30 replies to this topic

[Static_Fury]

I looking to learn a web design lang. and i do not know whati should learn. Basically I am a huge n00b. Please can you tell me the advanteges and disadvanteges of each; and what your opinoin is that i should learn.

[Nani Cheri]

start with downloading design programs such as...Dreamweaver, Frontpage, or whatever you think is best. You probably want nice buttons and rollover effects, then you need to install programs like Paint Shop Pro, Fireworks, Photoshop for graphic design. You need to know the basic codes from HTML (WebDesign Language) But maybe you already know that. Search on search engines for example google. And you need to know, patience is a must so... I aint a super webdesigner, but I know the basics, and I know some tricks you can do with fireworks and paint shop pro. So if you have any questions. you can contact me and we will see if i can help you.

succes!!

iM SORRY. Im a little too fast with reading lately I didnt understand you were talking about langUAGES!! My bad... but anyway, I'd like too join you, cause I would really like to learn php for example!!! So...trouble for something good afterall

[patelg]

Static_Fury, on Jul 27 2005, 10:57 PM, said:

I looking to learn a web design lang. and i do not know whati should learn. Basically I am a huge n00b. Please can you tell me the advanteges and disadvanteges of each; and what your opinoin is that i should learn.

First, start learning about web design. Then depending on your interest, i mean either you can start using different scripting languages like PHP/Perl.

If you really want learn the programming then try Java/jsp. Here you will have jsp as scripting language but you will have power of JAVA. With Java you can do many things. There are many free development tools like Eclipse, Netbeans as IDE's. Free servers like Tomcare and free database like MySQL..

Or try ASP/.NET.....

Also, there are thousands of tutorials on web, so start digging and learning

Le me know if u want more info...

[leiaah]

If you're going to learn web development I suggest you start off with learning basic HTML since html is the main foundation of all other web scripts.

From HTML you can then try to learn JavaScript and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) since these two will help you in manipulating the HTML codes to make your site look and act like what you have planned.

JavaScript is a client-side scripting language only, meaning the script gets interpreted by the visitor's browser only. Dealing with server-side scripting language is the next logical step since its very probable that you'll deal with online databases. The scripting language I can recommend is PHP. I'm also a novice in PHP but I find it to be very useful and not that difficult if one has HTML background.

With a server-side scripting language, a database management system is also important. I recommend using MySQL since it works hand in hand with PHP. MySQL uses the basic sql statements in querying data in the databases.

Hope this helps!

Hope this helps.

[snlildude87]

patelg, on Jul 27 2005, 09:22 AM, said:

Or try ASP/.NET.....

Well, if you're planning to get hosting here, then I don't recommend ASP because ASP runs on a Windows, and trap17 servers run on Linux.

I would recommend PHP because there are so many application, scripts, and tutorials available for it. It's also pretty easy, too. Link: http://www.w3schools...php/default.asp

[shigajet]

Learning the basics of HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is a good start for you to become familiar with some of the code. Of course, a book on how to design web pages makes for a solid reference.
The next step you may want to try is CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), as this can give your website more consistency from page to page - from background colours to the font styles and more.
After that, try diving into some Javascript and/or PHP if you want to make your pages dynamic.

[dunkert]

Static_Fury, on Jul 27 2005, 07:57 AM, said:

I looking to learn a web design lang. and i do not know whati should learn. Basically I am a huge n00b. Please can you tell me the advanteges and disadvanteges of each; and what your opinoin is that i should learn.

you should start with HTLM its the basic of all the others ASP/JSP/whatever..., You can start by looking at codes on the internet (other websiteS) or if you don't want to get into programming a good software like frontpage should do the trick. In short HTML is a must any book or HTML learning website should do the trick).

[ArMs]

start learnign php and web designing and etc it all pays off. and saty off b net.lol its a big waste of time. i am tryign to learn flsh and php but it is so hard and the book r very boring to read.lol

[biscuitrat]

Definitely start with HTML by finding a help site online or a book if you have a library or bookstore close to you (you may want to stick with used books because a lot of brand new manuals can be expensive).

Second, download a trial of Dreamweaver from macromedia.com. This will give you time to sample the software before you make a big move and buy it (it's rather expensive :/). Dreamweaver is probably the easiest editor I've seen, although I do prefer hand writing the code myself. It comes with practice

Third, make a basic webpage with text, maybe a background color, and a few links. Then, build off of it every day. Add pictures one day, tables another, etc. Keep good design habits and don't choose too many images, too many links, or outlandish colors. Until you get the hang of it, you want your page to be accessible so simple is probably the way to go.

Fourth, I'd recommend learning CSS to get great control over your site. Through this, you can eliminate the need for having "font" tags, certain attribute tags, and you get to use div layers which will probably eliminate your dependency on tables.

Fifth, if you wish, learn PHP for a more advanced look at your webdesign. It may be hard to learn but it's worth it in the long run if you want to create scripts and sites that people can truly interact with. I also recomment trying MySQL at this point so you can learn how to use databases. It's really a simple process when you get the hang of it. If you want to learn Javascript, don't go overboard with it. A site full of Java is no fun.

Sixth, always validate your site at w3.org. This way, you can make sure that your code is correct. You can validate your CSS and perhaps upgrade to using XHTML (not much different than HTML, but you'll need to change around a few of your tags).

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Images:
I recommend using Adobe Photoshop (trial downloads at adobe.com) or Macromedia Fireworks (trial downloads at macromedia.com) for creating your images. I've heard Jasc Paint Shop Pro is also good but I haven't personally tried it. Don't make your files too big so you can save space for what counts - the pages
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There are so many things you can do through your cPanel. You can install a great number of scripts to help you create your site, like forums, formmail (should be built-in), and the random gallery softwares. Just explore, learn and enjoy! Hope I helped

[canpolitics]

Learn HTML first and formost, do not use programs such as frontpage and dreamweaver until you have at least learned the language. Learning HTML before going to a design program lets you learn how things opperate, and gives you a head start when you want to move to more complicated things like PHP and Perl scripting. There are many good books on learning HTML. HTML is quite an easy language to learn, and it won't take you long.

[biscuitrat]

I kind of digress. You can learn the workings of HTML through Dreamweaver. It's really simple to use other than Frontpage. It can help you get started if you're stuck by showing the tags as you type. However, learning the code by yourself without help is also important. I found it useful to look at the sources of site with features I liked (most of them navigation) and then I tried to replicate the code and personalize it. It may have been a poor choice at the time, but it did help me out a bit.

[Lessur]

I would start off with basic html, it is the basic of mostly all webpages.

If you want to get a program to make a website I would start off with Microsoft Front Page or Macromedia Dreamweaver, they are both fairly easy to use if you want to create a basic webpage/site.

Build on that website and then maby learn some javascript or PHP. Both are very common on the net.

For graphics I would use Macromedia Fireworks if you have Dreamweaver, and if you have Front page just any graphic program will work.

Just remember, start off really basic.


-- Hope this helps.

[Static_Fury]

biscuitrat, on Jul 27 2005, 01:38 PM, said:

Definitely start with HTML by finding a help site online or a book if you have a library or bookstore close to you (you may want to stick with used books because a lot of brand new manuals can be expensive).

Second, download a trial of Dreamweaver from macromedia.com. This will give you time to sample the software before you make a big move and buy it (it's rather expensive :/). Dreamweaver is probably the easiest editor I've seen, although I do prefer hand writing the code myself. It comes with practice

Third, make a basic webpage with text, maybe a background color, and a few links. Then, build off of it every day. Add pictures one day, tables another, etc. Keep good design habits and don't choose too many images, too many links, or outlandish colors. Until you get the hang of it, you want your page to be accessible so simple is probably the way to go.

Fourth, I'd recommend learning CSS to get great control over your site. Through this, you can eliminate the need for having "font" tags, certain attribute tags, and you get to use div layers which will probably eliminate your dependency on tables.

Fifth, if you wish, learn PHP for a more advanced look at your webdesign. It may be hard to learn but it's worth it in the long run if you want to create scripts and sites that people can truly interact with. I also recomment trying MySQL at this point so you can learn how to use databases. It's really a simple process when you get the hang of it. If you want to learn Javascript, don't go overboard with it. A site full of Java is no fun.

Sixth, always validate your site at w3.org. This way, you can make sure that your code is correct. You can validate your CSS and perhaps upgrade to using XHTML (not much different than HTML, but you'll need to change around a few of your tags).

-------
Images:
I recommend using Adobe Photoshop (trial downloads at adobe.com) or Macromedia Fireworks (trial downloads at macromedia.com) for creating your images. I've heard Jasc Paint Shop Pro is also good but I haven't personally tried it. Don't make your files too big so you can save space for what counts - the pages
-------

There are so many things you can do through your cPanel. You can install a great number of scripts to help you create your site, like forums, formmail (should be built-in), and the random gallery softwares. Just explore, learn and enjoy! Hope I helped

Thank you this really helped out alot. I am learning html, i am designing on and really kinda pushing my skills; few as they may be. I was using frams, and desinging one using tables. Pretty basic stuff, i know. Then i was planning on learning CSS, but i was lost after that. And i have photoshop7 does it make a big difference if it is pro or not? And thank you for leading me the next way. I did not know HTML was the base of the rest of the lang. And i did have a question about the validation thing. I seen it on alot of site saying they were validated. Thank you that was a huge question for me. I am current ly using TEW webcoding to do my work on; its free and i dont really understan ALOT of the things on it. But i will try and get the other programs that are better.


Thank you ALL

[biscuitrat]

Static_Fury, on Jul 27 2005, 05:51 PM, said:

Thank you this really helped out alot. I am learning html, i am designing on and really kinda pushing my skills; few as they may be. I was using frams, and desinging one using tables. Pretty basic stuff, i know. Then i was planning on learning CSS, but i was lost after that. And i have photoshop7 does it make a big difference if it is pro or not? And thank you for leading me the next way. I did not know HTML was the base of the rest of the lang. And i did have a question about the validation thing. I seen it on alot of site saying they were validated. Thank you that was a huge question for me. I am current ly using TEW webcoding to do my work on; its free and i dont really understan ALOT of the things on it. But i will try and get the other programs that are better.
Thank you ALL

You're very welcome. Feel free to post your first few sites in the HTML forum (I think that's a good place to post them, if you want post credits). We'd love to see them.

I started out with tables too. I thought that was as far as I'd get. I did experiment with frames, but if you don't do them the right way, they can get annoying. It's nice to know at any rate.

If you want a basic site, I wouldn't really go beyond the CSS. Not many people really want to mess with PHP and MySQL, which is understandable. I was messing around with a template for my forum and I felt so insecure messing with the PHP because I didn't really know what I was doing.

It doesn't really make a difference about which version of Photoshop you're using as long as you're satisfied with the results. Photoshop CS is pretty nice, but Photoshop 7 will do the job rather swankily.

Validation is just a way of checking your steps. It just helps it to be viewed by certain types of browsers. It's pretty important for more visited sites because otherwise, you could have a really horrible page on one end and a perfect page on the other. It's not at all something customers would like to see

Whatever you're using is probably fine. I haven't heard of it but I can go look it up. You don't have to have Dreamweaver or Frontpage. You can just do your thing with simple old Notepad but sometimes, being able to see your work as you're doing it really helps you out.

Anyways, good luck with your learning It's an awesome step you're taking and it's really worthwhile.

[Sprnknwn]

Start with the basics. HTML is the best option. You can either try to learn it with a tutorial (as they said, there are millions on the Internet) and when you know the fundaments, try Dreamweaver. You can also try Dreamweaver first and then learn HTML but, although this is a easier way, you´ll assimilate the code better the other way. Frontpage it´s easier to use than DW but I would forget about it, because is a unnecessary step to me.

I would forget by the moment any other things, specially if you are a noob

My advice, don´t desperate... sometimes it requires a lot of patience to understand why things happen when you write codes (even HTML which is realtively easy). Good luck!

[mizako]

Some useful links to begin with:
- HTML, CSS : htmldog.com
- A little bit of everything: wc3schools.com
- PHP: php.net -> Manual
- mysql: mysql.com ->Tutorial chapter of the manual
- selfhtml.org -> In german. No english version. :-(
but Deutsch, Spanish, japanische, french versions.

[ArMs]

yo yeah liek BIS said download DREAMWEAVER and start, dreamweaver is mad fun and you will learn a lot of stuff from it. u can make a site using pictures and words and no codes wat so ever thank gods. Codes= boring.lol

[biscuitrat]

ArMs, on Jul 28 2005, 10:38 AM, said:

yo yeah liek BIS said download DREAMWEAVER and start, dreamweaver is mad fun and you will learn a lot of stuff from it. u can make a site using pictures and words and no codes wat so ever thank gods. Codes= boring.lol

Erm...Maybe you've been stuck in design view instead of code view the whole time but there's really no way you can make a webpage without some form of code going into it. You'll probably want to learn at least some code before you go straight into making the site - at least that way, you can learn ways to make your website better. Dreamweaver's only there to help you make an easy site but it's actually pretty powerful with all the extensions it has. Same as for any hard subject in school: You can't always take the easy way out. But it is true that you can learn a lot from it.

[Styx]

Dreamweaver is great. it's what i use all the time for my web designing. but i would start out with frontpage, or some other similar basic editor for html for a start. it's simpler, and it's free. then once you get a working grasp of html you can upgrade to a more robust thingy. i would start with html and then upgrade to PHP. don;t bother with asp unlesss you're looking to get a job with some huge company as they're basically the ones who use it. and then if you have a website written in ASP then hosting is much harder to find, much more expensive, and generally a bad ida. php instead everyone hosts it, there are tons of plugins and scripts for it. AND it's faster and easier to learn.

[biscuitrat]

The problem with Frontpage is that it inserts all sorts of filler text into your file, just unnecessary little things. Plus, Dreamweaver is a little more recent and I think it works more fluidly. But it's really a matter of preference on your part.

[goldinero]

PHP and Perl both allow you to process web page forms. Many people here seem to like PHP. I like Perl, which is also a server-side scripting language. Perl has been around a long time and many good scripts use it.

Trap17 supports Perl too. You can put your Perl scripts in your cgi-bin directory and call them by putting something in your browser like:

http://yoursite.trap...rperlscript.cgi

Happy programming!

Goldinero

[Anndi]

Start with HTML, that's essential. Then as you work with HTML, you'll probably find out about some CSS and JavaScript. Then when you get good and want to make a more advanced site, you might consider some PHP. That's what I've done, and I'm at the PHP right now.

[round]

I would just take a quick class, photoshop intro to web design. One of those weekend things. I find it's the best way to get started. I mean their not expensive and they're not long at all. The most they will do is explain all the things you'll need to become a designer in general, not just web designer.round

[far3]

Start with the latest dreamweaver, go to htmlgoodies.com for some nice tutorials it got me started, see if your school offers any computer classes like that. maybe some chatrooms would help, i like to use yahoos chat function.

[willywonker]

ok you need to make you discriptions more detailed...

try download trails or buy original software as paintshop pro, freehand, fireworks all work but start the the easiest HTML i am now running a web with HTML as im a begginer and hosting a holiday web with 2 problems... links open new windows i dont want, page is correct but not found!!

if you need help contact our 24/7 service at

support@websitehelp.50webs.com

Thank you