Bit 'o' help needed in php or something lads..

Chief

'Aight Laeds...
I need a little advice, ive been asked to set up a local website, a sort of community thingy. Ive done plenty of simple websites before but nothing that would require the ability for some plain ordinary person to pop onto the site and be able to add a bit of news.
Now as i see all of the major sites have a basic layout but everything is done via scripts and stuff, i would love to know how to get into all this. I myself have never done anything like this, but ive heard theres plenty of tools out their for the job.
The web hosting company ill be using offers the installation of php extensions etc.. so thats why im saying php and it has been mentioned to me before.

All im after is site i can build and design and is allowed to be updated without me having to go into the page everytime in dreamweaver and have to redo tables text, gfx, etc etc... (as ive heard this can also be done) and the way for others to update via an online thingy form thingy.

So can anyone suggest ways this can be done with off the shelf (or free) things? should i dump php and go for asp or what? Suggestions and all other stuff (links to tutorials, scripts, guides, free proggies, anything! please! )would be damn handy laeds.

Thanks a million in advance.

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"LOSE me.. Hate me.. SMASH me..
ERASE me.. KILL me.."

nine inch nails - eraser

|Chief|...

[This message has been edited by Chief (edited 03-07-2001).]

MiCr0

something like what they have for playerofgames.com ?

Gavin

Yo,
most of those sites you are talking about run off some sort of database server and as you say scripting language.

The microsoft 'way' i suppose is asp and microsoft sql. That is what boards.ie is running on. ( i think that's the database server anyway ).

There are a few other ways. Most common and easiest is php/mysql combo. Tis very easy to get something like what you have described up and running. You will need a webserver to run it off. apache/mysql/php can all run on win32 as well, so you don't need to install linux/*bsd/unix unless u want to.

have a look at
www.php.net
www.phpbuilder.com
www.apache.org
www.mysql.com

Of course, if it's just a plain and simple news thing, you can write a cgi script, or maybe find a premade one. Matt's cgi archive has a lot there.

And then there is java/jsp which is a bit more serious. Haven't touched on it really myself.. but hear plenty of good about it.

Gav

dahamsta

Also look at php.resourceindex.com, which has a rake of scripts that you should be able to dump in and play with (with a small bit of configuation of course). I reckon it's the easiest way to learn, although of course you won't learn it properly until, well, you learn it properly. Also see the PHP section of HotScripts.com.

adam

FreaK_BrutheR

Im acctually learning ASP at the moment. I learn it from a book. Its fairly straight forward realy. I have the basics of this kind of updating done but as yet have to learn the retaining of the information in a database. Im plan on writing a really easily configurable one with plenty of scope for messing about and interchanging to have and to hold from this day forth. I dunno I heard ASP/SQL/VBScript is the way to go with a bit of css and xml thrown in for good measure. But hey man... im only learning myself.

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http://run.to/pile

MindPhuck

Chiefy me owl mate.

Most of the time I use .ASP using an Access/or Sql Database. The server to run it on IIS, which is native to an NT4 server.

Doing an add/edit/delete news proggie is rather simple (I can give you the code) and getting it to display is also rather painless (I can give you examples). Catch me on irc or drop me a mail if your up for it.

logic1

Newspro. The site for it seems to be down right now though... http://amphibian.gagames.com/newspro

.logic.

Chief

Similar sort of idea to playerofgames MiCr0 m8.. yeh..
Thanx for all the help laeds.. gonna take a wee swing about the place and take a look at those URL's cheers... ooh ASP resources as well anyone? seems to be LOADSA info on php here
CH33Rs BUDs!

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"LOSE me.. Hate me.. SMASH me..
ERASE me.. KILL me.."

nine inch nails - eraser

|Chief|...

Kali

find out what the server is running... if its not IIS then dont (well you pretty much can't considering mod_asp ain't the best from what i've heard) go with ASP, otherwise PHP is your man.

mewso

As for tools as an example I use Homesite, my favorite editor out there. A nice css editor is included albeit a lite version and there is a time limited demo. Mind you there are alot of free editors. I've tried quite a few good ones. Best thing to do is goto www.downloads.com and search under your chosen code be it php, asp etc. for free editors with good user ratings. Of course if you have Dreamweaver by all means use it but I'm a saddo text coder myself.
I also can give you easy examples of add/edit scripts for databases in asp if you need them. I've got examples for a message board, email, cookies, upload etc. all done in asp by meself and free to anyone who wants them. But don't be wanting them in a hurry