Building a website from scratch

[akif]

Hi all,

I want to know the basics of building a website. Can anybody please tell where to start from ? I can't join any school for this; will prefer it doing using the online resources.

Any help or guidance in this regard will be highly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Variable]

Well there is "basic" and there is .... basic. So first I would ask yourself if you want to purchase a web builder app like Dreamweaver. All in all the learning curve would be much smoother and shorter with a full featured web site tool like Dreamweaver or whatever Frontpage is called now.

[akif]

Thanks for the response @Variable.

I have Frontpage with me. But i would like to ask that why do some folks go learning HTML, when, as you mentioned, it would make the learning curve longer ?

[awaj]

Learning HTML can often have a longer learning curve, but if you know HTML, it does make life a little easier when dealing with errors caused by programs. You can make it in the real world/ do what ever you want if you don't learn HTML, but you can get farther if you know HTML. (you can also do a bit more with a little memorization, then just learning how to use a web page compiler.

Webmonkey (http://www.webmonkey.com/) is a great resource for learning HTML

[david eaton]

And another point about learning HTML is that you can then write Standards compliant clean code, without the bloat that Frontpage seems to make.

[mjc]

Almost all WYSIWYG HTML 'editors' add some amount of bloat...some more than others (FP is definitely in the 'more' division).

[Variable]

But i would like to ask that why do some folks go learning HTML, when, as you mentioned, it would make the learning curve longer ?


Well the two things are not mutually exclusive. You can learn HTML and use any web editor at the same time. Web tools like Dreamweaver and Frontpage allow you do more with a web site quickly. If you want to do something with your site and that feature is not part of the web application then you need to code it yourself. So although both apps will write a bit of code for common site needs, they won't do everything you could ever want to do.

Really depends on what you want to do - doesn't it? If all you want to do is create a simple site and get it up and running quickly, both Dreamweaver and Frontpage will do that. If you want to learn coding as a profession then that is something different. But you can bet people who program for a living use tools that help them do that. So I would not feel that learning to create a web site using Notepad and HTML is any "better" than using a tool to help you do that.

[awaj]

I view learning HTML before going onto WYSIWYG editors very beneficial. If there is an error somehow, it can make life a little easier when diagnosing the problem.

[akif]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Although i don't have any intention to learn it for a living right now; nevertheless, i want to learn it to a professional level.

So, what i understood is that learning HTML won't be a waste of time.

[david eaton]

what i understood is that learning HTML won't be a waste of time.
Certainly not! Actually, HTML is not really difficult, and you will pick up enough to go on with in a very short time- actually a weekend!
If you can find a copy of "learn HTML in a weekend"by steven e callihan, it makes a very good starting point.

[akif]

Thanks @david eaton
I don't think i'd be able to get the book you mentioned. Hope the online resources are sufficient to get started. Have gone through a tutorial written for beginners. Now searching some others.

[awaj]

webmonkey is sufficient (assuming that you stick with it and actually type the examples... Cutting and pasting won't work.)

[Paul Komski]

Almost all WYSIWYG HTML 'editors' add some amount of bloat...some more than others (FP is definitely in the 'more' division).Bloat is one thing but modifying existing HTML is another and FrontPage is notorious for doing just that.

Editors such as the open source NVU (now continued as Kompozer (http://www.kompozer.net/) which I haven't tried) and W3C's Amaya (http://www.w3.org/Amaya/) modify very little in any existing htm/html document apart from inserting head and body tags if they are missing and, with NVU, a default doctype declaration at the top of the page. They both allow for very clean code to be produced. The doctype declaration is important if you want to validate code to web standards but can otherwise be ignored. It, in effect, just tells validators (http://validator.w3.org/) to check the code in a specific way. Both are free unlike the expensive bloats Dreamweaver and FrontPage.

If you want to do pure encoding with a text editor both CodeGenie (http://www.code-genie.com/main.html) and Notepad++ (http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm) will help make your life much easier because they allow formatted highlighting of what you encode.

Another "problem" with Frontpage is that it creates a whole gamut of associated folders and files - some hidden - in windows explorer. To successfully upload the full site all of these must be uploaded and downloaded to allow all the themes and navigation and so forth to be kept synchronized.

PS The full Mozilla SeaMonkey (http://www.seamonkey-project.org/) download includes an HTML composer with the same design structure as NVU. I find it a very good authoring tool and if you want a tool that will also work under Linux SeaMonkey will function just fine there too.

[sarahxbox2009]

Hi all,

I want to know the basics of building a website. Can anybody please tell where to start from ? I can't join any school for this; will prefer it doing using the online resources.

Any help or guidance in this regard will be highly appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi, I just want to share you some salient points in designing your website. Websites are judged by content and layout. How good your content maybe, if your layout is not appealing, visitors will not be eager to come back. Everyone is not born with a quality of creating layouts that are pleasing to the eye.
Try the following techniques:
1. Keep it simple
2. Readable font size and face:
3. Use web safe eye pleasing colors
4. One important aspect of layout is keeping track of dimensions of a web page
5. Limit File Size

[mjc]

sarahxbox2009...

Hi, I just want to share you some salient points in designing your banning. Bans are judged by content and layout. How good your content maybe, if your layout is not appealing, mods be eager to ban. Everyone is not born with a quality of creating ban-worthy material that are pleasing to the eye.
Try the following techniques:
1. Keep it simple
2. Really post to old threads.
3. Use web safe eye pleasing colors
4. One important aspect of ban-worthy material is keeping track of dimensions of a web page...make it large and noticble
5. Limit yourself to plugging your own product/service on your very first post.