The Glade 4.0

Anyone here know Ruby? Or Python or some major web programming language?

I know very little about it but I'm interested in possibly learning. Rails caught my eye but I'm trying to figure out what the best ones are.

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

I'm well-versed in Javascript and PHP, which while syntactically different, share the same programming concepts. I've set up some RoR environments but haven't coded anything serious with it. I've dabbled very little in Python when I was making some game assets, but don't know much about it.

Why are you wanting to learn it and what's your background? The "best" language very much has to do with what you plan to accomplish.

I know very little, but I have a basic grasp of linux type commands and I've fooled around with the PhP boards a bit. Changing directories, listing, more, do etc. For simplicity sake I'll say I know zero though.

I'm looking to create a website with basic functionality: Images, links, video. Basic but needs to look good, which I understand is subjective. Is there a way to tell what websites run on? I'm thinking of maybe finding some sites I like the visual style of and see what they run on.

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

All websites use a combination of languages depending on your needs

Basics:
HTML - this is the structure of every website. An absolute must, can't make anything without it.
CSS - Used to add styling to your code. If your HTML is the frame of your house, CSS would be the paint and decorations.

Function:
Javascript - this is used to add neat functionality to websites. Animations, moveable elements, pop up windows, AJAX content loading (update a section without updating the whole page) etc. It ties into and manipulates the HTML and CSS of your site. Javascript functions are often directly initiated by user interaction and is known as a client-side language.

Advanced Function:
PHP / Ruby / many others - are server-side languages, which means your user never actually interacts with them, they only see the result. Not necessary for a basic website, but they can definitely help if it's something that is meant to be updated with any regularity. Many times these languages will also interact with databases to store information.

I suggest getting started here: http://www.codecademy.com/tracks/web and let me know if you need any pointers.

Thanks Lenas, very much appreciated!

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

Np. I've had a good time going through the CodeCademy site and have recommend it a lot... The achievements are good motivators