation schema list, select Word 2007, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 6. Choosing the validation schema
Choosing the validation schema
After selecting the schema, any invalid HTML or cascading style sheet (as defined in your schema) is marked with a red underline. In addition, Microsoft IntelliSense context help displays when you type.
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Office SharePoint Designer 2007
1.
Start SharePoint Designer 2007.
2.
On the Tools menu, click Page Options.
3.
On the Authoring tab, under Document Type Declaration and Secondary Schema, in the DocType list, choose None.
4.
In the Secondary Schema list, choose HTML for Word 2007.
5.
Under CSS Version, in the Schema Version list, choose CSS for Word 2007, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 7. Validation schema in SharePoint Designer 2007
Validation schema in SharePoint Designer 2007
After selecting the schema, any invalid HTML or cascading style sheet (as defined in your schema) is marked with a red underline. In addition, IntelliSense context help displays when you type. By specifying no primary schema and specifying the secondary schema as Word 2007, you can validate your Web files to render correctly in Outlook 2007.
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Expression Web Designer 2007
1.
Start Expression Web Designer 2007.
2.
On the Tools menu, click Page Options.
3.
On the Authoring tab, under Document Type and Secondary Schema, in the DocType list, choose None.
4.
In the Secondary Schema list, choose HTML for Word 2007.
5.
Under CSS Version, in the Schema Version list, choose CSS for Word 2007, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 8. Validation schema in Expression Web Designer 2007
Validation schema in Expression Web Designer 2007
After selecting the schema, any invalid HTML or cascading style sheet (as defined in your schema) is marked with a red underline. In addition, IntelliSense context help displays when you type. By specifying no primary schema and specifying the secondary schema as Word 2007, you can validate your Web files to render correctly in Outlook 2007.
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Dreamweaver MX 2004 or Dreamweaver 8
1.
Start Dreamweaver MX 2004 or Dreamweaver 8.
2.
Click No Browser Check Errors.
Figure 9. No Browser Check Errors in Dreamweaver
No Browser Check Errors in Dreamweaver
3.
Click Settings….
4.
Verify that Word 2007 is checked, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 10. Validation schema in Dreamweaver
Validation schema in Dreamweaver
5.
Open an HTML file or create an HTML file to validate.
6.
Click No Browser Check Errors and select Check Browser Support.
After selecting the schema, any invalid HTML or cascading style sheet (as defined in your schema) is marked with a red underline.
Conclusion
This series of articles is intended to help you to create e-mail newsletters and other complex HTML documents that render in Outlook 2007. The Outlook 2007 Tool: HTML and CSS Validator validates HTML and cascading style sheets grammar using some of the most popular Web development tools.
This material provides the most up-to-date and accurate information at the time of publication, but it is not a comprehensive reference guide. Report any technical inaccuracies that you find to the microsoft.public.word.mail newsgroup.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Rob Little, Matt Scott, Dan Costenaro, and Terry Crowley for their contributions to this article.
Additional Resources
For more information, see the following resources.
*
HTML 4.01 Specification
*
Cascading Style Sheets, Level 1 Specification
*
Cascading Style Sheets, Level 2 Revision 1 Specification
*
What's New for Developers in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 (Part 2 of 2)
*
What's New for Developers in Word 2007
*
For more information, see Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 1 of 2).
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
Summary: This article provides detailed instructions about how to install and use the Outlook 2007 Tool: HTML and CSS Validator. Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 1 of 2) provides reference documentation related to supported and unsupported HTML elements, attributes, and cascading style sheets properties. (6 printed pages)
Zeyad Rajabi, Microsoft Corporation
Erika Ehrli, Microsoft Corporation
August 2006
Applies to: 2007 Microsoft Office System, Microsoft Expression Web Designer 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, Microsoft Office Word 2007, Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Download Outlook 2007 Tool: HTML and CSS Validator.
Contents
*
Introduction to HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Capabilities in Outlook
*
Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using HTML Editors
*
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Visual Studio 2005
*
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar using Office SharePointDesigner 2007
*
Walkthrough: Validating HTML Grammar Using Expression Web Designer 2007
*
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Dreamweaver MX 2004 or Dreamweaver 8
*
Conclusion
*
Additional Resources
Introduction to HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Capabilities in Outlook
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 uses the HTML parsing and rendering engine from Microsoft Office Word 2007 to display HTML message bodies. The same HTML and cascading style sheets (CSS) support available in Word 2007 is available in Outlook 2007.
*
Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 1 of 2) provides reference documentation related to supported and unsupported HTML elements, attributes, and cascading style sheets properties.
*
This article provides detailed instructions about how to install and use the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool.
The Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool helps you to validate HTML and cascading style sheet grammar using some of the most popular Web development tools, such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, Microsoft Expression Web Designer 2007, Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004, and Macromedia Dreamweaver 8.
These articles and accompanying tools are provided for your use and can help you to understand the new capabilities offered with the switch to the Word 2007 HTML parsing and rendering engine. This information can help you understand how to create e-mail newsletters or other complex HTML documents that render in Outlook 2007.
Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using HTML Editors
Some HTML editors enable you to validate HTML and cascading style sheets grammar. The Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool helps you to determine if your Web (HTML and cascading style sheet) files will render correctly in Outlook 2007 using some of the most popular Web development tools.
The Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool installs and configures the following schema, XML, or text files to your computer depending on which Web development tool you are using:
*
WordHTML.xsd Schema used to validate whether the specified HTML file will render correctly in Outlook 2007. This file is used by SharePoint Designer 2007, Expression Web Designer 2007, and Visual Studio 2005.
*
WordCSS.xml XML file used to validate whether the specified cascading style sheets file will render correctly in Outlook 2007. This file is used by SharePoint Designer 2007, Expression Web Designer 2007, and Visual Studio 2005.
*
Word2007.txt Text file used to validate whether the specified HTML file will render correctly in Outlook 2007. The file is used by Dreamweaver MX 2004 and Dreamweaver 8.
*
Word2007_CSS.xml XML file used to validate whether the specified cascading style sheets file will render correctly in Outlook 2007. The file is used by Dreamweaver MX 2004 and Dreamweaver 8.
During setup of the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool, you can choose among five different Web development tools.
Download and install Word2007MailHTMLandCSS.exe if you work with:
*
Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007
*
Microsoft Expression Web Designer 2007
*
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Download and install Word2007MailHTMLandCSSMacromedia.exe if you work with:
*
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004
*
Macromedia Dreamweaver 8
Based on your selection, the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool deploys the appropriate schemas and configures your computer.
To download and install the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator tool
1.
In your browser, go to Outlook 2007 Tool: HTML and CSS Validator.
2.
Download and save the file to a folder on your computer.
3.
Run the Word2007Support.msi or Word2007SupportMacromedia.msi file from the location where you saved it. This launches the installation wizard.
Figure 1. Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator Setup Wizard
Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator Setup Wizard
4.
Click Next and then accept the license agreement.
5.
Click Next again. If you are running Word2007MailHTMLandCSS.exe, select one or more Microsoft HTML/cascading style sheet editors.
Figure 2. Select among the Microsoft HTML/cascading style sheet editors
Select among the Microsoft HTML/CSS editors
If you are running Word2007MailHTMLandCSSMacromedia.exe, select the installation folder for the Outlook 2007 HTML and CSS Validator files.
Figure 3. Select the installation folder
Select the installation folder
6.
Click Next, and then click Next again to finish the installation.
7.
Click Close to exit the wizard.
After installing the tool, you can start validating HTML and cascading style sheet files using your HTML editor.
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Visual Studio 2005
To optimize performance, Visual Studio uses the Microsoft Windows registry to specify which schemas to load. You must configure Visual Studio to load this file.
NoteImportant:
Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer.
To configure the registry
1.
Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
2.
Locate and click the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages\{1B437D20-F8FE-11D2-A6AE-00104BCC7269}\Schemas
3.
Create a subkey with the next number in sequence. For example, if the highest schema number listed is Schema 20, create a subkey named Schema 21.
4.
Create additional registry keys in the folder with the keys, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 4. New registry keys for the HTML schema file
New registry keys for the HTML schema file
5.
Locate and click the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages\{A764E895-518D-11d2-9A89-00C04F79EFC3}\Schemas
6.
Create a subkey with the next number in sequence. For example, if the highest schema number listed is Schema 4, create a subkey named Schema 5.
7.
Create additional registry keys in the folder with the keys, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 5. New registry keys for the cascading style sheet schema file
New registry keys for the CSS schema file
8.
Exit the Registry Editor.
To validate schemas using Visual Studio 2005
1.
Start Visual Studio 2005.
2.
Open an HTML file to validate against the Word 2007 schema or create an HTML file.
3.
From the validation schema list, select Word 2007, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 6. Choosing the validation schema
Choosing the validation schema
After selecting the schema, any invalid HTML or cascading style sheet (as defined in your schema) is marked with a red underline. In addition, Microsoft IntelliSense context help displays when you type.
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Office SharePoint Designer 2007
1.
Start SharePoint Designer 2007.
2.
On the Tools menu, click Page Options.
3.
On the Authoring tab, under Document Type Declaration and Secondary Schema, in the DocType list, choose None.
4.
In the Secondary Schema list, choose HTML for Word 2007.
5.
Under CSS Version, in the Schema Version list, choose CSS for Word 2007, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 7. Validation schema in SharePoint Designer 2007
Validation schema in SharePoint Designer 2007
After selecting the schema, any invalid HTML or cascading style sheet (as defined in your schema) is marked with a red underline. In addition, IntelliSense context help displays when you type. By specifying no primary schema and specifying the secondary schema as Word 2007, you can validate your Web files to render correctly in Outlook 2007.
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Expression Web Designer 2007
1.
Start Expression Web Designer 2007.
2.
On the Tools menu, click Page Options.
3.
On the Authoring tab, under Document Type and Secondary Schema, in the DocType list, choose None.
4.
In the Secondary Schema list, choose HTML for Word 2007.
5.
Under CSS Version, in the Schema Version list, choose CSS for Word 2007, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 8. Validation schema in Expression Web Designer 2007
Validation schema in Expression Web Designer 2007
After selecting the schema, any invalid HTML or cascading style sheet (as defined in your schema) is marked with a red underline. In addition, IntelliSense context help displays when you type. By specifying no primary schema and specifying the secondary schema as Word 2007, you can validate your Web files to render correctly in Outlook 2007.
Walkthrough: Validating HTML and Cascading Style Sheet Grammar Using Dreamweaver MX 2004 or Dreamweaver 8
1.
Start Dreamweaver MX 2004 or Dreamweaver 8.
2.
Click No Browser Check Errors.
Figure 9. No Browser Check Errors in Dreamweaver
No Browser Check Errors in Dreamweaver
3.
Click Settings….
4.
Verify that Word 2007 is checked, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 10. Validation schema in Dreamweaver
Validation schema in Dreamweaver
5.
Open an HTML file or create an HTML file to validate.
6.
Click No Browser Check Errors and select Check Browser Support.
After selecting the schema, any invalid HTML or cascading style sheet (as defined in your schema) is marked with a red underline.
Conclusion
This series of articles is intended to help you to create e-mail newsletters and other complex HTML documents that render in Outlook 2007. The Outlook 2007 Tool: HTML and CSS Validator validates HTML and cascading style sheets grammar using some of the most popular Web development tools.
This material provides the most up-to-date and accurate information at the time of publication, but it is not a comprehensive reference guide. Report any technical inaccuracies that you find to the microsoft.public.word.mail newsgroup.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Rob Little, Matt Scott, Dan Costenaro, and Terry Crowley for their contributions to this article.
Additional Resources
For more information, see the following resources.
*
HTML 4.01 Specification
*
Cascading Style Sheets, Level 1 Specification
*
Cascading Style Sheets, Level 2 Revision 1 Specification
*
What's New for Developers in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 (Part 2 of 2)
*
What's New for Developers in Word 2007
*
For more information, see Word 2007 HTML and CSS Rendering Capabilities in Outlook 2007 (Part 1 of 2).
http://www.lifewithoutcolour.blogspot.com/
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