DD_roundies: Code-only rounded HTML boxes

I knew I wanted to have rounded corners on this site, but I also knew that they can be a pain to get working cross-browser. Firefox uses the -moz-border-radius property, Chrome and Safari -webkit-border-radius, and CSS3 compliant browsers are supposed to use border-radius but I have yet to see one that actually does. Usually, background images or rounded corners are sliced up and positioned via background properties but I wondered if there was an easier way that didn’t involve adding a mess of HTML “just” for rounded corners. The library linked above does that. It uses IE’s implementation of VML, a competing standard to SVG that only Microsoft supports. If a browser doesn’t support either VML or the Firefox/WebKit CSS properties, it gracefully downgrades to squared edges. (Opera, I’m looking at you)

I wanted to list all of the resources and sites I used for this redesign, before they were lost to the ether (aka the recesses of my Firefox history). In no particular order:

• Ubuntu – excellent as both desktop and development server
• Aptana – Eclipse-based IDE that, most importantly, did not get in my way unlike most IDEs
• Inkscape – free & open source vector graphics editor and suitable replacement for Illustrator
• GIMP – free & open source replacement for Photoshop
• WordPress – easy to use and setup blogging software
• Building Custom WordPress Theme – great tutorial
• Button Maker – for the links down in the footer. I searched everywhere for these!
• jQuery and jQuery UI – when they said “Write Less, Do More,” they mean it
• Browser Detection with PHP with data downloadable here – another major time saver, as I removed certain visual elements for less-capable browsers (Internet Explorer, I’m looking at you)
• Scalable Vector Graphics – I have unrequited love for SVG, mostly because I used to work until recently for a company where the core technology is based around SVG
• Feed Icons – RSS feed images
• External URL icon – have I mentioned I love SVG?
• HOWTO: Display WordPress content outside of your blog – saved me from wasting a lot of time attempting to parse an RSS feed or otherwise reinventing the wheel
• 10 Tools to Help You Select a Web 2.0 Color Palette – while I stuck with my original color choices, I did browse around through Kuler, Colour Lovers and Color Palete Generator
• Firefox – browser of choice, but any good web developer tests in all
• vim – for when Aptana was not available and because, well, I like vim