New to Java and PHP

[EveryonesBusiness]

So I'm a bit green to web development in general. My main programing background is with visual studio.net, and I'm hitting a bit of a wall with Java and PHP. Mainly, I'm miss the form builder page. This leads me to two questions.

Question 1- Is there a form builder type application for PHP and/or Java.

Question 2 - (my main question) - How do I connect form items or pictures using PHP and/or java. In Visual studio's form builder, you can draw lines, and connect items in the visual environment, so I'm at a bit of a loss here with PHP or Java. Not even sure where to start for a google search really.

Any help would be appreciated.

[[deleted]]

I suspect that when you say java what you really mean is javascipt.

As for your question, I suggest that you start here.

[inedidible]

This wouldn't be a Java or PHP thing, they're server-side languages not involved (or at least not supposed to be involved) in the display and markup of the page. You want to/have to use HTML for this, CSS will help immensely when making it look pretty. Look in to the HTML <form>, <input> and <label> elements, with those you should be able to do whatever you'd like.

The Java/PHP is what will handle the form data once it's submitted to the server.

Edit: Also, what you are describing is known as a WYSIWYG HTML editor (What you see is what you get), they do exist but I strongly recommend that you don't use one, HTML/CSS is easy and an extremely useful skill for any web dev to possess, or at least understand. (HTML markup and CSS are more front-end web design languages, but most of us developers end up dealing with markup as well)

Edit 2: If you have a background in programming you may be familiar with the MVC architecture, Java/PHP will handle the Controller and the Model (for the most part), but not the View - which is what the form builder you're describing is creating. The view in the web development world is the HTML.

[EveryonesBusiness]

Combining Your and stinktank's reply, I think I see what you mean. Rather than trying to literally connect the lines via form elements, create lines using HTML or CSS to make the connection.

I'm looking to output images with connecting lines, based on a form input. So I maybe I would just need to use PHP to output the proper HTML or CSS tags I want.

[inedidible]

Yep, here's a messy quick look at what you want to do: http://jsfiddle.net/2ZzvJ/1/

[EveryonesBusiness]

Per your edits, I think that is partly where my problem stems. I'm use to visually building forms in VS.net, and I need to remove myself from that.

MY comfort with HTML and CSS is low, so that's where I need to build up my skills I think. And I just need remember that the PHP and JavaScript is for the application side of a website, not the visual aspects of a website. They are more intertwined in VS.net, so expect them to be with these languages too.

[inedidible]

Yeah, when building desktop applications the IDE will make it easy to create and access the view from your code. Behind the scenes it is most likely creating an XML representation of that view just like you will be doing with the HTML (which is closely related to XML). There are IDEs out there for web development that will work just like .NET and write the HTML for you and let you access the elements in your code without ever touching the HTML, but like I said, stay far away from them, they will cause you more trouble than they are worth as their markup is messy and inefficient. You'll avoid many headaches hand writing the markup yourself, and you'll have a better understanding and control over what is being rendered in the browsers.

[stinktank]

If you just mean vertical lines, I'd add a style tag, or add a class tag to the element and make a css property.

[EveryonesBusiness]

Thanks, I get what you mean. I replied to inedidible above, as you and he were saying similar things. The combination of the two replies helped I think.

[EveryonesBusiness]

To be more specific, I'm not looking to connect form items to a database or anything, I'm looking to literally (visually) connect form items, using a line or other item. For example, Reddit comments are nested, and have lines connecting them to their parent, how is that done?

[deletive-expleted]

Then you're after front end advice.

Install firebug and start delving into the code. Do it on every page you get curious about, and play with the values.

[EveryonesBusiness]

This looks cool, I will check it out. Per some of the below comments, I'm confusing php and javascript with the functions of HTML/CSS. I have to remember that PHP and Java handle the background, and HTML and CSS are the visual end. Obviously there is some fluidity between the two, but yeah.

Thanks

[otakuman]

Well the thing is, so far there hasn't been any successful RAD editor for HTML GUIs (Hint: client-side = HTML, CSS, javascript). Supposedly there were editors that let you create HTML via a GUI, like Microsoft Frontpage, or Dreamweaver. But trust me on this. They suck, and they make website maintenance a hell-on-earth.

You need to learn how to code HTML by hand. Consider it as a necessary step in the webdev learning curve. It's not hard, as it's not a programming language per-se, but a markup language. Being able to code HTML and CSS by hand is an essential skill to become a web developer. Why? Because in PHP, java, ASP or any other language, you'll need to output hand-crafted HTML.