PHP/Javascript - Developers

I've sort of realized that if you want a job in the web design industry you would need to know both php an javascript and not just CSS/xhtml.. Now the problem is I have absolutely no idea where to start...I already have a couple books on php and some javascript but I don't know where to start. A lot of the exercises in these books aren't exactly relevant to what I want to accomplish.. Where should I start learning php and javascript?

You really don't need either, web design is about html/css and occasional javascript. If you're good enough, you won't need the other languages. However, if you want to develop websites/make your own, you may need php/js. For learning I'd suggest start with php (I did, and learning js is piss now I know php). I started by customizing the wordpress loop and kinda built upon my knowledge from there, just playing around. I also learnt html/css that way, I find that easier than 'tutorials' or books.

For basic tutorials: [url]www.w3schools.com[/url] For function definitions: [url]www.php.net[/url]

Actually there aren't any answer to this question. First of all you need to find out how you want to learn PHP and JavaScript. As the others said - by tutorials and books or simply study other projects. But I would personally recommend the [url=http://www.w3schools.com]W3Schools[/url]. It will teach you the basics of PHP and JavaScript. And while you read these tutorials you may think "BOOOORING" but don't go any further before you know the basics. Believe me - it's nothing else but trouble.

Thing is ..I learn the basics and then i don't really know what to do with the stuff that I learned..

I would probably install a webserver on my computer like Apache along with PHP and MySQL. From here this will be your own personal sandbox. Start off by mastering the creation of forms, processing them and ofc validate them. Client-side and most important server-side. Or something else that you might find interesting. But if you want a job in the web industry this is sure something you'll need.

For any programming language: A good idea for beginners is to go to google and type "<language> tutorial" where <language> is replaced with things like PHP, Javascript, ASM, HTML, etc. Usually within the first couple of links there is a great tutorial (usually dated, but still a great starting place) This is how I started out, and I would recommend it to everyone.

PHP,HTML,CSS, tutorials: [url=http://www.tizag.com/]Tizag[/url] A simple to setup webserver, [url=http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html]XAMPP[/url], which is just extract to C:\ and run, no setup

[QUOTE=cas97;20636229]PHP,HTML,CSS, tutorials: [URL="http://www.tizag.com/"]Tizag[/URL] A simple to setup webserver, [URL="http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html"]XAMPP[/URL], which is just extract to C:\ and run, no setup[/QUOTE] This. Assuming you mean web development rather than just design.

Yeah something you're missing here which some other people have mentioned fleetingly. There's 2 main halves to web work. Development and Design. [B]Development[/B] is what will have you working on the code, so there you will need to know XHTML, php, Javascript, probably a database language like mySQL etc. etc. You could also branch out to a specialist language like Ruby or Django. The majority of web developers these days regardless of what they are doing now are/used to be running on LAMP foundations. [B]L[/B]inux [B]A[/B]pache [B]M[/B]ySQL [B]P[/B]hp. [B]Design[/B] Doesn't involve as much coding. You'll probably need to be able to competent with XHTML and CSS. But you'll also need to know you way around a design software of your choice. Choose your path.

[QUOTE=Cluckyx;20645718]Yeah something you're missing here which some other people have mentioned fleetingly. There's 2 main halves to web work. Development and Design. [B]Development[/B] is what will have you working on the code, so there you will need to know XHTML, php, Javascript, probably a database language like mySQL etc. etc. You could also branch out to a specialist language like Ruby or Django. [B]Design[/B] Doesn't involve as much coding. You'll probably need to be able to competent with XHTML and CSS. But you'll also need to know you way around a design software of your choice. Choose your path.[/QUOTE] Design software? For web design all you need is GIMP or photoshop and Notepad (++). For development all you need is Notepad(++) and a webserver.

[QUOTE=loony383;20645742]Design software? For web design all you need is GIMP or photoshop and Notepad (++). For development all you need is Notepad(++) and a webserver.[/QUOTE] Thats what I meant by design software... Text editors are a dime a dozen. A good creative management systen (Adobe Suites etc) tend to be expensive and take some time to learn to use.

[QUOTE=Cluckyx;20645755]Thats what I meant by design software...[/QUOTE] Just making sure you weren't refering to dreamweaver or some other crappy WYSIWYG editor.

[QUOTE=loony383;20645764]Just making sure you weren't refering to dreamweaver or some other crappy WYSIWYG editor.[/QUOTE] Why would I? A designer doesn't do much code based work at all. 90% of his work with the site is through mockups and design theory.

[QUOTE=Cluckyx;20645773]Why would I? A designer doesn't do much code based work at all. 90% of his work with the site is through mockups and design theory.[/QUOTE] Too many people these days think that if they have dreamweaver they are instantly amazing web designers and their sites will always be better than someone that source codes it. It is little code, but it's still better to write it yourself than get all the bloated crap that dreamweaver and other editors put in that often don't even validate.

[QUOTE=andersonmat;20529941]For basic tutorials: [url]www.w3schools.com[/url] [/QUOTE] A livesaving site. Tizag is also a good place to learn basic things.

[QUOTE=loony383;20645813]Too many people these days think that if they have dreamweaver they are instantly amazing web designers and their sites will always be better than someone that source codes it. It is little code, but it's still better to write it yourself than get all the bloated crap that dreamweaver and other editors put in that often don't even validate.[/QUOTE] I think we're agreeing, you're just missing it. A designer doesn't build the site. He designs it. He does his shit THEN hands it to the developer who breaks out the text editor.

[QUOTE=SkyCommander;20547783]I would probably install a webserver on my computer like Apache along with PHP and MySQL. From here this will be your own personal sandbox.[/QUOTE] I've done this to learn PHP - and I'm going through the w3schools tutorials and taking my own notes and trying them out. It's a little boring, but I'm almost ready to jump into making something, so it'll be worth it. I'd recommend using [url=http://www.wampserver.com/en/]WAMP[/url] to setup the server - seemed to make things really quite simple for me.

[QUOTE=loony383;20645764]Just making sure you weren't refering to dreamweaver or some other crappy WYSIWYG editor.[/QUOTE] I already had this discussion in another thread, but [b]Dreamweaver is not crappy software[/b]. The design view (along with the design view in anything else) is crappy, but the code view is [b]good[/b].

[QUOTE=turb_;20660707]I already had this discussion in another thread, but [B]Dreamweaver is not crappy software[/B]. The design view (along with the design view in anything else) is crappy, but the code view is [B]good[/B].[/QUOTE] I have nothign against the code view (except the fact I prefer other editors), it's the design view that I do have the problem with, as with every WYSIWYG.

It's not even that crappy, just commonly abused as a "make your whole website in this thing" tool.