Web Design, Direction Needed.

[just_laze]

Hello,

I've recently designed a website, it's not commercial and I won’t be earning any money, it's purely a 'space' for me on the internet where I can display my limited talent to friends and family.

I designed the site in Photoshop, using Image-Ready I sliced the image up and generated the necessary XHTML. I edited the XHTML in Dream-Weaver and applied some minor optimizations and finally validated it on the w3c site.

What I’m left with now is a template and I’m not sure what to address next? I will have a blog, gallery & a place where I’ll post my creative work but I don't want to be fiddling with HTML each and every time I want to edit my site. Essentially what I want to do is create a 'login' area that from within I’ll be able to post to my blog, upload photos to my gallery and add content to my creative section.

I am told that I will need to learn PHP to do this, but I’m not sure where to start or what tutorial to take first. I want this website to be designed correctly, judging from the above am I ready to begin learning PHP so I can code it to be as easy to manage as possible or is there further design related work that needs to be addressed, for example, do I need a style sheet when I can only see myself defining a text type as the site is very simplistic and minimalist, perhaps there's something else I need to do that I’ve not considered.

Either way, could I please receive some advice on how to enter the world of PHP and grasp the concept before I’m drowned in lines of code.

Thanks :-)

[Funkstar]

you might need to change your template slightly, but you would probably be better finding some free/open source blog software, installing to your webspace and then re-write their template with your style/design and layout.

There are loads out there so unless you are doing soemthing special, there should be no need to get your hands too dirty by coding your own.

[just_laze]

I see your point and i'm not blind to the fact that there are large code-samples available free of charge but i'd prefer to start from scratch and create my own as a method of learning the language as i find the best time to learn a language is when you're working toward a goal.

[mike_w]

If you want to learn PHP, the sitepoint book is a good place to start - I learnt MySQL and PHP from there: http://www.sitepoint.com/books/phpmysql1/

[Funkstar]

I see your point and i'm not blind to the fact that there are large code-samples available free of charge but i'd prefer to start from scratch and create my own as a method of learning the language as i find the best time to learn a language is when you're working toward a goal.

thats a fair point if you are quite happy to learn PHP (or similar). I've worked with ASP in the past and keep meaning to have a look at PHP but despite having a few projects in mind that could take advantage of it, i've just never found the time

[just_laze]

If you want to learn PHP, the sitepoint book is a good place to start - I learnt MySQL and PHP from there: http://www.sitepoint.com/books/phpmysql1/

Would you say this book carries you through to an intermediate stage of MySQL/PHP giving you the ability to string together more complex use by understanding the fundamentals? I mean, using the book, what have you learnt, as a MySQL/PHP user how would you rate yourself after completing the sitepoint book and what have you created using the knowledge gained?