What programs to learn for IT and web design?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the various programming languages and skills one might consider learning for IT and web design. Participants explore the relationship between programming, web development, and personal computer maintenance, while also considering the motivations behind learning these skills.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to learn more about computers and programming as a hobby, questioning the necessity of languages like C# or C++ for web design.
  • Another participant points out that web design, programming, and computer maintenance are distinct areas, suggesting the need for a more focused approach.
  • It is noted that C++ is not commonly used for web development, while JavaScript is ubiquitous in web browsers and essential for web applications.
  • Python is recommended as a versatile language suitable for various applications, including web development, although one participant expresses a personal dislike for it.
  • PHP is mentioned as a significant language for web development, despite some negative perceptions, due to its use in major platforms like Facebook and WordPress.
  • Several participants suggest specific learning paths, including JavaScript with frameworks like React or Angular, and Python with Flask for web applications.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of learning to troubleshoot PC problems, questioning if this aligns more with IT skills.
  • There is a suggestion to explore WordPress as a practical starting point for web design.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on the best programming languages and approaches to learning for IT and web design. No consensus is reached on a singular path or language, and multiple competing views remain regarding the relevance and utility of different programming languages.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the vastness of computer technology and the specialization within the field, indicating that knowledge in one area may not encompass others. There are also discussions about the challenges of maintaining a properly set up Windows PC, which may affect the learning experience.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in starting a hobby in IT or web design, those looking to troubleshoot personal computer issues, or anyone exploring programming languages for web development.

yungman
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TL;DR
Just want to know what is the right program if necessary for IT and web design
Just kind of want to find a hobby, from the trouble I got in being logged out of my computer and thanks the Sysprog for helping to resolve the problem. I am thinking about maybe I should learn more about computers. Mainly I just want to be not so helpless with computers, learning others are bonus.

Is learn programming like C# or C++ necessary to dig deeper into computers or web design? I did programming in the 70s and early 80s in Assembly and some Pascal. But I moved to Analog and RF electronics design and never look back, now that I am retired, just kind of looking for a hobby to stimulate my mind rather crossword puzzles. I have been designing high end hifi amplifiers for a few years, it's kind of getting to the end as there's only so much one can improve after designed and built a few already. So I am kind of looking for something challenging to keep my mind young.

Alan
 
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That's a nice ambition Alan. But web design, programming, and personal computer maintenance and support are wildly different subjects. Can you narrow the focus some?

It might be helpful to state what you expect to get from your computer related study.
 
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anorlunda said:
That's a nice ambition Alan. But web design, programming, and personal computer maintenance and support are wildly different subjects. Can you narrow the focus some?

It might be helpful to state what you expect to get from your computer related study.
what he said (very small).jpg
 
C++ is not really used on the web at all. C## is a bit, but only in large business applications where there is already a big investment in Microsoft technolgy.

A language that is often recommended as being suitable for many purposes including the web is Python although personally I am not a big fan.

One language that is everywhere on the net is JavaScript - this is the language that is built into every web browser and is used for instance to implement the editing toolbar on PhysicsForums.

But to come full circle, if you are interested in combining your interest in analog and HiFi with code then you need to be in C++ after all. Check out HiFiDuino and similar projects (warning - once you get into this you may not emerge from your shed for 6 months)!
 
Oh and I forgot to mention PHP. PHP is often frowned upon as a language with some justification, but as it is the language behind Facebook and WordPress it certainly has a huge presence on the web.
 
There’s a couple of things you could do:

1) learn JavaScript, web page design and nodejs with either react or angular. Nodejs uses JavaScript on the server side. Basically you’d be able to design a full web app with html and JavaScript and react or angular on the frontside and a nodejs server app using JavaScript On the backside to complete the app.

2) learn python and use Flask to build a web app with html and JavaScript. Best to use the anaconda distribution and then you can branch out into machine learning too.

3) add Docker into the mix to create a microservice from either of the above items.
 
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jedishrfu said:
and react or angular on the frontside
or Vue (although this is probably not the place for a discussion on the relative merits of competing front end frameworks).
 
Thanks everyone, I am taking it in. I just throw out some wishful thinking. I really don't know enough about computers.

The most important thing of cause is to learn how to deal and fix pc problems encounter in daily life. Is this more like learn IT?

I just bring up web design as a wishful thinking.
 
The world of computer technology is vast far larger than you can imagine. Think about all the kinds of jobs available where people are experts and their knowledge only covers a portion of the field.

Db admins, network admins, pc repair, security ...

Python would be a good start for you. There are several books that get into using python for system admin.
 
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  • #10
yungman said:
The most important thing of cause is to learn how to deal and fix pc problems encounter in daily life.

If your PC is set up properly, you shouldn't encounter problems in daily life.

Unfortunately, with a Windows PC, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to maintain the "set up properly" state for very long. Particularly with Windows 10 as Microsoft has gotten more aggressive about not letting you opt out of things like having to have a Microsoft account to log into your PC.
 
  • #11
yungman said:
The most important thing of cause is to learn how to deal and fix pc problems encounter in daily life. Is this more like learn IT?
Learn how to use Google properly if you want to have solutions to your PC problems. You don't need anything else other than common sense.
 
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  • #12
  • #13
There are several languages you can use for building web apps. But C/C++ isn't really used for the web. You have several options, but JavaScript, Python and PHP are popular for programming web apps.

You could do one of these:

1) Learn and Python and use the Flask module https://pythonbasics.org/what-is-flask-python/ Flask let's you build web apps with Python.

2) Learn JavaScript and NodeJS, Angular or React. If you want to do everything in JavaScript/HTML, this is what you could do.

3) Learn PHP with Laravel. PHP is still widely used, despite the reputation of the language. For example, WordPress is made with PHP (and all it plugins) https://laravel.com/
 

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