Sergey Skudaev's Blog
October 20, 2018
How to create a clickable table of contents
I created a video where I explained how to edit manually epub file with free SIGIL software. I explained how to create a clickable table of contents.
When you convert a word or HTML document to epub format in Calibre software, it creates clickable table of contents automatically, but this table of contents can be not completely correct.
The best way to create the table of contents is to edit epub files manually. The epub file includes several folders and files. It is built like a mini website. It has a folder with the HTML text files, a folder with the images, a folder with the stylesheet.css file, the toc.ncx file includes script for table of contents.
My video explains step by step how to edit all these files to create a perfect eBook.
I am a programmer and my video explains all these steps down to details that you will not find in any other video about eBook formatting.
This is a link to my YouTybe video:
https://youtu.be/FCtE2ItT0H8
August 27, 2017
How to Create a Responsive Website with Pills.css
pills.css is the simplest CSS responsive grid that allows you to create responsive website.
What does it mean responsive? It means that a web page layout will be automatically changed to fit a viewpoint width and as a result this website could be viewed on any device: PC, tablet, or smartphone.
The pills.css grid layout is based on 12 columns. 12 columns cover 100% of the web page width. You can create a div block with any width from one column to 12 columns.
What you should understand is that when you create a few blocks each less than 12 columns wide, the sum of the width of these blocks must be 12 columns or 100%.
pills.css grid layout.
On the figure on the left, the most outer block is 12 columns. Inside this block, we have 3 blocks: one block is 1/5 of the whole row, one block is 3/5 of the whole row and one block is 1/5 of the whole row. The whole row is 12 columns.
1/5 + 3/5 + 1/5 = 1 or 100% or the whole 12 columns row.
Inside the 3/5 block we have to place 6 small blocks with images.
It is very important to understand that we cannot place these 6 small blocks directly inside the 3/5 block. First, we must place inside that 3/5 block the whole 12 columns block and only then we can place 6 small blocks inside that whole block.
To make each image responsive, we assign its width to 98% of the small block.
You can see demo here:
http://sergeyskudaev.com/images.php
You can download the whole source code for this website from
http://sergeyskudaev.com/responsive_w...
You can download pills.css from: https://github.com/rohitkrai03/pills
You can check if a website is responsive by squeezing browser viewpoint or by viewing the website in http://www.responsinator.com
What does it mean responsive? It means that a web page layout will be automatically changed to fit a viewpoint width and as a result this website could be viewed on any device: PC, tablet, or smartphone.
The pills.css grid layout is based on 12 columns. 12 columns cover 100% of the web page width. You can create a div block with any width from one column to 12 columns.
What you should understand is that when you create a few blocks each less than 12 columns wide, the sum of the width of these blocks must be 12 columns or 100%.
pills.css grid layout.
On the figure on the left, the most outer block is 12 columns. Inside this block, we have 3 blocks: one block is 1/5 of the whole row, one block is 3/5 of the whole row and one block is 1/5 of the whole row. The whole row is 12 columns.
1/5 + 3/5 + 1/5 = 1 or 100% or the whole 12 columns row.
Inside the 3/5 block we have to place 6 small blocks with images.
It is very important to understand that we cannot place these 6 small blocks directly inside the 3/5 block. First, we must place inside that 3/5 block the whole 12 columns block and only then we can place 6 small blocks inside that whole block.
To make each image responsive, we assign its width to 98% of the small block.
You can see demo here:
http://sergeyskudaev.com/images.php
You can download the whole source code for this website from
http://sergeyskudaev.com/responsive_w...
You can download pills.css from: https://github.com/rohitkrai03/pills
You can check if a website is responsive by squeezing browser viewpoint or by viewing the website in http://www.responsinator.com
August 4, 2017
All my Books
I want to clarify which books I published.
1. Visual Basic Programming By Examples (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JNSNL8S
2. Learn SQL By Examples (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PD6A2U
3 Learn SQL By Examples (paperback)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1546996346
4. PHP Programming by Examples for beginners (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008C4JK98
5. C++ Programming By Examples (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUSMTUW
6. How to Create and Format Your eBook (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IHIR4VA
1. Visual Basic Programming By Examples (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JNSNL8S
2. Learn SQL By Examples (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PD6A2U
3 Learn SQL By Examples (paperback)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1546996346
4. PHP Programming by Examples for beginners (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008C4JK98
5. C++ Programming By Examples (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUSMTUW
6. How to Create and Format Your eBook (kindle edition)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IHIR4VA
August 2, 2017
Is it hard to learn computer programming?
My first computer language was Visual Basic (VB). I learned it in 1996. After 6 months, I took the Microsoft Certification exam in VB, and passed it. At the same time, I started attending Borough of Manhattan Community College. My major was Computer Science. At BMCC, I learned C++, assembly language and Java.
I like computer programming, but I have to confess, that I am not a computer geek. My first passion was neurophysiology, which I studied and taught for more than ten years. My way of thinking, is probably is different than that of other programmers, and because of that it is easier for me to explain computer programming to others.
When I started learning computer programming, by reading books, I noticed that many authors are missing the very beginning, in their books. Imagine that you are at a gas station in the middle of an unknown city and you are asking a guy for directions to the city “N”. He answers, “Take I-95 north, then take exit 73”. His explanation is clear, but you cannot start driving anyway because … he did not tell you how to get to I-95 north.
This is the problem with many books about computer programming. In my books, I would always tell my readers from the beginning how to get to the point, from where they can “start driving”.
I started learning computer programming at the age of 44. I was not concerned about my age. I was concerned that I was a biologist and that biology seemed far away from computer science to me. And yet, when I started to learn computer programming, I realized that my knowledge of brain physiology is very helpful because of how a programming language is designed relates more to how people think than to how a computer works.
To be successful in computer programming, you don’t have to have the mind of a mathematician. If you can rearrange boxes in your garage in such a way that there will be a space for your car, then you can be a computer programmer.
I like computer programming, but I have to confess, that I am not a computer geek. My first passion was neurophysiology, which I studied and taught for more than ten years. My way of thinking, is probably is different than that of other programmers, and because of that it is easier for me to explain computer programming to others.
When I started learning computer programming, by reading books, I noticed that many authors are missing the very beginning, in their books. Imagine that you are at a gas station in the middle of an unknown city and you are asking a guy for directions to the city “N”. He answers, “Take I-95 north, then take exit 73”. His explanation is clear, but you cannot start driving anyway because … he did not tell you how to get to I-95 north.
This is the problem with many books about computer programming. In my books, I would always tell my readers from the beginning how to get to the point, from where they can “start driving”.
I started learning computer programming at the age of 44. I was not concerned about my age. I was concerned that I was a biologist and that biology seemed far away from computer science to me. And yet, when I started to learn computer programming, I realized that my knowledge of brain physiology is very helpful because of how a programming language is designed relates more to how people think than to how a computer works.
To be successful in computer programming, you don’t have to have the mind of a mathematician. If you can rearrange boxes in your garage in such a way that there will be a space for your car, then you can be a computer programmer.
