Creating a Website by using drupal 6.2

It would help if we know what you've been able to do so far. Do you need help with particular modules or with the installation?

For themeing, a good starting point would be to install the zen theme, which is a unstyled,
annotated 'template'. You create a sub-theme, edit the layout.css if you need to, and then
start adding your own styling. The firefox add-on called 'firebug' is an extremely useful tool
for this job.

However, have you thought about choosing a similar theme to the one you want, then
installing modules, building parts of your site, and learning Drupal itself, rather than
themeing first? Once the content management and features are working properly, you can
then go back and theme around your content.

Personally, I can't imagine themeing without knowing how Drupal works first, and finding out
its strengths and weaknesses. If you theme first, then you might find that you end up fighting
Drupal later. In other words, it might be better to get the theme to work around Drupal, rather
than trying to force Drupal to work around a theme?

And where to start? There's no answer to that - it is completely overwhelming. I am trying to
learn what the core can and cannot do without any 3rd party modules, and attempting to build
up al list of modules that I'll definitely need for my requirements.

For instance, after a few weeks experimentation, I know I'll need the following modules:

- Views
- CCK
- Pathauto
- Organic groups
- i18n
- IMCE
- Tinymce
- Lightbox or Shadowbox
- SimpleNews
- Webform
- Calendar
- Panels (maybe)
- a module to improve menus
- a module for adding streamed media
- a module for managing and contacting users

I have also learnt that a 'multi-site' installation is a real pain; that multi-language currently
has large flaws or ommisions in it; that I need to think very carefully about how taxonomy is
going to be used; that I need users to be able to sign-up without an email address, and Drupal
won't let them; and dozens of other problems.

My point being, just start by setting it up and trying to make Drupal do what you need, and
you'll soon have a large list of tasks that you need to work on, which will turn into a
'development plan'.

I agree with Anti; I would add content to a Drupal installation and practice theming around that.

Adding filler content is easy with the Devel module. It generates nodes and users.

Try using the Devel module, then look at the html of your pages. Then you can change your CSS classes and IDs accordingly.