How to make a 'member area'?

[stonerose]

OK, I am a geekless sham. I know nothing. What I do need to know is how to make a member only area on my site (as in user name - password - forgotten password) and I have no idea how to. The form is there in Serif Webplus 10, but how to make it operational?
Please assume you are talking to an idiot when you reply

[Daniel]

what sort of website are you doing?

[stonerose]

Originally Posted by DanDoughty

what sort of website are you doing?

Well it's just a plain bog standard one with a forum (yet to go live) and it's at www.sustainabilitymadesimple.net There's to be a section where members can download teachers' notes and stuff, but we want it to be accessable by log-in only. I use Serif Web Plus if that makes any difference.

Thanks,

Gina

[spinal007]

The idea is simple:
Things you need:
1. a list of username/passwords somewhere.
2. server-side scripting to check if username/passwords are valid

The editor you're using has nothing to do with it and most likely is not going to help you. But this should get you started:
http://www.developerfusion.co.uk/show/1744/

[stonerose]

Aw thanks honey. Will check that out, but if I am too simple for it, can I come back????

[spinal007]

Always welcome...