JavaScript
This is the language of browsers. Whether you're looking to do a simple image swap or some crazily complex dHTML, you're going to need to know some JavaScript. So come along, take a tutorial, or grab some free plug-in-and-play snippets from the code library.

Java
It's not just for applets anymore. This language, once notorious for crashing browsers, is now used for complex programming on the client and the server.

ASP
You may love Microsoft or you may hate it. But chances are you can't ignore the software giant. Certainly its server-side scripting environment, ASP (active server pages), is among the most popular on the Web. So learn a little VBScript and hook a database to your Web server the Redmond way.

PHP
This open-source creation is taking the Web by storm. And no wonder: This Web-centric scripting language has all the power you need without the steep learning curve.

ColdFusion
If you're sick of all those curly brackets and parentheses cluttering up other languages, try ColdFusion. It's a tag-based language that can be learned and deployed nice and easy.

Perl/CGI
If you need to process forms or otherwise manipulate text, CGI is still the processing method of choice at most ISPs. And Perl's probably the best language to use to build those CGI scripts.

Programming in General:

Introduction to Programming
Curious about computer science? Get the basics and start your journey toward technical know-how and heavy caffeine intake. 17 Sep 1998