Cool Stuff

You should find these tools and resources useful.

Tools

Web Developer's Editor

All of these are good for editing HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript unless otherwise noted.

• vi, emacs, Notepad, TextEdit: don't, unless you need to prove your worth as a hacker
• jEdit: not a bad cross-platform text editor
• NetBeans version 6.5: a cross-platform, full-fledged IDE
• Aptana Studio: a cross-platform, full-fledged IDE (based on Eclipse technology)
• TextMate: Mac-only text editor; costs money

Firefox Plugins

• Firebug: the most awesome development tool ever
• DOM Inspector (separate add-on with FF3)
• XPather (requires the DOM Inspector)

References

• Sitepoint references:
  • HTML Reference
  • CSS Reference
• BrainJar.com: includes articles on style sheets, CSS positioning, the DOM, and the DOM event model
• My delicious bookmarks:
  • is337
  • webdev
  • webdesign

Books

I've marked some of these books as "reference" which means that they're only good as references. You'll probably do just as well (if not better) with the on-line references listed above.

• HTML/XHTML
  • HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Reference by Chuck Masciano & Bill Kennedy (reference)
• CSS
  • CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions by Andy Budd
  • Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design by Eric A. Meyer
  • More Eric Meyer on CSS by Eric A. Meyer
• Overall design
  • The Non-Designer's Web Book by Robin Williams and John Tollett
  • The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams