Going Beyond HTML

You can have all kinds of fun with JavaScript. ... and yet, it can cause you so many headaches

You could also try PHP which I beleive is much easier than JavaScript, but you should look at your needs and what it is that you want to do. If you know that, then it will be much eaiser to choose a programming/scripting language.

why don't you try valid HTML, and XHTML, and XML.

I agree with Suzanne. I think you should have a strong understanding of HTML before you move on. Actually, you could just go ahead and learn XHTML. There are only a few differences between it and HTML that are really easy to pick up on. Besides, if you know XHTML then you will know HTML. You can validate your code using the
W3C Validator.

Quote: You could also try PHP which I beleive is much easier than JavaScript

Trying to learn PHP makes me pull my hair out. IMO, it isn't easy at all.

Sonia

I think if you havent had any scripting experience any scripting language will seem hard, but once you get fimilar with functions, classes, variables ... learning a new language is quite easy.
I had a real hard time trying to learn C\C++, couldn't grasp it as it was my first language to try, now I am learning PHP I can now go back and understand a bit of what I was being shown before.

Problem with a lot of tutorials on the web (and books) is they are wriiten by experts in the field, and once you know something it's very hard to unlearn to be able to go back to basics to be able to teach/show someone with no experience at all.

My pick would be XHTML as mentioned and maybe CSS then PHP or DHTML depending on what you want to do further down the track.

What ever you choose remember to get in a habit of tidy code and use comments often so you know what and why you did what you did.

Quote: Originally posted by disaster-master
Trying to learn PHP makes me pull my hair out. IMO, it isn't easy at all.

Well, I meant if he wants to get into programming then PHP is much easier than JavaScript, Perl, ASP, etc. Thanks to PHP so many more people can do their own coding than what was possible before.

I guess I need to study a little XHTML and XML. Never got into those two.. Although XHTML is exactly like HTML with just a few minor changes so I guess that leaves XML. Anyone good at that?

Quote: Originally posted by Busy
Problem with a lot of tutorials on the web (and books) is they are wriiten by experts in the field, and once you know something it's very hard to unlearn to be able to go back to basics to be able to teach/show someone with no experience at all.

I completely agree. We should have some people that know nothing about the subject write the tutorials so that the newbies can understand it better. They will be on the same level

I used to write a lot of Flash tutorials in the old day. Unlike others though, I used to put A LOT of time on each one and once I was done, I would let a couple of people beta test them and see if they could follow them before I released them to the public.

Quote: Well, I meant if he wants to get into programming then PHP is much easier than JavaScript, Perl, ASP, etc. Thanks to PHP so many more people can do their own coding than what was possible before.

Yes, you are correct Zollet and I wasn't disputing what you said. I was making fun of myself. I suppose that I am just mentally challenged. For the life of me, I can't find anything easy about it. hehe

Hey Busy, do you have one of those muchie PHP tutorials on yer site?

Quote: Hey Busy, do you have one of those muchie PHP tutorials on yer site?

Not yet, am working on a new layout for the HTML site as well as building up my protfolio and rewriting the HTML site with the XHTML inserts, then comes PHP basics and CSS - never enough hours in the days.
Problem I am finding doing the PHP and CSS tuts is there is so many ways to do the same thing. The CSS will be basic, PHP will just teach you the basics and make things like basic database, forms, email, site navigation ....
I'm doing it out of love, don't get a cent from any of it so have to work it around other things.

I'd say it depends on what your goals are. If it is to create good websites then you really need to know valid, tidy html/xhtml and incorporate this with CSS & good design. Once you can do that then you can move on the php for more functionality on your sites.

I really don't think it matters much which order you go in here. It's more a matter of what you want to do with your site. If you want to improve the quality of your code, according to the w3c standards, learn xhtml & css (both very easy). Those two will also make your life a lot easier as far as keeping a consistent layout and presentation. If you want to add more interactivity on the client side, go with Javascript. That means things like image rollovers and other dynamic effects that occur on the screen. If you want to get into the server-side and add a deeper level of interactivity, then PHP would be a good place to start.

(note I would mention Cold Fusion or ASP here, but I found the coding styles of those two languages to be very different from PHP, Javascript, and ActionScript. One you know one of those latter three, the others are very easy to figure out.)

i agree with everybody...lol

me: HTML, CSS, sorta learning xHTML now, PHP in progress, mess around in javascript