[aleheroix]

Im trying to grasp the user groups options fully to create an online version of what happens through paperwork now.

Users will be assigned a membership number in a custom profile field, which will be unchangeable/hidden. They will pay a 12 month subscription to view the forums, once it expires, access will be restricted to the store and the general news index.php (not forum).

Users will also have access privileges based on their user group. There will be moderators who will promote users via a search option (name/membership number). The primary display user group will override the previous user group, though the 12 month one would still need to override by function only, delegating them to the unpaid member group.

A shopping cart system would be ideal, but i'm taking it step by step as i'm new to web design in general, i'm a sound engineer!

How would I best go about starting off learning/building? What parts should I be concentrating on first to build my foundations on?