Web applications, databases, and APIs are all really very simple. An api is just a collection of functions (or ways of calling functions) someone else wrote. A

Web applications, databases, and APIs are all really very simple. An api is just a collection of functions (or ways of calling functions) someone else wrote. A database is just an api to store tuples. A web application is just a program that listens on a TCP socket for HTTP requests, and responds with HTTP responses. You can write your own web server in a couple hours, even in C. It won't be any good, but it's a fun confidence building exercise. Then learn Python or Perl or Ruby or Lisp or some language with non-sucky strings, install Apache and mod_python/perl/ruby/lisp, and point it at your script. Voila, instant web application! There are plenty of step-by-step tutorials online. I was in a similar situation to where you are before I started on Kiko Calendar - I'd never written a web application or used a database or api before in my life. Thanks to the internet, I could learn how in a couple months. You can too.