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What should I learn?


minty

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Hi all, I will be doing a html/css course this month, and photoshop to compliment it. The purpose is so I can manage the website of the company I work for and hopefully give it a good revamp. For that purpose I think the html/css will be fine, and they'll show me how to use dreamweaver to take advantage of it. I have ideas for websites of my own, and would like to know what I should invest my time in learning. I want to create quite dynamic sites and from looking on this website (which has to be the best resource I've found for newbies) I think I should learn the following:1.html/css2. Javascript3.Jquery4.php/mysql If you think I should learn other languages/scripts please advise... Now, one of the ideas i have will have the need for users to sign up/create a profile I suppose. Will the above skills be sufficient?Also, how does the whole unique user page thing work? where they can customize what they see? Im not sure I am explaining it very well, think like how google hompage had that page where you could add weather and things and you could choose what was there... let me know if ive confused you on this and ill try and approach from a diffierent angle :) look forward to any responses. Thanks!

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:Pleased: start from the easiest one and go up html --->css ---> php&mysql ---> Javascript ---> Jquery thats the order for me from easy to difficult, you might fine it in a different order but should learn all languages tho
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you can store user preferances in database and fetch it and use it later. you can also use localstorage which is new and need to use with javascript. which means it is dependent on user browser is js enable or not. if the data is not critical (eg styling as in your case) you can use localstorage alone without fall back to database storage. http://devloper.mozilla.com/localstotage

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thanks, i think that order sounds logical too :) anyone able to help me on the second bit of my question? thanks!
A good guide line is to avoid dreamweaver.
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A good guide line is to avoid dreamweaver.
why so?I thought dreamweaver is essentially just a text editor? with a few tools to aid?
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why so?I thought dreamweaver is essentially just a text editor? with a few tools to aid?
I just realized I haven't checked it out lately mostly cause I don't see any reason to use it, but in the beginning it was an wysiwyg editor which generated code for you. The code it generated was rubbish, I doubt it's any better today. I haven't tested out there text editor side but if that's all you need from the program then that would be waste of money. You should try any of these out: notepad++, sublime, NetBeans, eclipse and vim. Which probably does the job just as good or better then dreamweavers text editor.
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I just realized I haven't checked it out lately mostly cause I don't see any reason to use it, but in the beginning it was an wysiwyg editor which generated code for you. The code it generated was rubbish, I doubt it's any better today. I haven't tested out there text editor side but if that's all you need from the program then that would be waste of money. You should try any of these out: notepad++, sublime, NetBeans, eclipse and vim. Which probably does the job just as good or better then dreamweavers text editor.
I see your point, I like that dreamweaver shows the results as your write, being a complete novice. Looking at those you mentioned i think maybe they would be more suitable at a higher level...at the same time, maybe dreamweaver could give you bad habbits. As long as i learn the right languages i think what you use will come down to trial and error. some of those programmes you suggested look like something i should look at when i learn php for sure.
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I like that dreamweaver shows the results as your write, being a complete novice.
That is arguably one of its worst features. When you need to review your changes, don't use a middle man. Test it directly in a standards compliant browser (Chrome/FF/Safari) for most of your development, and then check all browsers in regular intervals. Edited by thescientist
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I see your point, I like that dreamweaver shows the results as your write, being a complete novice. Looking at those you mentioned i think maybe they would be more suitable at a higher level...at the same time, maybe dreamweaver could give you bad habbits. As long as i learn the right languages i think what you use will come down to trial and error. some of those programmes you suggested look like something i should look at when i learn php for sure.
Eclipse has a built in browser you can check the resualt in, just still need to switch between them but you don't have to have two windows open at the same time. I suggest you use notepad++ if you are one windows. I have a hard time replacing it with anything atm. Sublime has a could be a great editor if you which to get your hands dirty setting it up.. but the default settings works really good to, only bad thing about is that it cost money but you can still use it for free as a trial which brings a popup telling you to buy it kinda like winzip does trial never ends if I remember correctly.
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If you're going to use dreamweaver, I highly suggest only in 'code view'. It would be nice if they made a 'lite' version of dreamweaver that's only 'code view' oriented. I'll behonest though, from the many IDE's I've had, dreamweaver is probably one of the most stable. Not saying the others aren't, I was just stating. Notepad++ is a little buggy for me for some reason. I try to change the font size and sometimes it doesn't change, but when changed and saving the settings, close it, then reopen it, the settings are back to default. I update it and still get the same results.

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If you're going to use dreamweaver, I highly suggest only in 'code view'. It would be nice if they made a 'lite' version of dreamweaver that's only 'code view' oriented. I'll behonest though, from the many IDE's I've had, dreamweaver is probably one of the most stable. Not saying the others aren't, I was just stating. Notepad++ is a little buggy for me for some reason. I try to change the font size and sometimes it doesn't change, but when changed and saving the settings, close it, then reopen it, the settings are back to default. I update it and still get the same results.
Only changed the color in notepad++, I use the zoom function to make things bigger. Notepad++ has had some updates lately too. :P Why NetBeans and eclipse feels unstable is cause they are written in java. I find java applications to be slow which makes them crash ever now and then.
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Guest LH91325
:Pleased: start from the easiest one and go up html --->css ---> php&mysql ---> Javascript ---> Jquery thats the order for me from easy to difficult, you might fine it in a different order but should learn all languages tho
That's exactly what I would have replied had I seen this topic before there were any replies. I could add only to understand that all in a LAMP environment (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP). Of course there is a Microsoft alternative to all that, and a professional should probably get that too. Thankfully I don't have to deal with MSFT myself. As to the second part of the OP's question, understand all the above and you should understand the second part of your question. From a user standpoint that's user stuff. From a professional standpoint your technical knowledge should help you understand how you can implement that stuff for your users.
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besides the technical knowledge of designing and the coding, what program to use and these stuff ..As for a program I'd recommend Microsoft Expression Web4, as it has the ability to help you without fully automating the process!you should get a theoretical understanding , here this is my post that explains a lot about the web designing... http://w3schools.inv...showtopic=42236

Edited by valiantshady
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thanks everyone for your replies.

As to the second part of the OP's question, understand all the above and you should understand the second part of your question. From a user standpoint that's user stuff. From a professional standpoint your technical knowledge should help you understand how you can implement that stuff for your users.
This makes sense thanks! I'll get learning and experimenting! :) Thanks all again, consider this question answered :)
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