how do I become a PHP and Unix geek in less than 2 months?

[hob]

Ok, I'm a switcher from about 18 months back, and I felt quite confident in my HTML and Windows abilities, but now I feel I've hit a wall with my abilities in OS X/Unix etc.

A friend of mine is interested in setting up a gaming site (nothing too fancy) and basically, I would like to make the site. In PHP. From what I've seen it looks really cool, but I've been out of the web design loop for quite a long while. The web was a much different place 3 years ago.

Basically, I was wondering if anyone could offer me some useful links to starting out in PHP, and also in Unix (just out of general interest). I wanna be a geek again!!

Hob

[hob]

Sorry, i'm sure you guys get asked the same question a lot. I'm reading php.net.

But what's the best way to write/edit HTML and the like on mac? As I said, new to web development on macs!

[whocares]

Your best starting point would be a book. I don't have any English references, but search Amazon, or wait for other posts with recommendations.


If you're already comfy with HTML, and have some programming knowledge, you could also do it the hardcore way by checking the php.net documentation. Also you can try google.


Be sure to check out CSS too, and don't forget to validate (html (http://validator.w3.org/), CSS (http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/validator-uri.html))!

[whocares]

Sorry, i'm sure you guys get asked the same question a lot. I'm reading php.net.

But what's the best way to write/edit HTML and the like on mac? As I said, new to web development on macs!


Kudos for finding php.net ;)


Dev tools? I use Smultron (http://smultron.sourceforge.net/) from Sourceforge and SubEthaEdit (http://www.codingmonkeys.de/subethaedit/) . Free text editors with syntax colouring.

[maya]

This threads name is just ---> http://www.smileygenerator.us/forum/Smileys/default/cheesy.gif

You can obtain many free manuals if you look hard enough on the web. :)

[hob]

This threads name is just ---> http://www.smileygenerator.us/forum/Smileys/default/cheesy.gif

You can obtain many free manuals if you look hard enough on the web. :)

And that smiley is... ummm, well I don't have a smiley for "scary at first yet smile inducing and mildly addicting to look at"

Thanks for the above suggestions. I shall get cracking :)

Hob

[angelneo]

how do I become a PHP and Unix geek in less than 2 months?

1. Repeatedly refuses to use Mac OS X interface. Instead stubbornly stick to using Terminal for task even as simple as surfing the web or checking email.

2. Eats nothing but cold pizza and coke.

3. Wakes up only in the afternoon and work until 5 am everyday.

4. starts mumbling to yourself while you are coding.

5. scoff at all the developers tools and start using vi

PS: Sorry, just can't help myself. :)

[maya]

On my way to becoming a PHP and Unix geek:

1. Repeatedly refuses to use Mac OS X interface. Instead stubbornly stick to using Terminal for task even as simple as surfing the web or checking email.

Working on it. :)

2. Eats nothing but cold pizza and coke.

Check. :)

3. Wakes up only in the afternoon and work until 5 am everyday.

Check. :)

4. starts mumbling to yourself while you are coding.


Working on it. :)

5. scoff at all the developers tools and start using vi

Working on it. :)

PS: Sorry, just can't help myself. :)

Neither could I. :D

[rozwell]

lock yourself in a room and quit your job. thats a start. do 1 - 5 on the list above. but seriously, if you want to do it hardcore, get a book and then be an active participant on php boards. i always find it easier to learn a language by looking at it and seeing how it works, so rather than muddle through your book from start to finish, get the basics down, and then jump right in and research or ask about specifics later. i have 8 books on action scripting, and still find it easier to talk one on one with a real person, and look at code rather than read it in a book. they serve as a good reference. may i ask, why php? why not some other language?

[panphage]

HEY! I use vi(m)! You might also try http://sitepoint.com and the forums there. Chock full of really useful info.

Oh, and I think the REAL ultra-hardcore geeks use Emacs. It's the best operating system there is I hear.

[rasp]

HEY! I use vi(m)! You might also try http://sitepoint.com and the forums there. Chock full of really useful info.

Oh, and I think the REAL ultra-hardcore geeks use Emacs. It's the best operating system there is I hear.


Yes they do, and they may even run it in xterms (many).

there are all sorts of things to be run inside of emacs, so yes, it could be your environment.

http://anc.ed.ac.uk/~stephen/emacs/ell.html

(sorry, no specific help about php, just as others have suggested, books/online resources.)

[crazzyeddie]

BBEdit (http://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/index.shtml) is a very popular OS X web coding app. Also available is TextWrangler (http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/index.shtml) (also from BareBones) which will accomplish the same thing without some of the features found in BBEdit.

[panphage]

I used to use BBEdit, but I've converted to subetha and/or textmate. If you can handle an early product going through a lot of flux, textmate is a superb editor. It's aimed a bit more at application programmers rather than having a lot of web goodies, but it's still quite nice. Column editing!