Forum Moderators: mack
Ok, so I have the dreamweaver mx 2004 bundle that comes with flash, coldfusion, fireworks, freehand (whatever that is), and the extension manager (i dont know how to use that either)- all running on a Mac (OS X). I want to create a simple personal website with a custom blog for starters until I get a hang of developing, then work on building a site for my sisters business.
My Q's:
1. how do i create a custom blog thats flexible and accessible?
2. what do i use? textpattern? php? apache? coldfusion? dreamweaver?
3. whats the difference between these and do i have to use them all?
4. where should i host my site? (im not rich, so i need an affordable host)
5. do i need to have my site up and running on with a host of choice before i begin creating my blog?
And last but not least: what the hell is RSS/Atom and why do I need it? :)
Please be gentle in your responses.. I prefer to be explained in laymans terms (if possible).
-thanks & i appreciate all that can help.
Slow down, take one thing at a time. No one learned all that stuff at once.
Use DW to make yourself your simple web site. Look into some hosting companies, it is cheap now. You hosting company may offer a blog setup. (They run Apache - you don't).
Google and other sites offer free blog packages.
Then learn some CSS using DW.
Slow and easy - you can't learn everything all at once.
Just use a free blog software called Wordpress. If you don't have your own server then use free blog such as blogspot, etc.
You need a server with php installed in order to run Wordpress because this software is written with php. You also need to have a database where all your data will be stored, The database software that you need is MySQL.
If you have problem with installation I will try to help you but that will take the fun out of learning it by yourself.
If you want to start an online business then you need a professional looking web site. You also will need a shopping cart if you want to sell something online. But you got to learn the basic first. I don't want to overwhelm you. Don't rush. Make sure you master the basic first like how to use Dreamweaver, HTML, how to install software on a web server, how to backup database, etc
Lets say you want your web page to do something like displaying calendar, time, floating image, etc. All you need is to write the code for that function with javascript and insert that script into your web page. Eg.
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
function clock() {
var t = new Date();
var h = t.getHours();
var m = t.getMinutes();
var s = t.getSeconds();
var units = new String
,,,, etc
</script>
You insert the above code into your Html page and when you view your page with the browser the clock function will be displayed. The above code is just for an example. The code is not working.
i found out that the mac osx comes with apache, php, though im not sure if it comes with mysql, but i found places to download it.
i know about the different blog sites... but would they allow me to completely create my own design/layout?
should i use textpattern as well? what do developers use for their own sites?
Ask them.
>>>>> what do developers use for their own sites?
You're not a developer yet. Make some web pages. Get a host.
well, can someone at least explain to me the diff between textpattern and wordpress and when should i begin to use these?
All of the things you mention above are like different tools in a toolbox. They all have individual uses. Talking about making a blog with apache is like trying to hang up a painting with a tape measure: wrong tool.
I understand that getting your head around all the various technologies, is daunting. And to be realistic (not to scare you) mastering all of those technologies takes years.
Thankfully there are great tutorials online to learn from and great open source software that can let you accomplish certain goals. There is no shortcut to becoming a great web developer any more than there is a shortcut to becoming a great bodybuilder.
Time, sweat, and tears...
I remember the beginning years of the internet when any shmoe had good reason to thing he could build a website as good as the next guy. Thankfully those days are permanently behind us. If you've been gone a long time, it might be hard to accept this difference. I'll tell it to you straight, though. Web development has come of age as a profession, and the notion that anyone can build a site as well of the next guy is as outdated as racial segragation (which some people still hold on to).
There's no way to become a doctor without going the distance. If I'm sick, my brother may be able to buy me medicine at the drugstore, but serious sickness requires the attention of a doctor.
well, can someone at least explain to me the diff between textpattern and wordpress and when should i begin to use these?
I can't tell you the difference between textpattern and wordpress because I never tried textpattern before.
If you asked me which one to choose, I will ask you which one do you like?
My general guidelines with choosing software especially free one:
(1) Is the source code really open source? That is no encryption whatsoever so that I will be able to see the whole code.
(2) Is the software popular? If it is popular then most likely there will be a team of developers who will constantly update the software to make it more secured whenever loopholes or bugs are found.
I am not familiar with Mac OS platform so I cannot help you much. I know that there are people using Mac as server but I am not aware of any web host selling Mac for web hosting. So, I assume that the Mac you are using is your home computer, If that is the case, I suggest you use Linux or Windows to develop your site because these are the more popular platforms. Should you decide to make your site live then it would make life easier for you. Furthermore, the majority of web servers out there are Linux and the majority of web surfers are using Windows. As for me I develop it on Windows OS and my server is Linux.
If you only have 1 computer at home and that is Mac then forget what I said above.
I suggest you get your own domain and sign up for a cheap web host if you don't have one. It will be faster for you to learn and it will benefit you greatly i.e. getting your site indexed by search engines because old sites are like old wine - search engines will love the taste of an old web site.
Regarding your question when you should use these (i.e. blogs), the answer is when do you want to start blogging? Blogging and developing web site are two different thing.
