Front end web development is a dynamic field. The trends and technologies are always evolving and challenges your creativity as well as technical prowess. Web development roles help you remain motivated to learn new things and come up with better solutions to customer demands. Best web development companies are represented here.
If you are an aspiring web developer and want to learn how to get started, you’ve come to the right place. Read on and enter the exciting world of front end web development. This guide introduces some basic terminology, concepts, and tools.
We being by learning the difference between front end and back end development. This will give you a better idea of the structure of a typical website.
Front End Development vs. Back End Development
A web application is characterized as a distributed application because it’s based on a client-server architecture. This simply means that one part of the application runs on the server end and the other on the client end. Most of the times this client is your average web browser. All the code running on the client end is called front end. A typical combination of tools and technologies used to create the front end is HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Back end developers are responsible for creating the code that runs server side. This job involves interfacing with the database to retrieve/write/modify data. Usually, a back end developer need to learn a core programming language such as C# or Java coupled with a Database Management System.
There is no rule that says you have to choose either front end or back end. If you decide to stick to front end, try to learn at least the basics of back end coding. This will help you create better front end applications.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
HTML is the foundation of every webpage that exists on the internet. It provides ways of structuring text, images, and multimedia content on a website. Without HTML, all every webpage would be a confusing wall of text. Structuring content to create a coherent picture is only possible with HTML.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Cascading Style Sheets define the presentation aspects of web pages. They drive the overall aesthetics of your website. CSS works in tandem with HTML and controls the look and feel of the underlying structure. This styling is also flexible enough to control how the page appears on different screen sizes, enabling developers to create responsive web pages. CSS looks simple at first, but can also get quite challenging. This shouldn’t deter you from trying to learn the intricacies. A couple of projects in and you’ll develop an intuitive approach to CSS.
JavaScript
Many programming languages are used for front end web development. The de facto option is usually JavaScript. It is the first language introduced to novice front end web developers. Web pages in JavaScript are created using Document Object Model or DOM.
Text Editors
A text editor is one of the main tools you’ll use to learn web development. Examples of popular text editors include Notepad, Notepad++, Sublime Text, Atom, and Vim.
Developer Tools
Developer tools are integrated into web browsers and allow you to view the structure of any website. This is a powerful way to learn how websites are created and get a glimpse into how styling elements come together. These tools also help you debug your HTML and CSS because you can easily manipulate the fine-grained details from within the browser.
Git
Git is one of the most popular and widely used version control system (VCS). It helps you keep track of various versions and features of your website. You can revert to a previous version if a new version has issues. GitHub is a part of Git, that allows you to share your code online and access code that other people have created.
SASS Preprocessors
Sass (Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets) is style sheet language that extends the features of CSS. Once you have mastered CSS, this is the next language you should focus on learning.
JavaScript Libraries
A library is a pre-written set of JavaScript that facilitates the development if JavaScript-based web applications. These libraries make it easier to develop complex multi-featured websites. The most popular JavaScript libraries include Bootstrap (CSS Framework), Node.js, jQuery, HTML5 Boilerplate, Impress.js, and Backbone.js.
Command Line
Becoming familiar with the command line interface gives you greater control over your machine. You can easily install various libraries and different software packages with a simple command. Mastering the basics of command line helps you get to know which options can be tweaked. It gives you a deeper understanding of how flexible your computer can be.
Module Bundling Tools
As your learning accelerates and you take on tougher projects, you’ll realize that each project is made up of many different interacting parts. At this stage, bundling tools such as Webpack or Browserify can be a huge help. This makes your code more compact and your website will load more quickly in the browser. Webpack works by identifying modules that depend on other modules. Once this is accomplished, it generates a set of static assets that can represent the dependent modules. Browserify allows web developers to write modules in a style that is similar to Node.js and compiles them for use in a browser.
WordPress
WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS) in the world. Almost 25% of websites are built on WordPress and this number continues to rise. Built on PHP and MySQL, this open-source tool has changed the front end development world. Once you’ve built your site, there are thousands of free and paid plugins that can be used to extend the functionality of your pages.
This simple introduction will help you get started on your front end development journey. There are tons of online resources that will provide information that is more detailed. Check out free courses on Coursera, EdX, or Udacity. If you want to dedicate yourself to online learning, you’ll need a reliable and fast internet connection. Choose mediacom internet to get more speed and great deals.
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This seems like an interesting combination of a true “beginner’s guide” and an intermediate’s guide. HTML/CSS and Git/command line in the same guide… very interesting!