Upgrading my knowledge

I'm a web designer and I need to start looking into server side STufF, but I don't know the full capabilities and requirements of each technology/language/whatever.

What do yo all recommend I learn and what are the pros and cons of each?

ThanX, BYEEEEE!!

PS: Don't tell me what you think I should learn based on the fact that it would be my first server side language, since I can usually pick up any programmin/scripting language quite easily.

PHP is good for pretty much everything. It's free. You can include it easily in any html page. Works well with MySQL, etc. I would learn PHP.

That's kinda what I thought, ThanX a lot.

Any specific books you recommend?

php is the best language to learn no matter what statues you are. Beginner or expert php is the best

Professional PHP Programming by WROX Press.

You can always refer to PHP's online manual.

Well Here is a Small List of how I figure it.

-=Php=-

Pro's:
1. Is very versitile and can easily create a very dynamic page. Its also quite easy to learn. It also only takes a week or 2 to master.

2. It can connect with a multitude of databases

3. Requires really little server consumption

4. Free
Cons:
1. Has a few database connection problems when displaying dynamic content.

2. Most Usefull scripts do require alot of coding and time, simple mistakes can have huge disasters.


-=Xml=-

Pros:
1. Now XML is quite an intresting script, you can define your own variables.
2. You can link databases of information no matter how differnt they are.
3. Acts as a programming language, and html code.
4. Can create basically any program since its your choise how you create the program.
5. Free
Cons:
1. Creating the basic variable list takes time
2. Not to easy to learn

(Though not many cons its still quite hard to learn and master)

-=ColdFusion MX=-

Pros:
1. Really good for Dynamic Content
2. Nice Shiny Control Pannel (Its really nice......)
3. Incorporates quite nicely with Flash content

Cons:
1. Costly
2. Costly
3. about 400 bux

Then their is ASP which i don't like.:eek: