Website Creation

[MadGinga]

Hi Guys,

This is probably the completely wrong place for this, but here goes any ways..............

I've been thinking of putting together a website for AGES now, mainly just for the fun of it, but also its a good thing to know how to do. SO, my questions are:
1) What would be the best code to write it in?
2) Or would I be better of using something like Dreamweaver?
3) Can you suggest any good places to get started?
4) Rep for the best and most useful responses...

Oh, and in case you want to know what i want to do with it, i want to put photos on it, preferably sorted into albums (bit like THN gallery), a forum-ey type thing (bit like THN), and a passworded section for files, cant think of anything else, oh wait with the passworded section a members profile, that can be updated and what-not

Any help appreciated

 

[elDiablo]

1) What would be the best code to write it in?
2) Or would I be better of using something like Dreamweaver?
3) Can you suggest any good places to get started?
4) Rep for the best and most useful responses...

1) HTML is a basic must. You have to understand it, or at least be able to understand the W3Schools reference pages. JavaScript is also used a lot to check forms, and do clever little things, like changing the image of a button when you move your mouse over it; though it can do a lot more.

Other then that, depends on what you want your website to do. Little website for fun, probably PHP, pretty easy to pick up and lots of useful code out there to help. A bigger website, probably Java (JSPs and Servlet! Yay!) or ASP, though you can very well make large sites in PHP and small ones in Java or ASP. Java and ASP scale well for large sites, but require more coding to start with. If I were you, I'd start with PHP, and move to the others, but read up on some comparisons online.

For more advanced websites, look at some funky things like CSS Zen Garden on how you should make your website VERY customisable. Javascript-FX and LightBox are good examples of how to use JavaScript well.

2) If you haven't made any type of website before, using a website builder to make one, which you can then look at the source code of and tweak, is probably a good place to start. I personally started with websites online, opened their source in Notepad and played with them on my own computer. It's all how you want to do it.

3) See 1). W3Schools is VERY good, with lots of online examples of pretty much everything they say, plus LOTS of reference pages on everything you can do with everything. Do a search for "Basic Web design", read some stuff, do some stuff, then do another search for "Advanced Web Design" But yeah, look at the links in 1)!

4) REP PLEASE!

Edit - WOO FIRST REPLY! \o/

 

[DeZmond]

As an alternative to coding from the ground up, why not try a Content Management System (CMS), such as phpwebsite, xoops, mkportal, and so on? If you get one that is open source then you're laughing - you could customise the site completely but working from a reliable codebase, depending on the limitations of individual licenses. Then again, it's the lazy option (hence why I chose it )

In terms of scripting languages some php knowledge will see you through, also as elD said you definitely need to be able to read and understand HTML quite well, and javascript knowledge can be handy too. Again, I can only echo the sentiment of the "build it in an authoring tool first, then rip the code apart to see what works" approach - I used Frontpage 2002 but then again it's also the only thing I had to hand... but it's seen me right thus far.

As for the photo gallery... you could incorporate it into another website structure - google Gallery2, which is the engine that powers/powered Gallery.THN .

 

[Macca]

I've started doing a little Template designing in Photoshop, so If you have an Idea of a template you fancy then give me a shout and I'll see what I can do .

 

[BiG D]

JavaScript is also used a lot to check forms, and do clever little things, like changing the image of a button when you move your mouse over it; though it can do a lot more.

Oh no you don't! Javascript is not for button effects! That's why we have CSS!

 

[DeZmond]

How about Dynamic HTML, even? Button rollover effects can be generated so many ways

But CSS is an absolute must for those building a site from the ground up. CSS ftw!!

 

[BiG D]

DHTML isn't a language, it's simply a term used to describe the combination of a bunch of techniques, much like AJAX is. And it's way overkill for a button rollover.

 

[DeZmond]

Yes, but frontpage allows you to implement it so easily. It's the tool of the devil, I tells thee! Or alternatively, that of a lazy man.

 

[BiG D]

Oh Frontpage, you say? This conversation is over!

 

[DeZmond]

Oh Frontpage, you say? This conversation is over!

Woo! Does this mean I win??? (okay, only joking, please don't kill me BiG D! )

Seriously kids, don't code and Frontpage at the same time, it can be hazardous to your health.

 

[Iron_fist]

bah try writing an efficient ASP.Net app and then you'll realise how useful CSS really is and how bad .Net is

though for writing HTML and varients i seem to have settled on Dreamweaver, it works and like running dual monitor so it keeps me happy

anyway back to my blank maths assignment for the morning

 

[elDiablo]

Oh no you don't! Javascript is not for button effects! That's why we have CSS!

Very true. Hence why I said it is used quite a bit I love CSS more then JS, but that doesn't mean that it isn't used to do the image effects