For designers, Symfony2 has been a welcome change from those old flat PHP files. Twig is beautiful, the framework separates the code from the layout, and we no longer have to find our way through lines of PHP code. But if you are a designer working on a symfony project for the first time, these are a few tips that can help you get up and running quickly.

The four common problems they've seen are:

• How do I disable the toolbar at the bottom of the page?
• Errors about missing libraries/files
• No Javascript or no-css showing up
• A completely blank page

We've created a build script for Phing that will give designers the ability to automatically compress, concatenate, and Prefixize all of their stylesheets and scripts - simply by typing five characters. I'll show you how to use it in this quick tip video.

The post includes a screencast showing you how to get it all set up and working with the rest of your Phing install. They don't help you set up Phing - you'll need that already set up and running to use the task. You can grab teh script directly from github.

I'm happier at the command line, but needed some graphical representation of information and easy ways to export example queries for the book I'm working on. I noticed that phpMyAdmin now has a Designer tab, which shows relationships between tables and allows you to define them.

She includes two screenshots of the process of setting up a foreign key on two tables. You can find lots more articles related to the designer view here.

This debate has been raging on SitePoint for some time. The issue was raised by Elliot Jay Stocks following a simple tweet: "Honestly, I'm shocked that in 2010 I'm still coming across '˜web designers' who can't code their own designs. No excuse."

This, of course, sparked a whole host of other opinions from the SitePoint readers and they've gathered them together and summarized the "for" and "against" topics from there. Those on the pro-coding side suggest that not only does it give them some appreciation for what the developers do for the designers but it also can make them a better, more flexible asset down the line. The those on the con-coding side suggest that designer time is precious and should be devoted to the usability of the site. They also note that you don't "need to be a plumber" to know how to get a working site together - each member needs to do their job.

Be sure to check out the comments for some other great thoughts from the community.

The first thing that came up to my mind was that PHP is quite simple language comparing to ASP.NET (.NET actually) which is a complete framework that offers a wide range of possibilities (yeah I made a comparison). Maybe PHP has a simple learning curve comparing to ASP.NET, but why would web designers care for data access layer or OOP anyway? But on the other hand, it doesn't mean that web designers should limit their selves just to PHP. Why not be familiar with other technologies as well?

The post has lots of comments from both sides of the fence, each espousing their language of choice. Reasoning ranges from "because ASP.NET is a Microsoft product" to the price of ASP.NET hosters to PHP's open source-ness and the much different learning curves.

What is beautiful code? Ask ten people, and you will probably get ten different answers. Ask them what makes a programming language beautiful, and you've got yourself the beginnings of a holy war.

He compares code to art - the language is just a tool, the canvas an editor waiting to be filled with lines of artist-generated works. Because of PHP's wonderful flexibility, it can be molded to fit just about any need a coder might see fit and gives them the power they need to really dig into the code and about the "paint by numbers" sort fo things language like Ruby have to offer.

The Department of Pathology is expanding its use of web-based technology, recognizing the need for central placement of information and tools, in support of all three of our core missions: patient care, education and research/scholarly activities. To reach this goal, the department is seeking to expand its current in-house expertise for development of web infrastructure, content and interconnectivity design. The department is seeking a Web Design specialist to work as a member of our team in support of this initiative. The selected candidate is expected to operate in a number of capacities including: working with intra-departmental divisions and web services customers to identify requirements and define project scope; work with other programming specialists in the informatics division on web development projects in support of existing and new Web Services Infrastructure; working on federation projects with external data sources and the associated technical staff of such sources, and finally working with the divisions internal web development team to identify best practices for graphic design, page layout, page design, and overall effective communication. It is expected that this position will include an equal division of effort between actual coding and customer support activities. The designer will operate with current staff as a member of a highly integrated team, allowing for exemplary project management and execution. This position offers the unique opportunity for contribution at a fundamental architectural level, in a dynamic department that is already an internationally recognized leader in the field of Pathology Informatics. Typical projects will include a diverse range of topics and subspecialties, including traditional database design, translational medicine, bioinformatics, federated database queries, image repositories, telepathology and web portals for supercomputing/cluster applications.

Essential Skills

• HTML
• Maintenance of PHP
• Ruby on Rails
• AJAX
• CGI Scripts
• PERL
• IIS
• Sharepoint Services
• Java
• One or more years of experience with live website design and maintenance

Desired skills

• Regular Expressions
• Oracle 10G
• Microsoft SQL Server
• PostgreSQL
• Python
• C#
• Zope
• ASP and .NET 2.0 Framework

Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Salary: TBD

Successful candidates should have prior experience with actual website design and maintenance. Good verbal and written communication skills are essential. Because of the project-oriented and customer focused nature of this position, it is expected that the successful candidate will possess excellent communication skills and a strong work ethic for timely job completion and high coding quality.

To apply for this role, visit UMJobs.org and search for Job ID 12597.

We are looking for a well rounded web enthusiast to join our small team of media professionals. We need someone who has the ability to take a project from concept to completion with a full throttle approach to each step along the way. We need someone who lives and breathes web technology, someone who is not afraid to dive into a new language or software app. will full force. So, if you have the skills below, or can say without hesitation that you can learn them, and you would enjoy working in a very casual, yet very busy environment then this may very well be the position for you.

To apply, please submit a URL to your online portfolio to hr@digicraftproductions.com

Required Skills:

• Professional level skills with Standards-compliant, Semantic xHTML.
• Professional level skills with Standards-compliant, table-less CSS. (cross-browser/cross-platform compatibility)
• Intermediate to Professional level skills using Flash / ActionScript 2.0+.
• Intermediate to Professional level skills using PHP in conjunction with MySQL databases.
• Professional level skills in Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Understanding of design theory and application.

Extra Skills (Not required, but very beneficial):

• Experience with Unobtrusive Javascript (Big Plus)
• Experience with AJAX
• Experience with Javascript frameworks (JQuery, Scriptaculous, Mootools, etc.)
• Experience with XML
• Experience with Director MX / Lingo
• 1 to 5 years interactive design/development experience, preferably in the marketing/agency industry

Pay commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Bullseye Creative is looking for a PHP / MySQL coder and web designer to join our family of designers, artists, superheroes, and fashion extraordinaires.

POSITION SUMMARY (The good stuff):
Bullseye Creative is searching for an outstanding web developer with a strong background in PHP, MySQL, and Javascript. Bullseye Creative is a dynamic firm offering services in graphic design, web design & development, advertising, brand development and management, video and radio production, and much more. Bullseye is a high energy playful but serious, take no prisoners firm. We are growing, so if you think you have what it takes'¦send us your resume.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES (Nuts and bolts):
You will be responsible for the development, maintenance, deployment, and troubleshooting of web-based hosted applications written in PHP, HTML, and Javascript utilizing a MySQL database solution. You will also take part in the development of Flash projects utilizing ActionScript 2 and 3. The candidate must work well as a team member of the creative department to complete a daily workload and execute accurately, timely, and within budget.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS (Skillz):
A BS degree in Computer Science and / or 2 '" 4 years experience as a web developer is required for this position. Extensive knowledge of the following is required: PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, CSS/CSS2, HTML, concepts of software architecture, software development fundamentals, object-oriented design (OOD), AJAX driven data handling, software debugging, and written communication. Extremely organized and a detail / deadline-oriented team player. Flexible, adaptable, able to understand and remain focused on objectives in a fast paced environment. Proficiency in Flash, Illustrator, Photoshop and other graphic design applications a plus.

BENEFITS (more good stuff):
We offer a competitive benefits package of healthcare insurance, short-term/long term insurance, and vacation/sick leave.

For consideration, you MUST send a PDF of your résumé to work@bullseyecreative.net. You will not be considered unless a resume is sent. In addition to a résumé, If a portfolio of your work is available for viewing online, please provide a link.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

At the office today, I had a talk with our designers, so they want a "designer-friendly" template engine. Sounds easy, but it isn't. That is why I decided to write this very short post to help others having such "easy" problems.

First he lays out the requirements for the project, then heads off to Google to see if there's anything similar. He found PRADO but it still lacked some of what he needed. So, deciding on developing his own Templating system, he creates a system that supports:

• Caching
• WYSIWYG & Dynamic Tag Handlers
• States
• PHP Tags

The code (and results) are included in the post, both in code blocks and for download.