Our daily lives are heavily influenced by technology, from the most basic functions to the most ground-breaking innovations. Every website or web page we encounter has been developed by a web developer, but what exactly is web development and what does a web developer do?
It could seem difficult, confusing, and in some ways unreachable to a novice in this profession. We have therefore put together a basic introduction to web development and all it takes to become a fully-fledged web developer in order to provide some insight into this fascinating field.
This essay will go through the fundamentals of web development in great detail and list all the skills and resources you'll need to get started in this industry. Go over the specifics to determine if a job in web development is right for you before you start, and then begin learning the necessary skills. Whether you concentrate on studying Python or a wide range of programming languages, you can narrow your route by focusing on web development using Rust.
What is Web Development?
Once you master the front end, you need to proceed and take care of what is going on in the back end. This is where all the magic happens, and this is where all the data is stored.
Data is stored, manipulated, and retrieved from the databases. Nowadays, we often use cloud frameworks like Azure or AWS to keep the database. What you need to learn is how to manage data in a database.
The process of creating websites and applications for the internet or a private network called an intranet is known as web development. Web development is more concerned with the coding and programming that governs a website's functionality than it is with the design and layout of the website.
Every tool we use online was created by web developers, from the simplest static site pages to social networking platforms and applications, e-commerce websites to content management systems (CMS).
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Front-end Vs. Back-end development
Front-end development and back-end development are the two main divisions of web development. Therefore, you should be aware of what these phrases signify if you intend to begin a career in web development.
While back-end developers create the architecture that supports it, front-end developers work on what the customer can see. The UI is referred to as the "front end," and the server, application, and database that work in the background to provide data to the client are referred to as the "back end."
A variety of technologies are combined to build the front end, such as HTML, JavaScript, and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). The user experience elements of a website page or application, such as dropdown menus, buttons, menus, pages, connections, and procedures, are designed and made by front-end developers.
The server that gives information upon request, the application that channels it, and the database that organizes the data make up the back end, which is also referred to as the server side.
Full-stack development is a different phrase that simply refers to the combination of front-end and back-end development. An application's front end and back end can both be designed and developed by a full-stack developer.
As you can see, there are three possibilities available to you in terms of a web development career. You can begin your career as a front-end developer, a back-end developer, or a full-stack developer by learning both.
Now that you are aware of the employment opportunities in web development, it is time to discuss the skills you must acquire before you can begin this exciting career and look for a web development firm.
Skills Required for Web Development
One of the most creative and challenging tasks for web developers is writing a thousand lines of code and turning that into a website. We would want to give you some insight into web development if you get inspired by attractive site designs and want to try your hand at creating the same.
Almost anyone can become a web developer. To learn the abilities, you don't even need a sophisticated degree in software engineering. However, there are a few things you should learn before you start looking for work in the field of web development.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language is what HTML stands for. It's one of a website's essential components. Since it is a front-end language, it offers the fundamental structure of a website, mostly through a number of tags.
CSS
Cascaded Style Sheets, or CSS. It establishes the underlying aesthetic of the HTML framework and gives the website's design life. The website will seem uninteresting without CSS.
JavaScript
JavaScript enables you to incorporate a wide range of elements on websites. JavaScript can be used to incorporate features like interactive maps and 2D/3D visuals into websites.
Application Programming Interface (API)
You will spend a lot of time working with APIs in web development because they effectively control third-party data. Some of the functions can be used by web developers without requiring them to provide the code.
There is a wonderful GitHub repository of APIs that you can use, and it additionally gives you a plethora of project ideas. You can check the link Public APIs to explore further.
Authentication
You can be in charge of user authentication to keep tabs on visitors to a specific website. Allowing users to sign in, log out, or execute certain tasks from their accounts, for instance, or preventing access to certain pages for users who are not logged in, are some examples.
Authentication is a crucial component of user account security. Therefore, understanding how to manage this functionality in your web application is crucial.
Back-end and Databases
Either SQL (Structured Query Language) or NoSQL knowledge is required for this (used by MongoDB and Firebase).
Generating Tests
Many developers believe that this activity is useless. You can skip writing tests for simple apps. However, if you are developing a large application, we advise that you create tests and test cases because doing so makes the entire process more robust and makes debugging easier.
Although at first, you might feel like you are squandering your time, you will eventually realize that you are actually saving time. So establish the practise of writing tests as you work on your application.
Besides the technical skills, there are some other skills as well:
- Willingness to constantly learn new skills and improve
- Stay up to date with the industry
- Time management
- Understanding UX
- Multitasking
Web Development tools you should know about
Learning many programming languages is not the only requirement for creating a popular website. To assist you with full-stack web development, you should become familiar with a few web development tools.
We'll go through some fundamental web development tools that you should become familiar with.
Git
The most well-known version control technology, known as Git, is employed by numerous businesses. The likelihood is that if you begin working as a web developer, you may need to work on this version control.
For this reason, you should spend some time becoming familiar with Git and certain fundamental commands like cloning, pushing to the repository, creating a pull request, mixing code branches, etc.
GitHub
You can host your code on GitHub by pushing your Git repositories there. It enables developers to collaborate on projects and is largely used for collaborations.
Code Editor
Your code editor or integrated development environment (IDE) is the most basic web development tool you will use when creating a website (Integrated Development Environment). You can use this tool to create the markup and code for the website.
There are several respectable options available, but VS Code is the most widely used code editor. Microsoft's main IDE, Visual Studio, is available as VS Code, which is a lighter version of it. It is quick, easy to use, and customizable with your own themes and addons.
Additionally, Atom, Sublime Text, and Vim are code editors. However, VS Code, which you can get from their official website, is something I'd recommend looking at if you're a novice.
Browser DevTools
Using browser DevTools, you may perform a variety of tasks, including troubleshooting, modifying HTML tags, and CSS properties, and debugging JavaScript issues. DevTools' different tabs, such as those for components, assurance, networking, and other topics, can help web developers complete their tasks more quickly and easily.
You can use any DevTools, such as Chrome DevTools, Firefox DevTools, or whatever web browser you are using, depending on which one you are using. Typically, people choose to develop, test and debug web applications using Chrome DevTools. However, how the website is built depends solely on the developer and the browser being used.
Wrapping Up
Job searching is becoming more difficult. Every day, more traditional occupations are lost. So why not learn a talent that will keep you employed and possibly wealthy for a very long time?
A fantastic opportunity exists right now to become a web developer! More than ever, technology is essential to how we work, communicate with others, get healthcare, shop, and so much more. If you're still on the fence about working in this innovative field and creating cutting-edge technology, we advise "going for it."
The amazing thing is that you can enter the profession without bothering with a pricey and sophisticated degree. Are you prepared to build a reputable website? You can start your fascinating journey of web application development by following the steps we've listed here.
If you think this article is interesting, please let us know. And don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!
