What to do after XAMPP install

[graphicsman]

Im very new to web design and overall testing. Ive always created simple HTML/CSS sites and i am going back to school for web design. I will be taking some server side, client side, php, sql, asp.net, and javascript classes in school. I was trying to setup my XAMPP server at home on my local network so i can test, practice and debug before loading it to m hosting account. Only problem i am having is trying to find documentation on what to do AFTER everything is secure on XAMPP. Some questions i have are as followed:

1. Where do i drop the jquery documentation? Do i stick it in the htadocs folder and call the jquery with a external js. file??

2. When calling jquery from my server, do i need to call the src file 127.0.0.1/jquery for it to run??

3. does anyone suggest and good tutorials on testing, learning, and practice for XAMPP??

4. Similar to the installation of Joomla, do i install everything in the Htadocs folder?

[Altrea]

Only problem i am having is trying to find documentation on what to do AFTER everything is secure on XAMPP.

First you should get a fealing for "what is secure"

Where do i drop the jquery documentation?

I think you mean documents, not documentation? or better say scripts, that is much more clear.

Do i stick it in the htadocs folder and call the jquery with a external js. file??

You mean htdocs, not htadocs, i hope. htdocs stands for "hypertext documents"
Where you save your files (generally speaking) is up to you. Sure, they should be saved somewhere your Apache can request them. htdocs is the default root directory Apache can request, so your files should be saved inside that folder or inside any subfolder of it.

The JQuery core library should be included from an external file because of readability and it's best practice to separate vendor scripts from own created.
Or even better (but just for production environments), include JQuery from an Open CDN like Google:
http://code.google.com/apis/libraries/d ... tml#jquery

Your own JQuery code files can be either inline script inside html documents or external files too. external files are preferred because separation is best practice.

2. When calling jquery from my server, do i need to call the src file 127.0.0.1/jquery for it to run??

I don't understand that question. Maybe this is answered in 1.) too. i don't know.

3. does anyone suggest and good tutorials on testing, learning, and practice for XAMPP??

That really depends on what you want to learn.

4. Similar to the installation of Joomla, do i install everything in the Htadocs folder?

Or in a subfolder of it.
Apache can be configurated very deeply, so that you can do nearly everything you can think of. But for now (beginner state) stay inside the (subfolder of) htdocs

[graphicsman]

thanks a lot for your input.

i also believe i have my server secure by pulling up my localhost and following the directions for xampp installation. You might be able to tell me better, but is there a way i can remove/if i could, some of the folders inside my htdocs folder

[Altrea]

Everything inside your htdocs folder is optional.
The xampp folder is very helpful, to check everything is allright or to directly access phpmyadmin, phpinfo() and so on.
But if you say, you are fine to access phpmyadmin directly by url, create your own phpinfo() file if needed and you know how you can check if php is running properly, then you are free to delete the xampp folder inside htdocs too.