All Posts
Performance Improvements in concrete5 5.6.1
January 19, 2013
First, a bit of history, then a breakdown of what we've done to make concrete5 so much faster in this new release.
Great Review of concrete5 in Linux Format Magazine
July 26, 2012
We come in #1 in their CMS showdown.
Should You Really Reinvent the Wheel? An Interview in PHP Solutions Magazine
March 12, 2012
An interview I did last year with Michael Gray just came out in PHP Solutions Magazine! Read on if you're interested in PHP frameworks and some thoughts on programming in general.
concrete5 5.5 Sample Content & Starting Points
February 01, 2012
concrete5 5.5 makes it easy to create your own installation sample content with a new file format we call CIF: content import format.
Installing concrete5 from the Command Line
January 30, 2012
Anyone want to install concrete5 from the command line? 5.5 and our command line installer will let you do just that.
concrete5 5.5 Add-On Developers: Create Your Own concrete5 Demo
January 28, 2012
This article provides guidelines and code to let concrete5 add-on developers or anyone setup a concrete5 demo, complete with a limited administrative user, auto-installed packages, and locked down permissions. The demo can easily be reset at any time. (Note this how-to is for concrete5 5.5.0 and later.)
concrete5 5.5: Stacks vs. Scrapbooks
January 20, 2012
In concrete5 version 5.3.0, we introduced a centralized content repositories called scrapbooks. Here you could add Blocks in one spot, and then paste them throughout your site. Now, with version 5.5.0 we've improved on them in every way. Introducing – Stacks.
concrete5 5.5: User Interface and Twitter Bootstrap
January 16, 2012
Version 5.5 of concrete5 is a great leap forward for our interface. Twitter's new UI toolkit, Bootstrap, is a big part of it. Learn about Bootstrap, how concrete5 uses it, and how you can include it in your blocks, dashboard pages and add-ons.
concrete5 in Print: 2011 edition
January 07, 2012
A list of all the places I know of where concrete5 was lucky enough to be featured in print.
concrete5 Version 5 is ALIVE (Almost)
October 29, 2011
On this week's Totally Random web show, we showed off what's coming in version 5.5. The changes are pretty sweeping. Read on for more info, and a chance to get a sneak peak.
Custom concrete5 User Reports
July 31, 2011
Learn how to write custom concrete5 user reports by subclassing the UserList class.
A Chilling Effect: Lawsuits and Remix Culture
June 26, 2011
In which it turns out we're all kind of screwed.
Designing for a Moving Web
June 24, 2011
Learn how andrewembler.com uses liquid grid layouts, flexible font sizes and elastic image spacing to create a site that looks good on mobile phones as well as large widescreen monitors.
AndrewEmbler.com Visual Refresh - Summer 2011
June 21, 2011
I've revamped my web presence yet again. I really need to get together an archive of all of them over the years. This design is pretty cool for a number of reasons. I think anyone with a concrete5-powered blog might find some of these approaches useful, especially if it has a technical focus.
concrete5 Version 1: A Two-Year Comparison
October 01, 2010
Compare the features and screenshots of the very first version of concrete5, released two years ago (September 30, 2008) with version 5.4.1, which will be available in days.
Webinar: concrete5 & the Zend Framework
September 29, 2010
On 9/21/2010 I presented a webinar for Zend (the PHP company) on how we've used the Zend Framework to solve some tough problems in concrete5. It is now online.
Basic MVC in concrete5
August 16, 2010
concrete5's friendliness toward developers extends beyond blocks and add-ons. An easy-to-understand but very useful MVC syntax powers concrete5's single pages and page types, allowing for helpful separation between code and content.
concrete5 and the Zend Framework
June 23, 2010
Learn how concrete5 makes use of the Zend Framework, and why.
concrete5 Add-On Developers: Create Your Own concrete5 Demo (5.4.2.2 and earlier)
May 27, 2010
This article provides guidelines and code to let concrete5 add-on developers or anyone setup a concrete5 demo, complete with a limited administrative user, auto-installed packages, and locked down permissions. The demo can easily be reset at any time.
Review: Das Keyboard Professional
May 27, 2010
I get down and dirty with my latest purchase, a keyboard I grew enamored with at SXSW. Full review with audio, screenshots, and (non-scientific) results.
JavaScript, jQuery and concrete5
May 20, 2010
An introduction to integrating a wide variety of rich JavaScript functionality into the front-end of your concrete5 applications and blocks.
concrete5 Primer: Auto-Nav Block
May 12, 2010
Learn how to build navigations in concrete5, including what the Auto-Nav does and what its options mean. Then explore some practical examples, how you can control the way it displays and links pages, and how to theme and extend it.
Build a Single-Page Powered Editing Interface for concrete5 Pages
May 05, 2010
Learn how to build a simple FAQ system from scratch, including a single page interface for listing and sorting entries, a single page interface for editing entries, a page list template for displaying them.
SEO Tip: Force concrete5 Pages to Display at One URL
April 20, 2010
Keep users from landing on concrete5's index.php?cID=xxx pages with a handy, simple snippet of code.
Dear Apple: It's Time to Listen to the Canary in the Coal Mine
April 13, 2010
Apple's heavy-handed tactics regarding its iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch app store are starting to tick off developers writers – and this could create problems.
Apple iPad, Private APIs, and a Tempest in a Teapot
April 13, 2010
Programmers lambast Apple for using private APIs in its own software – but where do you think public APIs come from?
6 Things I Learned As an Exhibitor at SXSW Interactive 2010
March 20, 2010
Let me deliver these valuable lessons unto you.
Improving the Performance of Zend Cache
March 04, 2010
Here's a simple option you can enable to improve the performance of Zend Cache. I'm including code for usage with concrete5, but this option is available to any application using Zend Cache.
Building a Custom RSS Feed Using Single Pages, Controllers, and the Page List class.
February 27, 2010
The page list block handles RSS feeds, but what if you need a bit more control? Do you want a prettier URL than the one the page list block generates? Check out this tutorial on a custom RSS feed.
The Apple iPad and The Era of Ubiquitous Computing
February 01, 2010
The tech industry has been quick to label Apple's latest creation a pariah. Here's why they're wrong.
Creating a Simple concrete5 Wrapper Custom Block Template (Without Duplicating Code)
January 20, 2010
concrete5's custom block templates are powerful - but what if you want the entire functionality of the original block's view template, just wrapped in something else? I'll show you how to make that happen.
Optimizing your concrete5 Website for the iPhone
January 16, 2010
Download an iPhone-optimized concrete5 theme, and learn how to automatically display it to mobile Safari on the iPhone and the iPod Touch.
5 Easy Ways to Speed Up a concrete5 Site
January 12, 2010
Eek out some more performance out of your site, without pulling your hair out.
The Path of Least Resistance
December 30, 2009
In 2009 I vowed to write and record an album completely by myself – and I did it (although at six songs it's really more of an EP than anything else.)
Welcome to My Website
December 30, 2009
I'm migrating from electricstate.com to andrewembler.com. 2010: Out with the old, yadda yadda yadda...
Arctic Blast
December 28, 2008
Recorded in Christmas 2008, as a response to the ridiculous hype over abnormal wintery weather conditions here in Portland, OR.
Screencast: How to build a concrete5 Theme
October 28, 2008
The first concrete5 theme developer screencast.
The Real Reason for the MacBook Air
January 09, 2008
We learn the truth behind one of Apple's hottest products.
Political Bubbles
October 26, 2007
Build chat bubbles for the American Presidential Candidates of 2008.
Lemonade.com Officially Launched
September 10, 2007
My firm, Concrete Websites, officially launched the website for Lemonade.com, a startup with whom we’ve been working for months.
The Next Great Apple Fan Implosion is One Month Away
August 23, 2007
Dispelling some rumors about a touch screen iPod.
Google Desktop for the Mac in 2600+ Words
April 21, 2007
The definitive review of Google Desktop for the Mac.
The Five Biggest Issues with the Five Biggest Issues with the iPhone
January 11, 2007
No, that's not a typo.
The Portland Scene: Web 2.0 Playground
January 05, 2006
In early 2006, I launched a site that I hoped would compete with Citysearch.
Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel
December 25, 2001
Recorded with my wife Amy for Christmas 2001, largely in response to the relentless push toward war in which the US found itself. Based on an arrangement originally by Kevin Gilbert and Jonatha Brooke. One of my favorites.