Parsing variables from HTML into Flash is really easy. I recently realised that there are a lot of unnecessarily confusing tutorials out there on how to do this so here it is, plain and simple.

To parse the variables into the SWF, simply add an extra parameter (or attribute if using the EMBED tag) to your object. The parameter/attribute name should be FlashVars and the value should look something like language=en&video=12345. The whole tag should look like this:

<param name="FlashVars" value="language=en&video=1234&file=photo.jpg" />

If you are using the EMBED tag then it should look like this (you should obviously have a lot more attributes than this):

<embed src="mymovie.swf" FlashVars="language=en&video=1234&file=photo.jpg"></embed>

Now for the actionscript part. You can access these variables by calling them from the root of your document (they are parsed into the top level of your movie). For ActionScript 2.0 you can call it like so:

myMovieClip.loadMovie(_root.file);

This will load photo.jpg into the specified move clip. Now I’m not a pro in ActionScript 3.0 and I don’t think you can use the loadMovie method so providing you can find the correct way to load an image, you would just reference root.file instead of _root.file (drop the underscore).

Okay I admit it, I love writing lists! But if you have previously spent hours upon hours searching for that perfect theme then (hopefully) you’re hunt will stop here. It’s important to remember that you will probably never get that perfect theme and it definitely won’t be unique unless you hire a designer like me to build one (I just had to get a plug in there somewhere)!

Anyway, here are my top 5 free WordPress themes. Leave a comment and let me know if you have any additions!

Desk Space

Preview | Theme URL

Designredux

Preview | Theme URL

Typebased

Preview | Theme URL

ZinePress

Preview | Theme URL

5ThirtyOne v2

Preview | Theme URL

Okay, so you’re new to the web industry and you want to get your teeth into the nitty gritty of web design. Do you go the full whack and buy a copy of Creative Suite from Adobe, or do you hunt around a bit more until you find something better suited and/or less expensive? Well if you’re reading this then I’d be willing to bet money that you’re going for the latter choice (don’t quote me on that)!

The good news for you is that there is some great software out there capable of getting the job done just as fast and just as well as the mainstream packages, the majority of them outlined here being more cost effective than their popular counterparts. One exception here is Adobe Photoshop. I use this software religiously and I think it’s fair to say that it’s pretty much second nature to any designer, hence it being in my list!

So here they in order of my personal preference; the software packages that may change or sculpt your working practices for life!

1. Coda - One-Window Web Development

This nifty piece of software by Panic is my favourite. It is essentially an all-in-one (very) easy to use web development environment. It includes some nifty features such as ‘Subversion’, a great source control tool enabling you to easily work within a team, an impressive find and replace function, and a great intuitive interface. What’s more, the full version is only $99 - a very affordable price and a great choice in today’s economic times.

So, download the 15 day trial and see what you think!

2. ForkLift - File Manager and FTP/SFTP Client

If you own a mac and you build websites, there is simply no option but to get this software. It makes ‘FTPing’ and even local file management a breeze. Upon installation it is very clear that the folks over at Binary Nights created this application with Mac users in mind. It blends into OSX like it was made by Apple themselves and performs pretty much like a native application would too! Highly recommended.

MAMP - Local Apache & MySQL Server

Good news: there is absolutely no need to mess around with trying to activate your Mac’s ‘built in’ web server. Just download MAMP, run it, and you have a local web server enabling you to develop powerful dynamic PHP and MySQL websites offline. It’s very simple to use; only a couple of preferences lurk behind the interface, and it’s free so there is absolutely no excuse. If you do decide to ‘go pro’ then you get the added benefit of being able to configure an unlimited number of virtual hosts, full DynDNS support, and the ability to dispatch emails through your PHP scripts.

Navicat - MySQL, Oracle, & PostgreSQL Admin Tool

Lets face it - phpMyAdmin is not the most exciting way to administer your database. Whilst I don’t deny that it is a useful tool, I personally prefer having a local application installed on my machine to interface with. It’s very easy to use and obviously works well with MAMP! Take a deeper look at all the features of Navicat.

Adobe Photoshop

Yep - I told you it was in my list! Photoshop is still the one piece of software that I use the most and I’d be crippled without it! I design all my layouts in Photoshop before slicing it all and ‘CSSing’ my templates. With the release of Creative Suite 4, Adobe have introduced some great new features. You can check them out here.

Combine all 5 of these great applications and you truely do have a recipe for web design success!

So I was browsing around the interweb this morning and came across an open source ad server! After looking into the subject matter a little more I realised that this stuff has actually been around for quite a while. The ad server in question is that of OpenX, ‘An open source advertising community dedicated to helping publishers make more money’. The software can be downloaded absolutely free of charge from their site and set up in a way similar to that of the famous Wordpress ‘5-minute installation’.

It has been reported today by TechCrunch that the company are delivering well over 300 billion ad impressions via it’s software as of this month.

I’m not very familiar with this type of system but one thing for sure is when I start the web 2.0 company of my dreams, OpenX Ad Server will be hiding somewhere in the background dishing up millions of impressions per second!

Google street view is possibly the most amazing product I have seen released on the web for a long time! That, and the three dimensional New York in Google Earth.

I’ve spent some time tracking down some famous US movie locations today using various sources such as IMDB, Wikipedia, and FamousLocations.com.

I decided to stick them on my blog so without further ado, I bring to you…

Friends’ Apartment, New York, NY

This block of apartments on the corner of Bedford St and Grove St in New York City was used for the exterior shots in the hit TV sitcom, Friends.

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Ghostbusters’ HQ, New York, NY

Used numerous times during the movie, this real life fully operational Fire Station ‘Hook & Ladder 8′ was used as the headquarters of the Ghostbusters.

The same building was also used in Ghostbusters II.

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The Exorcist House, Washington, DC

The house is rather difficult to recognize, because a false left wing (where there is the Regan’s room) and a false roof were built especially for the film, but they don’t exist today. Furthermore, the railings outside the house have been replaced by a tall wooden fence to deter any rubberneckers.

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Scarface Chainsaw Scene, Miami, FL

This is Johnny Rocket’s, 728 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach. At the time of filming it was a motel.

This is where the movies’ memorable and very gruesome chainsaw scene was shot.

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Edward Scissorhands’ Street, Lutz, FL

This little residential area served as the colorful home of Edward Scissorhands in the 1990 movie.

If you turn right from the view below and take a right at the T-junction, you will see a cul-de-sac. This served as the entrance to Scissorhands’ castle.

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