Web Development Basics

[mike008]

I would like to persue a career in Web Develpment. I have built a couple of basic web sites in the last couple of years for friends, using Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Flash and Fireworks, but now I would like to get a bit more serious.

 

I have looked at various vacancies for Web Developers, and many of them ask for experience in ASP .net C# and VB, Classic. ASP, VB6, XHTML, XML, Java Script, IIS, and others.

 

Obviously I need to learn some of this stuff, but it is going to take a while.

 

Basically, what I want to know is where should I start? Does anyone know what I should learn first to give me a good foundation and maybe get me some kind of employment?

 

Thanks, Mike.

[kmount]

Looking at your list, XHTML/Javascript would be pretty straight forward to pick up if you have knowledge of using Dreamweaver (dig into the code view in Dreamweaver).

 

IIS is a webserver that runs on Windows so server knowledge there, install it on your PC.

 

VB6 is a bit old now, most people have moved onto .NET but you can find books that come with a copy on ebay for a few quid.

 

C#/ASP.net/VB.net etc you can pick up "Visual Studio Express 2008" for free from Microsoft to have a play.

 

I'd look at the html/xhtml stuff first with the content on the w3schools site here.

 

Good luck, and have fun

[mike008]

Thanks for your reply!

I have viewed similar threads and one listed the following:

web images - fireworks

js/html/css - dreamweaver

asp.net - visual studio or visual web developer express

php - eclipse

 

Would I be right in saying that Eclipse is used instead of mySql, or am I way off the mark. I downloaded mySql, but the method of inputting the information to create databases etc seems a bit antiquated, like going back to DOS!

 

Thanks for your time.

[kmount]

Hey,

 

No worries for the reply, my pleasure.

 

Yeah, you're about right there, some of it is what floats your boat though, Photoshop may be more 'your thing' over Fireworks etc. Dreamweaver is fine but a lot of developers will drop into a simpler editor to avoid some of the helpful rubbish Dreamweaver (and other GUI development tools) puts in the code.

 

My experience with Eclipse was as a developing environment as here. MySQL will store the information, you tend to use the PHP to populate/retrieve infromation from it.

 

I tend to look at a task I'd like to complete and then work on that idea, a simple web based calendar or contact system or a web form which stores 'signups' into a database etc.

 

It's a bit of a big leap to take in at once, dabble and see what fits you.

 

I have the creative mind of a snail so I don't look at design, more logical and procedural

[srochford]

The reason you think MySQL looks like DOS is because I'd guess you're using "raw" SQL commands ("insert into" "select username, surname" etc type things)

 

This is kind of why you have web sites - they give you the GUI, the PHP (or ASP, ASP.Net etc) then generates the relevant SQL commands and executes them.

 

Given the list of technologies that you've seen requested, I'd probably start with Visual Studio Express - it's free and the download includes SQL Express. Working with databases in this is very, very easy - in some ways, it's too easy because you're sheltered from the need to learn T-SQL but that can always come later :-)

 

As Kim says, if you can think of a project that you'd like to build, that's always the best way of getting started (looking at tutorials gets pretty boring after a while :-))

[mike008]

Thanks for your replies!

 

After downloading MySQL, I started using the W3Schools Online Web Tutorials tutorial on PHP MySQL and I can't even get past the first chapter..........

 

I tried the following to connect to MySQL:

 

<?php

$con = mysql_connect("localhost:3306","Mike","m*******");

if (!$con)

{

die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());

}

 

// some code

?>

 

Mike being my computer name, mypassword is m******* as used on MySQL.

 

I get the following message:

 

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2) in /home/fhlinux160/m/maximumrnb.com/user/htdocs/test.php on line 5

Could not connect: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

 

What am I doing wrong?

[mossj]

try "root" for username and password

[mossj]

Would I be right in saying that Eclipse is used instead of mySql, or am I way off the mark. I downloaded mySql, but the method of inputting the information to create databases etc seems a bit antiquated, like going back to DOS!

 

MySQL is used in alot of places but is almost always the backend, php (or another frontend code) makes the experiance nice for the user...

[mike008]

try "root" for username and password

 

No, that didn't work.

[kmount]

Hi there,

 

Warning: mysql_connect() [function.mysql-connect]: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2) in /home/fhlinux160/m/maximumrnb.com/user/htdocs/test.php on line 5

Could not connect: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

 

Means that either there isn't a MySQL server running at the hostname you entered or its an incorrect hostname.

 

Try knocking off the 3306 (standard port anyway), and instead of using your credentials for your computer, use the ones you have for your webhost "maximumrnb.com" ?

 

Or are you not running your webserver and MySQL on the same box?

[mike008]

Hi,

 

So you are saying I can't use the MySQL thats on my home PC with the PHP on the hosting company that I use with my website,

[kmount]

You can but you'd need to open port 3306 on your home router/firewall/whatever to allow php to connect into this.

 

That said though fella, if you have hosting already chances are it comes with a MySQL database anyway so you can develop on the webhosting solution and use their MySQL.

[srochford]

Now you're giving a bit more necessary info :-)

 

Your connection string of "localhost" made me think you had MySQL and the webserver running on the same machine. When you're experimenting, this is by far the easiest way to do things - you then don't have to consider what other people might have done on their server etc.

 

If you want MySQL on your own machine but the web site hosted on another then, as Kim says, you'll need to open port 3306 on your router (possibly a bad security idea!) and the connection string will need a fully qualified name (mypc.somedomain.com)

 

Getting it all set up in the first place can be a bit fiddly; one of the easiest ways to do it is to get a pre-built virtual machine - a quick google finds this Virtual Appliances -> Products which has images that will run on VMWare or Virtual PC/Server (all free) and I'm sure there are others.

 

Using the VM has a few advantages - it will work immediately; it doesn't involve any risk to your own machine and when (not if!) you mess things up on the server, you just delete the VM and put in a new copy.

 

Good luck!

[mike008]

Thanks Steve, and Kim, it's all beginning to make sense...........(I think.......)

 

Mike.

[somabc]

Ubuntu Server is a good choice for beginning LAMP, you can install it on Ubuntu Desktop as well if that is easier.

 

sudo apt-get install lamp-server

 

The default security settings for mysql will prevent connections from anything other than localhost.

 

phpmyadmin provides a more userfriendly way to interact with MySQL

 

sudo apt-get install phpmyadmin

 

Otherwise there is WAMP

 

Install PHP 5 Apache MySQL on Windows : WampServer

[mike008]

I have just downloaded Virtual Appliances LAMP 1.0.180 , and all I have is a VHD and a VMC file.

How am I supposed to install it from there? Shouldn't there be a setup.exe?

[pwds]

This is actually a virtual machine, you will need to install the a virtual machine host and add the LAMP client as a separate operating system- this isn't just a matter of running a setup.exe and it's there.

 

If you are looking to do that then I strongly recommend Apache Friends XAMPP as a "one click" setup that should require minimal intervention from you and has significant support available via forums.

 

If you want to proceed with Virtual Applicances you will need some form of virtual host software- the brief look I've had at their webpage suggests that it is VMWare compatible so VMWare Server should be suitable for you.

 

Otherwise Microsoft Virtual PC may work, although it will not be supported for any non Microsoft client operating system.

 

Given the complexities running Virtual Machines I strongly urge you to consider running XAMPP as this seems better suited to your needs.

 

This will also have less of an impact on your computer as you won't have to allocate memory to a separate operating system, and make developing easier for you as you'll be running from a single host and not having to transfer files.

[natparnell]

Also highly recommend xampp. This will install a web server, mysql database ability and interface (phpmyadmin I think) and a few other things you will find yourself needing. It gives you a nice admin panel from which you can boot up arious elements. By far the best way to experiment on your local machine

[Devontechie]

Also highly recommend xampp. This will install a web server, mysql database ability and interface (phpmyadmin I think) and a few other things you will find yourself needing. It gives you a nice admin panel from which you can boot up arious elements. By far the best way to experiment on your local machine

 

 

I would recommend XAMPP as well. I've got it runninf on my machine. I use it for testing things in Joomla & Moodle.

Yes XAMPP includes phpmyadmin.

 

Steve

[mike008]

When I have the XAMPP Control Panel Application running and go to http://localhost, why does it comes up with IIS7 Information Services and not the Welcome to XAMPP page?

[Devontechie]

When I have the XAMPP Control Panel Application running and go to http://localhost, why does it comes up with IIS7 Information Services and not the Welcome to XAMPP page?

 

Because you have IIS running. You need to stop that and then XAMPP should display when you go to http://localhost

 

Steve

[Flakes]

im going to make things a bit more simple, looking at this thread its gone a bit all over....

 

install XAMPP on your machine, link: apache friends - xampp

 

run the control center and start the Apache and mysql servers.

 

now create a folder in C:\xampp\htdocs with your website name. so example C:\xampp\htdocs\mywebsite

 

now create an index.html with some simple code..

 

 
  test
 
 
   
My first site
 

 

now in your browser goto, 127.0.0.1/mywebsite if your page loads everything has installed correctly.

 

now you need a mysql database to create one goto: 127.0.0.1/phpmyadmin and create a new user when you create the user be sure to tick the box "create database with same name".

 

now you need to connect to the database create a php file in your mywebsite folder and use this code:

 

   //connect to the database
   $connect = mysql_connect('127.0.0.1', 'yourusername', 'yourpassword')or die('Cannot connect to the SQL Server');

   $conn = mysql_select_db('databasename', $connect)or die('Cannot connect to the Database');

?>

 

replace 'yourusername' and 'yourpassword' with the ones you set in phpmyadmin.

 

my last bit of advice is that if you truly want to learn webprogramming is to drop programs like dreamweaver and use a text editor such as Scite link: http://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html then trawl the tutorial sites such as:

 

http://www.tizag.com/

http://www.w3schools.com/

http://www.dynamicdrive.com/

Edited January 15, 2010 by Flakes

[Hightower]

Why not enrol on a part-time college course. Night courses around here cost about £600 per year, and after two years you could have a HNC, a HND after 3 years and a degree in the subject within 5 years.

 

£600 a year is nothing for an education, and it's a first class experience. Plus, if money is tight see the financial offices of your local college/uni as you can get a grant. Last year I had my college fee's paid for (£600) from the LEA, and I also received a cash grant of £250 to go towards learning materials (so I bought a netbook naturally!). Because it's a grant you don't have to pay it back either.

[ajb]

I'm all with Hightower's suggestion. Acquiring formal training in software engineering or similar is definitely a good idea.

 

As roles within the IT industry continue diversify, I'd also urge you to consider whether you would like to work as a Web designer or Web developer.

 

To be a Web designer, it doesn't hurt to have knowledge of Web development and vice versa; and depending on the size of the organisations you might end up working for, you could find yourself performing both roles at the same time.

 

To clarify: a Web designer typically 'designs' a Web site or application, with an eye firmly on the look and feel, user experience, workflow, etc. Skills required include CSS, HTML, XHTML, JavaScript, Web site design tools like Dreamweaver, templating libraries like Smarty, and anything else typically associated with presentation (like Flash). A Web developer will be responsible for the innards of a Web site or application and is most likely to have knowledge of ASP.NET, C#, PHP, JSON, SQL, XML Web services, etc.

 

Andy.

[pwds]

my last bit of advice is that if you truly want to learn webprogramming is to drop programs like dreamweaver and use a text editor such as Scite link: Scintilla and SciTE

 

Second- If you want to use a WYSIWYG editor for day to day stuff then that's fine, but before you do that you should understand the structure and syntax of a web page at the very least, otherwise you're stuck the moment you try to troubleshoot.

 

I hand code every HTML and PHP page I produce, and this experience is invaluable when I'm modifying Content Management Systems to our requirements or trying to sort out a PHP parse error or layout issue on a page.

 

I use Notepad++ which I cannot praise highly enough.