HTML, XHTML and CSS All-In-One for Dummies - Andy Harris [9]
♦ How to build modern layouts: Many Web pages feature columns, menus, and other fancy features. You’ll figure out how to build all these things.
♦ How to add interactivity: Adding forms to your pages, validating form data, and creating animations are all possible with the JavaScript language.
♦ How to write programs on the server: Today’s Web is powered by programs on Web servers. You’ll discover the powerful PHP language and figure out how to use it to create powerful and effective sites.
♦ How to harness the power of data: Every Web developer eventually needs to interact with data. You’ll read about how to create databases that work. You’ll also discover how to connect databases to your Web pages and how to create effective and useful interfaces.
♦ How AJAX is changing everything: The hottest Web technology on the horizon is AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). You’ll figure out how to harness this way of working and use it to create even more powerful and interesting applications.
No Experience Necessary
I’m not assuming anything in this book. If you’ve never built a Web page before, you’re in the right hands. You don’t need any experience, and you don’t have to know anything about HTML, programming, or databases. I discuss everything you need.
If you’re reasonably comfortable with a computer (you can navigate the Web and use a word processor), you have all the skills you need.
Great for Advanced Folks, Too!
If you’ve been around Web development for a while, you’ll still find this book handy.
If you’ve used HTML but not XHTML, see how things have changed and discover the powerful combination of XHTML and CSS.
If you’re still using table-based layouts, you’ll definitely want to read about newer ways of thinking. After you get over the difference, you’ll be amazed at the power, the flexibility, and the simplicity of CSS-based layout and design.
If you’re already comfortable with XHTML and CSS, you’re ready to add JavaScript functionality for form validation and animation. If you’ve never used a programming language before, JavaScript is a really great place to start.
If you’re starting to get serious about Web development, you’ve probably already realized that you’ll need to work with a server at some point. PHP is a really powerful, free, and easy language that’s extremely prominent on the Web landscape. You’ll use this to have programs send e-mails, store and load information from files, and work with databases.
If you’re messing with commercial development, you’ll definitely need to know more about databases. I get e-mails every week from companies looking for people who can create a solid relational database and connect it to a Web site with PHP.
If you’re curious about AJAX, you can read about what it is, how it works, and how to use it to add functionality to your site. You’ll also read about a very powerful and easy AJAX library that can add tremendous functionality to your bag of tricks.
I wrote this book as the reference I wish I had. If you have only one Web development book on your shelf, this should be the one. Wherever you are in your Web development journey, you can find something interesting and new in this book.
Use Any Computer
One of the great things about Web development is how accessible it can be. You don’t need a high-end machine to build Web sites. Whatever you’re using now will probably do fine. I built most of the examples in this book with Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux, but a Mac is perfectly fine, too. Most of the software I use in the book is available free for all major platforms. Similar alternatives for all platforms are available in the few cases when this isn’t true.
Don’t Buy Any Software
Everything you need for Web development is on the CD-ROM. I’ve used only open-source software for this book. The CD contains a ton of tools and helpful programs. See Appendix A in the back of this book for a complete listing.