I always started with availabe scripts and alter it to meet my needs. But that's long time ago. Now I'm practicing hard to do everything from scratch.

Well there's time when you have to code everything like single login to access all the tools.

Example you client want a single login system to access all tools using his/her ldap database like CMS,Poll,Forum,Email.

So this time you knowledge of programming really counts. Practice yourself to do everything from scratch. It's hard but definetely paid later.

Just my 2 cents.

totally agreed upon

but if it's too hard for you to start from scratch, you may want to do semi-scratch... which is refering to other scripts (not copying and modifying)...

read and understand the other script's codes and get the logic, and then try to re-write it in your own method, using your way...

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blog:zaim_bakar_blog | biz:box

Looking into other people's code can help you learn but I think bazet has a point. I think, what bazet is trying to put forward is don't totally rely on available scripts. Grow your coding skills as well so that you too an code from scratch. Relying totally on scripts on the internet will not get you anywhere. It will not make you a better web programmer or web developer. In the hacking world, these would called as script kiddies ... they are not real hackers. But real hackers wannabes.

Yes you can learn from other people's codes if you really look into it. When you do you can learn many stuffs like how they handle problems by creating objects, using sessions to store temp informations, using template engine, etc ... I have aways been amaze how neat, clean and structured some codes on the internet are even though they are only developing from distance away. Meaning ... they really planned their application with proper methodology and project management. These are the things that will make you a better web programmers. But ... you would have to practise by develoing your own application as well. Maybe before, you looked into ezPublish and amazed with their database object, maybe you can try to make one yourself. Maybe you've looked into phpBB and amazed with thier templating system, you can implement that too in your project. Maybe your also amaze with the language management of the application ... that can be apply as well ... But you will never get a chance if you don't start to code yourself.

So ... pick a problem and start coding yourself ...

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Khairil Iszuddin Ismail