1. I am currently redesigning my complete website, www.xboxgnome.com. I first did it in HTML Trans 4.01, then I thought that's too easy. So I did some recoding and got it to XHTML 1.0. Now I have a problem. I want to have a small 125x60 banner on each page, well I figure I can do that in 2 ways. PHP include to a PHP script ir SSI include to a Javascript page for random image. Which would be more effective or is there a better method?

2. In recoding my pages into XHTML, I have the DTDs for XHTML on my homepage, whenever I try to "preview" my main page which requires a .php extension for my b2 news blogger, it comes up with errors. But this same page, when uploaded to my host, works perfectly fine. If I do just change the extension to .php for php include or something, do I have to change anything else in my XHTML 1.0 pages?

3. I want to learn a scripting language, one that's online. My experience is minimal (check my website, and view the main page source). I know advanced HTML, and a little: SSI, XSSI, and XML. I want something that's fairly easy to pick-up, but can be more involved as I get better. It should be fairly useful also. But which scripting language and how do I start learning it?

Thanks for any and all your help.

Screw script languages; jump on the .Net bandwagon.

.NET is Windows, Windows is Microsoft, and Microsoft is expensive. It'd be too much money just to host for some simple developing, since I'd much rather hosting my (XBOXgnome.com) site on *nix, and I won't buy 2 hosting accounts. Since I am a student, with little money.

Learn PHP. It seems to be the current top contender.

I don't want necessarily the top contender, it might even be more fun to work with something "in progress" or not as many people use. Any other suggestions to my 3 delemas?

I didn't mean 'top contender' to be a negative comment. PHP could well be the industry standard because of it's ease of use, it's free, it does all kinds of great things, it's free, and most of all, it's NOT microsoft. And, it's free.

I love using it.

Did Lamont forget to mention that it is free..... :D

I'd recommend ColdFusion cos thats what I work with most......and it is very easy to pick up.....

But PHP is also great.....and probably your best bet at this stage.