18 replies to this topic

[Wrightboy]

I'm looking to get into some web site making. I was wondering whats the best program to work with?
One that has style and can easly be custimized (like adding a forum or chatroom to the site).
Any ideas?

-Thanks

[Hoot]

First off you eather code forums or download them you cant just put on in from the tools bar I recomend dreamweaver and photoshop, I also use microsoft frontpage too but thats just me

edit:
for forums software I recomend Invison but if you dont want to pay I then recomend phpBB lol, lots of recomends.


Hoot

Edited by Hoot, 30 January 2006 - 06:06 PM.

[Wrightboy]

First off you eather code forums or download them you cant just put on in from the tools bar I recomend dreamweaver and photoshop, I also use microsoft frontpage too but thats just me

I've made a few sites in Frontpage lol, but my version is out dated now >_< (I have FP 2000 lol)
Thats why i want to switch over to something a little more....lasting lol
I've tried HTML but its so confusing, I get it all messed up in my VB and flash programming >_<
I have dreamweaver! I bought it once i got into website making but, I have never used it or even installed it...i'll have to go dig it up.

Edit: Found it...Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Education Version, brand new!!
lol, also just found my copy of Photoshop 8, unfortunatly i don't know how to use either PS8 or Dreamweaver lol, better hit the tut section

Edited by Wrightboy, 30 January 2006 - 07:50 PM.

[Silwolffe]

Hello there!

I use Dreamweaver 8 and Photoshop CS for my web-design and development projects. I mainly use Dreamweaver 8 for its coding environment, and I only use XHTML and CSS. I've been procrastinating on learning SQL databases and PHP -- which is what you will need for a forum.

If you're looking for a host to get you set up, then I definately recommend Ace-Host.ne -- I'm with them and I have had little to no problems with them, and the problems that I have had were quickly resolved. Their pricing is also pretty good too. I'm sure there are other great web-host providers, so others may want to chime in and share.

I recommend looking at W3Schools for website coding help. Definately look into XHTML and CSS. I also recommend you picking up the book The Zen of CSS Design after you have a stable understanding of XHTML and CSS. It's a very, very good book in my opinion.

Also, check out Site Point and purchase their books from www.amazon.com -- also, sign up with their newsletter. They provide a lot of fun and interesting facts about the web and upcoming changes. The Sitepoint community is also very welcoming.

Hope this helps you some!

Edited by Silwolffe, 30 January 2006 - 11:37 PM.

[SKETCHi]

I highly reccomend you use Photoshop for your designing, and if you want to keep with the Adobe route, get GoLive as well. Though, Adobe did buy Macromedia didn't they.. heh.

Dreamweaver is Macromedias web editor and GoLive is Adobes answer to it. Both programs are very good and will help you build websites. However, the best advice I can give you is this, learn the languages! Learn HTML, CSS and PHP, or more! There are a ton of great languages out there for web designing, find the ones you like and learn them well.

Now, I know phpBB was suggested for forum software... but please, don't ever use it. It's quite possibly the worst forum system out there. Countless bugs and exploits and it really just isn't as good as some of the other options, as far as free forums go.

I suggest you get SMF, it's very easy to use and infinitely better than phpBB. Only problem with SMF is that it's relatively new, so skins are a little sparse. But, SMF 1.1 RC2 truely rivals IPB, and it's free! 1.1 Final will be great, go with SMF.

Get SMF here: http://www.simplemachines.org/

If you're looking for a forum that is incredibly fast and streamline, I would go with PunBB. It's entirely CSS, insanely fast and uses a very small amount of resources.

Get PunBB here: http://www.punbb.org/

Edited by SKETCHi, 31 January 2006 - 03:09 AM.

[Dh.]

If your unsure about the coding in HTML, I wouldn't mind coding it for you. Just make up a design in photoshop, save it as a psd, send it to me and I'll code it for you...

Dh89

[Wrightboy]

Wow, thanks for all the info *head spins* to bad i don't know beans about using it

If your unsure about the coding in HTML, I wouldn't mind coding it for you. Just make up a design in photoshop, save it as a psd, send it to me and I'll code it for you...

Dh89

lol, I appreciate the offer but, heh, first i'd have to learn PS8 (been doings tuts all day). Then i'd have to figure out what exactly you meant by "design". Design it all on one page? Design each piece seperatly (banner, buttons, etc...).
Sorry if i sound like a totaly newbie to webpages but....I AM! I've only ever worked in Flash and VB but not creating webpages, and the few that i did make in Front Page had no coding from me I drew it out and let FP do all the rest.

[Silwolffe]

Hit me up on MSN or send me your AIM name in a PM -- I'll show you a few of my layout sites as well as a few techniques I like to take to help ease the pain of marking it all up in CSS and XHTML.

[Wrightboy]

That'd be great, thanks alot

[adio38]

as for learning Photoshop 8, I highly recommend going to the Tuts section here, lots of helpfull tuts. Also http://www.thewebmachine.com , http://www.greycobra.com/ , and of course this site. Hope that helps ya, I would also go out a buy a Photoshop book, teach you a lot ont he basics.

Adio

[Megalomaniac]

Photoshop and Dreamweaver are the best programs you can find on the net to creat amazing web site in 3 days. There are lots of tutorials on p2l about cool designs and how to make them work ! Good Luck

[coolaid]

i recommend a pad program like editplus: http://editplus.com/ for html.

Edited by coolaid, 31 January 2006 - 04:29 PM.

[Hoot]

Now, I know phpBB was suggested for forum software... but please, don't ever use it. It's quite possibly the worst forum system out there. Countless bugs and exploits and it really just isn't as good as some of the other options, as far as free forums go.

I suggest you get SMF, it's very easy to use and infinitely better than phpBB. Only problem with SMF is that it's relatively new, so skins are a little sparse. But, SMF 1.1 RC2 truely rivals IPB, and it's free! 1.1 Final will be great, go with SMF.

I suggested phpBB because personaly I dont like the look of SMF because the look is just ugly to me but I may look into SMF, but any way that was off topic.

Another thing, the best way to design a website I think personaly, would be to slice, but dont use the slicing tool in photoshop, do what it says in Fakens guide http://slicingguide.com/

Hoot

[Wrightboy]

Another thing, the best way to design a website I think personaly, would be to slice, but dont use the slicing tool in photoshop, do what it says in Fakens guide http://slicingguide.com/

That looks great and all but i'm kinda strapped for cash so i don't think i can buy Corel PhotoPaint to properly do that tut.

Edited by Wrightboy, 31 January 2006 - 05:39 PM.

[Hoot]

works just as well in photoshop that is what I use.

Hoot

Edited by Hoot, 31 January 2006 - 06:48 PM.

[Nike]

You can never go wrong with Notepad.

[coolaid]

theres a million varieties on how to create layouts. and a million tutorials on each one of those varieites.
heres ones of mine: http://scudworkz.com...onal_layout.php

basically, create a new image with a canvas bigger than the actual layout (not random dimensions) usually aroudn 1000px width for a 1024x768 res, or around 780px width for a 800x600 res.

then you use the selection tool at a fixed with/height to get the actual layout dimension (probably like 950 for a 1000px width template or 750 for a 780px width template).

man.. that's kinda confusing... probably..