Hello im new to web design. Id like to be able to build my own websites in a professional manner. I have past experience with many languages including C++, VB, HTML, Java (not JS)...however my experience with all those was basic and fundamental, not to mention it was many years ago.

So im curious, being that im new on the scene, what should someone looking to make decently professional sites be looking to learn language wise?

New things have appeared such as CSS and XHTML. Not to mention old stuff like XML and HTML and Javascripts.

Am i better off investing my time into learning one or more languages or am i better of learning to use a editor that can make pages visually, without knwing how to code?

Thanks

Hi,
You can create a decent website with an editor like DreamWeaver, but if you need something more dynamic, I suggest you pick up a web language like php. Learning client side language such as Javascript would help too.

I don't think you need to learn too many languages, unless you are working for companies that require you to develop sites in different languages according to the clients' needs. From my experience, no matter it's jsp or php or cfm, they basically achieve the same results. (I started from jsp myself). It's better to specialize in one and excel in it.

CSS is a must because the looks of your website depends on it.
And very important, look at a lot of websites and learn from them.

I started with HTML them XHTML. after a short while i moved on to CSS and now I'm learning the basics of PHP and JavaScript

i think for dynamic pages you have to start with php and javascript to start with

My basic skillset is HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript, jQuery. Of those 5, IMO, JavaScript and jQuery(which is just a JavaScript library), are the least important when you are starting out. It is good to get the hang of PHP early on, at least the basics of it, so that you can understand how to organize a site on the server, using "includes" to do simple templating. I don't believe you should study MySQL right away, even though it is important.

Since you have a programming background, PHP will be a cinch to pick up and learn quickly.

Since you are a coder, learn to lay out pages by hand, so that you can do it with nothing but Notepad if you need to. Dreamweaver is a great tool, but the code it produces in WYSIWYG mode is pretty crappy. I only use it to edit code directly, which it does a fine job of since it supports so many languages and has so many keyboard shortcuts.

Learn how to make pages without using tables for layouts. You will find all sorts of bad information available online, so learn how to sort out the B.S. All of the best jobs available are for people that do tableless design.

If you think you are a designer/developer, learn HTML/CSS first. If you think you are a programmer/developer, learn PHP first.

From everyones answers it apears to me that you cant get by on just one language. From the way it looks id be best off knowing 3+ languages, of which HTML, Javascript, and PhP seem to be the most notable. (or variations of them). As well as CSS being a must.

My intial intrest in this is to be able to design my own site for my own buisness as i have very little capital to work with and i have the potential ability to do well at making it.

I have Expression Web as well as Dreamweaver CS3. I have been using Expression Web for the last few days to design a page for ebay, but that has been HTML/Table based.

CSS is something thats brand new to me and i know 0 about. It seems to be the direction that most/all sites are going, at least to some degree.

Thanks for the input guys