Introduction
The above questions are very often asked by novice programmers or lay people who want to start learning web programming. I am also frequently asked regarding this issue either via email or from discord. This is very very understandable, because so diverse material related web programming, many novice programmers confused where to start from.
Therefore I decided to make a special article on this subject, and hopefully can be a basic guide for all colleagues.
HTML is the core of the entire web page. It depends on creating a website with no basic knowledge of HTML. Duga, HTML is also very easy to learn. You do not need to have a programming base or knowledge of any algorithm. The only capability needed is that you are familiar enough with how to use a web browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
After HTML, go where?
If you have mastered HTML (at least basic HTML), can choose between CSS or PHP. If interested in web design, please continue to learn CSS. If you want to create web applications such as form processing, save data to the database, create reports, etc. can go to PHP.
I personally further recommend to go to CSS. Thus, it will have a fitting base and can understand how to create a website look and beautify web page design.
Just like HTML, CSS also does not require any programming-related knowledge. Neither CSS nor HTML is actually a 'programming language'. Both are structured languages composed of simple commands (although CSS may be 'slightly' more complicated than HTML).
Next is Web Programming with PHP
Next, after learning HTML and CSS, you can go to PHP. Unlike HTML and CSS, PHP is 'pure' a computer programming language. HTML and CSS itself can not be said programming language, but more to the code language. In PHP this is the actual web programming.
PHP is used to create 'programs' from a website. Starting from setting the logic flow, processing HTML form results, to communicate with databases such as MySQL. If you create a modern website, 80% of the time you spend creating PHP code, especially feature rich websites like information systems, online exams, news portals, etc.
To be able to learn PHP, you should have the basics of programming.
Database MySQL
When creating a website with PHP, sometimes we need to store data such as user registration, sales reports, calculations, etc. This storage medium is known as a database.
There are a variety of database applications that can be used, currently the most popular database application for web programming is MySQL. You can learn MySQL at the same time with PHP or focus to PHP, then go to MySQL.
If you follow the latest developments in web programming, now also appears a new database application: MariaDB. MariaDB is actually a 'cloningan' of MySQL. All commands in MySQL still run on MariaDB. Therefore you do not have to worry to start learning MySQL (although later will use MariaDB).
Animation with JavaScript
The last material that needs to be mastered is JavaScript. Just like PHP, JavaScript is a pure programming language.
JavaScript is required to create interactive website pages, such as what happens when a button is clicked, displays an error message.
Actually, you can directly learn JavaScript after learning HTML, but I suggest to go into JavaScript after understand PHP, especially if you have never studied computer programming language before.
JavaScript uses object-based programming concepts (Object Oriented Programming). OOP concept is quite difficult for beginners (especially if you have never studied OOP). However, with the appropriate materials and guides, learning JavaScript is great fun. The features and final results that can be obtained with JavaScript are very interesting, such as animation, interactive content.
The world of computer science, especially web programming is growing very fast. Every month (if not every day) new technology is born that can be used to create a website more "wow" than ever. This technology comes in the form of libraries, plugins, frameworks, CMS or even a new programming language.
The fight has not ended friends. when we master the one I am describing above, now the real struggle will begin.
For example, in the PHP programming language, you will also be required to understand the framework. Framework is a collection of program code with certain rules that can be used to generate websites quickly. Some well-known PHP frameworks are Laravel, Code Igniter, Yii Framework, and Zend Framework.
In terms of web design (CSS), there are frameworks such as Bootstrap and Zurb Foundation. In addition there are also CSS preprocessor technologies such as Less and Sass.
For JavaScript available various library technologies such as jQuery, AngularJS framework, and also Node.js. Especially for jQuery.
Seeing the many technologies that must be mastered, at this point you generally have to choose where to focus. If you focus on web designers (also known as front-end developers), master the HTML + CSS + JavaScript and its framework. If you want to focus on web programmer (also known as back-end developer), specialize to explore PHP, MySQL and its various framework.
As a proof for the need for the framework, please see the programmer web job openings. Almost all require the requirement to master some frameworks like Code Igniter, Laravel, or jQuery.
