Quick question about building websites...

[Rick Meyer]

I haven't a clue what the best software is for building websites.....I've never built one....now, there is no urgency...I'm just interested in learning how to do it....I wanna buy some software and get to it....

Any input? Software suggestions? And, what about the learning curve...steep?

Thanks!
Rick

[Mike McNeese]

Learn HTML, CSS, javascript, and PHP. It's free to learn and code yourself, and whether or not you 'upgrade' to a web-design application later, you will NEED to know some HTML.

My 2¢

[Rick Meyer]

Thanks for the input! I was also asking a friend who knows how to build websites. Her advice is similar to yours...learn HTML and Javascript then a 'mainstream' web authoring tool such as DREAMWEAVER.

She suggests the VISUAL QUICKSTART GUIDES for HTML and JAVASCRIPT. Any other HOW TO books that I should consider instead?

Thanks!
Rick

[Jeff Anderson]

In addition to learning all the coding as Mike suggested I gotta say learn dreamweaver too. Adobe has the free trial on their website (30 days of full functioning web building power). The adobe classroom in a book series has always treated me well for their apps, I imagine their dreamweaver book is a good one as far as learning that program.

[Mike McNeese]

Now, I am BY NO MEANS even remotely 'good' at web stuff. Like many of us here, I am a jack-of-all-trades and I wanted to design, build and maintain my own site. So, find a grain of salt when I say this: The VIEW SOURCE function of your browser is your friend. I hate reading, and no one ever came out with a movie on how to build web sites, so I learned out of necessity, and as I got to a point where I didn't know how to do what I wanted to do, I'd find a site that has what I want, and see how their code works. I didn't copy code, but I studied how it was structured.

From there I moved on to designing sites with PS...yes, Photoshop, then converting them to a slick website in ImageReady. I know it's not the best way to do it, but I didn't have to spend any extra money, and it does exactly what I wanted it to do.

Also, be sure to check out a lot of on-line tutorials. Rest assured that you are NOT the first person to do what you want to do with your site. I guarantee you that there are some tutorials out there that will tell you what you need to know. And having a reference like the Quickstart book that your friend recommended would probably be a HUGE help.

Having said all of that, the hardest part of web design is designing a page that looks how you want it to look; something that works FOR your user, and not just looks snazzy; and something that gives an impression that you want to project. Knowing what you want to do with a site is more than half the battle - just about anything can be done, and with a little digging, you'll figure it out.

[Steve_Arm]

Grab Dreamweaver and start practicing.
Learn the basics of XTML, pretty much that's the concept: a tag always has an end tag.
Start with a div: <div></div>, give it a id attribute: <div id="test"></div>, then add to it a style: #test { width:50px; height:50px; background-color:#FF0000;}.
After you play and see what the css properties do, start reading CSS.
Then you'll be in a lot of trouble with various css problems like browser compatibility and "what's that thing doing there?".
Good luck. It takes years to master.

[Rick Meyer]

Thanks guys for the input. I will definitely check out those Quickstart guides and take it from there.

Jdajda- Dreamweaver is definitely on my list after I figure out how to get up and running with HTML and possible Javascript as well...

[snodart]

I have an older edition of this book, but it rules. It is all you need to get started with HTML and CSS.

I have several of the other "visual quickstart guide" books as well. Some of them are pretty good, but the HTML one by Elizabeth Castro in the link above is excellent. After you get that book down, then you should look into some basic PHP. PHP can be overwhelming, but some of the basic stuff will make life much easier if you are coding by hand.

[Rick Meyer]

Good luck. It takes years to master.

That doesn't scare me at all.

Thanks again everybody. Im going to buy that quickstart book Snodart...

[gco]

Thats the Spirit!
I'm buying that book as well.
Thanks McNeese for that tip on checking VIEW SOURCE.