When we talk about Web programming or Web development we are talking about one of the most important elements in Web design. In fact, there is no way a website can appear on the Internet if a coding work has not been carried out. This coding work is an invisible design, the skeleton of a website that must be done by professionals –in the case of dynamic websites development– or people with the knowledge necessary to work with scripting and markup languages.

The coding work of a website will allow its visibility on the Web. Once the Web graphic design –what users will see– is finished, a programmer or HTML expert will translate the design into codes so that it can appear on the Web. If the website needs to have certain functions –apart from appearing on the Internet– a scripting language will be needed.

These languages will allow your site, not only to appear on the Internet, but also to perform specific functions. Those websites that carry out specific functionalities are called dynamic websites. To create this type of website, it is necessary to hire a professional that has the knowledge to work with the necessary script languages. Unlike HTML, scripting languages are quite complicated. They will allow a website to have different uses. For example, a website can be used as a means to sell products by adding a shopping cart to it. This shopping cart will allow customers to make purchases online by filling forms with credit card numbers and other information. This form and shopping cart will only work by means of a scripting language.

There are websites whose only functionality is to show information: static websites. What does this mean? It means that they show a design that does not offer the user the possibility to interact with it. However, this doesn’t mean that there will be no movement on these websites. Other technologies, such as Flash, can be included on a website of this type. For the development of this type of website a markup language is needed. This markup language, known as HTML (HyperText Markup Language), is used to describe the structure of textual information in a webpage so that it can be read as expected. How does it work? It denotes certain pieces of text as headings, lists, paragraphs, etc. HTML also allows the description of images, interactive forms and other elements.

Some graphic designers have the knowledge to develop, not only the graphic design of a website, but also a HTML work. However, when it comes to scripting languages –those that allow a website to carry out certain functions–, professional help is needed. Only programmers –or Web developers– can do this job. It is important not to underrate the necessity of a professional for the programming of a website. Attempts to do this without having the necessary knowledge generally end in failure.