Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019

Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019

Web development was made popular less than a couple of decades ago. Being one of the youngest and the most profitable industry, it has also been one of the fastest growing careers in the era.

The demand for web developers is as high as ever. The opportunities of web developers are never limited to a confined area. He can offer his skill to a wide range through freelancing. Becoming a freelance web developer will definitely pave a strong career.

Now, who is actually a web developer?

Well, web developers are the professionals who are responsible for designing, modifying, coding of websites as per the client’s requirements. They are the ones who make the websites user-friendly and appealing for the users.

There are different types of Web Developers, which are mentioned below.

  • Frontend Developer: Professionals who are responsible for developing the visual interface for the users, and the layouts for the websites. The front end developers are responsible for making the website visually pleasing by adding different layouts, fonts, clickable menus, colors, etc.
  • Backend Developer: Professionals who are responsible for developing the inner functional logic, i.e., the internal software of the website. The backend developers develop the server side of a website. Backend developing has three prime components which are:
  • Web Server: The server which is hosting the concerned website.
  • Application Server: The server which is responsible for the exchange of data between an application and the user.
  • Database Server: It is the prime computer which is the storehouse of all the data.
  • Full Stack Developer: Professionals who are responsible for developing a fully functioning website, i.e., developing both the frontend as well as the backend of the website. They have skills of both the frontend developer and the backend developer.

How to become a web developer?

Learning the required critical skills

The first important step of becoming a web developer is mastering the essential programming languages like CSS, HTML, JAVA and some skills like using the command line and text editor.

CSS

CSS represents Cascading Style Sheets which is an essential component of web development. CSS is important for web designing because

  • It helps in the improvement of the website design.
  • Helps in upgrading a website without any hassle.
  • CSS makes webpages load faster.

HTML

HTML stands for Hyper Text Mark-up Language. It is a type of programming language used in the development of the websites. It is like the skeleton/frame upon which CSS rests. Some of the benefits of HTML are:

  • HTML is free to use, and the user does not need to install any software for that.
  • All types of browsers support HTML.
  • HTML is easy to understand programming language with superior loading time.

JAVA

JAVA is another important programming language which is very essential in the development of websites and webpages.

NPM and YARN

Both NPM and YARN are an essential component in the web development process. NPM stands for Node Package Manager, used in the Node-based environments. NPM stores and tracks all the packages along with their versions, for easy manipulation of the website. YARN is an advanced package manager that uses the NPM registry as its backend. Both NPM and YARN are essential in developing a React-Web application. It is important for you to learn various types of command lines, which you will use to run your codes. The fluent you are with your command line, the better you will be able to code.

You must also select a reliable Text Editor. It is the platform where you’ll be writing down your codes and execute. Once you’ve mastered the basic requirements which are essential for web development, let’s focus on the actual web development process.

Getting started with Frontend development

The basic skill requirements for mastering Frontend development are:

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript/jQuery

CSS Pre-processing

There are certain limitations to the use of CSS for the creation of websites which can be overcome using CSS pre-processing. Using CSS pre-processors like Sass, LESS, etc. you can type your code which the pre-processor adds it to the CSS which in turn is reflected in your website.

Version Control:

It is an essential skill for web developers. Using Version Control Softwares like for example Git; you can check for errors in your source code and modify the same without even wiping out the entire source code.

Responsive Design

Frontend development is all about the appearance of the website. People around the world use different types of devices like laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. for surfing websites. All these different devices have different resolutions. As a result, it becomes important for the websites to adjust themselves as per the device used to navigate them. This is done through Responsive designing. Responsive designing is usually done via BOOTSTRAP.

Debugging (or Testing)

Now, once you’ve successfully typed your source code for your website, it’s time for you to scan the entire code for potential errors/bugs that might have crept in while coding. You should have proper knowledge of testing/debugging to make sure that no errors are present in your source code.

Different types of testing processes are:

  • Functional Testing: Using Functional Testing you can test any specific functionality of your website’s source code to ensure that they function properly.
  • Unit Testing: Using unit testing you can analyze the smallest portions of your source code that code for a specific function, to ensure that they function properly.
  • Browser Developer Tool Browser Developer Tools allows you to test, adjust and tune the way the browsers display your web pages; so it becomes an important skill for the frontend developers. Every web browser has its own set of developer tools. You can analyze the way the concerned web browser is interpreting your source code.
  • Webpage Performance Enhancing Tools (Building and Automation Tools) Even after proper source coding and debugging, the website’s performance might still be sluggish. To ensure that the website’s performance is maximum, building and automation tools are used. These tools help in image optimization and minifying CSS and JavaScript framework, which improves the overall performance of the website with faster loading time.

As the frontend development focuses on the layout of the website, it becomes important for you to master the skills using tools like CSS. Moreover, you need to learn advanced skills in a framework for developing your own custom UI using tools like Bootstrap.

Getting started with Backend development

  • Selecting and mastering a programming language The first step to becoming a backend developer is proper knowledge in a server-side programming language which you'll use to develop all the back-end programming. Python, C#, Java, PHP, etc. are few of the common used server-side programming languages.
  • Mastering database and SQL For backend development, proper skills in the database are very essential for maintaining those large chunks of data. For communicating with the different databases, you need to learn SQL which stands for Structured Query Language.
  • API Skills Sometimes you'll be required to interact with the website via some applications made for or by third-party applications. Hence, you need to have proper skills for integrating them into your web app using their API’s. Some of the most widely used API formats are JSON, XML, etc.
  • Mastering Version Control System Using Git, you can easily protect your code and then retrieve it anytime to modify the same.

Conclusion

Being a web developer takes a lot of patience and coding skills. At times you’ll be facing a lot of errors in your coding, and sometimes the complexity is more than expected. But you need to keep practicing to sharpen up your coding skills.

This article will help you to understand the basic skills and their necessities in the web development process.

Posted by Aditya S.

Aditya S.
Aditya works as a Growth Assistant at AirTract.Com, a social platform wherein people ask questions, get answers, share knowledge and experience. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science Engineering and has been working in the field of Digital Marketing for the past two years. He is also a voracious reader and a big sports fan.

Related Posts

Comments

comments powered by Disqus