Learning Courses

fiveub

fiveub

fiveub

OcUK Staff
Joined
12 Apr 2008
Posts
49,292
Location
OcUK HQ
Photoshop
Dreamweaver
HTML/PHP
CSS
Javascript

I am interested in learning courses for the above, is it better to go to courses as in classes to attend, or doing it online?

Have you learnt from courses in classes or online? What would you recommend and what learning websites have you seen that are good to learn from if you are a complete beginner?
 
I think it depends partially on what kind of learner you are, but most anyone can learn it all self-taught. A lot of courses run the risk of teaching you not very much for your buck. Especially at the elementary level.

You'll find most web-developers learn to be web-developer by their own initiative, and not what a teacher asks them to do. If you get stuck, come to us and we'll help. If you want, add me on gTalk/Skype/AIM and I'll be happy to offer help when you need it. Trust me if you want my details.

Your selection of things to learn is quite broad in terms of what you may be hoping to achieve. Is this for a hobby or is there a goal?
 
When I learnt about 10 years ago, I did both, i.e. went on a course at a local college, and bought books and learnt online. Since then, the internet has advanced so much, there are some really good resources available, and if you have self motivation, it can be done.

One of the hardest things with self learning is knowing the essentials you need to learn, and the fluff you don't really need. Anyway, here are some resources for you:

http://www.webref.eu/web-design-tutorials.php

http://www.webref.eu/php-tutorials.php
http://www.webref.eu/php-scripts.php

http://www.webref.eu/css-web-design.php

After all these years, I still do very simple table based design, which some will scoff at, but it's fine for the type of sites I build, and will never break across browsers. I only use CSS for style formatting.

Javascript I hardly ever have to use.

I love PHP. Dreamweaver is recommended too.

Rgds
 
radderfire said:
After all these years, I still do very simple table based design, which some will scoff at, but it's fine for the type of sites I build, and will never break across browsers. I only use CSS for style formatting.
Click to expand...

<scoff> ;)

He's right about Javascript. Most people just use a javascript framework. It's like the LEFT - DOWN - UP - RIGHT - SELECT - START of Javascript. jQuery is my recommendation. Pretty Sure Tripnologist will concur with jQuery.

I use Netbeans as my text-editor, but recently switched to Sublime Text 2, testing it out.
 
5UB said:
Photoshop
Dreamweaver
HTML/PHP
CSS
Javascript

I am interested in learning courses for the above, is it better to go to courses as in classes to attend, or doing it online?

Have you learnt from courses in classes or online? What would you recommend and what learning websites have you seen that are good to learn from if you are a complete beginner?
Click to expand...

I used to be a senior developer for a web agency. I can honestly say that non of the 30+ employees went on any courses for the above.

We generally followed a few sites. Experimentation is what we used to learn. We read snippets and ripped apart source code to see how it worked. We had a separate R+D domain full of test/concept .htm files full of snippets.

We used Dreamweaver as a glorified text editor :P.

It was only the developers who had formal education. HND's, Degrees in Computer Studies/Science. That's all really.
 
I've been teaching myself web design/development for a few months now and there is just so much valuable information on the internet which is constantly being updated. I have no doubt a self-taught developer can be just as good as someone who's studied it at college/university.

I've also heard that some college courses lean a bit too heavily on W3Schools for reference which isn't a good sign...
 
FabienO said:
<scoff> ;)

He's right about Javascript. Most people just use a javascript framework. It's like the LEFT - DOWN - UP - RIGHT - SELECT - START of Javascript. jQuery is my recommendation. Pretty Sure Tripnologist will concur with jQuery.

I use Netbeans as my text-editor, but recently switched to Sublime Text 2, testing it out.
Click to expand...

I think pretty much everyone will concur with jQuery, but I would definitely recommend learning enough JavaScript to have at least a basic understanding of it. I use it all the time mixed with jQuery.

Off topic a bit, how are you finding Sublime Text 2? I've been using it too.

-----

5UB, as some others have said, courses are generally behind the time and not usually taught by the best of people. I mean, if they were really that good, they'd make more money making websites, than they would teaching others how to make them.

HTML/CSS - http://htmldog.com/
JavaScript - http://eloquentjavascript.net/ (free in downloadable html format which lets you play with his examples and whatnot)

Skip dreamweaver and give Sublimetext2 a try - http://www.sublimetext.com/2
Also, even if you would prefer to use Dreamweaver, you should only ever use it as a text editor (which I admit it does nicely), so it's not much more difficult to figure out than notepad so courses are a bit unnecessary.
 
Last edited:
Tripnologist said:
Off topic a bit, how are you finding Sublime Text 2? I've been using it too.
Click to expand...

Having made the switch from Netbeans, it's been pretty good. Only thing I am missing is better syntax checking and my duplicate up or down commands :P.

I know I can use CTRL+SHIFT+D to duplicate. Just a bit slower. Macros are a nice addition, especially with the added use of being able to place the cursor post-macro.

Installing packages is super easy through the Pack Installer plugin. Even themes etc. It's a great feeling to feel like I don't have to exit the editor to add something new.

Syntax checking (for PHP really) needs work. I installed Sublime Linter which also required me to have PHP installed on my system. It works, but the highlighting isn't very nice and not strict enough.

Issues I have had with the editor, it's evidently still new. Lack of documentation, bugs when installing new packages. A lot of times I found myself killing the startup. Having to use task manager to close an instance of sublime. Most/all of these issues were due to failing a package install. Simply deleting the package from my user repository fixed the launching issues.

Sublime Text 2 feels like the jQuery/AJAX of editors. I believe I will continue to use it until I either find something better or come across an issue which will send me back to Netbeans.


Oh... and ctrl+p is awesome. As well as ctrl+m. And multi-select. :D
 
I've done a Dreamweaver course for basic site creation and I am currently doing a higher course to do with client side/server side technology.

The only reason I did this was that I had no background in web design and they have taught me the basics of how things work and have given me a good understanding of what things are how they work, and why they work.

By the end of the course we will have completed an e-commerce site with forms/CSS styling/javascript/validation.

I have the missing manual book for CSS, and another book, and I am also looking to buy some more in depth javascript books and also the handcrafted CSS book to further my knowledge after the course has finished.

I will then look to create a few websites as well as one of my own with what I have learnt and put a portfolio together with the hope of getting a job in web design. :)

The reason I did the coruse was because I learn better that way instead of sitting in front of a laptop not really understanding what I am doing and why I am doing it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom