What can they do?

Hello,

What I'm really trying to find out, is what different technologies and scripting languages have to offer and what they are capable of.

I'm currently teaching myself PHP along with MySQL. It's the first web scripting language i've tackled, and the first experience i've had with databases. So far I'm finding it okay. Having said that, I'm typically more of a designer and some what i've looked at with javascript baffles, confuses and frightens me.

I'm in education and next year I'm going to be undertaking a project to produce a kind of asset management system (I think?). Basically it will be a system of organizing photo's, having a logins, allowing for users to upload pictures, and showing image galleries with thumbnails. a bit like a small scale flickr/photobucket.

It's a long way off starting, but i'd like to start thinking about technologies, in respect of what would be:

a) not too difficult for me to tackle.
b) get the job done, and hopefully done well.
c) enable me to learn a new skill.

MySQL and PHP are my starting point, which I think would let me get most of the project down. Would looking at things like AJAX or Ruby on Rails be of any benefit to me? Mainly I'd be looking at enhancing the front end of the application with something new. I've also thought about using Flash as a front. But my trouble is that I'm not sure about the feasibility or capability of most technologies out there.

If anyone would be able to point me in a particular direction, offer any suggestions or anything at all, I'd be incredibly grateful.

Sorry for going on for so long
appreciated if you managed to get through it all.

Jon

AFAIK, you can do all that with MySQL and PHP.
No need to add any further complexity if it's just a Uni/College project.

Hey.Yeah I agree. And thats a course I might take if I don't come up with something else to throw in the mix.

But I'm actually going to be designing a content management system, using PHP and MySQL for my placement year. My Uni already knows about this and they've essentially told me that for the final project I ought to look at researching something I'm not already very familiar with and try to bring in something new if I can.

I have messed with Ruby on Rails a little. It can do the basics very quickly. Then I had some trouble doing some more complicated things. However, I would recommend looking into it.