Salted Sugar - Resources for Web Design

Resources for Web Design

The resource section has lots of links to sites that are really helpful when learning web design. While you're here, check out these open source developer links.

Apps/Programs

Here is a list of programs, most of which you will need to start making websites. Unless otherwise specified, all of the following are free.

Text Editors

If your computer runs Windows (yuck) you could use Notepad for your text editor. This is ok, but I would recommend downloading a better one that supports syntax highlighting, a feature that highlights parts of your code to make it easier to read (sample). Here are a few syntax highlighting editors that I would recommend.

Notepad++: A nice, simple, multi-tab programmer's editor. It's fast and easy to use. Windows
jEdit: An excellent programmer's editor (what I use). It supports plugins, syntax highlighting, anti-aliasing, and more. I love it. Multiplatform
HTML-Kit: An HTML editor a friend of mine uses. It allows you to view your site in the editor itself, without having to use a browser. You might like it, but for some reason I never did. Windows

Web Browsers

The web browser is the most important program you have when it comes to web design. You use your browser to view websites. There are many different browsers out there, but there are a few that I would recommend.

Firefox: This is the best browser (in my opinion) that exists today. It is fast, standards compliant, and extensible and customizable via tons of themes and extensions. I would highly recommend you get this. Multiplatform
Opera: Opera is another standards compliant browser. It has a nice interface and lots of features. Unfortunately, it cannot be extended with extensions. Windows

Note: If you have Windows, you will have Microsoft Internet Explorer along with it. I would highly recommend you don't use this as your default browser because it is insecure and isn't standards compliant (this means that it doesn't render web pages according to the Worldwide Web Consortium). However, make sure you still check your web pages in IE because it is the most used browser (by about 80 percent).

FTP Clients

If you want to put a website online, you will probably need an FTP client. An FTP client enables you to transfer files from your computer to a remote server much quicker and easier than using the "File Manager" most hosting services provide.

FileZilla: I have been using FileZilla for the whole time I've been developing websites. Behind its simple interface it packs a lot of power, including a full featured site manager. It's fast, reliable, and secure and is something I would definitely recommend. Windows
SmartFTP: SmartFTP is another FTP client that I've heard is good but a little bit more difficult to use than FileZilla. I found it harder to use than it needed to be. Windows

Digital Image Editors

Unless you plan to make only simple websites, you will need to incorporate images into the design. Here are some great free image editors that I would recommend.

The Gimp: The Gimp is a very popular free image editor that is great for web graphics. Multiplatform
Inkscape: An excellent multiplatform SVG editor. I use this for creating logos and some web graphics. Multiplatform
Adobe Photoshop: This is the king of image editors and is the choice of all the pros. I guess the pros have lots of money because Photoshop retails at $650 US (if you qualify for educational discounts, you can get it for under $300). Windows/Mac

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Tutorials

To start developing websites, you are going to have to learn HTML, the basic web language. As you become comfortable with using HTML you can try learning some other languages such as CSS, which can be used to style your websites. Here are some sites with great tutorials on all sorts of web languages.

Basic Tutorials

W3 Schools: This site has tutorials on every web language that exists.
SitePoint: SitePoint has lots of great articles and tutorials on all web topics, from basic HTML to advanced PHP. Check them out.
Tizag Tutorials: Nice tutorials on HTML, CSS, PHP, and Javascript.
Salted Sugar :): Eventually I would like to write my own HTML and CSS tutorial.

Advanced Tutorials

Dev Shed: A site with articles and tutorials on more advanced topics, such as PHP, MySQL, and XML.

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Hosting

To get your site online, you're going to need to get webspace to host it on. Here are some great free and paid hosts

Free Hosts

XMG Free: This is the only free hosting company I would recommend because they don't require you to post in their forums, they are fairly reliable, and they have been around a long time (most free hosts quit early due to finances). I've been hosted by them for about a year or so now and the support is excellent.

Paid Hosts

1&1: 1&1 has great plans and service. I got a few domain names with them and my experience has been great. With my domain plan, I also got access to a stock photography database for free.
GoDaddy: This is a very popular hosting service that has nice plans.
BlueHost: This host has really good plans (tons of features) and I've heard from others that it's a great host.

Host Yourself

Your other option is to host your own server in your home. This can be very complicated, and, depending on your ISP, you might not even be able to do it. For info on how to host your own server, try Google.

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