Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

Level: Advanced, Expert, Double Black Diamond

Gary Bernhardt is the kind of guy who, if you saw him writing code in a coffee shop, would make you want to walk up and ask “How did you do that?”

In fact, I was with Gary one day when a total stranger asked that after watching him effortlessly wield Vim, Ruby, RSpec, Git, and the command line.

This screencast is part of a new series at PeepCode where we sit down with expert programmers and watch them work. You won’t learn a specific topic or build a deployable project, but you’ll pick up workflow tips and editor hacks that usually require years of experience to figure out.

In this hour and forty minute screencast, we tackle a simple data structure for the sole purpose of watching Gary work out a problem. If you’re like us, you’ll learn something useful whether or not you use any or all of:

Ruby
Git
Vim
The terminal
RSpec
Test driven development

Unlike most other PeepCode Screencasts, we move through this project with only minimal hand-holding. In fact, the protagonists even run into a bit of confusion and have to employ several strategies to get back on track and solve the problem!

SKILLS

This is an advanced screencast that assumes you have at least an intermediate familiarity with code editing tools. You’ll learn best if you’ve used one of more of: Ruby, Git, Vim, the command line, RSpec.

Revision 1 · Updated: Dec 31, 2010 · Length: 100 min · 289 MB

Testimonials

“Great video! The TDD and git info you share far exceeds the cost of video. Highly recommended.”

Matt Margolis via Twitter

“Vim, Ruby, RSpec, Command Line-fu. All kinds of awesome in this Peepcode screencast featuring Gary Bernhardt.”

James Martin via Twitter

“Awesome awesome idea. Well done! It’s the new series from PeepCode: Play by Play.”

Rob Zolkos via Twitter

“If you have a couple bucks, I’d totally suggest that you buy this Play by Play screencast, what a great idea!”

Federico Builes

“The Play-by-plays are an awesome idea! When are you guys going to have more of them? Will buy them all….”

Ambert Ho

“Just wanted to say, as someone who regularly skims over other people’s dotfiles and changesets, the first Play-by-Play is just what I was looking for. Getting smart people to explain their thought process – to see what happens between commits – is an insightful niche of screencasting that I haven’t come across before. If you can make more featuring uber-productive devs I will be sure to buy them all up.”

Chris Faulkner

“Just wanted to say how much I loved the Gary Bernhardt screencast. Its full of meat and fascinating to watch. I’m excited about viewing the upcoming episodes. Thanks for making something that us making me a better programmer. Most good screencasts and books address the stuff I know that I don’t know. As an experienced guy with gaping holes in my skillset, your screencast, just like gregory brown’s book, both address stuff that I don’t know that I don’t know. With a new Nook Color and life that includes subways your screencasts have become invaluable. Best wishes,”

Peter Booth

Drupal is renowned for being a complicated CMS to get to grips with. This 17 page, 23 step tutorial will show you how to take Drupal 7 and unlock its true power, without touching a line of code.

I walk you through from to download the modules to getting a full product-management system running. You will learn the techniques required to create your own unique content types and how to display that information in any way you place.

Unlock Drupal 7 today with “Unlocking Drupal 7”.

Interested in learning about Drupal 6? Check out Unlocking Drupal 6.

Ever wondered how to create a form that can upload multiple files directly to your desired S3 bucket with PHP ? While tools like S3Fox and Transmit certainly get the job done quite well, sometimes we need a simpler, one-click interface for our clients. We’ll build one today!

You’ll Learn About:

• Separating your code from your markup as much as possible
• Creating a form that allows for uploading multiple files at once
• How to work with Amazon S3 and PHP
• Using the excellent Uploadify plugin
• And plenty more. Plus, you have your choice of learning: written tutorial or screencast!

This tutorial covers a digital video compositing technique for rendering photo-realistic water droplets moving on glass surfaces. This technique was used in a number of projects I participated in — see some examples on my portfolio website. No code is used to generate the shape or motion of the water droplets. Most of the job is done with standard two-dimensional compositing techniques. I developed the technique with Adobe After Effects and utilized software created by RE:Vision Effects. To get the effect to work properly you should use the Shade/Shape plug-in from RE:Vision Effects. You can download a demo version of the Shade/Shape plug-in from RE:Vision Effects’ website.

by Geoffrey Grosenbach

Two years in the making, it’s the PeepCode screencast on jQuery, the popular Javascript framework for developing web applications.

jQuery stormed out of the gate and quickly won the hearts of developers. Its design and implementation make it easy for you to accomplish basic tasks. Extendability is built in with its plugin architecture (you’ll write one in this screencast). You can organize code around native Javascript objects (you’ll do that, too!).

Researching and producing this screencast converted the author from a jQuery skeptic to a believer. If you want to understand the fundamentals in an easy, fun way with the high production values, motion graphics, and straight-to-the-point depth of PeepCode, this is the screencast for you!

In addition, you’ll learn about the Pomodoro time managment technique by building a simple time-tracking application.

Topics covered in this tutorial include:

jQuery Core Concepts
Browser Tools
Brief Javascript Primer
The Mighty Dollar Function
Selectors
Implementing a Pomodoro Task Management Application
Design and Write a Plugin
Event Handling and live()
Using extend()
Understanding the this keyword
Using the debugger
Code Organization with Javascript Objects
Basic Animation
Using Timers

Future screencasts will cover Ajax and Test-Driven Development.

SKILLS

Appropriate for anyone with experience in any programming language.

Revision 1 · Updated: Nov 09, 2009 · Length: 77 min · 100 MB

Testimonials

“Ok. I’m sold on jQuery. Was impressed when I used it briefly for a small project – the @peepcode screencast is pushing me over the edge…”

Stephen Bartholomew

“The latest @peepcode on jQuery is very well done. You’ll learn something even if you know your way around jQuery.”

PierreOlivier Martel

“I consider myself a pretty advanced Javascript programmer, having done it for over 10 years, using prototype for the last 3, but I always found jQuery a bit hard to dive into. However, your screencast really makes it super easy to understand. I also like how you skipped over HTML and CSS , no wasted time on setting up your project or explaining basics. There’s a lot of meat in this one!”

Jeremy Seitz

“I recommend Meet jQuery from @peepcode. I had (very) basic jQuery skills, and it has taken me to the next level. Thanks @peepcode!”

Joel Monegro

“Actually enjoying this jQuery stuff I’m working on. The jQuery @peepcode was really helpful in getting comfortable.”

Brian Doll via Twitter

by Geoffrey Grosenbach

Level: Beginner

Since its initial release in 2004, Ruby on Rails has surged in popularity among cutting-edge web developers. And our original Rails screencast has been a best-seller for three years, establishing PeepCode as the authority on video training for Ruby developers.

Today, Rails developers are in high demand and Rails is widely available on hosting services across the Internet.

This 75 minute screencast introduces Rails 3, the result of two years of low-level improvements, API refinements, and performance optimizations. If you are just learning Rails or if you have limited knowledge and want to learn more, this is the video for you!

NOTE : If you’re already experienced with previous versions of Rails, try the Rails 3 Upgrade Handbook.

You’ll learn to:

Install Rails on Mac, Windows, or Linux
Understand the important parts of the Ruby language
Navigate the default directory structure of a Rails application
Generate and write view templates
Link controllers together and prepare data for views
Design, implement, and use data models

This highly-polished screencast will give you a gentle introduction to the ideas that have transformed modern web development.

SKILLS

This screencast starts from scratch and teaches the basics of both the Ruby language and the Rails framework.

Revision 1 · Updated: Oct 22, 2010 · Length: 75 min · 138 MB

Testimonials

“Finally finished watching Meet Rails 3 Part 1 from @peepcode. If you want to start with Rails today, this is what you want to have. wow.”

StuFFmc via Twitter

“I purchased the two ‘Meet Rails 3’ screencasts and I must say that they were very well organised, easy to follow and to the point! After watching the screencasts I was able to continue programming my web app at least twice as fast as before, when I was searching online for help, and banging my head down with the various tutorials for RoR. Well done! Definitely worth the money, and I will gladly purchase any more advanced Rails 3 screncasts.”

Alex Nikolaidis

“Two days ater starting to watch part I and II, I was already making my own apps. I’m still far from being 100% independent but its the only method in which I have been able to make real progress. I can’t stop recommending your screencasts.”

@hjbarraza via Twitter

by Geoffrey Grosenbach

NOTE : The code download has been updated for the latest Node 0.4 release.

The Web has seen at least four major advancements in browser technology, about once every five years. Ajax has been around for five years, and we’re at the next jump: persistent connections between server and client.

Node.js makes it easy to write asynchronous, event-driven applications that serve static, dynamic, and persistent data to clients while using a minimum amount of RAM and CPU time. While other programming environments can accomplish similar things, Node has been built from the ground up to make this kind of programming painless.

In this 70-minute screencast, you’ll learn to install, use, and understand Node by building a real-time geographical tracking system (live demo). In Part I we start with simple servers, static requests, and dynamically-generated content. Part II (coming soon) will explore persistent connections and client-side scripting.

You’ll learn to:

Install Node.js (including the latest 0.4.0)
Create a basic HTTP server
Use built-in and third-party code
Organize your code into CommonJS modules
Understand and catch errors
Build dynamic responses at various URL paths
Setup a development environment
Configure and use a Websocket server library
Write a browser client
Publish and subscribe to messages between browser and client

Most Node documentation on the web or in print is sparse or outdated. Blast forward into productive development and save yourself hours of time by watching this screencast!

Includes a typed transcript.

SKILLS

Assumes basic knowledge of JavaScript, but also teaches you about code organization and JavaScript objects.

Node.js runs only on Mac OS X , Linux, and other Unix-based systems (Windows is not currently supported).

Revision 3 · Updated: Feb 11, 2011 · Length: 40 min · 156 MB

Testimonials

“Is always blown away by the quality of @peepcode’s screencasts. The Node one is great so far.”

Cameron Barrie

“Watched the Node.js PeepCode episode today. Great intro! Recommended!”

Gustaf Nilsson Kotte

“Just got around to watching the Node screencast—excellent work.”

James Coglan, author of the Faye WebSocket library

“Checked out the @peepcode Node.js screencast last night, looks very straight-forward. Can’t wait to give it a go.”

Ryan Townsend

“The @peepcode screencast on Node.js is awesome!”

Martin Aatmaa

“The Meet Node.js screencast is awesome, and saved me a lot of time.”

Marcos Oliveira

by Geoffrey Grosenbach

PeepCode Meet jQuery quickly became our fastest-selling title of all time. In this screencast, we explore the Ajax features of the popular jQuery JavaScript framework.

We start simply with the transfer of HTML fragments in only one line of code. You’ll learn about the convenience methods in jQuery and then dive down into the details of the low-level Ajax method.

Included are the source code of the demo application in addition to tips and strategies for using jQuery well. Clear graphics and animated diagrams present the information you need to know over the course of 45 minutes.

Topics covered in this screencast include:

Setup
JavaScript code organization
Querystring Params & Callback Functions
Global Handlers
Sending Data
Handling Errors Gracefully
Client-side API Strategy
Common Ajax Options
JSONP data transfer from other domains

Ruby’s Sinatra framework is used as a demo server, but the concepts apply to web frameworks in any programming language.

Difficulty: assumes a basic knowledge of jQuery.

Testimonials

“Learning jQuery via PeepCode. Good gods, I wish we’d used this at my last job.”

Duane Sibilly

“I also just bought the jQuery AJAX one and found it to be as awesome as all the other PeepCode screencasts I’ve got. Really great.”

Stephen Wyatt Bush

“I recently watched the PeepCode “jQuery: Ajax” screencast and I wanted to drop a note to say how much I enjoyed it. I thought the pacing was just right, the material was useful and interesting, and Dan Benjamin’s narration was clear, smooth, and dare I say calming. Well done! ”

Daniel Wellman

With this tutorial you will install and configure a fully-feature Webserver on your Home-PC. It will show you how to install Core Components (Apache HTTP Server, MySQL and PHP ) and some optional components like a FTP – and Mail-Server.
In this tutorial we will use Microsoft Windows XP as host system.
We will guide you with this tutorial through the process of creating your PC into a Webserver. Later we will add some Bonus-Chapters. If you need a tutorial for a Component which is not included so far, feel free request it.

In this tutorial, I will walk you through creating a subscription site using WordPress and PayPal Subscriptions. By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to create and personalize the WordPress registration page and login page, create custom registration fields tailored to your site, and restrict content based on category and if the user is logged in. Along the way, I provide insights to WordPress fundamentals, and help point the way to further learning. This is a great WordPress tutorial for intermediate to advanced users who want to learn how to easily and effectively create subscription sites and use WordPress as a content-management-system.