A great blog starts with a great development team.  Sure, you can slap a simple WordPress theme up and call it a day, but there are advantages to familiarizing yourself with code.

From building custom PHP and Javascript apps to simple tweaks, understanding how your blog works will help you understand why it works and what you can do to improve it.  Here are some of the best resources for bloggers who want to start doing their own development:

Introduction

Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software

Professional WordPress Development

Languages

HTML5 & CSS3 For The Real World

Real-World Solutions for Developing High-Quality PHP Frameworks and Applications

The Ruby Programming Language

Pro Drupal Development

JavaScript & jQuery: The Missing Manual

Social

Facebook Cookbook: Building Applications to Grow Your Facebook Empire

Twitter API: Up and Running: Learn How to Build Applications with the Twitter API

Tweet

Development programming