I would really appreciate some advice from a proficient website developer. I am about to start studying the following: PHP/mySQL - open source database design XML Javascript In what order should I take these modules at college? which of these skills are the most useful at the early stages of building a website/online database? is it seriously possible to be self-taught? I'd love to hear from anyone who has picked up allround skills entirely outside the classroom! any comments on how to approach these matters would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

Start with the PHP/mySQL. XML really doesn't come into play with your basic website...It's more handy when you start exchanging data with other systems. Javascript will come into play as well, but it is an optional technology that plenty of good web pages don't use at all. None of these technologies is difficult to learn outside of the classroom. Almost everybody teaches themselves this stuff. I don't even know of any PHP/MySQL/Javascript/XML classes. Just a few days looking through tutorials should get you enough knowledge to get a basic site going. Good luck, -SN

Hey thanks a lot for that. -cheers mate tim

Somethings I should have learned at the beginning, but didn't: - using a source control system (CVS, subversion, etc.) - object oriented design as patterns - unit testing (and incremental testing in general) - development as a process (i.e. a plan) - handling user input (oh to count the bugs) - bugtracking (beyond your inbox) - profiling (not optimization, just diagnosis) And, yes, these all apply to web development.