Articles by Charles E. Brown

Creating Cool Text Effects in Fireworks MX

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 16:45:00 EST

A recently received a letter from a reader asking if I knew of any plug-in programs to create text effects in Fireworks MX. The reader seemed a bit surprised when I wrote back and told them that Fireworks already had the tools to get the job done. 'Where is the button?' they asked. Many users feel that if a button isn't on the toolbar, the program can't do it.

Contribute 3

Fri, 19 Aug 2005 15:00:00 EDT

Contribute 3 provides powerful control for professional Web designers and developers, allowing them to maintain, distribute, and control Web site content while empowering content owners to participate in the Web editing process. Contribute keeps content fresh by enabling content owners and subject matter experts to maintain and update specific areas of a Web site.

Macromedia Studio 8 - An Overview

Fri, 19 Aug 2005 14:00:00 EDT

Since the introduction of Macromedia Studio in 2001, websites and applications have grown continuously in sophistication and importance, from communicating corporate brands to delivering mission-critical data and transactions. Technical, communication, and marketing requirements for websites are now coupled with support for industry standards and best practices. Studio continues its strong market adoption because it provides best-in-class tools for creative professionals to focus more effectively on great design and development.

No More Updates Ever Again!

Wed, 03 Aug 2005 12:00:00 EDT

Let me paint a hypothetical situation. There will never be another update of any software package again! All software companies feel they have gone as far as they can go! Ok, let me give you a chance to restore your heart rhythms. Each year I see a recurring situation. Software Company 'A' releases a major upgrade to their package. Everyone is excited about the new features. Then, usually within a month, you start seeing postings about what should be put into the next update. Are we ever happy?

No More Updates Ever Again

Mon, 27 Jun 2005 15:00:00 EDT

Let me paint a hypothetical situation. There will never be another update of any software package again! All software companies feel they have gone as far as they can go!

Marketing 101 for Independent Software Contractors

Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:00:00 EDT

As many of you know, I do Macromedia seminars around the world. A fair number of participants are independent contractors. The number one question I get asked isn't about the latest programming techniques in Flash or how to develop dynamic pages in Dreamweaver. The number one question is: How do I market and charge for my services?

New Beginnings: Welcome to the Future!

Wed, 18 May 2005 09:00:00 EDT

Business guru Tom Peters once wrote 'we need to embrace change; to welcome it; to transplant ourselves periodically.' Through change, we grow and avoid complacency or staleness. With change, we start on the proverbial Spring cleaning and make way for the new and exciting.

Adobe/Macromedia Merger: Separating Fact from Fiction

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 07:00:00 EDT

The proposed acquisition of Macromedia by Adobe is not a done deal. Both companies are under the scrutiny of the SEC, and it must also be approved by stockholders. While Macromedia/Adobe gives this process three to nine months, some industry analysts feel that is being overly optimistic. But assuming that all is goes as planned, Macromedia will cease to exist. Everything will be in the Adobe name and with the Adobe interface.

Calling All MX Developers

Thu, 31 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST

When I took over this publication last September, I stated that I wanted to eventually change the tone of the publication so that the articles did not seem like 'textbook' exercises. Instead, I wanted to take on a more pragmatic approach by showing how many businesses are using the Macromedia MX packages. This month is the fulfillment of that wish.

A Time for Change

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST

As we go to print, we are finally seeing the realization of what must have been the worst kept secret beta in history: 'Blackstone.' As a matter of fact, at the New Orleans conference in November, Macromedia finally threw in the towel and gave everyone a beta copy of it.

Taking Action

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST

In Part 1 I introduced you to very basic concepts of ActionScript 2.0. We looked at some simple programs such as setting a variable, basic object-oriented concepts, and some basic interaction with the Flash MX 2004 Interface.

Macromedia Announces ColdFusion MX 7 - Live on SYS-CON.TV

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST

'The new version of ColdFusion extends the Internet to mobile devices and delivers groundbreaking rich forms support, reporting, and printing solutions,' says Gruber, ColdFusion product manager at Macromedia on his SYS-CON.TV interview today with MX Developer's Journal chief-editor Charles Brown.

New Year, New Look

Fri, 21 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST

It is the New Year, a time when we make resolutions and change (alright, I promise I won't talk about diets). It is also a time when we look back on the previous year. Publishing this journal is certainly no different.

The Afterglow of MAX 2004

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST

I am writing this editorial the day after returning from the MAX 2004 Macromedia Conference in New Orleans, LA. As a veteran (or survivor) of many conferences, I can honestly say that this was one of the finest events I have ever attended.

Getting into the Action

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST

Flash ActionScript has come a long way since Flash 5. However, never has the leap been as great as with the release of Flash MX 2004.

Review: Xcelsius from Infommersion

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST

One thing was abundantly clear at the 2004 MAX conference in New Orleans: the third-party Flash market is growing rapidly. This is due to Macromedia's decision to provide APIs and open standards. The result of this decision is that the Flash developer will now have a virtual cornucopia of exciting new tools that will increase productivity and flexibility.

Categories and Other Sundries

Thu, 18 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST

In the October issue of this journal, we had a small error; John Bland's fine article entitled 'A Little OOP, CF Style' ended up with the classification of Flash ActionScript. Unfortunately it was not caught until the edition was in print. However, when I reviewed the article, I was struck by the fact that many of the OOP concepts John discussed, while putting them in a ColdFusion context, were equally applicable to ActionScript. As a matter of fact, John makes allusions to that very point.

Dynamic Dreamweaver

Thu, 18 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST

Recently, while doing some consulting, I observed a programmer hand-coding a query and database fields onto a Web page. Here is the scary part: they were using Dreamweaver MX 2004. The following week I delivered a seminar and spoke about dynamic technology. I was amazed how many did not know about the built-in features of Dreamweaver for creating these pages.

Where Are We Going?

Mon, 18 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EDT

As a Web developer, trainer, and conference speaker, the question I am asked most frequently is, 'Where is this industry going?' My answer is one simple word: Flash!!!

RoboDemo: Lynchpin of the E-Learning Market

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 00:00:00 EDT

There is a little bit of irony going on here: this is an article about a software package that will go a long way toward rendering printed technical media, such as this journal, obsolete. Last year Macromedia purchased the company eHelp and, as a result, acquired RoboHelp, RoboInfo, RoboHelp for Framemaker, RoboPDF, and RoboDemo.

Call in the Specialist

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 00:00:00 EDT

I have to begin this month's article with a confession. Each year, because of my articles and books, software publishers send me piles of free software with the hope that I will do an article about their product. I use the software and then, at some point, start feeling guilty. So, in that light, this is my periodic attempt at assuaging my conscience; hopefully, I'll give you some good advice.

Do It with Style

Wed, 19 May 2004 00:00:00 EDT

The value of any piece of software is in how much time and effort it can save you. What good is the software if it is not going to increase productivity and efficiency? In several of my past articles, I have examined ways of automating common or repetitive processes. To that end, I am continuing the discussion this month.

It's All in the Object

Wed, 07 Apr 2004 00:00:00 EDT

Approximately 10 years ago a new word started to appear in programming circles: objects. The theory was that little bits of code, doing a specialized job, could be prewritten and plugged into existing code as needed.

Picture Perfect

Tue, 02 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

I often receive photographs from readers asking me what went wrong. The picture files are too large or of poor quality. This month, we're going to look at some ways of improving your quality both within, and outside of, Fireworks MX.

The Science of Color

Mon, 02 Feb 2004 00:00:00 EST

OK, Fireworks class, let's see a show of hands: How many people understand how to really use the color tools in Fireworks MX? About 80% of you! Now, how many people understand the hexadecimal code behind colors? Hmmm....about 50%! Now, how many understand the mathematics behind blend modes? Wow...only 10% of you?

Creating Cool Text Effects

Mon, 05 Jan 2004 00:00:00 EST

I recently received a letter from a reader asking if I knew of any plug-in programs to create text effects in Fireworks MX. The reader seemed a bit surprised when I wrote back and told them that Fireworks already had the tools to get the job done.

Turbocharge Your Toolbar

Mon, 17 Nov 2003 00:00:00 EST

In this tutorial, we're going to examine some aspects of creating a navigation bar in Fireworks MX. We will create three buttons for our small navigation bar, and then we will instruct Fireworks to write the JavaScript code necessary to create rollover effects for the buttons. In the end, we will have Fireworks generate a separate page for each button with all the required behaviors.