On Sat, 05 May 2007 16:18:30 +0100, Bart Simpson
<12**********@t errace.comwrote :
>I am a C/C++developer with several years desktop app development
experience. However, I am a COMPLETE and TOTAL newbie when it comes to
taking about web apps. All the talk about CSS, layouts etc is VERY
confusing to me.
I want to be able to build my own website - because of my programming
background, the programming aspect is not an issue and I can use either
C# or VB.Net (I prefer C#) - but I have NO IDEA about how to go about
building a website - i.e. web pages with links, pictures, flash
animations etc. I have used VB6 before so I am very good with designing
forms using WYSIWYG GUI tools on Windows - but I dont know if that is
any use in creating web applications.
What is the best book to help me come to speed quickly and help me start
building/designing my website - I would be especially grateful to hear
from C++ programmers who have made this journey ..
There's no single book which web developers use.
* A useful beginners book for ASP.NET is Stephen Walther's "ASP.NET
2.0 Unleashed". But that takes a tutorial approach with loads of pages
(about 1800) meticulously going through the ASP.NET controls to show
the various features (yawn - meticulous but boring).
You'll need another book for c#. My c# books are a bit old now and
only one covers c# 2005 so I can't personally recommend one.
* I got a very good deal on ASP.NET books: "The Wrox Box" from one of
the Amazon client sellers. This box had 4 books which, if memory
serves me right, cost me $80 plus only $10 postage from the USA to the
UK. (Although the list price was $150)
The box (ISBN: 0470048409) has:
Professional ASP.NET 2.0
Professional C# 2005
..NET 2.0 Generics
..NET Framework 2.0
The first 3 are good books but I've only read the 3rd cover-to-cover.
The first two I dip into when I need to as I already knew much of the
content. I think the 4th one is now out-of-date.
* The most useful overall book for web development is Danny Goodman's
"Dynamic HTML - The Definitive Reference". The 3e is now out. It
contains absolutely nothing about ASP.NET.
CSS is really quite simple. I personally recommend you to code to HTML
4.01 strict standard as I've found this the easiest standard that most
browsers can agree on. In theory, XHTML would be better but IE6 can't
handle it. You must get your browsers to render the code as "strict"
because in quirks mode they will each make your pages look very
different. Avoid the recent fad for table-less CSS. Use tables when
are where you need them. Even using this standard, you'll find that
the various browsers often display ASP.NET controls quite differently
(especially the grid view).
It goes without saying that you should ask about books on CSS, HTML
and web design at a designers forum.
