How should a C programmer learn HTML?

Question

Hi, I'm a skilled programmer, but I've been out of the industry since C was in favour. Now I would like to learn HTML and Java. With Basic, Fortran and C, I just kinda picked it up as I went along. I find this stuff pretty easy, but most textbooks take it so slowly I end up throwing them on the floor and jumping up and down on them. So, here's the question. Is there a good book, or online resource, for me to learn to write HTML? I don't need hand-holding through the basics - I want a book that treats me like I understand. Same question for Java.
Thanks very much for your help.

Answer 1

As mentioned above, remember that HTML isn't a programming language, it's just markup instructions. Don't buy a book until you know really what it is you want to do, mess around with things on your box and search around for any of the million-odd online tutorials.



Coming from Basic, Fortran and C, the big things you'll need to learn have nothing to do with programming languages, and everything to do with the object oriented paradigm and design patterns.



I'd suggest doing two things:



First, pick up one of the slow "for beginners" books on Java. Yes, I know you're not a beginner, but there are some syntactical and conceptual differences between the languages you know and the languages you want to know. I'd suggest the Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days book from Sams Net. If you do the first week on your first day because you know what you're doing, then great. But at some point you'll get into GUI programming and event handling that you need to know about, and you'll get into the differences between memory allocation on the older systems and that on the newer generation of languages, and the details that are important.



The second thing you should do is to go pick up a copy of Design Patterns by Gamma, Helm, Johnson and Vlissides (aka Gang of Four). There are lots of books on design patterns, but they're built from this, and this will give you a solid background on some good OO principles.



Good luck.

Answer 2

C and HTML are two vastly different languages, and skills from one to the other cannot really be used in the other. The best way to learn HTML is by doing one of three things (or all):



Pick up a book --> Grab something like "HTML for Dummies" or "An Idiot's guide to Creating Webpages"



Use the Internet as your learning tool --> The best place, in my opinion, are the W3C schools (http://www.w3schools.com/). It is a very easy way to learn.



Software --> Many software programs integrate tutorials or a learning interface. Dreamweaver is probably the best one, made by Adobe (formally Macromedia). It's most notable feature is the Design, or Split View Code/Design, view. It allows the user to build a website, without any experience with HTML whatsoever, and then view the code once they have the finished product.



Pick up the trial at:

http://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver







As for Java, there are endless tutorials on the web to learn it, and since you already know an OOP, you will pick it up in no time at all.



Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm a c, c++ etc programmer. HTML isn't even a full blown language (no loops or conditionals). You can learn a lot by just taking an existing html file and modifying it. W3 Schools has free reference and instruction guides on HTML. You can find lots of free HTML editors that will help - I've been using HTML Kit by chami for several years and am quite happy with it.

There are also a couple of free Java Development environments that can help with java. I don't use it much.

I do web pages mainly with Javascript, Cascading Style Sheets and of course HTML.

Answer 4

HTML is not a programming language just a markup language. It's pretty easy to learn for any programmer.

The best resource for syntax is obviously w3schools.com

But http://tutorialtastic.co.uk has some articles on how to build a basic website. You should find them very easy to follow.



As for Java, there are also a lot of tutorials for it. It shouldn't be hard if you know C and OOP programming.

Answer 5

For non-programmers I would suggest Python as it is one of the most understandable and straightforward programming language out there. Python isn't as useful as some of the other programming languages but it illustrates the basic concepts of programming really well.

Answer 6

well there's not alot to html. find a basic guide and go thru it. use firefoxes new tool firebug. whatch it as u go