hivemind

[spacebug]

Dear LJ,

The website that my workplace uses has a big crazy backend that serves as our organizational database.

Throughout my tenure here, I've served as tech support/web maintenance, and have been learning more about how it works through osmosis, but I mostly only make cosmetic changes and add the odd static page here and there. I would like to learn more about the nitty gritty of the coding so that I could have more autonomy to make changes and fixes in the database parts. Unfortunately for my macintosh sensibilities, it uses Access and .asp, and while I like problem solving and taught myself enough html and css to made a website, I don't really have any programming or web development experience.

What are good resources for me to learn this stuff, and/or would this be over my head?

Comments

[dangerdhotrod.livejournal.com]

I do most research online, there's tons of stuff online. But somettimes it's worth it to get a book and work through it to learn if you have no grounding, books are organized to help give you a nice base and then you can fill the rest in reading online. If it's too hard you could get your boss to set up a meeting with my business too we meet with new clients for the first time for free. But if you have extra time at work to study I'd say get a book and learn, maybe get your boss to see it as training for you that will benefit the company! I can go with you to find the right book or books when I get back if you want too. :)

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

Cool, yeah, I could very likely have a book or two or a short class covered by work for me.

[gunn.livejournal.com]

What program is your website written in?

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

Mostly VBScript, I think.

[djnoise.livejournal.com]

The w3schools site is probably the best resource of what actual functions are doing and what their proper syntax is. While it doesn't get verbose on every entry, it's a great reference point and helps you find what to look for in other resources.

http://www.w3schools.com/asp/default.asp

[jklumpp.livejournal.com]

I bought Perrin a book called "The Manga Guide to Database Management."
But really, that's more of a joke thing. Still, apparently it's a good entry book, if you wanna borrow it.
I'll ask Perrin for you if you like. He knows all that sort of stuff.

[sarendipatree.livejournal.com]

It sounds kind of like ColdFusion. A mess, but not hopeless. Learn it well enough to know how it works, so that you can migrate it to something much more sensible and opensource-based like a SQL/Apache solution.