Technology Overview
In this section I've listed some of the web technologies that I use and brief overview of each, you can also find great resources for each in the Links and Resources section.
PHP and MySQL
PHP is a server side scripting language used to create dynamic and interactive websites. Why do I use it? Well firstly I find it very easy to use, definitely the easiest scripting language I have used, but also one of the most versatile. Join PHP up with MySQL and you have a superb partnership for creating Database driven websites.
XHTML and CSS
Now you've probably have heard of HTML, so what the hell is XHTML when it's at home? Well it stands for eXtensible HyperText Markup Language and is a cross between XML and HTML. XML is used to describe data, where as HTML displays data. Why use it over HTML? Well firstly it is stricter that HTML, so your code has to be better written? Why is this good? Well one of the main problems with HTML is that it allows Web Developers to create poor, badly written and sometimes incorrect code. Also it's main purpose is to structure code, so it can be better utilised by many devices, such as PDAs, mobile phones, screen readers etc.
Okay? So what is CSS then? Well CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and is a set of instructions that control how a document looks. You can use it to control the colours, background images, position and sizes of objects and much much more. CSS has been used with HTML for a while now, but many developers still use it incorrectly and/or not enough. Use it with XHTML you can completly seperate all the design from the content to create easier to maintain, quicker to load, meaner leaner, search engine and device friendly websites.
So to sum it up, XHTML is the data/content and CSS is the design.
PHP is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML.
MySQL is the world's most popular open source database software, with over 100 million copies of its software downloaded or distributed throughout its history. With superior speed, reliability, and ease of use, MySQL has become the preferred choice of corporate IT Managers because it eliminates the major problems associated with downtime, maintenance, administration and support.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential. W3C is a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding.
