Windows or Linux - Which is better for designing your own website?

Does it matter which operating program you use to design a website? Basically, there are several ways to create your own website. Depending on your level of computer skills, you can use the modular offers of providers or program your own site yourself using software programs of varying complexity. Which program you use depends above all on how much money you want to invest and how elaborate the site is to be designed, rather than on the operating program used.

The basic requirement: server space

To put your own website online, you first need server space. When making your choice, you have to decide whether you want to rent server space from a provider for the website programmed on your own computer or whether you want to book a modular offer where you book the website via the Internet browser with the tools offered in the package. Using the search term "Create your own homepage" you can find a variety of offers on the Internet - including initially free (Create a free homepage with 1und1.de). The provider also takes care of registering the domain name. Theoretically, you can also operate your own server, but the benefits are outweighed by the costs and effort involved. This is because the operator is then responsible for stability and security.

Advantages of the self-programmed website

If you design your website using a provider's modular system, you are given a wide range of options, but are still limited by these specifications and end up with a website that resembles many others. However, you can do this without much prior knowledge. If you are more confident, you can also use the right software to design a customized website that is clearly different from others in terms of appearance and functionality.

How do you find the right software?

The software used for programming depends on the requirements. There are free and paid programs for all common operating systems. There is no reason to change the operating system. There are suitable versions of most programs, especially for Windows and Linux. Whether you use a free program depends on your budget. Many free programs already offer a comprehensive range of services. Paid programs usually already support many additional functions or are tailored to a specific function, for example store software.

When making your choice, you should answer the following questions:

- Do you want to work in view mode or text-based? In view mode (WISIWYG or "What you see is what you get"), the programmer can immediately see what the page will look like. However, it is more difficult to make specific changes. There is also a risk that parts of the older command code will remain and lead to errors when changes are made. This is more noticeable when working with HTML.

- Should CSS be used? Cascading style sheets can be used to define the specific presentation (colors, layout, fonts, etc.) of the parts independently of the textual content. If the program does not already have integrated CSS functions, which is rarely the case, an additional program is required.

- How elaborate should the graphic elements on the page be? If you still have a graphics editing program, you should choose a web design program that has the appropriate functions.

- Should server side scripts such as PHP, Javascript, ASP, CFM or JSP be used? These additional programming languages enable further functions, but require appropriate knowledge.

- Do you want to use a database? Then the software used should already contain the corresponding links. MySQL

- Should the website be programmed in several languages? Then the software used should also be able to handle the corresponding special characters.

- Should XML be used? XML is a page description language and defines the type and structure of a document. XML allows for custom or additional commands - comparable to macros in word processing. If you want to use XML a lot, you should use additional software - even if a web design program contains XML functions.

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