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Want to design site

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iSeriesCodePoet

Programmer
Jan 11, 2001
1,373
US
Hello all,

I am new to this forum. I know HTML quite well and am a programmer, but I lack creativity. I want to design a nice dynamic site, but don't want to have to start from scratch if I don't have to. I currently know RPG (as400 not gamming) and some java as my better known languages.

What would be a good starting point. I know there are 'programs' like Slashdot, PostNuke, ect. How hard is it to customize these? What is a good one to use?

I don't want to have to purchase anything to get started, this will be an open source website after all... Mike Wills
AS400 Programmer
[pc2]

Please, if you find my post useful, let me know. [thumbsup2]
 
Oops, hit the submit button too fast. I would like it to be pretty much cross platform if possible. I don't know if I will be developing under Linux or Windows yet. Mike Wills
AS400 Programmer
[pc2]

Please, if you find my post useful, let me know. [thumbsup2]
 
Mike -

My advice would be to poke around on the internet, and check out web site designs. After a day or two or surfing (or an hour or two, depends on how impatient you are, lol) pull out a pen and paper and try to pull the designs you liked together into something that is "yours" and "unique".

It may take a few tries, but you'll get it eventually.

Personally, I use Adobe Photoshop to create my graphics. I'm on my 7th design, and while I'm not quite there, I'm very close to a design I like...

jason
 
What I did when I created my site ( is create a layout on papaer...
Like, what I first want on the site (content), then I thought about how attractive I wanted the site to be...I just started drawing up different scenerios and finaly got to one that I liked (it took 3 different scenrious and 3 three weeks to design the images and stuff for my site)...then I started the actualy creating of the site...
But take Jason's idea first and look through the net and find some sites layout that you like... I have not failed; I merely found 100,000 different ways of not succeding...
 
GUJUm0deL, cool site.

All, What are your opinions on conent management sytems? Mike Wills
AS400 Programmer
[pc2]

Please, if you find my post useful, let me know. [thumbsup2]
 
Koldark, thanks...:)
Ummm, this may be a dumb question, but what's a conent management sytems?? I have not failed; I merely found 100,000 different ways of not succeding...
 
Like my origonal question... Shashcode, PHPNuke, PostNuke, etc.

One of my fellow co-workers said to use one of those. I will be putting this on a server that can handle these type of systems. Mike Wills
AS400 Programmer
[pc2]

Please, if you find my post useful, let me know. [thumbsup2]
 
Oh... and it is content... not conent. Sorry Mike Wills
AS400 Programmer
[pc2]

Please, if you find my post useful, let me know. [thumbsup2]
 
LOL, apology accepted...an honest mistake...


PS -- sorry don't know about that... I have not failed; I merely found 100,000 different ways of not succeding...
 
Hi mate,

I have not personally tried any of these so I don't know what they are like..

Firstly, decide what type of server you are going to run this site on.. If it is windows, I think it rules a few of them out as PHPnuke states that it is for Linux..

I am going to attempt to set up PHPnuke on a windows machine (I am curious) to see if it works so I will let you know how I get on...

Hope this helps Wullie

 
Hi mate,

I just found out that PHPnuke is compatible with windows but no installation or support is available..

I tried to install it on my machine but was greeted by about 30 php error messages when I tried to call it..

I have not got time to spare just now so I will have to leave it for now..

Depending on what you want this site to contain and who is going to be using it, I personally would just start from scratch.. But thats me..

Hope this helps Wullie

 
Hi Mike,

I started to design about a year ago. I have both design and technical background which helps in web site development--planning, design, development, publishing, and maintenance. Here's how I got started.

First, I learned HTML and JavaScript to do my own coding. For me, it helps to know these things for control. I designed my first site by hard coding. For me it was truly a learning experience. Second, I purchased a web authoring tool, Macromedia's Suite of Dreamweaver 4, Fireworks, Freehand, and Flash5. Dreamweaver allows me to work fast and not worry about coding and editing/revisions corrupting links, etc. They're all done automatically by the software. Fireworks allows me to do my graphics, etc., although most professional designers like to use PhotoShop. Dreamweaver, Adobe's GoLive and NetObjects' Fusion are the high end web authoring tools. Your mid-end HTML editors are MS FrontPage, Adobe's PageMill, etc. You don't need any of these if you're a hard core programmer and enjoy piecing together everything.

As far as CRM's are concerned, it sounds like you're thinking of a real big e-commerce/business site?! For that you may want to look into Vignette's CMS or Lucid DataStreams. A search of CRM's should give you the major players (Vignette is one of them).

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Filémon Adao-Bautista
e-Commerce/Marketing
San Francisco Filémon Adao-Bautista
E-Business/Marketing
 
Mike,

Disregard CRM's in previous thread, I meant CMS.
Filémon Adao-Bautista
E-Business/Marketing
 
Know what I did recently and it helped a bunch? I went to the library and I borrowed 5-6 books on werb design/e-commerce sites/on-line advertising etc Great for creating ideas cos you see a snap shot of some of the most dynamic pages on the net!
You could do a search for templates, theres a lot of sites out there which offer some amazing (free) templates which you could use.

To me the enjoyment comes from creating from scratch!

É **new site coming soon**
**don't visit just yet**
 
ettushoji, this will eventually become a site which is focused on the AS400 and software developed by me. I just wanted a good starting point. Right now I am playing with CSS and a bit with java scripting. But soon I will play with JSP and servlets. I would like to use java for my site if possible. Mike Wills
AS400 Programmer
[pc2]

Please, if you find my post useful, let me know. [thumbsup2]
 
mrn,

Thats not really a very useful suggestion as if your read Koldark's first post:

I don't want to have to purchase anything to get started, this will be an open source website after all...

It's fair enough plugging your own site but there is a time and place for it..

Hope this helps Wullie

 
nuf said ;-)

get a free site from uklinux, supports mysql & php, then download php & create the mysql database. All with nice n easy graphical front-ends.

mike --
| Mike Nixon
| Unix Admin
| ----------------------------
 
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