Slider extensions have existed since the rise of social websites, easing media sharing and enriching websites with related content. Initially, these sliders required the use of plugins like Flash and were restricted to a single kind of content, pictures, for example. As time has passed and web technologies have evolved to allow for a plugin-less experience, slider extensions have become feasible as a solution to showcase media in any platform, be it desktop or mobile. Initial approaches were sluggish and feature limited but the implementation and expansion of scripting knowledge has made possible to have complete solutions as Jquery Slider Shock can show.
Jquery Slider Shock offers a simple to use yet fully featured solution that works with any jQuery or WordPress powered website; it does not only provide slideshows with local images but it also expands its feature set by allowing the embedding of video and external sources when used in conjunction with WordPress. Compared to other solutions which are able to display images only, text captions can be added to pictures as well, giving an integrated experience to share and enjoy media for any purpose, reducing code usage and speeding up deployment.
Despite nowadays’ trend to support only the latest and the greatest, the extension has a great browser compatibility, supporting Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox (going back to version 3.6) and Internet Explorer from version 7, showing the diverse variety of platforms where it can be used, being especially ideal for business environments where browser upgrades are not frequent. Internet Explorer users must keep in mind that transition effects will be limited to fade-in due for technical reasons, but the other browser users will enjoy the excellent variety of effects offered in the package.
In order to install the extension, the user will need to extract the Zip file where four subfolders will be found: css, where style settings are stored; demo, which has a folder with the default images in the slider; img, which contains the user interface images; and js, where scripts that make the slider work are located. Installation is user-friendly, only requiring uploading the unzipped files; customization is made by editing the index file in the root folder.
Documentation is pretty straightforward so both first time and experienced users can feel familiarized with the personalization process and with that getting the results they want. It is possible to add images, thumbnails, titles and caption text; then, the user may specify width, styling and transitions by editing the jQuery code in the index files, accommodating it according to their needs.
Styling includes background personalization for color and patterns for both the slider itself and text within; margins and sizing for images; and text size, color, weight and position. Text may be placed on any of the slider’s sides; thumbnails can be labeled and customized accordingly.
There is no limit of the amount of images per slider, not even there is a limit of sliders one may add per page, so users will not be held back by any limitation, thus being able to post different topics or stories visually and further expand interactivity for the purposes they need. This can be achieved by including the JavaScript code in the site code or adding widgets from WordPress. Content can be provided locally or linked from external sources; this includes not only pictures from the slideshow itself but also background patterns for the slider and caption text.
Transitions can be chosen from simple fade-in effects, going through dynamic sliding and scrolling 2D animations, to a 3D cube rotation. Users may set a single transition effect for their slideshow or use all the transition effects in a randomly manner, depending on their needs. Further customization can be achieved by using any of the different skins provided in combination with the various arrow designs that give a more unique look that can blend better with the website design.
WordPress integration unleashes an even greater array of features, taking advantage of the various tools offered by the platform. Users are not limited to use photos for their slideshows; they can add video as well in order to improve their visitors’ experience and with that provide a more immersive experience to visitors. Users under WordPress may also add dynamic content from external sources, including RSS feeds, content from Flickr, Instagram, Twitter for pictures and YouTube, Vimeo and Hulu for video. They may also embed content from WordPress itself, like posts or even taxonomies.
Keeping in mind design trends and new web development advancements, Jquery Slider Shock gives users the the power of adaptability to their changing layout needs. Users can choose between a fixed width and a responsive mode, the former being suitable for fixed size designs that require precision and the latter allows for flexibility to adapt to different resolutions for a multiple-platform design. Developers and designers may also find the option to customize skins and create their own for their own works so they can complement and improve their creations for clients.
Applications for this extension have great scalability, which can be applied from personal websites to share vacation pictures, to commercial ones for business wanting to present their products. The slider provides a good variety of settings that allow integration with different kinds of media that can be used to become a visual addition to information presented in text, or even becoming a dedicated central piece to display a majorly visual theme with text aid if needed.
Jquery Slider Shock is available free for personal use with 10 transition effects and a single skin. Full featured commercial licenses are available starting at $19 for a single site and $29 for multiple sites (either for a jQuery site or a WordPress site; if both are needed, licensing is for $29 for a single site and $49 for multiple sites) and include all 31 transition effects with all 39 skins, in addition to the responsive mode and external sources embedding. Developer licenses start at $99 allowing use for commissioned works for either jQuery or WordPress sites and $129 for both.
