CGTalk - Beginner in programing, help needed

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TMNT3D

01-03-2005, 06:50 PM

Wasn't sure where else to put it, so I hope this is the proper place. If not, please feel free to move it :)..

Hello all,

For the past few years, I've been running a web server that has basically been just to help friends out when they need space, and to get my own website running. I know how to properly setup a .com site and to get it registered and running, but that's all I know. I don't know how to maintain my server properly, and I don't know any programing skills like how to create and maintain your own custom web counter, how to setup a variety of messageboards, etc...

But it's something I've always wanted to learn. Would anyone be able to recommend a book on the basics that might be able to get me started, so I don't have to continuously ask for help on my own server when something goes wrong?

THanks

saltydogdesign

01-03-2005, 07:40 PM

As for the server stuff, that depends on what server you are using. If you're on apache, you might check out apache.org -- there's a manual on there somewhere. You can't go wrong with O'Reilly books when it comes to technical subjects (those are the blue and white books with the animals on the covers).

Beyond that, it sounds like you could stand to learn a good web programming language. PHP will serve you well in this regard. Learn it. Love it. There's an extensive online manual here:

http://www.php.net/manual/en/

And O'Reilly has a good book titled PHP or something like that. The PHP Cookbook is good once you get into it a bit.

PHP will enable you to write just about any web app you can think up (once you are fluent anyway), but you might want to learn a bit of Perl someday. I think Perl is kind of on the way out as a web language, but it still turns up a lot in server side stuff, and I find it handy for a million tiny little things all the time. Moreover, it does occasionally appear as a scripting language in graphics apps, e.g. modo.

Hope that helps.

arquebus

01-03-2005, 08:14 PM

If you dont mind me throwing in a quick question on the subject of beginners help- Can anyone recommend me a good free hex editor?

Penel

01-03-2005, 08:20 PM

http://programmingtutorials.com/

Enjoy.

jeffthomann

01-03-2005, 08:36 PM

There's a lot of hex editors out there... They all pretty much do the same thing...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=free+hex+editor

TMNT3D

01-03-2005, 09:20 PM

Whoops, the Server is Windows NT 5.0.

As soon as it starts making money, however, that will soon be upgraded to the latest version :).

Garma

01-04-2005, 12:54 AM

build a server with linux, install php and mysql. that's not too hard with all the gui's and drakes nowadays, and it's pretty secure. Or, of course, get yourself a host. Let them take care of security.

next, learn PHP. It's an absolutely great language for beginners. you don't need books for that one, look up tutorials on google and keep returning to www.php.net: it's the ultimate php source. Next, learn SQL. it's really a very simple language to communicate with databases, it's almost english, shouldn't take you more than a day. Master those two and you can write any application you want. there are examples for every application of php you could possibly imagine, and I'm sure you will enjoy it!

[edit] basically: what saltydogdesign said... but I don't think you need books for it, it's really a piece of cake.

good luck!

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