Next step for my web site?

[DreamTone]

Hi all - First time here, I am here because I have reached a point with my web site where everything is starting to get confusing, HTML or XHTML, Java, CSS? etc. My web site is listed below if anyone wants to check it out and critiqe it I'm shure its filled with errors! :rolleyes:

Anyways, I would like to start dabaling with basic background scripts keep in mind I don't really know what I am doing, but what I would like to do is a scalled down bare bones program that can calculate purchaces, weight, totals, add shipping charges. I was thinking this could be done with an excell type spread sheet, but HOW do I implement this into my web site????:confused:

Thanks!
Rob

[drhowarddrfine]

First, learn modern html techniques by studing your validation errors. (http://validator.w3.org/check?verbose=1&uri=http://www.dreamtone.org/) Make sure you have a proper doctype. I suggest HTML Strict. Then learn CSS. After you have learned those, then learn scripting. You won't be able to do what you want to do until you get those first steps taken care of.

Make sure you test your code in Firefox or Opera. Don't even think of IE yet because it's riddled with bugs. Convert all your tags from uppercase to lower case.

[DreamTone]

Thanks for the advice! :thumbsup:

I have started to look into what you suggested. Are these web browsers free? What kind of scripting language should I look into?

[ronaldb66]

FireFox (http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/) is free, and I believe Opera (http://www.opera.com/products/desktop/) is too, nowadays (they used to offer a free version with ads, and a paid, add-free version). Both are excellent browsers.

For local enhancements, dynamic effects etc. JavaScript is the language of choice; for backend programming, the most popular server side scripting language is PHP (in the business world, ASP en .NET are far more popular).
PHP is powerful, it's open source, so free, it's offered by many web hosts and there are tons of tutorials, script examples, etc. around. Did I mention it's free?

[DreamTone]

Well I am trying out Fire Fox now and my first impresion seems kinda like Netscape to me, thanks for the links, I also started looking into the PHP stuff thanks!

[firepages]

You won't be able to do what you want to do until you get those first steps taken care of.

Whilst I would not say you should not work on validation etc the above is totally false , you need no knowledge of CSS/doctypes etc to code a shopping cart etc in PHP or any other language.

If you do get the validation right and use CSS properly then the display of your shopping cart/whatever will be easier to update and debug display errors etc.

[firepages]

Don't even think of IE yet because it's riddled with bugs.

90% of your visitors will be using the `bug-riddled` IE in one form or another ,if there are compromises to be made it should be in favour of the masses so make sure your code works in IE !

FYI I use FireFox and forgetting to test in IE is a bad move.

[drhowarddrfine]

you need no knowledge of CSS/doctypes etc to code a shopping cart etc in PHP or any other language.So you are saying he needs no knowledge of CSS/doctypes but
If you do get the validation right and use CSS properly then the display of your shopping cart/whatever will be easier to update and debug display errors etc.
Good luck with getting your code to look the same in IE and Firefox/Opera/Safari without a proper doctype and without CSS usage.
90% of your visitors will be using the `bug-riddled` IE in one form or another ,if there are compromises to be made it should be in favour of the masses so make sure your code works in IE !So you are advocating writing improper code just to make it work in IE? What will he do when proper code that works in IE6 breaks when IE7 comes out? Of course you are saying to write his code to IE but that means Apple users can't view his pages properly because, as of now, there is no IE. Linux users can't view his page properly because there is no IE. As with Unix users. In fact, depending on what type of viewers he has, up to 50% of his users may not view it if it was a technical site. Commercial sites report 15% non-IE users and in Europe it's 20%.

Code written for IE may not work in any other browser. Code written in FF may work in ALL browsers including IE6/7. So you say, learn how to code the wrong way and just relearn as IE fixes itself. You have got it all backwards.

Learn how to code and adjust for IE. Rather than coding wrong for IE and having to beat your head against the wall, individually for every other browser. And for more edification, check my links in the sig. But I have many, many more.

[firepages]

I am saying ...
if there are compromises to be made it should be in favour of the masses so make sure your code works in IE !
..that and nothing else , I am not suggesting deliberately writing improper code nor suggesting that understanding CSS/validation/doctypes is wrong.

You said You won't be able to do what you want to do until you get those first steps taken care of.
which is simply not true & you are not helping anyone by providing misinformation.

I appreciate your motives are sound, but thats not the point.

<ps>I develop on firefox, I use IE only to check for layout issues, that said IE always gets the preference</ps>

[geoserv]

though IE is by far the most used browser on the www, there does seem to be an increased presence of FF/Opera/Mozilla etc... I have noticed this on my own site stats.

When I first started with my site, I didn't care if it validated or not, if it looked good in IE I was happy.

But after reading many posts, blogs and articles on the subject, I wish I would have coded to standard from the beginning. I spent about 3 days getting my site to validate and I intend to keep that way.

I think what drhowarddrfine (http://codingforums.com/member.php?u=27308) meant was first learn the basics of getting your site build properly, then go into more advanced options. I agree that if you can code your site right that picking up code for advanced features will come easier to you.

I may not agree with firepages (http://codingforums.com/member.php?u=4) but I do see his point.

Validation is a personal decision, but one that I have come to realize is very important when it comes to coding.

[oracleguy]

Well I am trying out Fire Fox now and my first impresion seems kinda like Netscape to me!

Thats because that is sorta where it has its roots from. If you are interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Firefox

[DreamTone]

Hey people I understand where both of you are coming from and both sides of the coin BUT I think we need to not just read the words for the words but the intent of the message - now I'm confused:eek: Ha! just kidding

Why is code validation sooo important? (by the way I did start correcting some of my 80+ errors) My web page seems to work fine in IE, FireFox, and on a unix machine at my work using an old outdated netscape browser like ver.4 I think.

Can anyone point me to any php scrips or tutorials that I can check and dabble with for a potential shopping cart.

[drhowarddrfine]

Why is code validation sooo important?Validation is error checking. If your code does not validate then you have errors in your code. Sometimes one browser can figure out what you mean and it will display your code properly with the error. Sometimes it can't. And sometimes the error will be interpreted differently by different browsers. But if your code validates, then all browsers will display your code properly the way you intended, assuming the browser itself is not in error (such as IE).

[DreamTone]

Well just a follow up here, I tried out both browsers as recomended above and I really like Opera! :thumbsup: