The Approach Used in This Book

Most books about programming Web sites assume you already know how to program in at least one programming language. They also assume that you want to learn the programming environment in depth and want to learn (or at least hear about) some pretty esoteric aspects of Web programming. I do not make these assumptions in this book.

I ll give you an analogy that s applicable to this book. Julia Child s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a definitive course in how to cook. It provides technique, history, technical discussions, and philosophy. It is, in short, a book for people who would like to cook like a professional chef. The book you re reading is more pragmatic. Imagine a book called Quick Dinners Using 7 Ingredients or Less. You wouldn t expect that book to go into the history of cooking or to discuss the merits of different ways to cook pasta. Instead, you would expect the book to walk you through different recipes. The techniques would be straightforward and the ingredients would be fairly simple, but would work for what you wanted to get done.

I use this simple, straightforward approach throughout this book. I ll present you with different Web site features I won t call them recipes because they re definitely not that and show you how to create them. Unlike when you use a cookbook, you probably won t be able to jump in just anywhere. This book is staged so that the simplest techniques are at the front. Unless you already have some experience in Web site programming, you ll find it useful to learn those simple techniques before you move on to the more involved ones that appear later in the book.

As when you use a cookbook, you ll reuse the same techniques in different contexts. I will explain what you re doing always in simple terms, and for those who want more, sometimes in depth. There will be times when I show you a technique that a purist might frown at. Because my goal is to help you create your Web site, I might at times emphasize the clear and simple in favor of the more efficient but more complex. At times, I ll explain why I m using a specific technique, just in case your engineer brother-in-law or programmer daughter looks over your shoulder and wonders why you re doing it that way.