Building a website and other dreamweaver woes

[AJP]

Ok, so I have posted on this topic before, but still am at a lose as to how to do it. I have dreamweaver, I think mx.

I want to build a small site for myself and then host it. I would like to build the site before I start paying for a host. Is this possible?

Would I be better off, just using the templates that a hosting service like www.godaddy.com will give me, as I am a computer dunce?

I started to play with frontpage and found it much easier to make a site but still am at a lose. Is this program not even worth my trouble.

Am I stupid and should I just stick with the free server that I have now?

I would like to try to keep this half-way serious as I would like to maybe get started on sunday building this new beast of a site.

Thanks guys and gals.

[mightymouse]

well id skip al the programs like dreaweaver and that kinda stuff when i had to build my website for my honors bio class i used notepad

[AJP]

Ok html is out of the question. I don't know it well enough to try and build a site.

[Spiffyguy]

http://www.htmlgoodies.com is an excellent site for learning html. I use dreamweaver MX but I use the code view. There are a few other sites for learning dreamweaver but they escape me. A google search for dreamweaver tutorials might yeild some good results. One thing you can do is look at the source code for a fairly simple site and look how they did things. That is how I got my website started. I learned some of the basic tags from htmlgoodies. Hope that helps. If you have certain questions I can try to help, although I an not the greatest lol.

[AJP]

Thanks, anyone else? Here is the thing, I don't want simple. I want big and flashy. I know that is asking alot of a newbie, but hey I think big. So any help would be great.

[mightymouse]

HTML isnt all that hard i used HTML and java script and the website was amazing u can also search and find a character entity reference sheet defined in HTML 4.0 i have one of those and it is the best cheat sheet ever

[mightymouse]

oh i didnt see the big and flashy ever used cold fusion? that is very complex but you can do AMAZING things with that my website was understated simplicity because it was being judged nad the content was the mos timportant thing so i went for a simple sophisticated look for the site

[Spiffyguy]

My first site was built in notepad. I mainly use dreamweaver for the organization ability. I recommend that you check out HTMLgoodies for some basic tag in. Once you learn how to set the tags up it starts to make more sense.

[masson]

Microsoft publisher has an easy to create website.

[mightymouse]

also u can use notepad 2 which tells u what line ur on which is alot easier but if you want big and flashy and know the software cold fusion is the best IMHO

[Bungle]

I started out using Frontpage, then graduated to Dreamwever. I have a working knowledge of HTML, PHP, and javascripting. It seems you are on the right track to learning on your own. I too started out with a simple freebie site like yours.
Just stick with it and take it a step at a time.
Maybe buy a couple books.
1. HTML related book (not to write it but to understand the functions of codes)
2. Dreamweaver or Frontpage for Dummies.
3. Reference a couple of websites and bookmark the good ones.
http://website.lineone.net/~mike_mcgrath/
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/primers/h...le.php/3478131

[AJP]

Ok, well I just bought my domain name, and a very small hosting plan. All told I spent $8, and got one month of hosting. I will see how it goes, and if all else fails I am out $8.

I actually used the tutorials in dreamweaver, and it made it a lot easier to use.

I am hoping to have a site up this weekend. We will see.

[CrystalAZ]

Ok, I am going to admit something. I am a professional web designer and I use FrontPage.

I know it is considered the lowest form of web design, but I have used Dreamweaver and I simply prefer FP. I guess I just got used to it so DW didn't seem as "common sense" to me.

I would use either one of those programs, AJ. I wouldn't try learning HTML right now. It isn't hard, but it is also much easier to use design view to create a page. I also wouldn't use one of the host's templates. They are simply too limiting.

If you use FrontPage, you can go back and forth between design view and HTML view. That way you can start learning HTML just by seeing the code for what you just did.

When I started learning, I simply found sites I liked. Then I viewed the source code and copied and pasted it into the HTML view screen in FP. You can see how everything is done, and even remove their graphics and add your own, etc.

For a "big and flashy" site, the key is your graphics IMO. You can have a nice layout but if the graphics are FrontPage theme graphics or clip art or a bunch of animated gifs, your page is still going to look amateur.

Yes, you can build the site before paying for a host. Just build it in the program you decide to use and upload it all when you are done. If you use FP, don't use their publisher, just upload it with a free FTP program.

If you hit snags, feel free to PM me. I'll be around and will try to help if I can.

Crystal

[AJP]

Thanks Crystal. I built a very basic site on dreamweaver, and it was easy to my surprise. I have purchased a domain name and the base hosting plan from go daddy. The base plan comes with no templates, so I have no choice but to use dreamweaver

Well I will let you know when I need assitance. thanks guys and gals.

[AJP]

Ok I already am having a problem. I have all the FTP info from go daddy. I just tried to upload and when I test the connection it says



An FTP error occured - cannot make connection to host.
The remote host could not be found.

Is this just because I just started my account?

[thrlride]

I prefer dreamweaver myself. I use the split view and make more changes to the actual HTML than the design view. I know nothing about javascript or any of the others though.

[AJP]

Ok, I guess I can't upload anything for 24-48 hours. Jeez what a bunch of jerks. LOL

Well I guess I need to get started on my site.

I do have a question though. Since I will be doing everything with dreamweaver, lets say I want to host some pics, do I have to put them in using dreamweaver? I don't want the pics viewable to everyone on my site, just a place to put them so I can host them here. What is the easy way to do that.

[thrlride]

I use photobucket to host all of my images.

[AJP]

Really? Is it just easier? I mean I am paying for this bandwidth and storage space. So I might as well use it. Is there an easy way?

[AnnArborBuck]

If you are on a windows platform you can download microsofts "Personal Web Server" that will let you build your site on your local machine. That makes updating your site super easy, as you can design, test it, and then simply FTP it to the live site when it is ready. HEre is a link on how to dowload and install PWS.

I design websites for a living and I use Frontpage for laying everything out. I create the graphics in photoshop and then chop them up, but that takes sometime and training (adobe isn't super easy). What you can do is search the web for "Website templates". Here is one example of a site that sells website templates on the cheap. If you truly want "big and bold" you are going to be better off spending a few bucks on a professional layout then trying to do it yourself.

Cold Fusion is ok but it cost $$$, php is free and ASP is usually free with most web hosts.

If you want to get into all of the cool menus, etc, you will need to use javascript. You can look for "Code Snippets" that you can plug into your site to do what you need.


javascript

Good luck

[thrlride]

Originally posted by AJP
Really? Is it just easier? I mean I am paying for this bandwidth and storage space. So I might as well use it. Is there an easy way?

I use it because it is free.

I have a website for my wifes work that we made. We are using our free webspace from our ISP for the HTML storage. We are using photobucket for the image storage and use godaddy for the domain name. We just point the godaddy stored domain to our ISP pages.

[AJP]

Originally posted by thrlride
I use it because it is free.

I have a website for my wifes work that we made. We are using our free webspace from our ISP for the HTML storage. We are using photobucket for the image storage and use godaddy for the domain name. We just point the godaddy stored domain to our ISP pages.

Ok that confused me. Remember I not a computer stud. I guess I will stick with photobucket then.

[thrlride]

LOL

I'm assuming you bought a domain name and web storage from godaddy.com. I just bought the domain name and forwarded it to a different address. Basically what it does is forward people that try to view the website to where I tell it to go. So, they type in www.showcasedance.net and then it automagically forwards them to a different address but still says showcasedance.net

[AJP]

Oh I see. Yes I bought the domain name and hosting. I got the $3.95 hosting plan. If I need more I can bump it up. I just wanted a place that had all my pictures (I am upgrading and will be doing a tank log) and figured my site would work great.

The more I learn, the less I know.

[thrlride]

I'm sure you can keep all of your files there. I just took my route to make it as cheap as possible.