Education Suggestions, please

[shokan]

Hello,
I am looking for specific suggestions on books to start with for developing dynamically interactive browser applications (especially in conjunction with newest methods of using 3D content) using Microsoft's newest or upcoming technology. I have Expressions and Visual Studio 2008.
I am starting from scratch and am looking for deep understanding of what is behind dynamically interactive sites and how to create them. If you could rough out a chronology of how I should tackle each learning stage with any specific book or learning aid titles, that'd be fantastic. So far, I am attracted to an O'Reilly title called Head First C#.
Thanks!

[Izzmo]

I learned C#, if that's the way you want to go, with titles such as Sam's ASP.NET in 21 Days 2nd Edition and SitePoint's Build Your Own ASP.NET 2.0 Website. Both are great titles and allow you to start right in (without knowing anything, or roughly nothing about the language or concepts.)

[shokan]

Thanks for the suggestions. Is C# a valuable thing to learn for building dynamic interactive websites?

[Izzmo]

Well, it all depends on what type of software your server is running. The most common are Apache and IIS (Windows). PHP can run on both, but works more natively with Apache. C# only works on IIS.

C#, since learning it, has proven invaluable for me. Aside from PHP, it is one of the best languages I've learned, and it makes designing sites very easy, especially with it's full OOP environment.

So, to answer your question, yes.

[shokan]

Great.
As far as Expression goes, have you heard one way or the other about the commercial (ie Lynda.com, Total Training) video tutorials out there?

[Izzmo]

Honestly, I've never tried them. Books have been my pleasure, especially the ones with the CD's, therefor allowing you to strip down the code and work with it.

Free Online Tutorials are okay, but that's what you get, free tutorials. They are nothing special. So maybe online commercial ones might be the way to go, since you have to pay for them, so quality should be assured.

[wordman]

I joined eBooks.com and so far am going with the Sams books for JavaScript, CSS, HTML/XHTML, XML and planning PHP and mySQL, (ok, etc...). This has proven to work great for me, and the books are only about twenty bucks each. I love being able to carry my library in my laptop! One book I haven't found yet is a good guide to specific webmastery certification tracks (exactly what kind of webmaster do I want to ultimately become?).

You're way ahead of me with C#, although I do piddle with Java and found the O'rielly books good there.

[Izzmo]

Well, you are talking about books online, but isn't he talking about online classes/videos? Wordman, you are buying books online, which is just like actually buying the book; the only difference is the ease of access.

[wordman]

Good point Izzmo. One problem with un-mentored learning is you are more likely to learn enough to get in trouble and maybe not enough to get out of it...and it definitely is slower.

Looking to get certed myself..so looking as well for online way to do that. Will share what I find. Gonna have to wait to be able to afford classes, however, so the eBooks are one way to make ground now. Here's a thought, though: I met a guy when working at Sun Micro who got hired there after learning Java 2 entirely by studying the books he could get and then passing the exam(s). That inspired me. Is it more of a natural aptitude thing?

I do apologise and will close on this thread, as I don't think I am being entirely relevant to the original purpose. Godspeed shokan and izzmo

[Izzmo]

You're fine wordman Input is always good, relevent or not!

Now, what you're saying is totally relevent. Aptitude can be important, but it can also be how many other languages you know. Just like communicative languages, the more you know, the easier it is to pick up another. If you know Japanese, it's easier to learn Chinese and Korean then to go straight to English. Same with coding: if you know C++ or C, it's easier to move to C#, or even PHP. PHP uses a lot of the same coding principles as PERL.

So, it's a preference really, if you like to read text on the computer, or read it from a book, either way you'll probably learn the same, depending on content. eClasses, which I have never personally done, might be a new revelation for some!

[wordman]

Yep. I started with Java, and was stuck, then went to Perl and eventually got stuck. Next VB6, then...and I did finally that it's like martial arts: learn the common basics of programming and it is easier because it's all related. From there it can be as easy as knowing where to find the reference book you need. Try this: look at how an Excel spreadsheet works and you will see all the basics of programming. I.E. The workbook contains objects (spreadsheets), each having attributes (variables) that contain data (values), etc. Each record is a child of the spreadsheet object...oh hell too much to tell....Sometimes I consider the lowly spreadsheet to figure out the way programming works. Sorry, did I digress again?

[Izzmo]

Hah, the spreadsheet theory is pretty good! Never heard that one before.