RE: I want to learn & I need suggestions

wow , this is great advice.
thanks
Kate Pollara


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hwg-basics(at)hwg.org [mailto:owner-hwg-basics(at)hwg.org]On
Behalf Of Jim Tom Polk
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 7:13 AM
To: hwg-basics(at)mail.hwg.org
Subject: Re: I want to learn & I need suggestions 


> Can you help me decide what other languages/aspects of web development I
> should study in order to build for myself a solid background?

So far you will have covered Linux, CGI, HTML CSS, and JavaScript. I
presume that CGI will cover  using Perl, since most CGI scripts are
written on Unix boxes in Perl.

> I have thought of attending a course on Relational Databases and maybe a
> course specifically on Java. 

More than anything else, I would concentrate upon the Relational
Databases. I would commit myself to learning how to create and use SQL
queries. Knowing SQL (which any of the major databases like MS-SQL,
Oracle, PostgreSQL or MySQL utilize to a greater or lessor degree) is a
total win-win, plus, give you an edge over the competition sort of
thing.

Java and Perl/CGI are very positive things to know as well. Being able
to do server side programming of any type is a positive, and right now
Java is big and getting bigger on the server side.

Also, on the server side, I would become ''one'' with Apache. It is used
by over 60 percent of the web sites out there and can easily accomidate
learning Java servelets and Perl.

Whatever, the important thing is that you know how to configure a server
to use a server side language (perl,java, php, miva, python, or a
compiled c or c++ cgi program) to connect to a SQL database, run
queries, and then present that information onto web pages.

If you can do that, you have really got something.

On your own, I would study the works of people like Jakob Neilen
(www.useit.com) and other on usability and information architecture. 

If you specialize upon the client side interface to the data, know the
howto's and limitations of the server side programming will do you good.
Ditto if you specialize on server side/database programming, it would
really be a ''goood thing[tm]'' to know the environment that the data
will ultimately be displayed (HTML!!)



-- 


Jim Tom Polk -:- jtpolk(at)texas.net -:- http://camalott.com/~jtpolk/	
	''You might as well fall flat on your face as 
	  lean over too far backwards.''      --James Thurber--
   "The Universe is run by the complex interweaving of three 
          elements: energy, matter and enlightened self-interest." 
 		- G'Kar  "Survivors"

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