Thread: What should I learn next? (Web/Server development)

Hello all,

I was hoping to get some suggestions on what all there is left to learn in web development for me. Specifically my goal is to get an idea of everything that could be useful for making and maintaining full websites (like this one), in regards to both front and back ends.

So far I've studied traditional client side languages (HTML, CSS, JS), as well as the more recent NodeJS. I have almost no knowledge of PHP, MySQL, database systems, or Apache.

So my questions are:


A) What server side languages (or programs) would be useful to learn about?

B) What database languages (or programs) should I know about, and how would you recommend learning for someone who is new to it?

C) Can you think of any "must know" aspects of client side scripting that a developer should know, and if so what?

D) What the heck should I start learning next in web development? :P

Thanks, and if you can think of anything that pertains to the subject that I didn't ask, please let me know! (There are many things that I don't know that I don't know , that I err, don't know *head explodes* )

O_o

A): Python
B): PostgreSQL
C): REST/SOAP API Design
D): A/B/C (The components really work as a unit along with what you already know.)

Soma

> A): Python
If I said Perl, would you say I was wrong

Thanks guys! Even non-popular suggestions are welcome, I'll look into all of them.

It's like the C++ of web development.

O_o

What a fantastic joke!

Soma

Originally Posted by MutantJohn

Do you really think PHP makes you a bad programmer?

Let's not get there again. Heres a deal: You keep doing it. You are obviously enjoying it. Just don't try to validate your choice to us. It really is of no use. We have all been there. We have seen it and we have moved. And when you do go through the same process as we did, you will share the same experience as us all. Then you will know what we mean. Untill then asking that question is as useless to us as the answer we can give you will be useless to you.

@Alpo
The Python/PostgreSQL combo is a particular powerful one. You will want to start there. Just don't listen to Salem and Perl. He was probably drunk.

Nobody is telling you how to Program. I'm telling you nobody wants to know.

Do you really think PHP makes you a bad programmer?

O_o

Do you really think PHP is as amazing as you've claimed?

*shrug*

I don't understand why you think people should agree with you. I don't see anything wrong with you sharing your interests. I honestly don't even see anything wrong with your proselytizing the PHP language in a thread where someone asked for opinions. The question just reminds me of all the "$(The New C Killer) Language" threads. We don't have to agree with nonsense like the "It's like the C++ of web development." comment. You are free to treat PHP as is awesome as you like, but I'm absolutely going to treat PHP as an inferior mess.

Soma

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I've found some books that look good for Python and will start on them soon.

There is one thing I wanted to ask, but it slipped my mind at the time. How important is Flash in the modern web?

I know a lot of the new HTML5 capabilities, but I'm not certain if there are still things that only flash can do. For instance HTML5 has:

• Video
• Audio
• File Reading (input type='file', FileReader)
• Basic rendering (canvas)
• Device Access (getUserMedia API)
• WebSockets

Also there are usually shim's available for backward compatibility, so I'm torn on whether learning ActionScript is a good investment of my time.