Where to begin? - Developers

I've made a few websites, and they all look pretty good, but the issue is, I use a web builder, like vBulletin, WordPress, Joomla. What can I do to code websites on my own? I know HTML, but I want to learn how to do fancy things, like java, and other interactive coding languages. Any advice from experienced people or "pros"?

[URL="http://www.codecademy.com"]codecademy[/URL] really helped me with the basics, there are also websites like [URL="http://www.w3schools.com/"]w3schools[/URL] which helped me figure out what did what.

[QUOTE=Nectarine;43085475][URL="http://www.codecademy.com"]codecademy[/URL] really helped me with the basics, there are also websites like [URL="http://www.w3schools.com/"]w3schools[/URL] which helped me figure out what did what.[/QUOTE] How long did it take you to get where you wanted to go?

I've been working with Web Design and Development for about a year and a half, on and off. I'm good at what I do, for my time in it. [URL="http://codecademy.com/"][B]Codecademy[/B][/URL] - A website offering basic tutorials on the bits to start off with for web building, or a few other languages. Nothing thorough, and don't expect to be a professional afterwards. You'll have to take a bit of what you learned there, and use it and build on it. [URL="http://w3schools.com/"][B]W3Schools[/B][/URL] - A website allowing you to figure out what things do what, but should [i]never[/i] be used as an active certificate resource or learning source. Only for basic syntax. (Let me to refer to [url]http://w3fools.com/[/url] to extend on that) [URL="http://www.w3.org/community/webed/wiki/HTML/Elements"][b]W3C[/B][/URL] - The W3 Consortium, the people behind the world wide web standards of today. This page contains all HTML elements present, and what they do. [B]Other links[/B] [url]http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/1-introduction-to-the-web-standards-cur/#toc[/url] [url]https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web[/url] [url]http://www.sitepoint.com/[/url] [url]http://www.webplatform.org/[/url]

[QUOTE=mntwins7;43085426]I've made a few websites, and they all look pretty good, but the issue is, I use a web builder, like vBulletin, WordPress, Joomla. What can I do to code websites on my own? I know HTML, but I want to learn how to do fancy things, like java, and other interactive coding languages. Any advice from experienced people or "pros"?[/QUOTE] Hi Mntwins7! So, when you start out as a web developer, you would like to have fun, right? You want to make usefull tools that people will enjoy! But you also want to be challenged. This is why I suggest you start making a text-based game. It's important to keep in mind that.. a web page is HTML and Javascript (what you see), PHP (logic), and SQL (putting data into the database from HTML forms, and getting data from the database). So with that in mind, you will want to start out learning PHP. So for example, with PHP you can do logic.. So my user name is Luna Prey... So in this website, you might find a PHP variable that looks like this: $username = 'Luna Prey'; So now, with PHP we can do this: if($username == 'Luna Prey') { echo "Hello " . $username . ". My name is PHP!"; } else { echo "Sorry, I don't know your username."; } As you can see, PHP shows LOGIC... it can do many other things as welll... for example: $random_number = random(1,6); So with this, if you were to echo $random_number, a number between 1 and 6 would be displayed. These are called functions. Once you get enough PHP down, the next thing you want to do is interact with a databsae. You do this with SQL. For example: $query = mysqli_query("SELECT `username` FROM `users` WHERE username = '$username'"); $data = mysqli_fetch_array($query); echo $data[username]; This would grab username from the databsae, and then echo it. So these are some examples. I hope they give you a peak into what web development is like. Sorry if this makes no sense though, I am new to teaching. Also, a really big tip I'd like to offer you. If you find yourself getting good at PHP and SQL, I highly recommend picking some experience up using API's by creating some cool websites using the EVE online API. You will have to do some reasearch, but if you can learn it, there are players in that game who will pay you billions for a custom website using the EVE api. In fact, that's where I learned! Love, Luna

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43086306]$query = mysqli_query("SELECT `username` FROM `users` WHERE username = '[B]$username[/B]'"); $data = mysqli_fetch_array($query);[/QUOTE] :suicide:

It wouldn't hurt to learn a variety of things. At the moment I'm working on getting familiar with PHP, getting better at Javascript, and learning CSS (if you're good with HTML, CSS should be a breeze). PHP so I can maintain a healthy connection between my databases and my web page, and CSS because I don't know it yet. My current webpage is built with tables using background images, and it is an absolute mess. I feel disgusting for taking that route, not that tables are necessarily a bad thing, but having a website completely built out of them is-as I have learned-not good. This is coming from someone mostly at your level at the moment. I started out with Blogger, and learned the basics by manipulating HTML elements to suit my needs. It'd be good for you to download xampp, it lets you run a local server on your computer so you can set up a dummy website with all the perks of an online page. Before I knew about xampp I actually bought web space just to toy around with things. Now I can do everything without worrying about bandwidth, server space, etc. Plus all my changes are instant, which is nice. Down the line when you're actually working on websites to put on the internet, it will be an invaluable tool for you, so it'd be good to have it ready to go anyways. At the moment, the best thing you can do is head to codecademy as others have suggested. It's a very good starting point. Even though you know HTML, I recommend you take their web development course. It really changed the way I do things. From there, set up a basic website and start messing with stuff, that's the best way to learn. Before I tried to link my front page with my forum's database, I had absolutely no clue how to even approach it or what language to use. I was under the impression that there was some simple HTML command to go about it, but I eventually learned you needed to use PHP. From there I followed a lot of guides until I found something that worked for me, and from that I have an understanding of one small aspect of PHP. As I go on, that understanding will grow into familiarity. There's a trove of information out there on the internet. Use it to your advantage, and have fun with what you're doing. I'll leave the technical stuff to the experts here, but this is how I've set myself up so far, and it's helped me out a lot. Otherwise, assume you'll be figuring things out on your own a lot of the time. While the internet is a great resource, not a lot of people will actually write out your code for you, and tutorials will 80% of the time only vaguely represent what you actually want to do. But that's half the fun in it.

Codecademy helps a lot and another useful tool (at least in my experience, as I learn best from watching), is [URL="http://teamtreehouse.com"]teamtreehouse[/URL]. Unfortunately, it costs, but if you have the money then in my opinion, it's worth the purchase of subscription. They go over a range of different languages, HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript, jQuery, ruby on rails etc. It also teaches you android and iOS development too if you're interested in that as a side project. Hope this helps.

[QUOTE=jung3o;43086632]:suicide:[/QUOTE] it's just an example, you don't have to follow me around the forum insulting me :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=BeatAlex;43088387]Codecademy helps a lot and another useful tool (at least in my experience, as I learn best from watching), is [URL="http://teamtreehouse.com"]teamtreehouse[/URL]. Unfortunately, it costs, but if you have the money then in my opinion, it's worth the purchase of subscription. They go over a range of different languages, HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript, jQuery, ruby on rails etc. It also teaches you android and iOS development too if you're interested in that as a side project. Hope this helps.[/QUOTE] Thanks for codeacadamy, I'm trying this out, and I really like it! [editline]6th December 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Luna Prey;43086306]Hi Mntwins7! So, when you start out as a web developer, you would like to have fun, right? You want to make usefull tools that people will enjoy! But you also want to be challenged. This is why I suggest you start making a text-based game. It's important to keep in mind that.. a web page is HTML and Javascript (what you see), PHP (logic), and SQL (putting data into the database from HTML forms, and getting data from the database). So with that in mind, you will want to start out learning PHP. So for example, with PHP you can do logic.. So my user name is Luna Prey... So in this website, you might find a PHP variable that looks like this: $username = 'Luna Prey'; So now, with PHP we can do this: if($username == 'Luna Prey') { echo "Hello " . $username . ". My name is PHP!"; } else { echo "Sorry, I don't know your username."; } As you can see, PHP shows LOGIC... it can do many other things as welll... for example: $random_number = random(1,6); So with this, if you were to echo $random_number, a number between 1 and 6 would be displayed. These are called functions. Once you get enough PHP down, the next thing you want to do is interact with a databsae. You do this with SQL. For example: $query = mysqli_query("SELECT `username` FROM `users` WHERE username = '$username'"); $data = mysqli_fetch_array($query); echo $data[username]; This would grab username from the databsae, and then echo it. So these are some examples. I hope they give you a peak into what web development is like. Sorry if this makes no sense though, I am new to teaching. Also, a really big tip I'd like to offer you. If you find yourself getting good at PHP and SQL, I highly recommend picking some experience up using API's by creating some cool websites using the EVE online API. You will have to do some reasearch, but if you can learn it, there are players in that game who will pay you billions for a custom website using the EVE api. In fact, that's where I learned! Love, Luna[/QUOTE] Thats really cool, thanks!

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43088485]it's just an example, you don't have to follow me around the forum insulting me :rolleyes:[/QUOTE] well, in his defense, you gave some terrible advice.

[QUOTE=mntwins7;43091303] Thats really cool, thanks! [/QUOTE] No problem! I was just like you not too long ago. You have to remember, though, that you can't always focus on the details. You will run into a lot of people who will tell you what you're doing is wrong, but the most important thing to self-teaching yourself web programming is to have fun while doing it! So I'd suggest you put down the book, and just figure out an awesome tool you want to make, and do the research on how to make it while you make it. After you make that first tool, you will feel so proud, and you will move into a 2nd tool, and you will look back and your code on the first tool in disgust! If you treat web-development like it's a fun game of building blocks, you will enjoy it, and feel motivated to spend all your time on it! I used to be HUGE into video games, but now I find development even funner because the fruits of our labors make money! Don't let the rude "experts" get you down. They just like to brag about how great they are by pointing out flaws in others. :eng101:

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43092367]No problem! I was just like you not too long ago. You have to remember, though, that you can't always focus on the details. You will run into a lot of people who will tell you what you're doing is wrong, but the most important thing to self-teaching yourself web programming is to have fun while doing it![/quote] I'd think the most important part of self-teaching yourself web programming would be learning a language. Having people tell you what you're doing wrong is a pretty important part of doing that, isn't it? [quote]So I'd suggest you put down the book, and just figure out an awesome tool you want to make, and do the research on how to make it while you make it.[/quote] See, I thought this when I started writing PHP. It took me 2 1/2 years to start using web frameworks, and 3 years to stop using PHP. [quote]After you make that first tool, you will feel so proud, and you will move into a 2nd tool, and you will look back and your code on the first tool in disgust![/quote] If you read the book in the first place, this wouldn't happen. [quote]If you treat web-development like it's a fun game of building blocks, you will enjoy it, and feel motivated to spend all your time on it! I used to be HUGE into video games, but now I find development even funner because the fruits of our labors make money![/quote] I treat web development like it's web development, and I still enjoy it. [quote]Don't let the rude "experts" get you down. They just like to brag about how great they are by pointing out flaws in others. :eng101:[/QUOTE] We like to help other people by giving them advice that won't make them develop awful habits.

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43092367]You will run into a lot of people who will tell you what you're doing is wrong[/quote] you're doing this wrong [QUOTE=Luna Prey;43086306]$query = mysqli_query("SELECT `username` FROM `users` WHERE username = '[B]$username[/B]'"); $data = mysqli_fetch_array($query);[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Luna Prey;43092367]Don't let the rude "experts" get you down. They just like to brag about how great they are by pointing out flaws in others. :eng101:[/QUOTE] It's just you who doesn't understand what anyone here is trying to say. OP should just go with this guy's links [QUOTE=Datzy;43085594]I've been working with Web Design and Development for about a year and a half, on and off. I'm good at what I do, for my time in it. [URL="http://codecademy.com/"][B]Codecademy[/B][/URL] - A website offering basic tutorials on the bits to start off with for web building, or a few other languages. Nothing thorough, and don't expect to be a professional afterwards. You'll have to take a bit of what you learned there, and use it and build on it. [URL="http://w3schools.com/"][B]W3Schools[/B][/URL] - A website allowing you to figure out what things do what, but should [i]never[/i] be used as an active certificate resource or learning source. Only for basic syntax. (Let me to refer to [url]http://w3fools.com/[/url] to extend on that) [URL="http://www.w3.org/community/webed/wiki/HTML/Elements"][b]W3C[/B][/URL] - The W3 Consortium, the people behind the world wide web standards of today. This page contains all HTML elements present, and what they do. [B]Other links[/B] [url]http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/1-introduction-to-the-web-standards-cur/#toc[/url] [url]https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web[/url] [url]http://www.sitepoint.com/[/url] [url]http://www.webplatform.org/[/url][/QUOTE] OP here are some more useful links to help you out [url]http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1200352[/url] Also don't use PHP

interesting that you don't use PHP anymore, snail, what language do you use? also, could i see some of your websites? you sound very proffessional, i'm sure there is a lot i could learn. perhaps link a couple :eng101:

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43092568]interesting that you don't use PHP anymore, snail, what language do you use? also, [B]could i see some of your websites[/B]? you sound very proffessional, i'm sure there is a lot i could learn. perhaps link a couple :eng101:[/QUOTE] A lot of people who doesn't use PHP here uses RoR for their web development. [url]http://rubyonrails.org/[/url]

jungle, i'd love to see your portfolio too!! it would be good for me to get a glimpse of what the work of a successful pro developer looks like!

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43092591]jungle, i'd love to see your portfolio too!! it would be good for me to get a glimpse of what the work of a successful pro developer looks like![/QUOTE] keep this up until you're banned for trolling

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43092568]interesting that you don't use PHP anymore, snail, what language do you use? also, could i see some of your websites? you sound very proffessional, i'm sure there is a lot i could learn. perhaps link a couple :eng101:[/QUOTE] ruby and why do i have to be professional if i should have fun doing it???

[QUOTE=supersnail11;43095463]ruby and why do i have to be professional if i should have fun doing it???[/QUOTE] i guess you don't... :v:

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43095645]i guess you don't... :v:[/QUOTE] people who don't even do this as their job know more than you, maybe you should stop post.

[QUOTE=AndrewPH;43095665]people who don't even do this as their job know more than you, maybe you should stop post.[/QUOTE] ... like who cares if someone is better than me? i didn't know this was a competition.. there are PLENTY of things in the world that can be improved by developers who can create systems.. there is no need to leave becasue of that i am realizing that this is facepunch, but there is no need to be so hateful. we are all of the same consciousness, and for that reason, we should all love eachother, because loving eachother is loving ourselves :eng101:

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43095693]... like who cares if someone is better than me? i didn't know this was a competition.. [/QUOTE] Last I checked, business is a competition.

[QUOTE=FrankPetrov;43095744]Last I checked, business is a competition.[/QUOTE] i agree, but i have my own clients, and from what i see there are no clients here, so this forum.. isn't a competition

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43095758]i agree, but i have my own clients, and from what i see there are no clients here, so this forum.. isn't a competition[/QUOTE] No, there are clients here, just none that want your horrendous "services".

[QUOTE=FrankPetrov;43095863]No, there are clients here, just none that want your horrendous "services".[/QUOTE] well... even then there is no competition becsaue it seems i've been beat. still though, i like this place. i really admire the developers who made this forum.

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43096092]i really admire the developers who made this forum.[/QUOTE] heh

[QUOTE=Luna Prey;43096092]well... even then there is no competition becsaue it seems i've been beat. still though, i like this place. i really admire the developers who made this forum.[/QUOTE] Why do you derail every single post? You have to fuck it up every time.