XML~PHP~MySQL- It's greek to me!

[DmanPfeif]

Hey, I've never really been introduced to any of these programming things. I'd love to be able to learn houw to do them. I'm a little frustrated because I don't even know how to do a simple transaction with a server using flash. Anyone know of some tuturial or something like that I could look at so I can learn PHP MySQL and XML? I'm in the process of creating a website and my goal is to make it entirely with flash. But if I can't transfer information back and forth between servers and crud, then the website would stink.

Also, I'm trying to make a 3D breakout type game. Where the paddle turns into your mouse (both x and y) and the ball comes closer than goes far away when it goes to hit a brick. Would that be extremely hard or even possible at that?
I just don't understand how you guys can whip these games off the press like each day or week. I've created only ONE game. And it was just a quiz game. Easy! Anyone have any recommendation of a game that would not be too hard to program for a beginner as my self? I'm good at the animating part, just not so good at the coding part.

Thanks!
Dan


(whew, another LONG message)

[blanius]

You should learn PHP first it's pretty easy. I reccomend the book

Programming PHP

The syntax is not too hard and very much like javascript. And it's the most widly used server scripting tool around, I advise staying away from ASP as it's much harder to learn, and not as flexible as PHP or as cross platform compatible.

XML, Shoot I'm still figuring that one out myself.

You game idea should be interesting. I'd think you could do it. Look into scaling based on screen y position. that might be all it takes.

Have a actions that just scales every moving object based on where it is on the Y