Making Web Pages

[BoredBloke]

OK, I have to admit that it looks like this tinternet thing is going to take off and be around for some time to come. So having never produced a website, I would like to ask you which software would be the best to learn so that I can take my first baby steps on the information super highway. Nothing like being at the forefont of this dot com boom!

Ultimately what I want to be able to do is produce a simple site which links to a sql database and would allow me to run reports which would be dumped out to Excel.

The software I have is all based around the MS action pack - SQL server, MS Visual Studio, Visual Web Developer and Visual Basic etc - oh and front page!

If anybody can recommend some useful sites and or books, it would be very much appreciated.

Cheers

[mcquiggd]

www.asp.net

Look for the starter kits and turtorials.

PM me for.. shall we say.. more assistance.....

[privateeye]

Definately not frontpage if you want browser compatability and database connectivity etc. For those without good experience of Java/.net it may be too much to learn for something basic as you describe. I would suggest Apache Server, PHP scripting, and MySQL. You will find many resources for these including lots of coding examples and many ISP's will host them.

Just can't think of the name of the book at the moment but there is one that combines all the above and I've seen it in most IT Bookshops.

[DimPrawn]

I built Microsoft.com single handedly with notepad and a cheese sandwich

[OrangeHopper]

I find egg and cress works better.

One thing to keep in mind is where you will ultimately host the thing. If you choose to use something non-standard then find a hosting service to accommodate your needs may be expensive.

[Spacecadet]

Don't use notepad!!
Its fine for small files but then just becomes a pain in the arse. Even VI on a unix system is better
Get textpad (http://www.textpad.com) its free for the evaluation version which is the same as the full version except for the occasional reminder to pay for it.
Its got syntax highlighting, macros, multiple document capabilities, templates and there is a wealth of add-ons available.
The best things about it are:
Regex expressions for the search and replace
Clipboard memory (it stores all your past copy/cut operations from all windows apps for easy retrieval)
Recordable Macros
workspaces (several textfiles saved as a group so you can open, save and close in one operation)
File comparison

I've been using it for years mainly for SQL and HTML and swear by it. I even found that by using the built in tools you can perform command line ops from it including running SQL on a remote server (if you have the right software installed)

[mcquiggd]

Textpad is great - many 'community' donated syntax libraries (Fortran, SQL in its various incarnations, C# etc), plus a 'view in browser' function that is easily accessed .... its one of the standard utilities I set up when configuring a new dev workstation.

[scotspine]

ultraedit

http://www.ultraedit.com/index.php?n...howpage&pid=94

has one sublime feature [apart from the usual stuff referred to above] that is worth its weight in gold. i have not seen it anywhere else and use it regularly.

[Spacecadet]

ultraedit

http://www.ultraedit.com/index.php?n...howpage&pid=94

has one sublime feature [apart from the usual stuff referred to above] that is worth its weight in gold. i have not seen it anywhere else and use it regularly.

Whats that sublime feature then? You're post come tantalisingly close to telling us but fails to deliver

[Spacecadet]

I've used TextPad since 1996 (!). It's taken a dive recently as they haven't released a new version since 1994. Not good.

I still use it though as it just works.

I've used it since 1999 when i finished uni - even paid for it eventually cause i was using it 10 hours a day