Creating Data-Driven Web Sites

Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to provide an introduction to this set of technologies to teach a new programmer how to get started creating data-driven websites and to provide a jumping-off point for the reader to expand his or her skills. Today’s modern world is heavily dependent on the World Wide Web. It affects the way we communicate, how we shop, and how we learn about the world. Every website, every page, consists of four fundamental elements: the structure, the style, the programming, and the data. These correspond to four different “languages,” respectively: HTML, CSS, PHP, and MySQL. After learning the necessary components, users will have the understanding required to use the above technologies to create a working website. This book is aimed at the programmer or student who understands the basic building blocks of programming such as statements and control structures but lacks knowledge of the syntax and application of the above-mentioned technologies.