where to learn?

[QuickSilver]

Hi guys, I'm interested in starting to learn how to make and program web pages, it looks like a lot of fun. Could any of you point me in the right direction of where to start, like some good links or something to get me started. Thanks!!!

[TheJackal]

Start here:

http://www.htmlgoodies.com/

If you would rather learn from a book Sams Publishing makes good books about web development and programming. Look for ones that are teach yourself in 24 hours, or 21 days, those should give you the info you need to get started.

[TheJackal]

Here's another good link for you...

http://www.sitepointforums.com/

[bearcub]

Along with those previously mentioned great links, I have been playing with First Page. It might help you to understand some things better, it helps me.

It is free, at: http://www.evrsoft.com/

[QuickSilver]

Hey, thanks a mill guys!!!

[TheJackal]

I have a question for you, Do you want to learn HTML, or do just want to learn to make webpages?

You can start churning out web pages with MS Word 97 without knowing any HTML.

If you learn the basics of HTML, you can use such programs as MS Frontpage (eww!), Macromedia Dreamweaver, and MS Visual InterDev. All of those programs will allow you to churn out professional websites in a fraction of the time it would take to do it by hand coding.

[TheJackal]

I have a question for you, Do you want to learn HTML, or do just want to learn to make webpages?

You can start churning out web pages with MS Word 97 without knowing any HTML.

If you learn the basics of HTML, you can use such programs as MS Frontpage (eww!), Macromedia Dreamweaver, and MS Visual InterDev. All of those programs will allow you to churn out professional websites in a fraction of the time it would take to do it by hand coding.

[TheJackal]

I have a question for you, Do you want to learn HTML, or do just want to learn to make webpages?

You can start churning out web pages with MS Word 97 without knowing any HTML.

If you learn the basics of HTML, you can use such programs as MS Frontpage (eww!), Macromedia Dreamweaver, and MS Visual InterDev. All of those programs will allow you to churn out professional websites in a fraction of the time it would take to do it by hand coding.

[TheJackal]

I have a question for you, Do you want to learn HTML, or do just want to learn to make webpages?

You can start churning out web pages with MS Word 97 without knowing any HTML.

If you learn the basics of HTML, you can use such programs as MS Frontpage (eww!), Macromedia Dreamweaver, and MS Visual InterDev. All of those programs will allow you to churn out professional websites in a fraction of the time it would take to do it by hand coding.

[el_novato]

what happened Jackal? got click happy?

[TheJackal]

Ooops!

Thought it wasn't doin anything the first time.

[comp builder]

i'm only just new to this, so does anyone know where i can get a cheap copy of C#?

[QuickSilver]

LOL, Jackal has an itchy clicker finger! Anyway, to answer your 4 questions, um, I realy just want to start learning how to build web pages. I don't realy know what the best way is to build them, so it is hard for me to answer a question about how I want to do it. I would like to eventually have the skills to build something like we have at PCmech here, or some such thing. I know the skill for that probably takes a little while to master, but that's ok.

[TheJackal]

Okay...

Then set some time aside and go through the tutorials on the HTML Goodies site. Once you feel comfortable that you could sit down and churn out a basic website in Note Pad, Then you can decide if you like to code it by hand, or if you would rather get an advanced web page creation program to help you out.

The advantages to hand coding it are that you have more control over the creation of your site. If you use an editing program such as Word 97, or Frontpage, extra bits of useless code will be added in. You can go back and delete it, but it takes a little more time. Hand Coding is slower then using an editor, but if you like having total control, and aren't worried about the speed at which your site is developed then it may be for you.

I dont have any expierence with Macromedia Dreamweaver, so you would have to do some research... If you want to do advanced stuff later on, take a look at Visual InterDev 6.0
It is an older program, but it is still good for advanced development, and it integrates with the rest of Microsoft Visual Studio so you can add applications into your site easily. Though you should have a good understanding of HTML before you use it.

Now I've gone off on a rant... So look through HTML goodies, get a firm understanding of what HTML can do, make some websites, and then if you find that you need an extra program to do some of the advanced stuff, or you just want to develop faster then you can look into some of the programs I've mentioned.

Good Luck!

[racerbrownn]

boy, you've just awnsered the post i WAS going to put up.

my boss wants me to consider handling our basic website and keep it up to date. [i thought we had a service for that but i guess not ]

i have no experience in this and thought a crash course in web handling might be helpful. i hope your links will help me get familiar to consider taking up the challenge.

but if it's too soon, i'll let them know i need time and we'll make necessary araingments.

pcmech's the best! thankx,ray.

[ToyotaSupra]

http://www.w3schools.com/ is pretty cool

[chris1977uk]

i started like that, getting to grips with the basics, using notepad and hand coding.

I then went onto Interdev (my fav still) and going into code view to tidy up all the junk you dont need

its now what i do for a living, so it works

[bmrmrb]

i learnt HTML just by playing with existing code. www.echoecho.com has some tutorials on HTML/JS which cover the basics. if you wan't some fun then try these scifi.pages.at/hackits (mods this URL is nothing to do with hacking). www.totse.com forums have help on this site.

[Benjie Solleza]

Try Davesite.com, it's interactive! One point of advice, be patient in learning HTML, the basic language in Web page programming. In 2 weeks, you can create your own website.Another one is actden.com where MS Frontpage turorial can be found, MS Frontpage is cool than HTML.But start first with the very basic, and that's HTML. Good Luck!

[I_let_the_smoke_out]

I just started learning html and am doing it in notepad with hand coding. I downloaded a couple free editors but I'm not sure I like them.

[ittybitty]

I started out learning on notepad using some of the sites listed above. I then moved on to Dreamweaver, and found that a bit quicker.

However, I would still use the code view for a lot of the pages. A editor is great once you have at least some of the basics down, this way when you need to tweak the editor code you know where to start. Also knowing how to the the "hand" coding is handy if your ever at a differnt system (with out a editor) and need to whip out an up date or something like that.

I ran a union website for about 2 years or so and still used notepad as well as a editor.

Good luck and enjoy, remember it should be fun!!

[mairving]

Originally posted by TheJackal Okay... Hand Coding is slower then using an editor, but if you like having total control, and aren't worried about the speed at which your site is developed then it may be for you. If you want to do advanced stuff later on, take a look at Visual InterDev 6.0 It is an older program, but it is still good for advanced development, and it integrates with the rest of Microsoft Visual Studio so you can add applications into your site easily. Though you should have a good understanding of HTML before you use it.

Would beg to differ. Hand coding is not slower than an editor although it depends how you use it. It really depends upon how you work. If all of your pages are static and there are a lot of them, it might be. I prefer using Homesite. It is for hand coders but gives you quite a few tools to speed things up.

The use of Visual InterDev is governed by the environment that you are using it for. If you are developing pages in the Windows Server environment it's okay. If you are developing using PHP/MySQL on 'nix based servers, it won't work at all for you.

[penguincube]

Websites are good (I'm sure they listed some great ones for you), but if you ever want to supplement that by having a book to read in your spare time, just go over to your local Barnes and Noble or something. They should have plenty of HTML books. For $12 (on sale) I got "How to do Everything With HTML & XHTML." I've been pretty much using soley that to teach myself, and I havn't had any problems with it, and even when youre not on your computer and you're bored you can read a chapter or two, absorb it, then come try it out on your computer later.