THE RESOURCE LIBRARY

Useful then. Useful again.

Open source software, thoughtful design resources, and practical code. Familiar topics, revisited with fresh explanations and links to the source.

Design resources

208 free RSS buttons, plus a better subscribe link

Download a new set of 208 lightweight SVG RSS buttons and learn how to connect them to a real, discoverable feed.

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Design resources

22 open source icon collections for your next interface

A practical map of general-purpose, brand, weather, and developer icon libraries, with advice for keeping an interface visually consistent.

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Development

26 useful jQuery tips, with modern JavaScript equivalents

Maintain an existing jQuery site with clearer event handling, safer DOM updates, and small patterns you can gradually replace with browser APIs.

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Open source software

9 open source ticket systems for a better support inbox

Compare nine helpdesk and service-management projects by the work they do best, then plan a self-hosted support setup you can actually maintain.

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Design resources

Build a useful HTML vCard and personal profile page

A small personal website should make your work, contact details, and downloadable contact card easy to find on any device.

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Design resources

Creative business cards that still do their job

Make a memorable card through typography, material, and a clear hierarchy—then test the details that matter in print.

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Design resources

Free icon packs: a selection guide for product teams

Choose icons by coverage, size, accessibility, and delivery format instead of downloading dozens of unrelated collections.

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Design resources

Free textures: a practical guide to finding and using them

Choose texture sources carefully, preserve license information, and keep surface detail from overwhelming a design.

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Design resources

Free WordPress themes: choose a foundation, not just a demo

A practical shortlist of free WordPress themes, plus a repeatable way to evaluate editing, performance, accessibility, and long-term portability.

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Design resources

Function icon set: what to use when a classic pack is unavailable

The original 128-icon download is not available here. Find a practical replacement and migrate old raster icons without losing clarity.

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Design resources

Make a texture tile cleanly: a repeatable editing workflow

Turn a suitable surface photograph into a restrained repeating texture, then test its seams, scale, and contrast in a real layout.

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Design resources

Open source social icons without the visual clutter

Find brand icons from maintained repositories, keep their meaning clear, and build social navigation that works with a keyboard and screen reader.

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Design resources

Photoshop text effects: six techniques you can build on

Learn a reusable workflow for dimensional, metallic, neon, cutout, textured, and print-inspired lettering without relying on fragile action downloads.

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Design resources

Social buttons that respect the page and the reader

Build useful follow and share controls with clear labels, real links, and lightweight behavior instead of a wall of third-party widgets.

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Development

22 PHP and jQuery patterns for reliable small applications

Build interactive PHP pages with clear boundaries between browser behavior, server validation, authentication, and stored data.

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Development

A carousel without the dependency baggage

Replace an older MooTools carousel with a simple horizontal gallery, then add navigation only when it helps people reach the content.

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Design resources

A font viewer is useful when you test the right text

Compare typefaces using real interface content, troublesome characters, and practical rendering sizes instead of a perfect specimen alone.

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Development

A simple animated menu with progressive enhancement

Keep navigation usable first, then add restrained transitions without carrying an old MooTools animation dependency into a new site.

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Development

A tabbed search interface with clear scope

Use separate search scopes only when they change the results meaningfully, and keep each control's state understandable.

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Development

A two-image transition with a small amount of CSS

Create a restrained image crossfade while preserving image dimensions, text alternatives, and a usable motion-free state.

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Development

An airport-style text effect without a noisy interface

Use a split-flap-inspired animation as a small visual accent while keeping the real text readable and available to assistive technology.

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Development

Build a calendar around time zones and real workflows

Choose an open source calendar component by its interaction model, licensing, and treatment of dates—not only its month-grid appearance.

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Archive notes

Community news: an archive note and the current resource library

The old community-news announcement now points readers toward the rebuilt directory and explains how the current edition works.

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Development

CSS buttons without images, with states that make sense

Style a real button with modern CSS while preserving focus, contrast, disabled behavior, and a comfortable target size.

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Development

Custom scroll panes: start with native scrolling

Replace a jScrollPane-era widget with a scroll region that keeps wheel, touch, keyboard, and text-selection behavior intact.

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Development

From Facebox to a native, accessible dialog

Revisit the classic jQuery lightbox pattern using the browser's dialog element and explicit focus behavior.

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Open source software

Haxe: one language, several compilation targets

Understand what Haxe shares across platforms, where target-specific work remains, and how to evaluate the toolchain with a small project.

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Development

Image previews that do not hide the original link

Build a gallery where thumbnails, full-size images, and optional previews remain useful on touch screens and keyboards.

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Development

JavaScript lightboxes: choose by behavior, not by quantity

Compare a native dialog, a focused image viewer, and a full gallery before adding another dependency to your website.

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Development

MooTools plugins: how to maintain or replace an older collection

Inventory a legacy MooTools site, separate the widgets by purpose, and migrate them without losing the behaviors visitors depend on.

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Design resources

Quick tip: reduce visible bands in a gradient

Diagnose gradient banding before changing your artwork, and use restrained dithering when an export needs help.

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Development

Tooltips: small hints, not hidden instructions

Replace a legacy Simpletip-style widget with predictable help text that works for keyboard, pointer, and touch users.

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Open source software

Vanilla forums: legacy context and open source alternatives

Assess an older Vanilla installation carefully, then compare current community-platform options by moderation, migration, and operating requirements.

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