I want to learn HTML and Javascript, etc. and ultimately design a full-fledged website! Help!?

Question

I have tried text sites like w3schools.com and stuff. Is there any free hands-on/video tutorials on this stuff. I know basic HTML.

Answer 1

There are a whole bunch of online sites that offer varying degrees of interactivity.

First off though, you'd better determine your needs and your focus. Are you opening an on-line store, planning to be a pro blogger, a Flash guru...? Web development can cover numerous languages beyond HTML. Suggest you get at least some basics in CSS and branch out from there.

I agree with the first post, a good book, possibly that includes a CD, may be well worth the cost. Personally, I think book preference depends a lot on personal learning style and objectives. So take some time and figure out which is best for you.

In addition, I would recommend taking a live course at a community college. It shouldn't cost a lot, but would give you access to an instructor and possibly other people to learn from.

Answer 2

Most websites are made by people that know nothing but the most basic HTML, using programs like Frontpage, Go!Live, and Dreamweaver. There's very few of us old school rats left that can do everything faster by handcoding everything, rather than using them new fancy programs.

There's tons of free stuff to teach you all over the net, but it depends on what you want to do, and what level you're on, which references would serve you the best.

What I'm getting at is: What is your aim? And what is your background. What book or reference would serve you best varies greatly by what you know already, and by what you want to achieve. Personally, I'm multi-lingual, I learned programming when I was 6, and I have lived and breathed computers my entire life. Learned HTML for me was easy. But the less computing experience you have, the harder it is to learn computer stuff.

If you just want to learn HTML and JavaScript for the heck of it, then there's no way around going at it the hard way: Try out every HTML tag you know, experiment with what all the attributes does, then when you find your limits, and can't figure out how to do what you want to do, go through the HTML references until you find a tag that'll do what you want to do.

WDG's HTML references and guides are some of the most comprehensive on the web. http://htmlhelp.com/
They helped me a lot when I first got started, and I've handcoded websites for over a decade.

As for JavaScript: It is VERY important that you learn and know HTML at a decent level first, before you try to code it. And secondly: learn stylesheets (CSS) before you start coding. Although you can do just about anything using JavaScript, it is for great many things completely unnessary. If you know HTML well, and know CSS well, you can do an awful lot of things easily, and have them be fully compatible on nearly all browsers.

JavaScript should only be used to go beyond the limitations of HTML and CSS, and until you actually know what those limitations are, you shouldn't be using it. There's way too many sites out there where people use JavaScript to do things that could be done more elegantly by simply knowing HTML and CSS properly, and knowing what can be done.

In other words: Worry about learning HTML and CSS first, then worry about learning stuff like JavaScript.

Answer 3

Designing the site can be done without knowing much code. It's not about the code, it's look, feel, navigation, content and so on.

Don't design to the code. Code to the design. Storyboards are more important that html tags or the mechanics of having a div change text or images in javascript.

This means you have more time than you think to learn the technicals. As others have suggested, books are good and have more depth than most online how-tos, as is a course or two.

Answer 4

Actually, online resources are how I started my journey down the road to learning HTML. I eventually used those skills to land a web design job. Don't necessarily rely on books...although that is one way. I actually spent some time researching and the link in my source appears to have the best HTML tutorial in my opinion. There are hands-on excercises in it. You can also use a second browser window and any hosting site with an online designer to try your hand at anything. Practice makes perfect.

Answer 5

because the others have noted you want to study HTML and CSS. Javascript is yet another sensible language to study yet do no longer assume to study what you want purely surfing the internet. you ought to spend a even as and funds to procedures to make a strong website. I easily were doing this for years and that i'm nevertheless studying new/extra perfect procedures to layout a area. i ought to characterize contacting an section web site layout company and ask in the adventure that they are going to grant their facilities for loose thinking that is a non earnings website. well worth a attempt.

Answer 6

If you want to learn any programming I suggest you buy books. Stuff online often doesn't help very much.

Answer 7

Books are the best I'd say, but I also got a lot out of http://www.javascriptkit.com

Answer 8

Check out http://www.yourhtmlsource.com/ and http://www.w3schools.com/