Seeking Advice On What Order To Study Languages?

[Verahta]

I was hoping for some advice on my "Learning Agenda" or schedule, whatever you want to call it.

Maybe a tip or suggestion about what order I should study them in, or maybe what aspects of each to study and which to put off until later? I'm finding myself overwhelmed with information so I end up going in circles and wasting time, which is starting to really frustrate me.

I already have experience with XHTML/CSS from making web sites, but I am not an expert, I do need to brush up on the more advanced stuff in this area.

I have very basic experience with PHP/MySQL, and I've been introduced to Python and C. Ignore C, I am only partially learning that for a computer science class.


This is my current list of languages to study, and I think this is all I will need to create my PBBG, but feel free to suggest something I may have left out:

XHTML/HTML5/CSS3
PHP and MySQL
Python
Javascript
Jquery
AJAX
Node.js and Socket.io


I'm just seeking some advice on what to do in what order cause right now I am all over the place and that's not helping me at all.

Thank you for any tips on this, I really do appreciate some guidance.

[Jackolantern]

If you are going to start with PHP (a good first language), I would leave Python out until later. If you are using PHP, you have little use for Python. Python is a great language, but wait until later when you have more use for it (Python's only place in PBBGs is as a back-end language, but you will already have PHP).

Also, AJAX is not a language, but just a technique used in Javascript. Also, jQuery is just a Javascript library. You are still writing JS with jQuery. jQuery is great, though, and it makes interacting with your page and making AJAX calls much easier and cleaner.

I would suggest HTML5 (the mark-up side, not the Javascript libraries or canvas here), then CSS, then PHP and MySQL, then vanilla Javascript (including the new HTML5-related APIs such as canvas), then jQuery, then a PHP MVC framework. By that point you can do almost any web development stuff you need, since you will have power on both the client and server. You will cover AJAX while learning JS. Also forget XHTML. It is dead in the water.

Then if you want to move into more real-time development, look into Node.js, Socket.io and MongoDB (MySQL support is still fairly poor in Node, and Mongo is just a much better fit since it is JS-based).

Of course, don't get bogged down with just reading. Take time off to use what you know in projects or it will begin to feel like the road is too long. After just learning HTML, you can make a choose-your-own-adventure game. Once you add PHP and MySQL, you can make basic PBBGs. When learning Javascript you could make some HTML5 canvas-based games.

[hallsofvallhalla]

This is what you need and you got the order right.
Javascript
Jquery
AJAX
Node.js and Socket.io

You dont need much else for web game development to be honest. PHP was my first love but she has gotten fat and old and my love for her left when the sweet javascript and nodejs come and had a threesome with me. Oh they are so sweet,

[Verahta]

Thanks for the replies guys, and Halls in your example what do you use for the DB?

[Jackolantern]

You dont need much else for web game development to be honest. PHP was my first love but she has gotten fat and old and my love for her left when the sweet javascript and nodejs come and had a threesome with me. Oh they are so sweet,

Pretty much my experience, too. I mean, I still like PHP provided I am using an MVC framework with it (old style all-in-one PHP is just a mess), but node and Socket.io has really opened up a world of applications I always wanted to make but never could (real-time web games and apps).

Thanks for the replies guys, and Halls in your example what do you use for the DB?

Use MongoDB if you go node/Socket.io

[hallsofvallhalla]

agreed. You can still use Mysql and PHP but with Ajax you are using very little PHP.

[Jackolantern]

And AJAX is just missing the server push piece, and that is really what brings it all together.

[Verahta]

A "server push piece"?

[Jackolantern]

A "server push piece"?

"Server push" is the ability to send data updates to a client (the browser) without the browser requesting it. This typically is counter to the way the web was setup where the browser must initialize all requests. However, Web Sockets were recently rolled out basically as part of HTML5. WS allows a persistent connection to be made between the server and the client where data can be sent both directions: the typical browser to server (nothing special), and server to browser (very special). Having both directions (called "duplex") allows truly real-time applications. Unfortunately, Web Sockets don't work well with PHP because of the way PHP works. PHP is pretty much all built around a page model, where a request builds-up a piece of the application, processes the request and then is torn down. Web Sockets require a part of the application to constantly be running. Web Sockets work better with more traditional languages like C# and Java, and newer, more specialized platforms like Node.js.

[Verahta]

Thank you, I understand that now. That is exactly what I need, the server sending data updates to the browser without the browser making a billion requests.