Learning to Code a Website

Well I've finally decided I'm going to learn to make my very own website, using PHP, MySQL, and Apache. It will be a pet sim, much like Neopets, Furry-Paws, and Pure Felinity, if any of you have seen those sites. It will be a Betta fish sim where you purchase, sell, adopt, raise, show, and breed, virtual bettas. I'm on Chapter 3 of my PHP and MySQL for Dummies book, learning about databases. I've downloaded something called phpdev, which I think includes all three. I haven't yet been able to figure out how to use the programs and it keeps telling me I can't access anything from 'localhost'. I have no idea what that means.

But yea, wish me luck, and if the fish idea doesn't work out, I'm going to switch it over to a virtual cat sim.

Good luck with it all!

A good book you might also want to buy is 'MYSQL Weekend Crash Course' It's a very handy book!

I'll look into it. I work at a bookstore so I get discounts on all the books.

Now, as far as a website goes, because its a sim game, I might need a lot of space to put all that information and whatnot. Does anyone know a good website hoster that has a somewhat low fee but offers tons of space. (I'm not sure what Furry-Paws runs on, but I've seen the site owner say it costs her $500 a month or something like that to run the site. Its a big site with thousands of members. www.furry-paws.com)

Localhost is the name of your machine that is only available to your machine (IP 127.0.0.1). I'm assuming your are now just setting it up as a development environment for you to see how your pages work. Did phpdev have it's own setup routine?

I don't know. I just downloaded it and it told me to test if it was running. If certain things came up it was running and I determined it was. Then you go to this page that is like a directory and it has several links on it. Other than opening the stuff, I have no idea how to use it.

Ok - so you do have it running, right?

If so, you can start working from your book. A good tutorial can be found here. I find this site a good reference.

Yes, I had it running last night. I'm on a library computer so there is no way I can check on it now. I plan to have a few people help me code and a few artists as well.

That site should definatly come in handy. Thanks!

Good luck to you!! I took a computer programming class (c++) and it was so hard. I failed it miserably. I just couldn't understand it!! So I will just do the web surfing and let you all do the page creating!

Originally Posted by Phenomsmom

Good luck to you!! I took a computer programming class (c++) and it was so hard. I failed it miserably. I just couldn't understand it!!

So I will just do the web surfing and let you all do the page creating!

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C++ is one of the worst languages to get started on. Hardcore programmers love it because it can get at the guts of the computer.

From the THE PROGRAMMER'S QUICK GUIDE TO THE LANGUAGES

Task - shoot yourself in the foot.
C++: You accidentally create a dozen instances of yourself and shoot them all in the foot. Providing emergency medical assistance is impossible since you can't tell which are bitwise copies and which are just pointing at others and saying, "That's me, over there."

LOL. I took to Html pretty easily, even though I only know the basics. I've noticed that if I read from several different sources and also do my own research on a subject, I learn the subject very quickly. I also learn by example and hands on learning. You cannot sit a book about how to cook spagetti in front of me and expect me to know how to cook the spagetti. You have to take me to the kitchen and show me. Hopefully this won't be a problem in learning to code the site.

Originally Posted by Soka

LOL. I took to Html pretty easily, even though I only know the basics. I've noticed that if I read from several different sources and also do my own research on a subject, I learn the subject very quickly. I also learn by example and hands on learning. You cannot sit a book about how to cook spagetti in front of me and expect me to know how to cook the spagetti. You have to take me to the kitchen and show me. Hopefully this won't be a problem in learning to code the site.

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My husband will sit down and read the book thoroughly. I usually am so impatient. I decide on what I want to do and then start skimming books and web sites to figure out how to do what I want. Tutorials are good for me because they usually have a set of instructions that I can implement. They also give me a basic structure that I can then play with. (though this can be dangerous and that is what reboot is for )

Originally Posted by Soka

Now, as far as a website goes, because its a sim game, I might need a lot of space to put all that information and whatnot. Does anyone know a good website hoster that has a somewhat low fee but offers tons of space. (I'm not sure what Furry-Paws runs on, but I've seen the site owner say it costs her $500 a month or something like that to run the site. Its a big site with thousands of members. www.furry-paws.com)

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I have a small forum set up with www.aqhost.com. Costs me $10 a month for quite a bit of space (500 meg), you might want to check them out. I have been very pleased so far, and they have all different packages. They have the Fantastico installers so you can set things up there. Lots of good php stuff as well.

Good luck with your site! My company (in my tag line) offers free hosting for small cat-related sites and upgrades for larger sites. You might want to take advantage of it while you are still learning.

I just want you to know, I have been sitting here for a few minutes, watching that little cat dance. If I wasn't so tired, that thing could amuse me for hours.

With database driver sites, the cost of hosting really depends on the amount of traffic you have. You can go with a shared account to start with, and you can get those for as low as $5 a month (let me know if you need it and I'll refer you to Thomas how used to admin our servers). Once you get an active sites with lots of users initiation SQL queries, it could get crowded and your host will push you towards getting a dedicated. Those are indeed in the $500 range for a managed server (and you need to shop around to get a good price). TCS runs on a dedicated machine and it's just over $500 a month.

Best of luck!

Originally Posted by Soka

I just want you to know, I have been sitting here for a few minutes, watching that little cat dance. If I wasn't so tired, that thing could amuse me for hours.

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LOL!! Glad you enjoy it. I get a big kick out of it myself.

Mongo