Help coding a website!

[Azvareth]

I've been planning to launch my own website for years now, made numerous attempts at layouts, but when it was ready to be released, so to speak, I realised I didn't have the experience needed to code a website. So I asked friends... I also remember asking on here a few times, and some people volunteered, but in the end nothing really happened. Either the person was too busy, or wasn't really interested in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, now I really want this thing to happen. So I need a person who's not very busy, and should preferably live in Europe (time difference could prove to be a hassle.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right, so I have the layout ready and set. Only thing remaning is the coding-bit. You need to be able to do HTML coding, CSS as well as database coding. Without sounding like an idiot, if you can't do one of the above, don't bother replying. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The different sections of the site will be:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home - basically where I will announce new updates and stuff. It's the mainpage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Me - umm, a bit of a space filler. Will mention some random things about me I bet most people couldn't care less about. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gallery - I'll post some of my images here. This is where the database coding comes in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journal - random things I feel like talking about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forum - seems like every site has a forum now, this one will be no exception (also some friends have nagged about wanting to have a forum to spam on. :P) Database coding there as well, obviously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact - shouldn't need any explanation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reply here if you're interested. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[Hannibal]

And you want all that, for free, Azvy? Some idea about what rewards (apart from eternal gratitude) are connected to the thing would be helpful. As well as an idea of when you want it finished. My time is limited, especially the next two weeks (exam preparation, then actual exams). However, the amount of time I have available sort of depends on what the return for spending that time on X is. Sure, playing games is fun, but earning something on a fun project is also fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, could you show a preview of the design? What it's like will likely determine how much work it'll be. And how do you want to update it? Because it sounds to me like you're looking for a CMS-like solution :)

[Vape]

Photo gallery - http://gallery.menalto.com/

 

 

 

Journal/Blog - http://wordpress.org/

 

 

 

Forum - http://www.phpbb.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set yourself on fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ps. Don't put your email on the page. Set up a contact me form which sends submissions to your email so that people can't actually see your address on the site and therefore robots won't pick it up ;) I dunno how to do this but there's sure to be some tutorials around.

[Azvareth]

Hannibal: sorry if I was a bit vague on the details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time's no issue. But I'd prefer if it was finished within a year's period. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And well... rewards, eh? I never thought about that (apart from my eternal gratitude :P) -- probably because I'm not sure how much work it will require. So I really have no idea (I don't even how much a real webdesigner gets for a job)... - if you have any suggestions, please feel free to tell me. Since it's certainly something that could be arranged (within limits, of course.) :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A preview of the design:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone has any input or feedback on the design, tell me, since I have no idea about the do's and do-not's when making a site layout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for updating the site, I would of course prefer if it was as simple as possible, and I'd want to be able update it myself. I'm sure you know a simple solution to that. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cameron: thanks! But the blog thingy and the gallery thingy just looks and feels a bit generic and amateury. :( I want it to be a tad more professional and personal, if you get what I mean.

 

 

 

However, I will most likely/definitely make use of phpbb.com though for the forum. :)

[Mercifull]

Is a forum really neccessary? It seems every man and his dog now has a forum and its just used for rubbish or spam.

[Azvareth]

Well. Really necessary? No, it's probably not. But I don't see why not. :P It's something I can play around with, and a less public place for friends to talk about music and other things. I'd probably also learn some php-coding off it, so that's good, right? :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Cameron, I misunderstood the wordpress thing, and it's definitely not amateury. So I shall use it. Thanks! :)

[Keb_Ryo]

Ok here goes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First. Do you have a site name paid for (name of site)?

 

 

 

Second. Do you have a host (name of host)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok now, if 1 and 2 are not done STOP. Theres tons of free web-servers that you can do plain html on, that will walk you throu it all, eaven forums and pics pages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IF) 1 and 2 are done pm Who ever will help ya.

 

 

 

Warning) if 1 and 2 are done they will know your full info right down to phone # a simple who is serch will tell all of who you are and where you live. just a heads up, THAT STUFF IS PUPLIC RECORDS, If you buy a real web site,

[Ks_Jeppe]

IF) 1 and 2 are done pm Who ever will help ya.

 

 

 

Warning) if 1 and 2 are done they will know your full info right down to phone # a simple who is serch will tell all of who you are and where you live. just a heads up, THAT STUFF IS PUPLIC RECORDS, If you buy a real web site,

Not always... Lookup runehead.com (my domain) and you'll see that my information is protected by whois guard, which is one of the best things about namecheap.com IMO...

[Mercifull]

Woo and yay for whoisguard :P namecheap ftw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You must either use a whois guard protection service or privde REAL information. If you put fake data in the whois info then you are breaking the terms of contract for the domain.

[Blake16]

I might be able to do it im an expert in html and php (used to access Database) and know a little in CSS. Just wait and see how my life goes. Im not sure how to implement and easy updating system for you. I can show you how to add like news/highlights to the mainpage using a private "admin type" page that only you know and login to and just enter the info you want to send. Now for other parts of the website im not entirely sure :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for paying for a host is the most likely only way to get mysql (i only work with sql, NOT access or something else) and php. Now for the information Whathisname(im too lazy to scroll down and look and see) is right they can see info right down too your name and address with WhoIS. But most domain registrars allow you to pay an extra fee to hide that info to protect you from threats and telemarketers/spammers, etc. You will have to register your domain name and then use a webhost or host it yourself (free). you can download apache web server to your comp, install it, and set it up. Then you place the website files within a ceartain director. Then go to a dynamicdns site like freedns.com and register and input your ip address and domain name. The dns server will convert english into ip addresses which will be yours. Then after getting your dns setup go back to the domain registrar website and input the dns nameservers for your site. (i.e. ns1.freedns.com, ns2.freedns.com as you will have to input 2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theres a long post that should be somewhat of some use! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way this is aldeon if you remember me from a looonng time ago

[____]

Didn't you show me that banner and such like.... almost 6 months ago or something? :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

seriously though, wordpress should sufice for the blog / gallery / about me / contact.

 

 

 

If you wanted a forum you can just throw that in as an extra whenever you feel like it.

[Mercifull]

Any good CMS system such as wordpress can do pretty much all of this. theres probably even a basic forum add-on. For something thats basicly only going to be used for rubbish you dont really need to install a full feature sised forum package such as phpbb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WordPress plugins - http://wp-plugins.net/

 

 

 

'gallery' results page

[Hannibal]

I already told him about wordpress on IRC ^_^

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And yeah, that'll be fine for what he needs.

[Azvareth]

Thanks guys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right, for a short period of time yesterday, I was thinking/pursuaded (:P) of/into doing the coding myself -- asking in IRC whenever I need help. But I realised it will never work out, mostly because I'm a lazy person, and school is more hectic than ever this year. I will try to learn more about site coding, but not right now. But I'm sure I will learn quite a deal doing it this way too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right, onto the next thing: hosting and database. Right now, I don't think I have enough money for a good hosting (unless you know a very cheap place to host a .com domain) with christmas coming up and everything. But that's not a problem, is it? Since you/I can still test the website in a browser.

 

 

 

As for the database... are those free? How do I get one? :P Not really sure I know what it is. I just know I need one. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And wordpress seems great. I just can't find an appealing theme -- and I hate that most themes have this calendar thing on the side. Anyway, if someone knows a good site for wordpress themes, and have some free time, feel free to have a look or link me to one. I've already looked at alexking.com. I really like this kind of themes. Most of the theme should be in black.

 

 

 

One more thing, are the themes customisable?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for asking so much. :oops:

[Pyro]

If you put fake data in the whois info then you are breaking the terms of contract for the domain.

Personally I'd rather take that "risk" than either put my phone number there or pay for some lame service to remove it for me. If ICANN feels there is any point in listing a company who does not really own the domain instead of nothing at all, they are free to track down and sue me. That could be hard to accomplish considering the whois register would most likely be illegal in Sweden, but you get the idea.

[Blake16]

Nope you can test it in a normal browser unless you have a place to host in on. As there is a server system that runs on web hosts that sets the php in a hiarchy ...blah blah!. In other words php (used to access remote and local databases) is need to be on a web server that has php installed and will run it. As the functions of php will not work just by loading the browser locally.

 

 

 

Php is a server side script. As you notice on php pages by checking the view source you don't see any php code as it dissappears, because it is proccessed by the server before its sent to your browser. Don't know why i explained it but long story short you to have a web host supporting php, and im sure theres some free ones....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as far as MySQL I never used remote databases. Don't know where to get a free one hosted but I'm sure there's one out there. I've always had free MySql hosting come with the web hosting packages i buy for .com hosting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for cheapness you can host the website yourself easy if your not behind a router. Although its possible to host behind a network it takes advanced configurations that could possible screw up your network connection. All you have to pay for is the domain name. Which costs about 5-10$ & 3-6 in pounds (estimated). If you want to host yourself register a domain name and contact me i will guide you in setting up apache on your computer to host the site and setting up the dns servers. I've done this hundreds of times before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then again it's always possible to use a txt file instead of database. Depending on what it is i can encrypt it when php access or edits it and use a decrypting code (depending on level of encryption you want). The php can scan the text file to a ceartain line and read it off and do whatever it wants. A little bit more complicated to code and slightly more limited but, Hey! it's free!