New To Php, Want To Make A Website

[Guest N30N-Night]

Hey, I'm going to be learning PHP in the next few weeks, and I already have a set idea how I want my website to look and work. Would it be easier to create the website in PHP as I go along, or should I make an HTML/CSS site, then change things to PHP as I go?

[chibineku]

It depends wholly on what you want to do. If you only need a few pages and the content can be static, then you could use PHP just to manage includes, for persistant navigation, say. If you want to have any sort of dynamic content, like random images appearing or a blog or whatever then PHP (with a database system like MySQL) is a must have. One page can be made to service an endless number of database records.

[danm68]

I remember when I made my first mock site with php (not that long ago..) I got the layout working/ looking how I wanted it, and converted pieces to php as I went. (Basically your second suggestion) ie: Changed basic navigation to a dynamic navigation, loading different links depending on which directory you are in. Changed "Calendar here" text for an actual calendar. Created login pages that worked with forms already in place, and displaying username on pages if you were logged in.blah blah you get the idea. But if you can I would save your pages as .php extensions, because that way if you want to include php you don't have to rename files. Just add the php delimiters and away you go.

[boen_robot]

The way I usually make sites is to make a single static (mock up) page to guide the basic design the end result needs to follow. Then, start over with PHP to build up to whatever the mock up HTML looked like. The CSS usually gets copy&paste-ed.

[Synook]

For me:Design (PSD) -> Mockup (HTML&CSS) -> Broken up (lots of HTML files, all included together) -> Dynamic (PHP)