Applications
All quality websites are built with web applications, also known as "scripts" "web apps." Web apps are scripts (code), which interacts with a database or databases to manage and generate dynamic content on your website. Many of these perform a specific task, e.g. a shopping cart, photo gallery, BLOG, calendar/reservation system, etc. The granddaddy of them all is the Content Management System, or CMS. A CMS is a complete Content Management System which you use to manage your overall website. CMS’s allow plug-ins or modules to manage and generate individual web apps within your website and they tie the whole thing together as one big seamless experience. Website which are built with CMS’s need to be built, designed and fortified by a web designer/developer but then the business owner can manage and update the website on their own.
There are cases where a website does not require a complex CMS and only one or a couple of simple web apps. For these, you can select a design from our design gallery and then hire a developer to integrate your web app(s) into your design. Otherwise, continue reading to learn about web applications.
PHP / MySQL
Web apps are written in every different language you can imagine and they can use any kind of database. However, PHP/MySQL is the dominant combination and therefore the only combination we recommend. PHP is the language and MySQL is the database. Now comes the best part, PHP and MySQL are completely free. The other major competitor is Microsoft’s ASP/MSSQL, but MSSQL starts between $5,000 to $25,000 depending on your needs. Need we say more?
The next two pages contain PHP/MySQL applications and our Design Gallery. However, at this point you should skip these two pages and come back to them after you have completed the learning process. The next thing to consider is the type of web hosting you will need.
