I had never done this before, but it turned out to be very easy.

The following TypoScript generated on your response page will do the trick.

10 = COA_INT
10.10 = TEXT
10.10.value = Howdy,
10.10.dataWrap= | {GPvar:firstname}
10.10.htmlSpecialChars = 1

This will replace {GPvar:firstname} with the name the person entered in the mail form field called "firstname." The COA_INT is used because the output cannot be cached.

Also, if you install the extension TypoScript Code (extension key: typoscript_code) you can place this TypoScript directly on the page like any other content element. This is a very handy extension for this kind of situation.

Basically, Silverback (www.silverbackapp.com) records the screen of a Mac laptop while simultaneously recording the user's face and voice with the built in iSight camera and microphone. This means you can record user testing sessions anywhere, anytime with no equipment setup.

When playing back a session, the desktop image is shown full size. The recording of the user is inset in the lower right of the screen as a mirror image. This means when reviewing the recording the user's eyes point to the place on the screen where they were looking.

It is so simple to do that I was able to download the app, install it and record a test session in minutes without even reading a quick start guide.

Here are a couple of links describing Silverback during its beta, but honestly, you can download and test the app quicker than you can read the articles.

• Garrett Dimon on Silverback
• Kyle Meyer on Silverback

It is definitely worth checking out and a trial can be downloaded here.

Now for a short pause while we all act stunned and surprised.

When accessing the page, IE6 would refuse to display it and instead just display an error message. It all stemmed from how IE6 handles the base tag. There are fixes posted on the web which involve feeding IE6 a full base tag instead of the valid self-closing tag. All that is fine an dandy except it is not quite that easy to do in TYPO3.

Using the config.baseURL in TYPO3 to set the base tag always results in a valid self-closing tag. Now, it is possible to not set the base tag through config.baseURL and instead include it in headerData. The problem with that approach is the base tag will fall after some of the TYPO3 included assets (like the CSS file containing CSS for some of the extensions). Since those are relative links there will be a problem if the base tag falls after them.

As I thought about this I remembered one of my earlier posts about modifying the TYPO3 header comment and decided to try something. I wrote this TypoScript:

 [browser= msie6]
 config.headerComment (
 This is to allow IE6 to see Flash
 -->
 	<base www.mydomain.com/"></base >
 <!-- 
 )
 
 [ELSE]
 config.baseURL = www.mydomain.com
 
 [GLOBAL]

So, what happens? All browsers but IE6 get a proper self-closing tag in the correct  location (like this), but IE6 gets a full base tag that falls before any linked asset (like this).

In effect what I have done on IE6 is added a short note to the TYPO3 header comment then prematurely closed the comment, added the full base tag and then reopened the comment. 

For instance, when you make a change to site-wide content you need to remember to clear the cache in order for it to show up. Also, when actively developing a site, I find myself having to clear the cache every minute and a half in order to check the changes I am making to data structures, templates and TypoScript. To make matters worse, TYO3 4.2 now makes you use a drop down menu to clear the cache which takes just that much longer (Just to be clear though, I really like 4.2).

Anyway, a few weeks ago a I found a single line of TypoScript that has reduced my cache-clearing duties by 95%. The TS property I am talking about is TCEMAIN.clearCacheCmd. I know, I know. The veteran TYPO3 heads are all saying, "Who doesn't know about that." Well, for one, me even though I have been around the TYPO3 block a few times. My guess is that there are more than few others like me out there.

How clearCacheCmd is Normally Used

Before I get into the really cool part, let me tell you how this is normally used. Let's say you have a blog with the posts stored in a SysFolder. There is an archive view on a page (id=45), a single view on a page (id=53) and latest view on a page (id=60). You would want to put the following in the page TSconfig of the SysFolder where you store your posts.

TCEMAIN.clearCacheCmd = 45,53,60

What you have done is to told TYPO3 that when ever you add or change a record in the SysFolder then the cache for pages 45, 53 and 60 should be cleared. It works recursively so if you have other folders nested inside the main folder then records changed inside them will trigger the cache clearing as well. This way blog authors do not have to clear the cache every time they edit a post.

Now for the Cool Part

That is all a good thing, but this is what really got me excited (which will show it doesn't take much to get me excited).

I consistently set up a group of SysFolders nested like this:

Site Resources
     TypoScript
     Generated Content-1
     Generated Content-2

Their functions are:

• Site Resources (stores TemplaVoila data structures and template objects)
• TypoScript (stores various TS libraries like header, footer, menus, etc. which I include in the main site TS template)
• Generated Content-1 (stores site-wide content like ads, login boxes, etc.)
• Generated Content-2 (same function as Generated Content-1)

In the page TSconfig of the Site Resources folder I add this line:

TCEMAIN.clearCacheCmd = all

So, what happens? The entire site cache is automatically cleared anytime I make a change to TypoScript, side-wide content, data structures, template objects or anything else in those SysFolders.

Anyway, I'm excited.

• Frame overlays to show the cropping of various screen resolutions
• Ways to view and copy the color values of items.
• On-screen rulers
• Methods to measure distances and dimensions of items on screen.
• A loupe to make it easier to read values of individual pixels.

I have particularly found this application helpful in my front-end coding.

Keep in mind that if you want to use xScope to capture accurately the color values within a Photoshop document you will need to do the following in Photoshop:

• set View->Proof Setup to "Monitor RGB"
• activate View->Proof Colors.

Failure  to do so will cause Xscope to read to color values which PS has biased according what is entered in its "Color Settings" dialog box.

Well, so much for that commitment. I have made exactly two posts since then. Fact of the matter is that until a couple of weeks ago I have been too busy with client work to spend time on blog posts, redesigning my site or even pursuing new business. This has been a surprise (a pleasant one) since I really did not have opportunity in my previous position to line up any business ahead of time.

Here are a few things I have learned over the last six months.

1. I like doing this work day in and day out. I also like running my own business.
2. I can actually succeed at this (Hey, I was not sure of that in January).
3. People are desperate for web developers who are dependable and pleasant to work with.
4. Even when business is finding you and you have too much to do, you need to be pursuing the kinds of clients and projects that you want to base your business on.
5. Solid, well thought-out base code is extremely important and is the key to profitability (and sanity). Unfortunately, it takes time to develop.
6. My most important web skill (and yours) has nothing to do with code (more on that in a later post but look at #3 for a hint).

Over the last six months I have run myself pretty hard, but it is paying off and getting a little more sane. I think it will still be another six months before I am in full stride but I feel good about where I am at this point. Currently, my work is about 45% front-end coding, 40% TYPO3 work and another 15% visual design. Most of my projects involve at least two of those areas.

In spite of heavy client work, I have made some progress on other fronts.

1. I am close to releasing a new design on my company site.
2. I am well along the way of having the base code I need.
3. I am deep into development on a set of starter files and best practices for templating with TemplaVoila. I am actually working this project in coordination with WEC (webempoweredchurch.com) and it promises to end up being something that many TYPO3 developers could benefit from.
4. Progress has been made on a TYPO3-driven demo site I will use to pursue CMS projects.
5. And finally, I have developed several topics that should provide me with much to write about in this blog. I know, you will believe it when you see it. Just keep watching.

Anyway, future posts will have more practical advice and code than this one, but thought I would catch you all up on where I have been before I jumped back in.

• It is the first site I put together as XHTML strict. Normally I use transitional but we went for strict and didn't have any validation nightmares.
• It serves up content for four campuses. Some content on any particular page is common to all campuses while other content is only for 1, 2 or 3 campuses. Jeff Segars put together an extension to sort all of this out.
• Multi-column FCEs are used to provide flexible layout options. They are put together in some unique ways that I plan to share in the near future.
• We are running the site on a development version of TYPO3 4.2. This is not something I would normally recommend on a production site but we were able to do it because of having Jeff on board. I am looking forward to 4.2 being released as a stable version. It has some nice features.

It was fun working on this site. It had to be coded pretty quickly but came together more easily than I anticipated. And we launched on time.

There was good team working on this site which included:

• Jason Reynolds (churchcio.com): Jason is on staff at the church, ran the project and particularly kept us on track with SEO.
• Chris Merritt (pixelightcreative.com): Chris handled the visual design of the project and put together well-thought out interface for this site.
• Nathan Smith (sonspring.com): Nathan handled the front end code, and as always, delivered squeaky clean XHTML, JavaScript and CSS.
• Jeff Segars (jeffsegars.com): Jeff is a personal friend and really knows the inside of TYPO3. Jeff's day job is programming TYPO3 extensions for the Web Empowered Church (WEC) effort.

One of the great things about this project is that I have known all of these guys for quite some time. This helps tremendously with the trust and confidence needed when working a project via skype and e-mail.

More to come on the techniques used on this site.