Lesson 3: Adding a Web Editor, Host and FTP. Free web design training guide and resources by the Rochester Web Wizard. Sponsored by Data Info Magic web design service.

Free web design training service and resources by the Rochester Web Wizard @ Data Info Magic

Free web design training guide and resources by the Rochester Web Wizard. Sponsored by Data Info Magic.

Lesson 3 : Adding a Web Editor, Host and FTP

The is the first step where you need to spend some money. If you made it to lesson 3 then you already have some broadbased technical knowledge about web site and database design. You just haven't done much practice yet. In this lesson you will become fully functional but you will need to commit a little funding to compliment your time.

Reminder: The download and installation instructions can me found on the Database page. I will limit my discussion here on the sequence and how they work together. Even though this is the most advanced topic, I am putting it in the second lesson so that it will be all set up when we are ready to use it. It will also allow you to start gradually and spiral up to the final phase. It will also give you the big picture earlier in the process. It sounds complicated, but we are mostly just installing software here and implementing the code later.

You currently have 5 major free items installed to run PHP/MySQL:

1. A local server Apache is included in the package XAMPP,

2. A database language MySQL is included in the package XAMPP and

3. PHP is the language used to access MySQL and is included in XAMPP also.

4. A MySQL editor phpMyAdmin (separate download) and additionally

5. DreamCoder for MySQL (free edition) for easy MySQL editing is suggested.

There are 3 different free downloads. If you install XAMPP, there is no need to download and install separate versions of PHP or MySQL.

The 4 items that you must always know when dealing with a database on the local server (Apache installed on your machine) are:

1. Host is localhost

2. User Name is root

3. Password is can be left blank on the local machine so don't enter one initially.

4. Database name is whatever you choose and Table is also. One database may have many tables.

They can be the same on the remote server (The server set up by HostMonster or your current hosting company), except ALWAYS USE A PASSWORD AND SET YOUR USER PERMISSIONS AS STRICTLY AS POSSIBLE!!!!!

It's time to get a Web Editor

If you are really intent on spending no money at all then you could possibly get by with Roden Web Editor free download. However, if you made it through lesson 2, then you deserve to reward yourself with a better package by spending $39 and Download Rapid PHP Editor Now. The exception would be if you are independently wealthy and can purchase DreamWeaver CS4: Available directly from the Adobe website for $399. I would stick with the middle of the road right now. I use Dreamweaver professionally, but there are still plenty of occasions for me to do a quick update with Roden Web Editor, which doesn't require an extensive setup for the website, especially for PHP code. You will need to use the server information from lesson 2 in order to link with your local server either way in order to test your pages locally.

It's also time to select a Hosting Company

Any hosting company that supports PHP and MySQL will cost money. It is not easy to compare because some have setup fees and some have monthy fees and some have both so do your research carefully or you may be very dissappointed. This is where I will put in a major plug for HostMonster one last time. All of the tutorial lessons will reference HostMonster, but the steps will be similar for other hosts. I will assume HostMonster, so any differences will be up to you to implement.

Time to get website to the Host Server

This is a no brainer! Uploading your pages to your server is referred to as FTP (File Transfer Protocol). There are many FTP software packages available. The one I use is Filezilla. It is free and gives you a free high quality reliable open source application.

This is the same application packaged with XAMPP's free Apache Server for PHP/MySQL that you will download later. You can get the necessary information to connect from your hosting company. HostMonster lists it right on you CPanel page when you log in. There are also online ftp clients that you may use on that website. Once your local server is set up, I strongly suggest writing, editing and testing on your local server and then uploading all at once.

You can now back track a little and start practicing some of the skills. You should limit yourself to XHTML, CSS and maybe a little PHP right now. You should also select at least one reference book for XHTML/CSS like HTML, XHTML & CSS (Visual QuickStart Guide Series). Also use About.com as a source of code and information. You can work your way up to some templates to edit. There are thousands of free open source templates at OSWD for personal or noncommercial use. You may also use the free templates @ Template World to practice with. If you want to try some simple PHP you can find unlimited free examples on the web.

For XHTML pages the file extension is .html and for pages that contain PHP the file extension is .php. PHP pages may contain a mixture of both XHTML and PHP. Start by making a home page design that you like. Then design a one, two and 3 column design all with the same header and footer. Try not to use inline style. Keep your styles in your CSS. You can use either CSS div or tables for the columns and decide which is best for you. Always capitilize and indent properly for readability. It will be just as important to you as you eidt as it will be to anyone else looking at your code. Don't cut corners on style or it quickly becomes a nightmare. Always name your style sheet similarly to your HTML page so you will know they are related. Try to use one stylesheet for multiple HTML pages. You will quickly see the advantage here for editing.

Now is the time to catch your breath and enjoy your accomplishments! Good luck and have fun.

Looking Ahead: To get started with writing PHP scripts, try the Writing your first PHP script tutorial. The PHP website is a great place to learn more about PHP. You'll find an introductory tutorial and a complete online manual. You can also find plenty of php at Tizag PHP Tutorial

Go on to Lesson 4 (Available Now!)

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