Total n00bie question....

What software package will I need to be able to build my own webpage?

The masterful Az has knocked me a sample page up (for half an hour's work it's awesome, dood, you are a god!), but it got me thinking that I've no idea how to do this kind of thing and I really should have at least a clue....

Read on for more details if you want....

This is for a business I'm starting, so I need clients to come to the page and see the basic info about what I do on the main page. From there I would like links to pages containing sample menus, testimonials, pricing packages and some form of booking capability (though I figure an online version of this will be the hardest, so its for the future I guess) and then a contact page.

Now Az has built me a sample page which rocks big bells, but I don't want to keep hassling a very busy person everytime I want to update or change the page in someway.

I NEED TO LEARN THIS!!!

So, where do I start?

I'm after an easy to use package, preferably free, which will help me get a simple page done and cover the criteria I've mentioned up above.

Any input/help is very much appreciated! :D

When i learnt how to do web-design i just learnt how to use HTML then CSS then some JavaScript and learnt them properly so i knew how to create websites using them using just notepad. A good piece of software to get would be dreamweaver and it doesn't need to even be the latest best version there is as all you're doing is previewing the website as you apply more to the document.

Learning to use photoshop can be handy but i only use one image on my website :)

Kezzer, so there's no program that just lets me drag and drop and all that jazz?

Well there is Ahem ...Frontpage :-)

But I would seriously consider learning HTML first and the the rest. Its pretty easy :-)

Having had a good root round in a box full of old CDs I have found a trial copy of Dreamweaver from a very old copy of PC Answers... would I be going down the right lines with this?

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Originally Posted by Deckard

Having had a good root round in a box full of old CDs I have found a trial copy of Dreamweaver from a very old copy of PC Answers... would I be going down the right lines with this?

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Yes, there are much worse places to start :)

Dreamweaver is a very good package because it allows you to design pages in 'WYSIWYG' mode (what you see is what you get) as well as giving you full control over actual code. The latest version is very good, worth downloading a trial.

Personally the old "drag and drop" kind of way of doing things isn't always the best way because you may see what you're doing but not know what you're doing hence why i stick to good old notepad :)

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Originally Posted by KeZZeR

Personally the old "drag and drop" kind of way of doing things isn't always the best way because you may see what you're doing but not know what you're doing hence why i stick to good old notepad :)

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All well and good, but I get the impression Deckard wants to actually get down to creating some nice pages rather than learning all the basics first.

Correct me if I'm wrong Deckard :)

I wouldn't mind learning the guts of it, but right now I want to just get some decent pages up on the web... I don't expect to reap much business from them but it certainly adds a nice pro touch if you do have a website people can go to... and hopefully send their friends to look at too!

So Shad, you're right, I just want a page up.... I'll fiddle with HTML manual coding later.

that reminds me of me :)

I just want to get a working database and so forth but it proved more difficult than expected. Ah well, only a few things to touch up on :)

Dreamweaver MX is nice and easy to use, you can drag and drop but also use HTML at the same time.

But like Kezzer said, you should learn some HTML, atleast the basics.

you really need to know the CONCEPTS behind how a page is built - pointy brackets & what they mean, etc, as well as the first rule of design (draw out what you're thinking on paper first). once you have the concepts sorted you can use a package of some sort to do the work, whilst still having a grasp of what's going on underneath so you could make minor changes by hand if you needed to.

dreamweaver is the best tool out there, but costs £450 to buy. frontpage 2003 is actually *gasp* not utterly awful, especially compared to earlier versions. there are no worthwhile free tools though.

Several years ago I taught myself HTML and used to write pages with notepad... now I've totally lost touch and all this new stuff completely confuses me.

I might see if I can get Dreamweaver as I now have space, but no site.

BTW Deck, what was it that Az done for you? Let's see?

Right then... I'd just like to explain... Az sent me a couple of slightly different pages which I then altered (mainly the text and pictures... etc etc) and tried to publish. However, my lack of knowledge shone through as I didn't upload the image files or the style sheets and so I've spent roughly 12 hours or so trying to fix things, breaking them without knowing how and then getting them magically working again...

Then Az, the WEB GOD!!!, slapped what you are about to see together in hic lunch break... the pages are his work, the words are mine...

That said, doing this has given me a massive insight into hwo to do this, so now I've got the main part of the site done and it's up and running, I'm now gonna go away and buuild my own simple site and work on from there.

The reason I wanted one fast was cos I'm starting a business and needed to get something customers could refer to up fast as I have enquiries already, just from word of mouth...

So, without further ado, I give you.... www.selectdining.co.uk

MASSIVE thanks to Az... (if I was a woman, I'd have his children)

I really like the simple sites, they always seem to look smart, and they get to the point. Good job.

Very very classy, nice site dude :)

lmao, that's what i've been trying to do with my site in a sense with the nav bar. I just wanted it to do a rollover effect and the text to change colour and so forth but it proved more difficult then expected. Still more to do to it yet though. So much work is un-fun sometimes :(

I found that draggin and dropping things in Frontpage then looking at the HTML code tab was a great way to learn HTML for me. Tho when you do things in dreamweaver i think you can see the HTML code there to, but me thinks Frontpage is easier to use.

It's really simple to do dropdown menus using CSS. For a full tutorial have a look here http://www.alistapart.com/articles/dropdowns/

CSS has it's limitations but once you get to grips with it you can knock sites up in no time. The longest part of a new site design is inevitably graphics hence why there aren't much on Deck's site. But then, it doesn't need them as it loads quickly and still has enough layout to make it look ok.