Technology
XHTML 1.0 is the structural language of web design. Most of our web work is scripted with XHTML code, which is standards compliant. Using XHTML for our structured markup simplifies coding and editing.
CSS 2 is a web development styling language. CSS gives full control of color, position, size, and other aspects of a page. CSS also allows us the quickly and efficiently change the 'look' of a complete website within one file.
HTML 4.01 is an older, but still useful and compliant markup language. Just like XHTML, HTML is the markup for the content of a web page.
PHP is a server-side language. PHP allows for the interactivity with a website. PHP powers database devloped sites, allows functionality, can create interfaces, and much more. PHP is also an open-source language, which means it is available, documented, and cost-effective (free).
MySQL is a database languge. Similar to Microsoft Excel, MySQL stores information in tables. MySQL allows storage and organization of multitudes of information. MySQL is also an open-source technology.
table-less design is the correct way of designing a website without the use of tables. Tables load slowly, break in browsers, and are structurally incorrect. Using XHTML and CSS we can control the layout of pages without the use of tables.
JavaScript is similar in its use to PHP. However, JavaScript is a client-side language, which means it is executed on the computer running the code as opposed to the server.