Which Programming

Language to Learn Web

Programming
Today were going to take a look at the various web programming languages
that power the Internet. This is the fourth part in a beginners programming
series. In part 1, we learnt the basic of variables and datatypes. In part 2,
we moved onto functions and control structures. In part 3, we had a look at
some of the numerous software programming languages. Like last time, Ive
included screenshots of what typical code in the language looks like, which I
believe is a good at-a-glance indicator of whether youre going to be
comfortable programming it or not.

PHP
PHP is the undisputed king of server-side languages in use on the Internet
today running on 75% of all web servers and is the power behind
WordPress, Wikipedia, and even the user-facing part of Facebook.

As a server side language, the code is processed before it reaches the users
browser, so all they see is the final page and none of the original PHP code.
PHP is mainly used in conjunction with MySQL to pull information from a
database, manipulate it and present it to the user.

PHP is general-purpose and comes as standard with most web servers if

youve ever heard the term MAMP/WAMP/LAMP, the P generally stands
for PHP (the rest is Windows/Mac/Linux, Apache, and MySQL).

MySQL
Another component of standard web server installations, MySQL is a free,
open source database server. Its not a programming language as such, but
it is a new language to learn if you want to talk to databases so its a key
component of modern websites. Although MySQL is actually a command-line
language, there are common GUI tools available such as PHPMyAdmin for
managing databases more easily.
Again, MySQL is what powers WordPress - so all your posts and content are
actually stored inside a MySQL database.

Javascript
Not to be confused with Java, the full object oriented software programming
language we introduced last week, Javascript is the daddy of interactive
webpages. Its a scripting language thats run locally on the users browser,
allowing webpages to respond to user interactions such as clicking on
elements and timing events. To cover everything Javascript is capable of
would be impossible suffice to say if theres something interactive on a
site, and it isnt Flash its more than likely Javascript.
Its worth mentioning JQuery at this point too. JQuery is a Javascriptframework which lets you write less code and gives you greater browser

compatibility, and is quickly becoming the standard for modern webpages.

Its particularly useful for targeting specific parts of a webpage using familiar
CSS terms and doing something with them, such as showing or hiding them.
Although JQuery is made from Javascript, it introduces its own unique
language components too, so just because you know Javascript doesnt
mean you can automatically use JQuery (you could also argue that you dont
need to know much Javascript to be able to use jQuery). Well definitely be
looking at this one at some point.

Perl
Perl used to be a major force in web programming but has since been
relegated to mostly just text-processing applications. Its incredibly fast at
processing text, but not of much use on the modern Internet. Its something
that all hackers have in the box of tricks though, so its worth checking out
at some point.
To give you an idea of the power of Perl, heres the complete code that was
created to crack DVD encryption. Yes, it is rather cryptic:

Ruby
Ruby, and its web application framework Ruby On Rails, powers some pretty
major websites such as Groupon, Shopify (a commerce platform), and the
front-end of Twitter. Its a full object oriented language thats interpreted by
the server and then sent as a finished HTML page to the browser much like
PHP (yet also completely different, *sigh*). It has a number of key
advantages though, namely in rapid development, less code repetition, and
speed.

Unfortunately, most web servers do not support Ruby out of the box, so
unless youre able to configure your own server as you wish, you need to use
a hosting service such as Heroku.

Python
Python is another full object-oriented high-level strongly-typed language.
Adjectives used to describe Python typically include fun, easy to use, and
a good learning tool but ultimately theres very few real-world Python web
applications. It certainly sounds like a good place to start though, especially
if youre the kind of person whos into Linux and open source / communitydriven projects. Just dont expect to be making any actual webpages with
this, and there appears to be a rivalry with the Ruby community.

ASP.net
This is Microsofts contribution to the web language arena, predictably
popular in corporate environments and nowhere else. Its closely integrated
into the .Net family, and you need specific Windows hosting to run ASP.net
web applications, which in my experience is far more effort than its worth.
Stay away from this one unless you have a really good reason not to.

So, Which Should You Learn?

If you want to create a modern, interactive website, I suggest a combination
of PHP, MySQL, and possibly JQuery/Javascript for interactivity. Thats not to
say the languages such as Ruby and Python arent worth investigating as a
learning exercise which we certainly will be doing at some point but if
your time is limited and you seriously want to start learning useful real-world
skills then the PHP/MySQL combo is the best place to start.
Base Knowledge:

HTML (HTML 4.2 now, but HTML 5 will become standard in another year or so, you can code it
now if you like. XHTML is only for use with XML based languages like MathML)
CSS (CSS3 I guess)
XML (This more a data structure than an actual language, but can be useful in web sites)

Scripting Languages:

JavaScript (most common)

Action Script (if you get into Flash)
VBScript (Old fashioned)

*Soft Web Programming Languages: (Simple Web Sites)

PHP (most common)

Perl
Python (more rare)
VisualBasic (Old fashioned)

*Hard Programming Languages: (Industrial/Corporate/Commercial web sites)

Java
C#

Technologies:

Classic ASP (a structure, not a language. Generally Visual Basic. Not recommended)
.NET (Modern ASP & can be used with the above languages, aka PHP.net, C#.net. C# being the
current industry standard)
Ruby on Rails (becoming more popular)
Flash Builder (The program formerly known as Prince Flex. Flash based technology)
'CMS' Content Management System (You need to understand what they do and how they help
you and the customer, includes Drupal & WordPress as examples)

1. HTML
HTML is the most important thing a Web designer or Web developer can learn. Even if you plan on
using WYSIWYG editors for most of your career, knowing HTML will give you an understanding of how
the Web works so that your designs will be more effective.
HTML is imperative to both Web designers and Web developers. Even Web designers who don't plan to
do much work outside of a WYSIWYG editor should learn HTML so that they know the basis of their Web
pages.
More Info

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2. CSS
After HTML, CSS is the most important language Web designers can learn. It is what powers the
designs and determines how a page will look.
CSS is imperative to Web designers. If you don't know CSS you won't be able to design cutting edge
websites. CSS is useful to Web developers, but not as important. Web developers who know CSS will be
able to make their applications interact more effectively with the design.
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3. Design Sense
Having a good sense of design is important for Web designers. There is a lot more to it than simply
knowing which colors you like. You should be aware of the elements of design as well as the basic
design principles. My Weekly Web Design Class teaches design principles as they relate to Web design.
Web designers must know design. Web developers do not need this skill, unless they are working as a
freelancer.
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4. JavaScript and Ajax

JavaScript is the first interactive element of a website and Web developers should be comfortable in
JavaScript before they learn any other languages. Once you understand how JavaScript connects with
your website, then you can use it to extend applications and create Ajax websites.
Web designers don't need to learn JavaScript. Web developers should learn JavaScript.
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5. PHP, ASP, Java, Perl, or C++

Programming Web pages starts with the language you use. There are many more options than the
ones I list above, but these are some of the most popular and sought after. PHP is easily the leader,
and if you choose only one language to learn, it should be PHP.
Web designers don't need to learn a programming language. Web developers must learn at least one
and the more you know well, the more employable you will be.
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6. MySQL Database
Learning how to build and maintain a database is essential to most Web applications. MySQL is the
most popular database on the Web, but learning Access or SQL or another database will be helpful.
Web designers don't need to learn databases. Web developers would find knowing some database
administration helpful.

More Info

7. Flash
Flash brings animation and vector graphics to Web pages. It can be used by both Web designers and
Web developers to create interesting sites.
Web designers can learn Flash to round out their design and graphics knowledge. Web developers can
learn Flash (and ActionScript) to round out their programming knowledge.
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8. SEO
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is useful for anyone building websites. SEO is affected by the way
the HTML is written, the image quality and content as well as many other things.
Both Web designers and Web developers will have a more desirable resume if they know SEO.
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9. Web Server Administration
Knowing at least a little about the Web server your website is running on can help you solve problems
and make your sites run better. Most Web designers feel they can ignore the server, but if you know
how the server responds to things then you can build a better site.
Web designers don't need to know how to administer a server, but could benefit from knowing simple
things like shell access. Web developers should learn more about the server so that they can
troubleshoot their scripts and programs.
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10. Project Management

Project management is a critical job skill for nearly anyone. By knowing how to manage a project, you
can help keep it on track and that will endear you to every manager you work with.
Both Web designers and Web developers will benefit from knowing project management.