Personally, I use Textmate and CSSEdit. I would suggest buying a book on HTML and CSS and using that. Really, any book should do. I find that when starting out it is better to learn from a book than a bunch of different online tutorials.

http://macromates.com/
http://macrabbit.com/cssedit/

First, go to: http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp
And then read: http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp

W3Schools is a great place to start. I would also suggest getting premade layouts and looking at that; tearing it apart, etc.

w3schools for XHTML and CSS, php.net for PHP (though to get started you might want to check tizag.com).

Wikibooks.org is also a very handy resource.

You could also take a look at:

Getting started with HTML
More advanced features
Adding a touch of style

Anyway, I really think the best way of learn to create websites it’s by creating websites, learning by doing… get to know a little bit of the basics and basis and then, when you’re actually creating a site, start searching and using more advanced and specific techniques.

Couldn’t have learned without Elizabeth Castro’s Visual Quickstart Guide although I am not really a fan of the other quickstart guides:

http://www.amazon.com/XHTML-Sixth-Visual-Quickstart-Guide/dp/0321430840/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198981021&sr=8–1

Also took classes in New York City and of course got a lotta practice viewing source code and cutting and pasting but then dissecting it. Have fun!

I have used Panic’s Coda (www.panic.com) and will never go back. Amazing piece of software for web development. Also, with many students I have told them to begin with CSS then try out XHTML. That usually makes designing sites easier and a quicker process.

I have also used Google + Digg to find good leads for web design articles or well-designed web sites that I’d want to learn from. Just search:

site:digg.com web design

in Google and you should get tons of reputable sources on the internet that can lead you in the right direction. This has helped me more than Stumble Upon or other CSS galleries when looking for professional sites. Then, when I find something that’s looking good, I take a peak at the source and the CSS and try to make sense of it.

While I am primarily self-trained, I have attended several semesters at my local community college, for the paper to substantiate my skills.

But sometimes money is tight and I have to skip a semester or two.

To make up my disappointment and frustration, I will instead look at the courses either that interest me or are in the educational path I’ve chosen. Then I go to the online bookstore and call up each class code and find out what books have been recommended by the instructors for their past or upcoming semester. Sometimes the books are more than I can afford, but I will pull them up on amazon.com anyway and then look for similar topics, books with similar content, books by the same authors, etc. I also read the best reviews and then check out the reviewer, find out their recommendations, their other reviews, amazon lists, and the like. Gradually I check out the many books reviewed or recommended and build an amazon.com wish list for myself. I separate my wish lists by category, one for computer books, one on art books, one on farming, and so on.

Aside from that, you need software, resource websites, you need to learn html, xhtml, javascript or sources, cascading style sheets, and especially learn about absolute and relative positioning, web safe colors, website accessibility, validators, and more.

Will post more later or you can email me.