Before I started web development, I researched extensively about the best web programming languages and the most recent technologies. After I gained some background knowledge, I began the actual web development work. Initially, I focused on front-end development. This meant that I was able to create static web pages with cool styling. However, as I began to explore web development more deeply, I discovered that there were many other things I had to learn.
Web has much to offer and it would take a while to master every aspect of web. Throughout my many years of exploring the web, I have come across many points related to web that I have shared with you in this article. These tips and points will make you a great web developer. You can find a list of resources I used at different stages of my development in the article.
I have listed topics in a sequence, which I followed and I recommend you do the same.
1. Front-end Development
Learn the basics of HTML and CSS. These technologies are very simple, and can be learned at w3schools. Make simple static pages using HTML and CSS. Learn about the CSS box model, transitions, transformations, and media queries. After you have mastered CSS, move on to . This is a front-end framework that focuses on responsive design. Mobile-friendly web development. This will speed up your development and increase your efficiency for mobile-based web development. Try to create simple projects such as a ToDo App or any browser game using Javascript. Or a website that has cool transitions and animations.
2. Back-end development
You have many options for back-end web design. I recommend starting with and MySQL. PHP is a scripting language, and MySQL is a database management software that uses SQL for querying. These technologies are simple and will allow you to understand the request/response techniques in web browser and how to interact back-end and database. You can also explore PHP frameworks such as CodeIgniter or Laravel. You can also use Node.js or Express.js to get started. These are becoming more popular. Node.js also uses Javascript as its back-end, which is a big advantage over PHP. This means that you don’t have to learn another programming language just as you did Javascript front-end development. MongoDB, a NoSQL NoSQL database stores data in documents rather than tables (which MySQL does). Understanding the structure of both databases can be done by exploring them both. Create projects with very basic database requirements such as signup functionality and login functionality. Then, try to create, read, update and delete data using these technologies.
3. HTTP Request/Response and Cookies, Sessions, and AJAX
Once you’re comfortable with the basics of web front-end and backend technologies, you can move on to more advanced concepts in web. Learn about server sessions, HTTP Request & Response, HTTP Sessions and Cookies. This will allow you to understand browsers and servers, how messages are sent between client and server, and how the server processes them and returns a response. Ajax can be applied to a web application you have already developed (that you created with back-end). Ajax is the most important concept in web-development. This will allow you to expand your knowledge about the request/response paradigm.
4. REST APIs and many more.
Once you have a good understanding of the HTTP request/response models, you can start to create an API in a RESTful way. Because of their statelessness, RESTful APIs are widely used in cloud applications. Understanding these technologies will help you gain more exposure to advanced topics and help you when you apply for jobs. Implement a simple E-commerce API that uses HTTP methods to perform CRUD (create, read/update, delete) operations on products
5. Popular frameworks
You can also use popular frameworks such as Node.js or Laravel for front-end development, like React and Angular. Although it’s not necessary to learn a framework, it will help you make your programming life easier. It is not enough to understand some languages and technologies. To get a real understanding of how things work, you need to actually implement what you have learned. You will find some mini-projects I suggested at the end of each section to help you solidify your ideas. You can start small, build up to a full-fledged web application. You will gain insight on many topics related to web design. It will take time to get through this whole process, but it will all be worth it.