Scripting and programming
As the Web has evolved into a platform of applications for getting stuff done,
programming has never been more important. JavaScript is the language that
makes elements on web pages do things. It adds behaviors and functionality
to elements in the page and even to the browser window itself.
There are other web-related programming languages as well, including PHP,
Ruby, Python, and ASP.NET, that run on the server and process data and
information before it is sent to the user’s browser. See the sidebar “Frontend
Versus Backend” for more information on what happens where.
Web scripting and programming definitely requires some traditional com-
puter programming prowess. While many web programmers have degrees
in computer science, it is also common for developers to be self-taught. A
few developers I know started by copying and adapting existing scripts, then
gradually added to their programming skills with each new project. Still, if
you have no experience with programming languages, the initial learning
curve may be a bit steep.
Teaching web programming is beyond the scope of this book. JavaScript is
introduced in Chapter 19, Introduction to JavaScript (teaching JavaScript
could fill a whole book itself). It is possible to turn out content-rich, well-
designed sites without the need for programming, so hobbyist web designers
should not be discouraged. However, once you get into collecting informa-
tion via forms or serving information on demand, it is usually necessary to
have a programmer on the team. You may also ask your hosting company
if they offer the functionality you are looking for in an easy-to-use, canned
service.