Where to learn?
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here goes...
I'm looking to become *very* good at creating websites. From coding to design. (php/mysql/css/photoshop/etc).
Right now I'm definately an amateur. I have some good art skills, and good logical thinking for programming... But I've been out of webpages for MANY years. I need to start over to make sure I know everything the right way. I'm thinking of learning XHTML 1 (it can do everything html 4 can, right? just more strict on usage?) this time, rather than learning from a site that teaches basic, sloppy, html.
Can anyone help me out by giving links to quality sites? I'm specifically looking to learn these items: XHTML 1, CSS, PHP, MySQL, Photoshop, (and with photoshop... design theory/color theory), and eventually dreamweaver. I am planning on using EditPad to do my coding to help learn them better. Plus, I have to save for dreamweaver. Also... I'm planning to learn them in the order listed above. Think that's a good idea? See anything I'm missing that I should know?
I'd greatly appreciate any help . I don't want to start off on the wrong foot by going to sites that teach sloppy code and techniques, as I said before... I'm wanting to get to the proffesional level.
Thanks.
Oh, this is the extent of what I've been able to accomplish many years ago before I quit... http://www.beyondlimits.us/clan/tc/
It was an old clan site. I made many sites, this is just the only one I have at my disposal. Oh, I never finished the site either. Got out of games after i made this site, so the links aren't going to take you anywhere.
Lots of questions
-tallon
tallon posted this at 04:26 — 10th October 2005.
They have: 75 posts
Joined: Mar 2000
I'd just like to add...
I'm more than willing to buy books on the subjects and study them thoroughly, so if you think that'd be a better option (for any of subjects I listed above), and what books you'd recommend (and why), that'd be cool too
.
Again, thanks to anyone who can help.
-tallon
Renegade posted this at 09:52 — 10th October 2005.
He has: 3,022 posts
Joined: Oct 2002
Have you had a look around on w3schools.com? Or, if all else fails, google around
Busy posted this at 10:13 — 10th October 2005.
He has: 6,151 posts
Joined: May 2001
Don't waste your money on books, they get outdated way to fast and a lot are actually backwards in their teachings (I have one on mysql like that). Heaps of good, free sites to learn from and then you also have view source - how a lot of us learnt.
XHTML is the latest version of HTML, it is the same thing but stricter as you've pointed out. If you were able to write your HTML in lower case, nest tags properly before then you wont have any trouble adapting.
You're taking on a lot, so my advice would be spread them out, XHTMl and CSS go together so get them down, then PHP and MYSQL go together so get them down while using your new found XHTML and CSS knowledge to display the results. Then tackle photoshop, which really shouldn't be touched for a good six months.
Doing it is one thing, understanding it is another, you need to understand it to know it
good luck
tallon posted this at 20:11 — 10th October 2005.
They have: 75 posts
Joined: Mar 2000
w3schools? What is that? (no, I didn't even know that existed).
Ya, I am taking on a lot. But what you said is actually how I am planning on tackling it... first XHTML to get it down, then CSS. After that foundation has been built (all good things need a firm foundation) I'll move onto PHP and MySQL. I already know how to use photoshop somewhat, so I can get by until I'm done with all the rest before trying to master it
.
So no books... check. That will save money. And busy, I saw your ezhtml. nice refresher
. But, basicaly, the idea is just go search around and do whatever I can find? No specific sites that are extraordinarily good in their stuff? I'll have to check out this w3schools after I'm out of school today.
Thx for the help guys...
-tallon
Megan posted this at 14:18 — 12th October 2005.
She has: 11,421 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
http://www.w3schools.com
http://www.alistapart.com (there's an aritcle from a few years ago about using CSS floats for laying out a photo gallery which I think is really foundational; also some on formatting lists with CSS).
Honestly, I don't know where the best place is to learn some of this stuff! Learning how to do layouts with CSS instead of HTML for layout and formatting is really important but I can't really say where one good place to learn all that would be. You can learn a lot by googling around for specific techniques that you want to create. So, for example, if you wanted to do a three-column layout in CSS you could google for "3 column layout, CSS" and get loads of results. I think the best way to learn that is by looking at other examples and figuring out how they work and the different techniques used.
Actually, I think books are a good way to learn some things. Designing with Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman would be a good one to pick up, for example. Eric Meyer has some good ones on CSS as well. These guys are *the* gurus of CSS and they generally don't have that much available on their actual websites.
The thing about books is that they're generally more comprehensive than one single website. So you can have everything you need at your fingertips instead of having to scour 5 different websites. Finding good ones is tricky - you can go by ratings on Amazon.com and such but I generally find that people are way too free with the high ratings on there. Pretty much anything that's not total garbage gets 5 *'s.
Photoshop - honestly, it hasn't changed that much. From the site you linked I think you'll be okay. The web has moved away from graphic intesnse sites more into CSS so I think that would be most important to concentrate on.
Oh, and go to the CSS Zen Garden to look at what people are doing with CSS. Those are really graphic intesne sites but that's sort of the premise in this case - getting graphic designers to work with CSS.
Other good sites to check out:
http://www.cameronmoll.com
http://www.456bereastreet.com
http://www.digital-web.com (has some recent articles on graphic theory that are really good)
Megan
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dougadam posted this at 23:59 — 13th October 2005.
He has: 87 posts
Joined: Jun 2005
Personally I recommend O’Reilly books.
tallon posted this at 08:06 — 14th October 2005.
They have: 75 posts
Joined: Mar 2000
Thx for the help guys, I'll jot down these books and sites
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