Using MS Publisher 2003...

[HereToLearn]

I am very green when it comes to publishing a website. I've got nothing but ideas but I have hit a brick wall when it comes to developing. I've been sifting through some of the threads here and have learned an awful lot, enough to realize that I am over my head at this point.

I have read the post that tend to differ people from using MS Pub. My question is that for a beginner, is it ok to use this program to get your site off the ground, and just edit and reformat as you go once becoming more knowledgable?

Where did most of you learn how to write code? When you say, write a page with all code, does this mean that your entire webpage was written from scratch, without the help of a program?

Thanks for the input, and I am now subscribed to this website.:)

[Mike]

Publisher? I don't know many, if anyone, who uses that.

I'd either learn to code basic html through the billions of tutorial sites, or download some freeware WYSIWYG editor just to get started. Of course, you could always buy something like Dreamweaver, but if you're just testing the water perhaps it would be best to get something cheap/free.

[deronsizemore]

Where did most of you learn how to write code? When you say, write a page with all code, does this mean that your entire webpage was written from scratch, without the help of a program?




Just do some google searches for html and css tutorials. I spent the better part of two years learning how to write html/css. It takes a lot of work, it's probably not something you're just going to jump into and learn in a week.

Yes, usually when you write a page with code it means all from scratch. Or at least that's what I means for me. I use http://www.editplus.com to code. I start with a blank page and just go to town.

[Dan Schulz]

If you don't know any HTML or CSS, then go to your local public library and see if they have a copy of Build Your Own Web Site The Right Way Using HTML & CSS (http://www.sitepoint.com/books/html1) by Ian Lloyd. If you like the book and find it useful (or can't find it at the library and they can't/won't get it for you via an interlibrary loan), then buy a copy of the book for yourself.

I don't (normally) recommend Web sites to people who are learning because often times the Web site does not adhere to the same rigorous level of review/editorial standards that books must go through while in development and before they're ever published (since it's obviously not in the publisher's best interest to sell a junk product).

Obviously some sites are held to those high standards, this one (WSP, aka Chris's site) being one of them, and thus will be far more likely to be recommended by me than others.

[Anoubis]

I Learnt a few nice bits and pieces using front page, and remembering parts of code then reusing it (Changing the relevant parts) Eventually u get to understand the "view source" text
Just had Office 2003 added to my already old computer (upgrade from 2000) and im lost having to use publisher instead as theres very little code work involved.
There are usually some basic to advanced tutorials for free on Youtube if no where else

[AndyTC]

My personal experience with Microsoft Publisher, way back in the early days, was that the pages take way to long to load and the html code is not so search engine friendly.

If you have Microsoft Office 2003 and it has FrontPage as part of the package this is pretty userfriendly.

If you don't want to pay any extra money you can try Open Source Software like Joomla and pay for a club or tutorial to learn the advanced techniques.

Or alternatively take the time to learn HTML or Dreamweaver if you have both time and money to burn.

If you're serious about being a webmaster then you really need to use a serious webmaster software program as any of those mentioned.

For the beginner I don't recommend learning HTML to begin with. WYSIWYG and CSS programs are good and then learn little bits of code as you go.