Pathway to be a Web Developer

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1. Learn the Basics of Web Development

Web development ranges from developing simple plain text and static pages to complex web applications, e-businesses, and social networks. A comprehensive list of tasks commonly referred to as web development may include web engineering, web design, web content development, customer relations, client/server-side scripting, web server configuration and network security, and e-commerce development. Let us see the tools, technologies, frameworks, and platforms that you must master to carve your path in the enthralling field of web development.

2. Digest the Web Fundamentals

• HTTP / HTTPS
• Encoding, Cryptography, Security
• SSH
• Model-View-Controller (MVC)
• Internet Protocols
• REST API

3. VS Code - A Great Place to Start

VS Code is the best choice for web developers, simply because it offers lots of plugins that can increase your productivity. However, there are plenty of great options out there, such as Atom or Sublime Text 3.

Take the time to choose the right editor, install plugins, and learn keyboard shortcuts. It will save you countless hours. Using the right workflow can increase your productivity significantly. Since you will be spending most of your time writing code in a text editor you must know the environment, snippets, tools, and settings. Modern editors offer highly productive plugins that automate several tasks for you. Work smart, not hard.

4. Version Control

When you begin collaborating with other people, you must use version control. There is no escape from "Git", which is a tool used to manage versions of the same code available to several developers at once and create different versions for collaboration. The best place to store and collaborate on code in open-source software is GitHub. You must get hands-on practice with this platform.

5. JavaScript

There is no better language for web development than JavaScript. It is universally used, very popular, and in high demand. Developers can use both frontend and backend JS. This means you can become a full-stack developer by focusing on learning a single language. JavaScript has the following advantages:

  1. API and database compatibility. A lot of frameworks are available. You can build whatever you imagine – right from small hobby projects to enterprise-level web applications.
  2. Because JS runs in a browser, it is required to create web applications. It also has a very fast rendering engine.
  3. It is a relatively simple programming language to learn.
  4. Widely used on both the front and back ends, allowing you to write full-stack applications in the same language. Popular sites that are built using JS are Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, Amazon, eBay, etc.
  5. Projects are the best way to learn work skills and build your portfolio as you start applying. Try out courses and small challenges daily to brush up on your JS skills.

    We highly recommend checking out this video to get a quick overview before moving on:

Frontend Development: Build UI’s

Front-end development is a way of creating user interfaces for the web. You should have a solid understanding of HTML and CSS, as well as a solid foundation in JavaScript.

HTML and CSS

HTML and CSS are usually learned together. HTML is a framework that provides structure to pages, and CSS is a language that provides styles. CSS libraries like Bootstrap and Tailwind are attracting a lot of developers thanks to their ready-made beautiful and professional-looking UI kits and libraries. You can even put animated media and such on sites. Interactive sites are more popular than static sites, so put your imagination to good use. You do not have to make everything from scratch but try to explore such frameworks that do your work for you. This not only saves your development time but also gives a modern, classy look to your projects!

Want a head start? Check out our CSS crash course:

UI Libraries (React, Vue, Angular)

Modern front-end development applies a component model with three main libraries used by professional front-end engineers: React, Vue, and Angular. It's better to know one of these libraries well than all three. Then, using a framework that the company is not familiar with can give you something else in the workplace. React is the most popular, but both Vue and Angular are gaining popularity.

Backend Development: Build APIs and Server

The user interacts with a website and, using web APIs, requests data from the database, processes the business logic, and sends the necessary data to the front end.

Generally, NodeJS is the most popular choice to go for backend development as it is seamless to switch between frontend and backend because we use the same language for both the UI/UX and the business logic processing. Other languages you can use to learn backend development include Python (Django or Flask framework), Go, and Ruby on Rails (for highly dynamic or data-driven sites).

NodeJS

Nodes.JS is a way to run JavaScript outside of a browser that can be used to build server-side APIs, which is effective when building scalable network applications.

Python

Although Python is easy for beginners, it is also widely used by tech giants and startups for servers, data science, and scripting.

Database

A database is a permanent storage location for application data. The server frequently queries the database during API calls. There are two general types of databases: SQL and NoSQL.

PostgreSQL/MySQL

These are the most used databases and offer a wide variety of functionalities. You must learn how to set up, manage, backup, restore, optimize, and query the database. Check topics like DB schema, normalization, caching, and load balancing. They are crucial in determining how efficiently your websites or web apps will scale.

GraphQL

It is a query language on top of a database, not the database itself. Many believe this will revolutionize application development and completely change the way APIs are built. It is rapidly being adopted and used by tech giants and top startups.

DevOps Essentials: Manage infrastructure, deployment, and systems

As a web developer, you do not need to delve deeply into the field of DevOps, but you should learn some fundamental skills that are required for your job, such as:

Linux

Linux is used by over 67% of servers and can be used by web developers to run multiple servers during testing and deployment. If you aren’t acquainted with this OS, you will have to endure a great deal of troubleshooting later during your deployment.

Command Line/ Terminal

Be prepared to SSH into a remote server as you will have to do it every time an update to your website is pushed. Companies also hire web developers who write scripts and automate programs for the entire company.

Security

Make sure your entire cloud is protected and encrypted. Also, configure your API so that all content is served over HTTPS and is not vulnerable to common attacks.

Automated testing

To thoroughly test all code going into production and reduce the likelihood of bugs or regressions. You can use GUI-driven automation test suites, which are growing in popularity by the day. Cloud providers: Understand how to manage your servers in the cloud using one of the popular providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.

Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)

Reduce manual and clerical work for individual developers by setting up deployment pipelines to automatically integrate code into production.

Containers

Containers ensure that your code always runs in a clean and reproducible environment. Many startups and tech giants use Docker and/or Kubernetes in some form. If your website is scaling and you have a team of hundreds or thousands of developers, this is a must-adopt tool.

Log Management

This allows you to diagnose errors and find the cause of problems in your application. You may have to report this to stakeholders or the debugging team.

The Best Web Development Books

  1. JavaScript: Definitive Guide (O’Reilly)
  2. The Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth
  3. Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: With jQuery, CSS & HTML5 (O’Reilly)
  4. Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
  5. Road To React: Your Journey to Master React.js in JavaScript
  6. The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt & David Thomas

    Now you can put your knowledge to good use and build real-world web development projects that will impress your interviewers.

Career Tips

  1. Focus on core skills: e.g., JavaScript, React, Node. Don't try to learn everything—React, Vue, Angular, jQuery, etc. Learn the minimum required languages and libraries as best you can. Go deep, not wide.
  2. Keep developing projects: Projects are the best way to learn and show that you understand how to develop applications for the real world.
  3. Showcase your talent: Create a portfolio website and power your back-end data with API-driven technology. The ability to demonstrate that you can build scalable applications is seen as the most desirable by hiring managers.
  4. Practice before the interview: Use books like Cracking the Coding Interview and websites like Board Infinity to learn how to answer interview questions.
  5. Find a mentor: Apply for as many jobs as you can if they fit your skills. Do not give up. Interact with senior and executive developers and learn from them. It is a long and difficult road, but it is worth it if you are passionate. Keep up with the latest trends.

It is vital to know the current web development trends in your field of interest and we have got you covered!  

If you want to learn more about Web Developers you can check out our Full-stack Development Course with Placement, which is designed for both students and working professionals. Enroll and get access to 1:1 personalized coaching from top industry experts as they help you build your skills from scratch and become a certified web developer!