I just got into the trying to design website biz. My girlfriend needs a site that she can use for her art, and I thought that instead of her paying someone, that I could do it myself. It is not a project that has to be done in a week, but I want to expedite things as fast as I can. I have been learning HTML and CSS over the last week, and have a desire to learn asp, php, java, et.al.

My question to all the vets out there, what is the best way to learn this without taking classes? My work and travel responsibilities make that almost impossible. After a week of learning code I remembered that I have Dreamweaver 7 (I believe) that someone gave me a while back when I first wanted to start designing. Should I learn how to use dreamweaver, or should I stick to the online tutorials such as htmlgoodies, htmldog, and any others that you may suggest, and learn how to code it myself?

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts responding to this post.

Well one is not like the other, asp and php are serverside languages and there are many different tools designed to work specifically in those languages.

Personally I do not care for editors but they do expedite the design and deployment of the website. I might suggest, in so far as dreamweaver is concerned, taking a look at the profile for Forum User Imar as he authored the DreamweaverMX book for Wrox and that book may be able to help you out a little more.

hth.

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Thanks for the info...

Hey, I'm kind of new too! I got started with a couple of tutorials for: html, css, and javascript.

Here are a few:

this is a tutorial on "how to get started in programming in general"
http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html

(this is not the type of "hacking" you may have heard of. If you read this you will see that what you may have believe to be "hacking" may be a bit different.)

http://www.w3schools.com/

this website is a 100% FREE website that teaches beginner & advanced html, CSS, javascript, XML, and MANY more types of script with MANY tutorials. this should help you a ton.

Oh and i was able to learn HTML, CSS, and Javascript. from w3school in 4 days. and im only 13 in 8th grade. Supposing your an adult with a good education, and a bright mind, should be a piece of cake, also supposing you put your spare time into it and your mind directly into it.

Hope this helped you out! =) (oh! and don't think of me "some stupid kid" please)

Romaunt Valentino

For your purposes, I agree with Dan. One, there are SO many things out there. If you want to do more of this, there will be plenty of time to play. What you want to do is build the site quickly and that requires focus. Anything that says PHP, ASP, Java (NOT the same as Javascript), ASP.NET, VB(& VB.NET), C#, are all server side languages. They're much more advanced and more complicated. When you see any of those things you know you can skip them.

Focus on the basics. XHTML and CSS are great because they aren't real languages. You don't need to know anything about programming or the fundamentals (loops, conditionals, etc.). "Maybe" a little Javascript, but if speed is an important factor you can save that for later. You mentioned htmlgoodies. That's the site I learned a lot from, but w3schools.com is probably even better.

Don't count classes out entirely. My local community college offers a few courses that are completely online. Depending on your situation (and if you local colleges do the same), there might be some classes you could take. I'd say that's the big issue for using Dreamweaver. IF, and that's a big if, you have someone who can teach you, you can probably build the site faster using Dreamweaver. However, I've not been impressed with the quality of Dreamweaver tutorials available as you surf the net. If you DON'T have someone to teach you, I think you'd be better served using w3schools and htmlgoodies and coding by hand. Those are excellent hand coding resources.

Also, break up the project. First just get a home page up, just the one page. That way she has a web presence and can list whatever contact information she wants public so that people can buy her art. Then sit down with her and figure out what else she wants. Figure out what (if any) other sections she needs and one by one build them. As each one gets built, check it out and when it's working add a link to the homepage to that section. Websites are beautiful this way. They are always a work in progress.

And one last recommendation. The way you know your page works, is to check it in any browsers you want your visitors to use. That's true even if you use Dreamweaver. NOTHING else matters, it's all about the browser. Build a couple lines of your page. Check it in FF and IE. Write a couple more lines. Check it in FF and IE. Look at all the posts about, my page works in FF but not IE and vice versa. It's really hard to find the problem if you have to go through your whole webpage, but if you know the line or two that caused the problem it's not too bad.


-------------------------

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
-Johann von Goethe

When Two Hearts Race... Both Win.
-Dove Chocolate Wrapper

Chroniclemaster1, Founder of www.EarthChronicle.com
A Growing History of our Planet, by our Planet, for our Planet.

Oh, and if you just started looking at HTML and CSS last weekend, I would NOT check with Imar about Dreamweaver. It was a great book, but not something I would have wanted when I was brand new. It's not THAT beginning.

-------------------------

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
-Johann von Goethe

When Two Hearts Race... Both Win.
-Dove Chocolate Wrapper

Chroniclemaster1, Founder of www.EarthChronicle.com
A Growing History of our Planet, by our Planet, for our Planet.

Thanks guys, this is a lot of help.

Wow wow wow, you can always check with Imar about Dreamweaver. That is unrelated to the issue of whether Beginning Dreamweaver is really for beginners or not..... ;)

Imar


---------------------------------------
Imar Spaanjaars
http://Imar.Spaanjaars.Com
Everyone is unique, except for me.
Author of ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results and Beginning Dreamweaver MX / MX 2004

:) You're too nice, Imar. That's why you get stuck in the beginner boards when you could be writing your next book. What is your next project BTW?

-------------------------

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
-Johann von Goethe

When Two Hearts Race... Both Win.
-Dove Chocolate Wrapper

Chroniclemaster1, Founder of www.EarthChronicle.com
A Growing History of our Planet, by our Planet, for our Planet.

I would love to do the TE for you next project Imar =]

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