On Thu, 17 May 2007 17:55:43 +0700 Ben Ford <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> My 2 pence worth: > [snip] > or even *shudder* php) > [snip] I fail to see why people *shudder* at using any tool that directly affects the content of a web page. To some extent, what's the difference between your favourite html generator and frontpage? I've used php, C, shellscripts, *even fortran* on one occasion to generate (x)html. AFAICS it's the inderstanding of the generated content that's most important, and not the tools that generate it. Personally, I veer towards the generation of the content, rather than the design. However, the last thing I do is to denigrate the designers - they have skills (aptitude?) that I dont have, and vice versa. As a longtime C programmer, I find that php is a really useful tool. Personally, I could use C programs just as easily, but the number of people who could maintain that solution would be so much smaller, so that solution is less appealing. It's weird writing programs to generate html, like programming one step removed, but you sort of get used to it. Sure, sell ruby and the like as hard as you wish, but do your apprenticeship first. You can't learn the nuts and bolts of writing (d)html without resorting to first principles. This thread is about a qualification in web design/implementation. Start off writing html use a text editor, then get the principles of css sorted, and then you can start using shortcuts like frontpage, ruby, pthon, dreamweaver, and the rest. O'Reilly's Dynamic html is a useful reference. Personally, I think that the basic premise of this course framework is wrong, and the suggestion that a good portfolio will do you much more good is a far better approach - however, the first thing I do ( as an employer ) is to look at the urls provided, and put them through w3c's validator. Ruby, python, drupal, ..... will not help you there. Your apprenticeship will. There's also another approach... without a reason to learn, you never will. If you really want to learn how to write a good website, pick a subject you feel passionate about, and go for it. Throw it all together, then try to change the look and feel of the website you've just written. It'll be really hard. Now use the tools provided by w3c to keep you on the straight and narrow, and understand the concept of separating the content and the look and feel of the site, basic css stuff that'll make that so much easier ( and all the tricks that you can use in the css to get it to render nicely in all the different browsers, but that isn't important now ). Because in the real world, the customer will be *always* be changing their mind, saying something along the lines of 'can you just make this a bit greener' or 'can you make the left column 10 pix narrower'. If you can do that easily then you're onto a winner, and you've learned the right skills to a) feel good about what you've produced, and b) made the customer That's my $0.02. I hope it makes sense... I've had a beer or two (: Steve
