Learning PHP, ASP and other stuff

I need a little help please.

What is the best way to learn these subjects for a complete novice. Books, Courses or website tutorials. I have just bought PHP for Dummies and my god I am lost. I want to start updating using a content management system and I understand that the best are PHP driven. The problem is loading apache, mysql etc. I really dont know what i'm doing.

My help would be appreciated.

if I have a problem or want to learn something new I start here www.w3schools.com/ after that when I get stuck a google seach often comes up trumps.

Keith

Step 1: Never, under any circumstances, read the manual! I have three shelves of gleaming, pristine manuals that have literally never been opened - probably why my sites are sh#t (Well, they're not THAT bad)

I've always been one for getting stuck in . I'm no whizz at web design (yet!!!) but I spent about 15 years programming big database systems for the nuclear industry and the only way to learn is just to get in amongst it. Manuals may be OK for reference bit when I'm stuck I just do a Google search or post something in a forum. I learn more from sitting there getting runtime errors all day that reading a manual for a month. I've just coded an ASP.NET / SQL Server site in 4 days without ever having ever used either; fair enough, many of the guys here would laugh at the clumsy coding, but if I'd read the manuals and gone on courses I'd be sitting here infront of a blank screen this time next year! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":\">

Agreed, i've never done manuals either. I've never found one that actually made sense.

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Agreed, i've never done manuals either. I've never found one that actually made sense.[/quote]LOL

And I thought it was just me that was winging it.

Keith

Thaks for the feedback

I hate reading manuals also so I will get stuck in

I use a manual every day. It's propping up the wonky leg on my kitchen table!

Manuals - I rebuilt my site with the w3schools website AND the dummies guide to PHP/mySQL and had no problems at all (well a few small ones). I still use the manual for reference - am I the only one?

The again, I only had 1 week to teach myself fully and rebuild my site before I went AWOL for 1 month, so my manual came in useful when I was in traffic etc etc etc (and on the bog - don't have a wireless lan at home........yet <img src=http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/ruinkai/biglaugha.gif ALT=""> )