Hey, I've been designing web sites for a few years now, but, I've only ever learned HTML and CSS. I was wondering what I'd need to learn to make a website that is similar to a lot of the social networking sites (Myspace, Facebook, etc.) I understand it's probably not a quick process but I'd like to improve my knowledge in skills. I've heard that ASP is necessary but I'd like to know everything I need to learn now. All help appreciated, Joel.
Well, ASP jobs are very well paid ones, but more work, you earn more, if you do not have programming background (since I do not consider HTML layout desining as programming), you did not mention even javascript, from which I can consider you a starter. Programmers who had strong/moderate background of C/C++ were very succesful in PHP. This does not mean you cannot directly switch onto php. Please do not consider any of my text a rude behavior and/or insult. I am a teacher and I am considering you as a student, that is why my langage will be exactly that I use with my students. Do you actually know what programming languages are for ? such as PHP. Did you have any certification or moderate level skill development in programming ? any language. ------------ Now, hosting has come to very low prices, it is becuase of the opensource technology, Fedora Core Linux + MySQL + PHP + Apache, someone can easily setup new hosting company in very low price. That is the reason PHP is becoming popular and popular, and most hosts privde it in almost all basic to higher packages. That is why, I suggest you start with PHP. My next plan is start a class here at digitalpoint and take 100s of students through PHP within limited duration of days not even weeks. Introducing them with language + TDP Paradigm as well as MySQL 100% FREE. But that is a plan yet, I suggest you get some free ebook or buy an ebbok if you are serious about programming for web. And the very first thing you do is get Apache + PHP + MySQL installed on system, either you are using windows or linux. Do not just concentrate on reading, but practically do the thngs you learn, experiment them. If any help required from me, am available, and obviously most of senior developers here are read yto respond you. regards
Okay thanks for the reply. I installed apache with PHP5 and MySql.. I'll try to start learning PHP or improve my very low javascript knowledge.
Those site you mentioned use php/javascript and maybe ajax. try to learn those and you can make a site like that in no time. (altough i think you still need to have atleast 6+ months of learning those languages before you can actually create a site like that or even come close to it)
I knew C/C++ and Java before I started with PHP, so making the move to PHP was really easy for me. I have found PHP to be much more "forgiving" than other languages. If you're trying to learn ASP, you might as well put that away and go for C# and .NET, because by the time you learn ASP, there won't be too many out there using it anymore.