Selecting the Best Web Design Language for Your Project

If you'd like to create and publish your own web site
on the Internet, your first step should be to decide what type of web
site you would like to create and what web design language you would
like to use.

Although there are several web design languages to
choose from, make sure you take some time to research your options to
ensure you're making the best choice for your project.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

The
easiest and most popular web design language is Hypertext Markup
Language, better known as HTML. This language is so simple you can type
the syntax into a text editor, such as Notepad, save it with an .html
extension and instantly have a web page.

You can learn more about HTML here:
http://www.w3schools.com/html/

Although
HTML will enable you to create simple web sites, if you want something
more dynamic, you'll need to look into using other languages:

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP)

PHP:
Hypertext Preprocessor, better known as PHP, is a highly popular,
server-side scripting language that can be embedded directly into HTML
coding.

PHP can do anything that CGI (Common Gateway Interface)
can do, such as process form data and auto generate dynamic content.
However, PHP can do much more. It can be used on all major operating
systems and supports most web servers.

PHP's main focus is
development for the web, so it has a quick development time and can
solve scenarios much quicker than some of the other web design
languages.

You can learn more about PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor here:
http://www.php.net/

ColdFusion

ColdFusion,
developed by Macromedia, is used to build and serve web pages. It
consists of ColdFusion Studio, which is used to create web pages, and
ColdFusion Server, which is used to display the web pages.

One of the best features of ColdFusion is the ability to create web pages 'on the fly' from content stored within a database.

For
example, a variety of content can be placed within a database as
'pieces of content.' When a user types in the web address to retrieve
the web page, ColdFusion dynamically develops the pages, from the
'pieces of content,' as they are served.

Although it is very
reliable, ColdFusion may be better suited for larger companies rather
than individuals, as it is fairly expensive.

You can learn more about ColdFusion here:
http://macromedia.com/support/coldfusion/tutorial_index.html

Java Server Pages (JSP)

Java
Server Pages, also known as JSP, is a web design language developed by
Sun Microsystems. It is used to control web page content via servlets,
which are little programs that run on a web server. These servlets
modify the web page on the server prior to it being displayed within a
web browser.

The JSP technology enables you to combine regular, static HTML with dynamically generated HTML.

You can learn more about Java Server Pages here:
http://java.sun.com/products/jsp/docs.html

Active Server Pages (ASP)

Active Server Pages, also known as ASP, is Microsoft's solution to dynamic, interactive web pages.

Active
Server Pages are web pages that contain scripts in addition to the
standard HTML tags. These scripts are processed prior to a web page
being displayed within a web browser.

Unlike standard HTML pages that have an .html or .htm extension, Active Server Pages have an .asp extension.

An
advantage of ASP is that it is language-independent and therefore is
easy to use across all platforms and applications. It is very flexible
and powerful, yet some people don't like it merely because it is a
Microsoft product.

You can learn more about Active Server Pages here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnasp/html/asptutorial.asp

Conclusion

With
so many different web design languages to choose from, which is the
best language for your project? That will depend on your web site needs
and how much time and/or money you're willing to invest.

If you
want a simple web site with text and images, HTML is definitely the way
to go. Not only is it easy to learn, but there are also many HTML
editors available online that will write the code for you.

Although
HTML is usually the right choice for most, if you'd like your web site
to be dynamic, you will need to research some of the other languages
until you find the best solution for your project.

Take your time
and do your homework before you begin. If you don't feel confident in
your ability to create your own web site, hire a professional. It will
save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery 2005

Shelley
Lowery is the publisher of Etips. To receive your free subscription
& a copy of Shelley's popular ebooks, 'Killer Internet Marketing
Strategies,' and 'Work from Home: A Complete Guide to Developing a
Successful Internet Business from Home,' send an email to etips_publication@web-source.net or visit http://www.web-source.net.

Shelley is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com. Visit the Web Design Mastery site to download your free chapters (77 pages)!

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