Newbie project: Need advice on how to proceed

[Coffeeface]

Hey guys,

Im somewhat new to this whole scene. I learned basic html many years ago, and only just recently have i picked up on it, and decided to learn additional coding and script languages.

The goal of my newb project is to incorporate the languages and technologies of this site (www.nouptime.com) onto the xhtml i just recently learned, and i imagine it'll be a huge project. What i need educated input on is what coding and script languages to learn before i start the actual production. Im particularly fond of the logo which has a random text generator :)

Is there anything else besides javaScript that i need to make myself familiar with?

And can anyone point me in the direction of a great webgraphics design program, for buttons, logos and the sort? :)

Im new to this forum and the whole web design scene, so forgive me if my inquiry is improper :)

[Coffeeface]

shameless and hopeful self-bump :(

[Topazan]

The logo looks like it's done with Flash, but you could achieve a non-animated version with php.

I would say php or some other server-side scripting language is worth learning. I'm not too experienced, but I find it greatly increases your options.

EDIT: In fact, looking at the page you linked there seems to be some server-side scripting going on with the "worst hosts" page if nothing else.

[Topazan]

(double post)

[criterion9]

Hey guys,
And can anyone point me in the direction of a great webgraphics design program, for buttons, logos and the sort? :)

I'd use gimp if you don't already have an image editor preference. If a client is purchasing software for you I'd ask for Photoshop/Illustrator as the combination of the two can be very powerful.

Is there anything else besides javaScript that i need to make myself familiar with?

I would learn HTML, CSS and only use Javascript/Flash as icing on the cake. As previously mentioned for any dynamic portion of the site it would be best to learn a server-side language (i.e. PHP, Java, .NET, etc).

[Coffeeface]

Thanks for your responses. However, I'd appreciate it if you told me which of the server side languages is best for newbies? Im already familiar with html, css and actually too the program Gimp :)

[criterion9]

The server-side language of choice would depend on whether you were familiar with any of them (i.e. understand c-style syntax etc), what production environment you were planning for (i.e. Windows/IIS, Linux/Apache, etc), and a slew of other factors (scalability, cost, stability, etc).

PHP and .NET seem to me to be where a lot of beginner/intermediate web developers end up. I prefer PHP or Java/JSP myself over .NET but have found myself in need of working knowledge across the board at some point in the workforce.

[Coffeeface]

Thank you for clarifying this all for me. Now i know what to focus on :)

I hope you will be ok if i check back in here again (or in more specific part of the board) for further help and advice, as I am sure I am going to be needing it. :)

[criterion9]

These boards are a great resource and can be extremely helpful as a guide when you get stuck. Many people who participate are very knowledgeable and are more than happy to assist. Good luck with your project and I'm sure we will see you around again soon. :)