In what order, what are the basics, can I teach myself, these are the questions we’ve all been asking and you’ve come to the right place to find the answers.
From plain text websites to an all in one business management web based application and everything in between. Web developers and the tools they create have become an integral part of our daily lives and help simplify the path as we navigate through this technological revolution.
To the outside eye the world of web development might seem daunting at first, confusing and even inaccessible which is why we’ve put together this ultimate beginners guide to web development.
In this guide we will cover the basics of web development, the essential skills and tools you’ll need to get going and even provide you with a few projects to help you start your journey.
But first, let’s start at the beginning.
What exactly is web development?
The beautiful text based websites, the ever so user-friendly web based applications, even our social network apps all form part of this riveting industry. The programming or coding that enables the functionality of these internet tools is what is known as web development.
Through the use of various programming languages, web developers create rules and set parameters to enable specific functions that satisfy client specifications. These functions are then revised to ensure smooth and timely transitions to facilitate faster processes.
Web development can be further broken down into three layers: client-side coding (also known as frontend), server-side coding (backend) and database technology.
Let’s take a brief look at each of these in more detail.
What does a web developer do?
The frontend developer will take care of everything the end user sees and experiences. This includes all visual aspects of the website like layouts, color schemes, fonts and even contact forms which are all integrated and bound together by frontend developers.
Backend developers on the other hand are responsible for the logic and integration that drive what is done by frontend developers, basically everything the end-user does not see. They are responsible for the performance and component responsiveness through writing web services and various API´s.
All this information needs to be readily accessible electronically and this is where database technology comes into play. Through the use of servers, the data is organized, stored and processed to make it easy to retrieve and use as per the website needs.
The harmonious blend of these three elements is what makes websites run effectively and efficiently and together they form the basis of web development.
How do you become a web developer?
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Employment of web developers is projected to grow 8 percent from2019 to 2029.” It seems like there’s no better time than the present to start honing your skills to get the right foot into the industry.
But the lingering question remains: how do you break into the industry? Let’s take a look at a few useful skills and tools that might help get you started.
The first step would be to brush up or start learning a few of the most common coding languages. HTML for example is used to create web pages and define page structure. CSS for the visual layout of the page, elements like font, color and layout. Javascript will then be used to enable interaction between all these elements. Although there are many more languages, fluency in the most common of them all is a must have and beyond valuable skill.
A few of the tools might include a text editor to write code, a search engine and lastly and probably most importantly: Git. As a web developer you will be making constant changes to your code. It would be useful to save or your work to make backtracking easier and all the code more manageable.
As with most things in life, practice makes perfect which is why having a list of javascript projects for beginners is an excellent idea. Not only do you get to train your newly found skills but you get to do so in a way that’s fun and interactive.
The hardest part of any process is always the first step, hopefully this beginners guide has cleared out a few doubts, answered a handful of questions and paved the way for you to take it.