Yeah, I was tempted to name it, Chris Craft's Custom Clock Block officially, and then I decided to just name it Clock.

There didn't appear to be an easy way to get access to Date and Time information in Popfly, so I figured it would make for a good test case for my first custom Popfly block.

Clock Block

• displayMilitaryTime
• displayTime
• getSeconds
• getMinutes
• getHours
• getDay
• getDate
• getMonth
• getFullYear
• getTime
• about

Clock Block Popfly Example Application: Clockr

 I made a quick application to see Clock Block in action. It takes the current military time and grabs images off of flickr for each digit and makes a Ransom Note clock out of it.

As you can see in the screenshot it was 15:08:46, a little after 3pm, when I took the screenshot.

I've been using Popfly for just a short while now, and while I do enjoy the drag and drop visual design surface, it doesn't lend itself to text lists very well. Sometimes I just want a text list of all my possibilities in one place.

This "Cheat Sheet" covers the top 50 official Popfly blocks, and not any end user created blocks. There's almost another 50 of those as well.

I figured I'm probably not the only one so here's my list. I created the list using the Block Inspector Block's getOperations method.

Overtime I'll probably spruce this up some and add more detailed information. Hope it helps!

  BLaugh Block

• getRandomComics
• getComic

 Block Inspector Block

• getOperations
• getAllowedValues

 Calculator Block

• getRandomWholeNumber
• getRandomNumber
• getMaximum
• getMinimum
• round
• add
• subtract
• multiply
• divide

 Carousel Block

• addImage
• setFrameColor
• setAttribution

 Combine Block

• combineTwoLists
• combineThreeLists

 Conversation Block

• addMessage

 Digg Block

• GetStories
• GetPopularStories
• GetUpcomingStories
• GetStoriesByContainer
• GetPopularStoriesByContainer
• GetUpcomingStoriesByContainer
• GetStoriesByTopic
• GetPopularStoriesByTopic
• GetUpcomingStoriesByTopic
• GetStoryByStoryId
• GetStoriesByUser
• GetTopics
• GetTopicByName
• GetUsers
• GetUser
• GetUserFriends
• GetUserFans

 Digital Podcast Block

• Search

 Facebook Block

• getFriends
• getUserInfo
• getPhotosOfMe
• getPhotos
• getPhotoAlbums
• getGroups

 Filter Block

• filter
• truncate

 flickr Block

• getGeotaggedPhotos
• getPhotos
• getTags
• getUserPhotos
• getPhotoset

 Gauge Block

• setValue
• increaseValue

 GameTrailers Block

• getFeeds
• getTrailers

 GeoNames Block

• getLatitudeAndLongitude
• lookupOnPlaceName
• lookupOnLatitudeLongitude
• lookupOnZipCode
• lookupOnCityState

 Image Scaper Block

• getImages
• getUniqueImages

 Image Comment Block

• comment

 Indeed Jobs Block

• search

 Live Spaces Block

• getPhotos
• getFriends
• getLists

 MSN Horoscopes

• getMonthlyHoroscope
• getWeeklyHoroscope
• getDailyHoroscope

 MSN News Feeds

• TopBoxOffice
• JimJubekMoneyCentralColumn
• LizPulliamMoneyCentralColumn
• InCarNation
• TopCelebrities
• TopMovieRentals
• InTheaters
• ComingSoon
• TopStories

 My Live Contacts Block

• getContacts

 News Reader Block

• addNewsItem

 Page Turner Block

• addNewsItem

 PhotoFlip Block

• addImage

 PhotoSphere Block

• addImage

 PhotoStack Block

• addImage

PhotoTiles Block

• addImage

RegExp Block

• getMatches
• isMatch
• isWholeNumber

 RSS Block

• getItems
• getFeed

 SeattlePublicLibrary Block

• getBooks

 Slideshow Block

• addImage

 Snipshot Block

• editImage

 SoapBox Block

• search
• getFeaturedVideos

 Sort Block

• sort

 Stock Quotes

• getStockGraph
• getQuote

 Text Helper Block

• getSubstring
• append
• skipFirstCharacters
• split

 Timer Block

• tick

 Trynt Block

• calculateLoveFactor

 Twitter Block

• getLatestPosts
• getFriendsPosts

 Upcoming Block

• findEvents

 User Input Block

• getText
• getTwoTextValues
• getThreeTextValues
• getChoiceFromDropdown
• getTwoChoicesFromDropdowns
• getThreeChoicesFromDropdowns
• getTextAndChoice

 Video Player Block

• findEvents

 Virtual Earth Block

• addPushpin
• setMapView
• drawLine
• deleteAllPushpins

 Whack-A-Mole Block

• addImage

 Yahoo! Answers Block

• getAnswers

 Yahoo! Images Block

• search

 Yahoo! News Block

• search

 Yahoo! Term Extraction Block

• getTerm

 Yahoo! Traffic Block

• getTrafficForAddress
• getTrafficForZipCode
• getTrafficForCoordinates

 Yahoo! Video Block

• search

 XBox Live Block

• getGamerCard
• getLastPlayedGames
• getPlayerPresence

My first Popfly application: Who is Digging You? Lets you see, literally, who is digging you on Digg.com. It works best when the Digg user has set up a profile picture otherwise you get the "anonymous coward" picture. :)

Feel free to add me as a friend on Digg.

• http://www.digg.com/invitefrom/CJCraft
• http://digg.com/users/CJCraft/news/dugg

 

Great user experience, and it couldn't have been easier.

I combined the User Input Block, Digg Block, and the PhotoTiles Block to make my "Who is Digging You?" Mashup.

Wait until you see how little effort it was to implement this mashup.

I really think this could do for Web programming what QBasic did for DOS programming.

 

Here are my block settings:

User Input Block

• label: To see who is Digging you enter your Digg Username:
• defaultText: CJCraft
• buttonText: Go

Digg Block

• Operations: GetUserFans
• userName: UserInputBlock.OutputString

PhotoTiles Block

• imageUrl: DiggBlock.thumbnail
• title: DiggBlock.name
• description: DiggBlock.name
• owner: DiggBlock.name

The Silverlight Launch Pad has been popular, so I figured I start one for Microsoft Popfly as well, and see how it goes.

My Popfly user name is CJCraft (got my invite today) feel free to add me as a friend.

Popfly Core Web Sites

• www.popfly.ms
• Watch the Popfly screencast
• Microsoft Popfly on the MSDN Forums
• Microsoft Popfly official team blog

Popfly Downloads

• Popfly Custom Block Builder SDK

Popfly Videos

• Popfly Video on Channel 9

Popfly Web Sites

• PopflyIt.com

Popfly Blogs

• Popfly Team Blog
• John Montgomery
• Andy Sterland
• Steven Wilssens
• Dan Fernandez
• Adam Nathan
• Aaron Brethorst - [somebody has some invites they are offering - if anyone is interested]
• Somasegar's WebLog

“May the Force be with you.”

 

"On May 25th, 1977 the first film of the Star Wars Saga was released to theaters."

• Wired Magazine has an excellent article called The Empire at 30.
• StarWars.com is also covering the worldwide celebration here.
• How well do you remember the movie? 30 Most Memorable ‘Star Wars’ Quotes
• Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Main Page - Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki
• Star Wars (1977) - Internet Movie Database

 Silverlight, Windows Presentation Foundation, XAML, and Expression Blend are all best friends. And like any super hero team, they work best when they work together.

I've been wanting to learn more about the fab four, so I've put together this collection of reference material for our consideration. I'll update as I discover more...

 

Silverlight

Windows Presentation Foundation

    

   

 XAML

 Expression Blend

 

 

"Moonlight is sculpture."

— Nathaniel Hawthorne

Microsoft Top Banana Silverlight Application: watch Video Interview, watch Video Presentation

Adventures In SoftwareLand: Silverlight is going to be huge for MicroISVs

Hannes Preishuber: Silverlight Slot Machine

Ozzie Rules Blogging: Writing a Windows Sidebar Gadget in Silverlight-dead simple!

Ozzie Rules Blogging: Easily create cool XAML objects from the WMF files/Clipart collection

"The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it."

— Augustus Hare

Ezequiel Jadib - Silverlight: Where to start?: excellent collection of Silverlight resources

The Code Project - Sierpinski Triangle - An Introduction into Silverlight by Example

ScottGu's Blog - Tip/Trick: Supporting Full Screen Mode with Silverlight

Silverlight first steps: Getting started with simple analog clock - Build Silverlight in Notepad

Free: Clinic 5135: Introduction to Developing with Windows® Presentation Foundation and Visual Studio® 2005

"All I know to do is to light the candle that has been given to me."

— Fred Rogers a.k.a. "Mister Rogers"

 

 

Web.Next - Silverlight Book: looks like someone is working on a book for Silverlight for MS Press.

Doug Turnure - Silverlight Resources: Doug has a great collection of Silverlight resources.

Page Brooks - Silverlight Isolated Storage: Page discusses how to use Isolated Storage in Silverlight, and how it works, view demo, view source.

Silverlight City - Silverlight News: good site for Silverlight news. It has lots of information without overwhelming you with details.

Microsoft Popfly: "Popfly is the fun, easy way to build and share mashups, gadgets, Web pages, and applications." view the 15 minute screencast.

"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars."

— Og Mandino

 

 

Jeff Prosise's Blog - A Touch of Silverlight: has a really cool Silverlight Web comic book catalog viewer, MyComix.

Bryant Likes's Blog - Silverlight Examples: Hong Button, Matrix Digital Rain, iPhone, Rolling Gear, WPF/E Reflection.

Dave Relyea's Blog - Silverlight 1.1 Alpha Layout System and Controls Framework: view demo, view source.

Andy Beaulieu's Blog - Silverlight Rocks!: has created an Asteroids clone, Silverlight Rocks!, view demo, view source.

Mark Heath's Blog - Silver Nibbles: has made a Nibbles clone, Silver Nibbles, view demo, view source.

MSDN Forums: Silverlight General Discussion, Silverlight Designer Issues, Silverlight Developer Issues.

The Sierpinski triangle, also called the Sierpinski gasket, is a fractal named after Wacław Sierpiński who described it in 1915. Originally constructed as a curve, this is one of the basic examples of self-similar sets.

 

View Silverlight Sierpinski Triangle demo

Download Silverlight Sierpinski Triangle source code

 

Note: The background stripes are from Stripe Generator - ajax diagonal stripes background designer, very cool Web 2.0 stripe generator.

Here are all the Silverlight resources that I know about, in a nice somewhat organized collection for easy review. My intention is for this to be something of a Silverlight launch pad. Feel free to share these Silverlight links, and please mention any others you know of in the comments section.

Note: All items should have a tooltip which shows when they were first added to the launch pad's destinations list, and new destinations should have aicon for at least 30 days. Any destinations markedare must see locations.

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” by Edith Wharton

Silverlight Core Web Sites

• Microsoft Silverlight Light Up the Web
• Silverlight
• MSDN Silverlight Dev Center
• Silverlight QuickStarts Silverlight Development Using the .NET Framework
• Silverlight Gallery
• Silverlight Forums - Silverlight
• MSDN Forum: Silverlight General Discussion
• MSDN Forum: Silverlight Designer Issues
• MSDN Forum: Silverlight Developer Issues

Silverlight Downloads

• Microsoft Silverlight 1.1 Alpha
• Microsoft Visual Studio codename "Orcas" Beta 1
• Microsoft Silverlight Tools Alpha for Visual Studio codename "Orcas" Beta 1
• Expression Blend 2 May Preview
• Microsoft Silverlight 1.1 Alpha Software Development Kit (SDK)
• Microsoft ASP.NET Futures (May 2007)

Silverlight Web Sites

• Microsoft MIX07
• Microsoft Silverlight Streaming - Admin Home

Silverlight Articles

• The Code Project: Silverlights Out - An Introduction into Silverlight by Example
• Microsoft Silverlight - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Microsoft Silverlight 1.1 Developer Reference Poster
• Silverlight - ScottGu's Blog
• Silverlight Get Started Building A Deeper Experience Across The Web -- MSDN Magazine, June 2007
• What's New in Silverlight (1.0 Beta and 1.1 Alpha)?

Silverlight Editorials

• Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen - Putting Mix, Silverlight, the CoreCLR and the DLR into context
• Software Development in the Real World Top 10 Reasons Silverlight Will Change the Web
• Why Silverlight Is Important
• Silverlight and .NET - This is HUGE!

Silverlight Videos

• Silverlight Videos: Getting started with Silverlight 1.1
• Silverlight Videos
• 20+ Silverlight Screencasts
• Channel 9 Silverlight Media
• Lumines
• Backstage at MED Silverlight on Windows Mobile A closeup

Silverlight Samples

• Lutz Roeder's Silverlight Page 
• John's Web Thoughts Step by Step on how to start with new MS Technology
• Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen - Silverlight Samples
• Silverlight Pad
• Silverlight Airlines Demo 
• Silverlight Gallery
• Silverlight Disco
• Silverlight Binary Clock
• Silverlights Out 2.0
• Zillinois - Yet Another SilverLight XAML Demo
• MIX07 - Silverlight and the Compact Framework
• Dr Popper Silverlight
• Silverlight Video Reflection
• Silverlight GlyphMap Utility
• Jeff Prosise's Blog - A Touch of Silverlight
• Silverlight Examples: Hong Button, Matrix Digital Rain, iPhone, Rolling Gear, WPF/E Reflection
• Silverlight Rocks!
• Silver Nibbles

Silverlight Software

• Electric Rain Harmony - Flash SWF to XAML Converter - For WPF and Silverlight
• RadControls for Silverlight
• Mike Swanson's Blog Windows Presentation Foundation Tools and Controls
• Test With... Silverlight-CoreCLR - TestDriven.NET by Jamie Cansdale
• Silverlight Console Applications - TestDriven.NET by Jamie Cansdale
• Building Orcas Projects with Expression Blend 2 - TestDriven.NET by Jamie Cansdale
• Silverlight 1.1 Alpha Layout System and Controls Framework: view demo, view source

Silverlight Security

• The Silverlight Security Model
• Silverlight Security II: What Makes a Method Critical
• Silverlight Security III: Inheritance
• .NET Security Blog Silverlight Security Cheat Sheet

Silverlight Miscellaneous

• Silverlight Resources (MindMap v 1.3)
• Silverlight Resources MindMap as Silverlight Application 
• The Windows Experience Blog Download Microsoft Silverlight DreamScenes for your desktop!

Silverlight Blogs

• WynApse
• WynApse.com
• Silverlight SDK
• Silverlight Games 101
• .NET 3.0 Cornucopia
• Bryant Likes's Blog
• Dan Wahlin's Weblog
• Devlicio.us - Blogs
• Tim Sneath
• ScottGu's Blog
• Web.Next
• Joe Stegman's Weblog
• Mike Harsh's Blog
• Delay's Blog
• Chris Craft's Blog
• ExplosiveDog.Com
• Silverlight - TestDriven.NET by Jamie Cansdale
• Brad Abrams