Which Programming Language Should I Learn To Design My Website?

[Showstopper]

All these comments great. But all you really need is HTML. CSS will help you make it prettier, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby will help you make it more user friendly. But none of that matters if you don't have a good base or skeleton. HTML is the most essential thing you need. Like BlaineSch suggested, go to W3Schools. Once you've got a good base branch out to CSS then PHP and/or JavaScript.

This guy is right on. Learn HTML first, you should probably know XHTML and CSS.

[jwxie518]

actually if you don't want to waste your time, either pay someone to finish the site for you in a fair pay (some $100 - 300) with any existing open source project. Or you could just select an open source project that fits your need.

[GabryelFall]

Could do that, but they wanted to learn and do it themselves. Which, IMHO, is the best way to go about something if you've got the time. Feel free (compnoob) to post and ask questions as you're learning and as you're working on your site. We would be more than happy to help out!

[compnoob88]

Hello!

Thanks for all the helpful replies! Seems like everybody agrees I should start with HTML and CSS first. I guess I'll start with these two, then start seriously looking into all the other things recommended in the thread; at this point I just can't seem to understand what is a server, host, testing, WAMPserver, XAMPP, server side language, client side language, etc, it's all very abstract/ I'm a real noob. Hopefully it'll all get clearer as I go along

Oh, and thanks BlaineSch and GabryelFall for recommending w3Schools, I just checked it out, and it looks much better than this HTML book I borrowed a few days ago I've been reading it casually and fiddling around a bit using IE; it's really addictive.

Yup, I'll post here again to let you know how the website goes Thanks again!

[Orjan]

Server is a computer specialized in serving other computers with information

Host can either be a nickname for a server, or it could be someone who lets you use their server or parts or their server for your web pages.

Testing is simply the phase you do before having a page work properly.

WAMP server or XAMPP is both packages which installs an Web server (Apache), an SQL Server (MySQL), and PHP Scripting language. This is to enable you to try your work out locally, or even serve other people with our work if you have an public server with it.

Server side language, are like php and perl, programs that are ran on the server, generation the html to show the complete web page for the user.

Client Side language, are like javascript, which is ran within the web browser, modifiying the page on events like clicking a button or filling out a form.

[Sparticus9090]

Ya, I would use html and CSS, i just started making websites and got into the hang of it in about a week

[markspenser]

for designing of only website you do not need to learn any language.
you need to learn only photoshop. now after designing template you need to cut into images then you can create static website.
if your website is data base driven then and then only you need to learn php or microsoft .net or java. other wise you need to learn only html and java script.

[scottk]

It looks like I am the only .NET advocate on this thread but given what you need I think PHP would beat out ASP.NET in this case as you can get free php galleries and have more options for shopping carts. Watch out with the content management systems too -- typically you need a CMS when the person in charge of updating the site is not the developer. I say this because ~once a week I read about a joomla-related security issue.

[arslan220]

i think you should learn php.

[iConquest]

I use lightbox on my site to make images' size increase on the same page when you click them.

You'll have to google it - I cant post links.