How to create a Website - Basic

[IBN]

Hi there

I want to create a website. I have done a fair bit of googling. I have no experience of creating/desingning websites.

I want it to post articles on it, a forum and a huge downloads section. Possibly a stream going on as well of audio that I have.

I know it isnt like download this program and press install.

Where do I start?

 

[DelJo63]

Google for Apache2 and download the i386 windows version.
Follow the instructions.

It will install a Apache2 Service process and autostart it at boot time,
but to me it's overkill, use the command line NET {START,SOPT} APACHE2
whenever needed.

in the config file, you can force the server to listen on a non-standard port
(ie other 80) and/or make it listen on a specific IP address (suggest 127.0.0.1)

You will have a webserver that can be used for creating webpages and you can
test your work locally with a URL in your browser like http://127.0.0.1/

Now for the bad news; your EULA from your ISP will restrict you from running a
webserver UNLESS you purchase an upgraded LA with a static IP address.
But at least you will be ready AND know your site works.

 

[Po`Girl]

The ultimate web building resource is HERE :grinthumb

 

[halo71]

Sites I have used are stickypond.com, free hosting. And recently moved to powweb. Powwed is pretty cheap. It is phpbb. Very easy to set things up. If you want to get off and running pretty fast i would check either of these sites out.

 

[DelJo63]

follow-up on webserver environments:

A webserver is really quite simple; it fetches HTML pages and returns them
to the user. Graphics, sounds, Javascripts, CSS controls are all referenced in
the base HTML -- so this is the BIG learning curve to be mastered.

All forms shown to the user create a CGI request to the server and some program
reads the parameters, lauches the stated program with those parameters and then
whatever output was generated by the program is sent back to the user.
Typicall CGI programming is done in languages like Perl(where there's a ton
of free code), bash, Tcl/Tk, and PHP.

The CGI interface is also the means to fetch data from some database
like MySQL.

Your requirement for a forum will be implemented in some template html pages,
CGI programs (implication that you need to install that programming language set).
PHPBB is a drop-in 'package' and Techspot is like Storyteller.

As you can see, there's a lot to chew on here. It's a non-trivial task and as
a newbe to programming, it will take quite a while to get it all running to any
degree of satisfaction, BUT YOU CAN if you're persistent.

 

[kitty500cat]

If you're gonna be doing HTML coding using Notepad or some other text editor, I recommend this HTML tutorial.

 

[IBN]

Is there a way u can design the website using a GUI? With the output I had in mind with my first post?

 

[DelJo63]

Frontpage from Microsoft :blackeye:

I dislike it (err abhor is a better term) as it generates a TON of junk and if
at all possible, generates IE specific web pages. BG/MS does not play well with
the neighbors (my personal, 10year professional web programming opinion).

It does get the job done, however.

 

[kitty500cat]

Microsoft Expression is kinda cool; I had used the beta version.

 

[IBN]

(Thank you guys for your replies so far, really appreciate it)

That would mean that I would really have to learn HTML then? Thats a bump. How difficult is it to learn?

I thought this would be fairly straightforward with some persistence.

What other programs are there besides Frontage and Expression that are good? Or do you push me to learn the language?

 

[IBN]

If you're gonna be doing HTML coding using Notepad or some other text editor, I recommend this HTML tutorial.

That tutorial has helped alot. Thanks for the link. At the moment i am playing around with CoffeeCup. I've managed to find a few templates on the net and I am trying to make something of them.

 

[flat.eric]

..huge downloads section. Possibly a stream going on as well of audio that I have..

Just so you're aware, this requires alot of bandwidth which will get expensive fast

 

[DelJo63]

..
That would mean that I would really have to learn HTML then? Thats a bump. How difficult is it to learn?
... Or do you push me to learn the language?

Like I said above, there are several layers to thisand HTML is the presentation layer.
I always recommend you learn the basics so you have some control over the outcome.
Using a GUI generator will be fine but knowing how to tweek it will be useful.

Hey; if they can -- Y O U can too