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Community News: Latest PECL Releases (09.15.2020)

Latest PECL Releases:

• krb5 1.1.4
  - [FEATURE] PHP 8 compatability (thanks to Remi Collet)
  • [BUG] Properly install header files (thanks to Remi Collet)
  • [BUG] Fix behavior when NegotiateAuth is passed null as SPN
• yaml 2.2.0b2
  New Features: - PHP 8.0.0b3+ compatibility
• ast 1.0.10
  - Support attributes syntax change (`#[...]`) in php 8.0.0RC1. - Change the current AST version from 70 to 80. AST version 80 is no longer experimental. - Add `ReflectionParameter` defaults for `astparse_code` and `astget_supported_versions` in php 8. - Add parameter types and return types to reflection for various global functions. php-ast was already throwing a `TypeError` when invalid parameter types were received. - Always throw instead of warning when invalid parameters are passed to the astNode constructor.
• ice 1.6.2
  - Model, get related record if field is null fix #275 - Pagination, calculate if data is array or total is specified #273 - Url, fixed getStatic() #193
• gRPC 1.32.0
  - gRPC Core 1.32.0 update
• datadog_trace 0.48.2
  ### Changed - Update excluded modules #1011 - Deprecate dd-doctor.php #1014

  Fixed

  • PHP 5.4 build in ZTS mode #1011
  • Call ddtrace_engine_hooks_{rinit,rshutdown} #1013
• solr 2.5.1
  - PHP 7.4 compatible - PHP 7 windows support - PHP 8.0.0beta3 compatible - Bug #72740 Fixes NULL byte when using addQueryField() w/o boost
• oauth 2.0.6
  * Fix github issue #14 (Fixes for 7.3/7.4 and opcache) * Fix PHP-7.4 compatibility of object handler * Fix memory leaks in OAuthProvider * Fix crash in OAuthProvider's handler registration methods due to unconditional addref * Fix crash in OAuth::fetch() due to modifying hash tables with a refcount>1
• php_trie 0.1.0
  - First stable release

Interview with Dave Delaney

This episode is sponsored by
RingCentral Developers

The post Interview with Dave Delaney appeared first on Voices of the ElePHPant.

Community News: Latest PEAR Releases (09.14.2020)

Latest PEAR Releases:

• pearweb 1.30.0
  

• Validate_IE 1.1.1
  

Why Some Outdated WordPress Plugins & Themes Are Facing Extinction

If you manage a website that relies on any WordPress plugins or themes that haven’t seen an update for a while, your time with them may be running out. Recent changes to the CMS have left backwards compatibility in the dust – at least when it comes to use of the jQuery library.

With the release of version 5.5, WordPress has started the process of updating the version of jQuery that is shipped with the software. As such, the jQuery Migrate script (which helps to keep older code functioning) has been removed. This has resulted in a lot of bugs for developers to squash.

While many popular, actively-developed themes and plugins have released updates to address any issues, not everyone has been so lucky. There’s a wide array of legacy products out there that still rely on that jQuery migrate script and simply break without it.

To be certain, these items are living on borrowed time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze some extra time out of them. Today, we’ll show you how to keep things running (at least temporarily). Then, we’ll explore why this is (mostly) a good thing for WordPress overall.

A Quick Fix: Enable jQuery Migrate Helper

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that WordPress has released a plugin, Enable jQuery Migrate Helper, that restores the jQuery Migrate script on your website. This should allow any older scripts to run as they did before WordPress 5.5 came into the picture.

However, this plugin doesn’t just run quietly in the background. It also points out errors and deprecated code via the browser console and within the WordPress dashboard. This is a big help to developers who are looking for some hints as to what needs fixed for future compatibility.

The bad news is that this plugin is really only useful until WordPress 5.6 is released. That release will see a new version of jQuery Migrate bundled with core – one that won’t work with these same legacy scripts that broke down with 5.5.

Of course, the WordPress community is pretty skilled at providing alternatives. Plugins such as jQuery Manager for WordPress might keep old code afloat, even after WordPress 5.6 hits the market. And it’s not far-fetched to imagine other similar plugins popping up to do the same.

These solutions can be lifesavers in a pinch. Yet, in the bigger picture, all of this jQuery madness serves as a harbinger of where legacy products are headed.

The Good and Bad of Legacy Support

The overarching point of upgrading WordPress to the latest version of jQuery is that it allows the project to move forward. Backward compatibility has always been a key feature, but there does come a point when it stifles future development.

We also know that WordPress has adopted other JavaScript libraries in recent years. The Gutenberg block editor uses React, for example. Holding onto an old version of one library just doesn’t jibe with using the latest and greatest technologies elsewhere.

That all makes perfect sense on the surface. But tell that to the website owner (and their brave-but-weary developer) who now needs to fix and/or replace legacy code.

To say the very least, it’s an inconvenience. And it might also be expensive to implement solutions that will work now and into the foreseeable future. Because, let’s face it: not every old theme and plugin is going to survive this transition.

Good Riddance to Outdated WordPress Themes and Plugins

Yes, there’s some pain involved. Maybe even a few good memories as well. But just as these old themes and plugins hold WordPress back as a whole, they also hold back the websites running them.

Designers and developers: think about how many times you wanted to implement an exciting new feature, only to be forced into dealing with legacy obstacles in your way. Maybe it’s that 5-year-old page builder or a theme that uses ancient layout techniques. They impede progress.

This jQuery transition may be just the thing we need to kickstart redesigns for older sites. Even if a redesign isn’t in the cards, there is an opportunity for revenue here. Whether it’s a matter of patching up some code or fully replacing an existing piece of software, these tasks can fill up your schedule. That leads to some extra cash in your pocket.

It’s also a matter of eliminating potential troublemakers. Looking through the WordPress plugin repository, it’s easy to find listings that haven’t seen an update in years. While some may still be useful, there are some real risks in using them. Beyond incompatibilities, there could be gaping security holes that are just waiting to be exploited.

This is one way to finally put those ticking timebombs out of reach. That in itself is a positive byproduct of moving away from the old version of jQuery.

The post Why Some Outdated WordPress Plugins & Themes Are Facing Extinction appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Randomizing music with MuseScore and Node.js

One of my esteemed professors from Santa Monica College, Dr. Driscoll asked for an opinion on how one can use a sheet of music and reshuffle some measures to generate a unique exercise for each student. This turned out more fun than anticipated and here's a solution I came up with using the free notation software MuseScore and a Node.js script. I hope it can be useful to someone else in the future for music education or why not for generative music too.

For the inpatient, here's the code.

3-step process

1. Create a MuseScore file to be used as a "template"
2. Reshuffle the measures by manipulating XML in a Node.js script and spit out an N number of different MuseScore files
3. Use a batch-convert plugin in MuseScore to convert the new files to PDF, MP3, MIDI or any other desired output format

The template

For a template you can create a new file in MuseScore or import some other file into MuseScore for final touches. In my case, the prof gave me a MusicXML file exported from Sibelius (a clunkier commercial alternative to MuseScore).

Once the music sheet is to your liking, export it as uncompressed XML, native to MuseScore (*.mscx).

Turns out MuseScore's native files are compressed xml (mscz) or its uncompressed brethren (mscx). I used the uncompressed version so I can look around into the XML and also don't have to deal with compression in my Node script.

Why MuseScore's XML and not MusicXML? I don't have a good answer other than convenience and habit and reducing one more variable.

In the template you pick certain measures be reused and reshuffled, for example motive A consist of measures 2 and 3, motive C is just measure 8 and so on. These motives will be defined in the Node script.

The script

The script does this:

1. Read the XML template using xml-js into a JavaScript object for manipulation
2. Extract the motive measures from the XML
3. Generate 100 random permutations of the desired motives and their quantity
4. Write 100 new XML files with the recombined measures

But first...

Configuration

const MAX = 100; // how many combinations to generate
const ADJOK = false; // is it ok to have adjacent repeated motives
const motives = {
  A: [2, 3], // Motive A is measures 2 and 3
  B: [4, 5],
  C: [8],
  D: [10, 11],
  E: [16],
  F: [17],
  G: [19],
  H: [22],
  I: [23],
};
// we want motive A to happen twice in the new score,
// motive C to happen 4 times and so on
const distribution = 'AADDFFEEEBGHICCCC';
const OUT = 'out/';

The funny-looking AADDFFEEEBGHICCCC is a definition of how many times you want each motive to repeat. This is what's going to be reshuffled to create the new combinations.

Read the XML

// imports
const convert = require('xml-js');
const fs = require('fs');

const xml = fs.readFileSync('Template.mscx', 'utf8');
const options = {compact: true, ignoreComment: true, spaces: 4};
const source = convert.xml2js(xml, options);

convert is the XML-JS library that lets you convert to/from XML, JSON and JavaScript objects. Here we convert the XML to a JavaScript object for easy manipulation.

Next, remembering the location of the measures (a Measure array in the resulting object) for less typing:

// an array of all measures
const origMeasures = source.museScore.Score.Staff.Measure;

Then, going through the motives configuration and reading them from the template score:

// extract the patterns from the template
const patterns = {};
Object.keys(motives).forEach((letter) => {
  patterns[letter] = [];
  motives[letter].forEach((m) => {
    // measures start from 1, arrays from 0
    patterns[letter].push(origMeasures[m - 1]); 
  });
});

Generate 100 random permutations

The variable combinations will contain the new reshuffled strings (e.g. ACGFCDCEFIHEDEBCA, GIECBFCADCHAEFCED and so on).

Using a Set prevents duplicates.

// generate MAX random combinations
const combinations = new Set();
let these = distribution.split('');
while (combinations.size < MAX) {
  these.sort(() => 0.5 - Math.random());
  if (checkAdjecents(these)) {
    combinations.add(these.join(''));
  }
}

A helper function to disallow adjacent motives, if desired:

function checkAdjecents(combo) {
  if (ADJOK) {
    return true;
  }
  for (let i = 1; i < combo.length; i++) {
    if (combo[i] === combo[i - 1]) {
      return false;
    }
  }
  return true;
}

Write 100 new XML files

Last step - going through each new combination and creating a new array of measures. Here the first and last measure are always the same as this was a requirement, but you don't have to do this.

Writing the new XML is accomplished by reconverting the modified JS object back to XML.

combinations.forEach((combo) => {
  // first and last measures are always the same
  const last = origMeasures[origMeasures.length - 1];
  const first = origMeasures[0];

  const newMeasures = [first];
  combo.split('').forEach((letter) => {
    patterns[letter].forEach((_, idx) => {
      newMeasures.push(patterns[letter][idx]);
    });
  });
  newMeasures.push(last);

  source.museScore.Score.Staff.Measure = newMeasures;
  source.museScore.Score.Staff.VBox.Text[0].text._text = combo;

  fs.writeFileSync(OUT + combo + '.mscx', convert.js2xml(source, options));
});

The VBox.Text[0].text._text = combo; is optional, it writes the combination as title of the score.

Example result open in MuseScore:

Full code listing is on GitHub.

Batch conversion

At this point it's all done. But we can do one better and generate PDFs to distribute to musicians/students who do not use MuseScore. Thanks to the batch-convert plugin, this is quick and painful.

Lots of formats to chose from! You click OK and point to the out directory where the script wrote all MuseScore XMLs.

And this is it. Now the out/ directory contains 100 MuseScore files and 100 PDFs all named after the random combination of letter motives.

Reusing the script

What if you want to reuse the script for your own purposes, exercises and genarative music? Why, it would give me the most pleasure!

Just clone the github repo, change the Template.mscx and edit the configuration. Then run...

$ node msms.js

... and find a bunch of files in your out/ directory. Then, if required, do the batch conversion to PDF as described above.

New to Node?

A side note for people who think the section above was mostly gibberish. If you're new to Node.js, here are a few more pointers.

1. Download and install Node from here
2. Get a copy of the code: go to https://github.com/stoyan/msms and "Download ZIP".
   
   Unzip where you want. Navigate to that directory.
3. Install dependencies by running

   $ npm i 
   

4. Now edit the configuration in msms.js and change the template Template.mscx, then run

   $ node msms.js
   

20 Tutorials for Creating Posters in Adobe Illustrator

Posters are a great way to promote your event but they can also be used to promote your business or a cause. What’s more, they can be designed in many different ways and make use of illustrations as well as typography to convey all the necessary details.

In this roundup, we’ve gathered the best Adobe Illustrator tutorials for creating beautiful and attractive posters for a variety of projects and industries. Use them to pick up a few new tricks or to get inspired before you start working on a new project.

You might also like these Photoshop poster design tutorials, or these free poster mockup PSD templates.

Unlimited Downloads: 13,000+ Adobe Illustrator Templates

1,000,000+ Illustration & Vector Templates, Brushes, Logos, Icons, and much more!

Retro Kitchen for Illustrator

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Explore 13,000+ Adobe Illustrator Templates

How to Create a Bold Pattern Poster Design

Bold patterns are all around us. David Popov takes us through his journey in Paris to show us how to make our own bold patterns with his abstract form tutorial. Are you ready to start your own journey in bold pattern design?

How to to Create a Geometric Poster Vector Design

Use shapes instead of letters for your next poster! With this step by step tutorial you will learn how to use geometric shapes put together to make letters, and then transform into your next poster.

Number Poster Design (Envato Elements Template)

Save time making your number poster designs with this template. Ready for immediate use on A4 and A5 sized paper with a 300 DPI resolution. Feel free to adjust colors to your liking and edit the text with your text tools.

How to Create a Hand-Lettered Textured Poster

Need to unleash your inner creativity with some hand lettered posters? Then get your coffee ready and dive in with this step by step tutorial that will show you how to bring your hand lettering to life!

How to Create a Geometrical Abstract Poster (Video Tutorial)

With this video tutorial you will be able to take a simple pattern and transform it into an abstract geometric poster. You will see how to make use of swatches to create a 3d randomized pattern that you transform into a full fledged poster.

Music Poster Promotion (Envato Elements Template)

How to Create a Daft Punk Poster in Illustrator

Want to make your own Daft Punk inspired artwork? Then you’ll enjoy this step by step tutorial showing you how to make a Daft Punk poster using Adobe Illustrator. You’ll then finish off the design in Photoshop.

How to Create a Retro Poster with Astronaut Child

Were you ever inspired by the art on the VHS covers? Intrigued to see what that art work was? Well, join us with this video tutorial to learn how to create your own artwork based on that long gone cassette type.

How To Create a Retro VHS Cassette Poster (Video Tutorial)

Were you ever inspired by the art on the VHS covers? Intrigued to see what that art work was? Well, join us with this video tutorial to learn how to create your own artwork based on that long gone cassette type.

Summer Poster Bundle (Envato Elements Template)

Jump straight into summer season with this warm summer poster template bundle. They are easy to edit, print ready with .25 bleeds and safety marks, and come in an A3 size.

How To Create a Geometric Collage Poster (Video Tutorial)

By combining the capabilities of Illustrator and Photoshop; you will be able to follow along with this video tutorial to create a collage poster reminiscent of album or abstract posters.

How to Create a 1950’s Advertisment Poster

Travel back in time with this step by step tutorial to create a 1950’s style poster. You will be drawing everything using basic shapes and tools and then transforming them to give it an aged look.

How to Create a Bright & Colourful Vector Poster

In this abstract tutorial, Ben the Illustrator takes you through the journey of creating your own colorful vector poster. He highlights the use of his favorite tools and how to incorporate them into the poster design.

Photography Poster (Envato Elements Template)

This gorgeous photography poster template features a minimalist and modern design. Designed in an A4 format, the template comes with smart shapes and includes a link to the free fonts used in the project.

How to Create a Colorful Retro Poster

Creating a colorful retro poster is as easy as finding a photograph that you love, and using Photoshop and Illustrator to change small portions to create a whole new image. Learn how with this step by step tutorial.

How to Create a Colorful Spring Poster (Video Tutorial)

Spring into this video tutorial and learn how to use Illustrator to make a simply divine spring themed poster. You will be transforming simple shapes into colorful leaves and wildlife in no time.

How To Create a Colorful Abstract Poster

Colors and geometric shapes are all it takes to create this wonderful poster. Learn how Chris used a series of tessellating shapes created with the help of Illustrator’s Pathfinder tool, then added color swatches and gradients to bring the design to life.

Creative Poster Vector Templates (Envato Elements Template)

How to Create a Desert Landscape Flat Design Poster (Video Tutorial)

Ever wanted to create your own desert landscape? Now you can, with this video tutorial. You will learn how to make use of the flat design, simple patterns, and basic shapes to create your own desert landscape.

How to Design a Geometric Pattern for a Poster

Want to create a randomized pattern that just pulls you in like the 1950’s book covers did? Then prepare yourself for this tutorial by Simon C. Page as he shows you how to easily and quickly design beautiful geometric patterns.

How to Create a Retro Theatre Poster

When you follow this step by step tutorial you will learn how to make a vintage looking theatre poster. By combining clipping masks, vector brushes, basic shape tools, and great typography, you’ll be able to apply your new skills to any poster design project that comes your way.

How to Design a Vintage Travel Poster

With this tutorial you will rediscover the golden age of travel posters. You will learn how to capitalize on Illustrator’s drawing tools and then leverage Photoshop’s brushes and blending modes to make vintage looking posters.

Poster design can make or break your event, cause or campaign which is why it’s important to get the poster design just right. With the help of the tutorials on this list, you’ll learn how to create attractive posters for all kinds of projects and campaigns.

The post 20 Tutorials for Creating Posters in Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.