Where to start? Web Design.

Hi DP,

Specifically for programming...
Hoping to get some beneficial feedback without getting a beating for being such a newb.

I want to create a website that requires a login, can manage client information (name, address, phone etc), client finances (accounting), and manage photos/video.

Are there any particular languages I should gravitate towards for front end? Server side? Database?

What are the benefits of those languages vs their rival competition?

Anxious to see what the DP community has to say.

Thanks,

Freddie

 

Hello freddie,

If you are an absolute beginner then start with http://www.w3schools.com/

Learn the following.

HTML - You can learn the basic in 1 day
CSS - You can learn css basic too in 1 day.
JS - Optional
PHP - You may need few days to learn the basic


In my opinion the website you are going to code will be very simple, if you are going to use wordpress.. WordPress has all the functionality.

For example you can create a register form with less php code

<?php wp_create_user( $username, $password, $email ); ?>

PHP:

All you have to do is get the form data and pass them via this function.

http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/wp_create_user

So go ahead, learn WordPress. Start here

http://codex.wordpress.org/

 

I'd suggest learning PHP and mysql database, PHP is a pretty easy script language to pick up and there are plenty of tutorials, just search google. For the front end I'd suggest something easy and light such as twitter bootstrap. Learning the basics of these will only push you forward and expand your creativity. Using already made scripts won't teach you much in the long run and because posted this in a programming section I'm to assume you want to create and learn as you go, So those are my suggestions!

here are some references:
PHP - http://www.w3schools.com/php/
SQL - http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp

 

Thanks for the tips and pointers everyone! Ultimately, I would like to create this "program" as "OEM" if you will. I would then brand it per client. I know. Pipe dreams. But, still. I gotta give it a shot right?

I haven't looked it up, but would WordPress allow for something like that? Make a program to then use for business purposes and branding?

Thanks,
Freddie

 

Is it also helpful for Asp.Net developers ? Does it accept Asp.Net applications ?

 

Realistically, if you have no programming experience at all then it could take years to build the skills necessary to develop a website as you have specified (from scratch). Although this may seem daunting it will be well worth the time and effort. The possibilities are endless once you have the ability to build yourself any idea that you come up with.

Whatever you choose to learn for your server-side development (I use .NET, which also gives you the ability to easily adapt to the development of windows applications), you also need to learn your client-side development. Which has three main components: HTML, CSS and Javascript.

So you will need to learn 4 languages in total:
-HTML
-CSS
-Javascript (I consider this less important then the others, you can go without it or find scripts to download in most cases)
-VB, C# or PHP

You will also have to learn some basic SQL for your database queries but that is easy enough if you can get through the rest.

 

This one is for those who are hoping to take their first steps into web design. This 70 minute Plus video tutorial will assume that you have zero knowledge of CSS. Over the course of the screencast, you’ll learn about the basic syntax, a plethora of different properties, and how to create the beginnings of your very first website. You can check it here http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/html-css-techniques/css-the-very-first-steps-new-plus-tutorial/

 

I would suggest learning HTML, CSS and PHP from w3schools.com and then signing up for Hostmonster or HostGator and installing a wordpress blog. Once you install your wordpress blog you can use this video tutorial for creating a wordpress theme from scratch. Best part of it all is that now that you know HTML and CSS you can create a website that w3c validates.