Before you start coding....

[eluser]Unknown[/eluser]
how do you lay down your ideas? What tools or systems, if any, do you use?

The reason that I ask is that I don't come from a coding background and whilst I have made a few small CI apps, I have an idea for a much bigger site but getting from an idea in my head to meaningful coding and finally to a finished products just seems a million miles away.

I've made a few mind maps to outline the idea and break it down into business units, but that's it....

[eluser]seamus-rd[/eluser]
I dont tend to use many tools or systems when Im building stuff, just notepad++ and firebug for the most part.

I usually start with the basics, 4 views and the controllers to go with them,

header
menu
page content
footer

then start building the models and controllers for the login/registration and create a logged in area with a page content view of its own, with nothing in it to start with.

there's the basics done, then its just a matter of creating more models and controllers to do whatever the website needs to do. I do it a bit at a time, model controller and view for a specific site function, get that working fine and then move on to the next bit.

Thats the way I start, makes it easier to add more bits and grow the project, in my opinion anyway,


<edit to add>
reading that reply back and it seems really quite a boring answer lol but its true,
I find it easier to build a basic empty site, then build in the functionality bit by bit

its boring but it works well so it does

[eluser]toopay[/eluser]
Cigaretes and hot latte. Thats the only recipes for great coding session... for me.