ASK HN: (click on link to view question, duh!) Learn web development? | Hacker News Reader

ASK HN: (click on link to view question, duh!) Learn web development?

4 pointsagrinshtein15 comments

I would like to learn web development (whatever that includes). From what I have garnered from reading it is good to start off with aiming for a goal and working on a project. I would like to make a website like Y.H News, just for kicks. What would I have to learn? What books would you guys recommend for learning that?

Thanks!

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It is not just about learning a language and some framework, though it's a good start. I'd recommend Python + Django. As you go, learn about software design, HTTP (RFC 2616 http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616.html), Javascript (http://javascript.crockford.com/) and preferably also some JS library (jQuery being my favorite), web app security (https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Category:OWASP_Testing_Proje...) and more... But most important, learn by doing. Start building something, no matter how unsignificant it may appear, right now. You will learn on the fly ;)

Thanks for that.

Unclear...you recommend Python and DJango? "But most important, learn by doing. Start building something, no matter how unsignificant it may appear, right now. You will learn on the fly ;)" That is exactly what I want to do, I want to build a site like this one. How long do you think it would take to figure out how to learn a language with the capabilities to do that? I am a quick learner and am persistent.

Python is easy to learn, even if you don't have previous experience. Check out some tutorials (note - I recommend learning Python 2.6, forget about Python3 for now):

http://docs.python.org/tutorial/ http://docs.python.org/using/ http://python.org/doc/ http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkpython.html

After learning the basics, take a deeper look into Django: http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ http://www.djangobook.com/

You should be able to build an app like newsYC in a week or so.

Have you had experience with RoR? it seems like people are really touting it.

How would you compare that with python and django?

"You should be able to build an app like newsYC in a week or so." -- WOW is it that simple?

thanks again for your help

Sorry, no RoR experience. It doesn't matter that much if you chose Ruby/Rails or Python/Django at the beginning, mainly if you don't have any previous experience. Maybe try both and see what are you most comfortable in.

Yeah, it's quite easy. For a toy project like this clone you're planning, you wouldn't even need a database.

okay...would you mind if I keep you up to date as per how it goes?

if you dont mind and would be okay helping out a newbie in his first project than follow me on twitter and I will keep you posted. twitter name:arongrinshtein

Same for you pclark

Thanks guys! You are champs!

I'm rather busy but if I can, I'll try to help ;) Good luck with this.

PS - we're aware of how Ask HN topics work, might wanna put the brief subject in title :)

Hey Pclark, thanks!

I recently purchased an upgrade to Leopard and I never got a cd with XCODE, I would love to download it however being from a country with capped internet it is a significant amount of bandwidth. I don't think I have it installed, is that a make it or break it for Ruby?

Would PHP do the job as well?

Thanks again, Aron

you might find ruby and rails are included in leopard. Open terminal and type: ruby -v and then: rails -v

PHP would be ideal too.

also, you could learn python (theres a 'famous' web project called django) -- reddit.com is a site very similar to this one, and its open source. Great way to learn code.

http://code.reddit.com/ # download and hack away :)

consider ruby on rails : http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2005/10/13/what_is_rails....

read this : http://poignantguide.net/ruby/

then buy these : http://peepcode.com/products/rails-from-scratch-part-i

So you think I would be able to build a site like this merely through learning RoR?

I was playing around with RoR with Agile Rails by D.H. Hansson etc... Was having problems upgrading my Ruby on my Mac through the command line. I have played around and tinkered but to no avail. I simple havent been able to get it installed.

you could easily make this site (or something very similar) in RoR.

I assume you're on leopard? something like this tutorial should set you up - http://danbenjamin.com/articles/2008/02/ruby-rails-leopard

make sure you install the apple developer tools before doing stuff though. They're on the OS X disk and also on the apple developer connection website.

pclark,

I just figured out that XCODE is on the installer CD, it doesnt ship as a separate one. Woops, that should have been obvious.

Again, thanks for pitching in to help a newbie to the programming world.

Aron

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