[Tfug] Re-learning website development

[John Hubbard]

On May 27, 2014 11:43:21 PM MST, John Gruenenfelder <jetpackjohn at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>Greetings again TFUG,
>
>I know there are a lot of web developers here and I'd like to get you
>advice.
>Back in the day, which really wasn't that long ago, I tought myself to
>write
>web pages using the then-current revision of HTML/XHTML.  Mostly
>static,
>nothing really fancy.  The Weasel Reader website (link in signature) is
>probably the most complex site I have that is still accessible.
>
>In the past I've also created a web/PHP front-end website backed by a
>MySQL
>database which allowed users to query the DB for a number of different
>items.
>So, I know PHP and SQL to some extent as well, though I haven't used
>either in
>a while.
>
>But, in the time since then, the web has changed *a lot*.  Creating a
>nice,
>dynamic site these days involves lots of HTML 5 and undoubtably some
>server-side services.
>
>The advice I'm looking for is where do I start to update my knowledge? 
>What
>framework should I look at, if any?  I know *of* Ruby on Rails,
>Node.js, and
>some others, but not much *about* them.  What back-end language would
>you
>recommend?  Ruby, Python, Java?  I think that whichever path I take
>I'll need
>to spend some time re-learning JavaScript, since that is how one
>communicates
>with the browser, correct?
>
>My goal is to rewrite my own personal website.  Currently, it is simple
>and
>static.  I would like it to be dynamically generated and be more like a
>simple
>CMS (Content Management System) where I can, via an admin page on that
>site,
>add new articles/pages to my own site without needing to manually edit
>the
>HTML source files.  I know there are pre-made CMS engines that I could
>easily
>use, but the purpose of this is to be a learning experience.  For
>example, the
>machine/CPU simulator I've been writing (for quite some time) is a
>great way
>to keep up-to-date on the current state of Java and to make use of the
>new
>features of recent Java releases.
>
>I am leaning towards Ruby 3 and Ruby on Rails.  But, I know neither one
>(yet)
>so if you think there is a better way, I'd like to hear about it along
>with
>*why* you think this alternative is a good idea.  The only reason I'm
>thinking
>of Ruby is because a web developer friend said it was really useful,
>but I've
>never used it.
>
>Thanks in advance for your input.
>
>Oh, and one last thing:  I don't use website editors.  I prefer to
>write my
>websites using EMACS.  Whether that means writing the HTML directly, or
>writing the Ruby/Python/Java code which will generate the site doesn't
>matter.  Site generators always create such an awful hard to read mess.
>
>
>-- 
>--John Gruenenfelder    Systems Manager, MKS Imaging Technology, LLC.
>Try Weasel Reader for PalmOS  --  http://weaselreader.org
>"This is the most fun I've had without being drenched in the blood
>of my enemies!"
>        --Sam of Sam & Max
>
>
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>
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While writing your own website with a custom CMS system would probably be a good exercise there are already turn key options that will do this for you. Consider learning something like drupal. My employee uses it for our internal website and it isn't hard to create our edit pages. 
-- 
- john
>From a mobile device. 
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