The Ultimate Guide To Mastering Web Development in 2023

Web development can be a daunting task for beginners. There are so many things to learn and so many tools to use. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know to master web development.

• What is Web Development?
• The Basics
• CSS
• JavaScript
• The Advanced Stuff
  • The Frontend
  • The Backend
• I didn’t find the backend || frontend interesting?

What is Web Development?

Web development is the process of creating websites and web applications. Easy, right? Well, not exactly. Web development is a broad term that covers a lot of different things. It includes everything from writing HTML and CSS to creating a database and writing server-side code. It also includes creating a user interface and testing the application. Well, I guess that scared you off. Don’t click off, we will cover all of these topics in this article.

The Basics

Just like you can’t walk without crawling, unless it is a special case, you can’t create a website without knowing the basics. The basics are the foundation of web development. If you don’t know the basics, you will have a hard time learning the more advanced topics. So, let’s get started.

HTML

The first thing you need to know is HTML. HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. HTML is the foundation of web development. It is the language that tells the browser how to display the content on the page. HTML is a markup language, which means that it uses tags to define the content. For example, the following code will create a heading on the page.

<h1>Heading</h1>

There are several other tags that you can use to add different kinds of content to your webpage. The following is a list of the most common tags and what they do.

This list is by no means exhaustive and there are many more tags that you can use to create your website. You can find a full list of HTML tags here

You don’t need to know all the HTML tags before you start creating a website. You can learn them as you go. However, it is important to know the basics. You can learn the basics in a few hours. So, don’t be afraid to start learning HTML.

I know HTML, what’s next?

Work on a project. There are many projects that you can work on with just HTML. Yes you would look back at them tomorrow and cringe at them but it is a great way to learn. You can build a simple personal blog. The blog could have few pages that are linked to each other. The homepage could contain links to other blog posts (a good way to practice using <ul>, <ol> and <a> tags). Each blog post could have headings (<h1>, <h1> and <h3> tags), paragraphs (<p> tags) and images (<img> tags).

The lesson here is to start building something. You don’t need to know everything before you start. You can learn as you go. So, start building something. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It just has to be something. You can always improve it later.

CSS

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. It is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in HTML. It is used to design the look and feel of a website and to make websites look good, responsive, accessible and user-friendly. CSS is a style sheet language, which means that it uses rules to define the style of the content. Applying CSS can be likened to adding styles to a Microsoft Word document. You can change the font, the font size, the color, the background color, the alignment, etc. CSS is the tool the achieve that in web development.

For example, the following code will change the color of the text to red.

p {
  color: red;
}

There are several other rules that you can use to style your website. The following is a list of the most common rules and what they do.

Again, this list is by no means exhaustive and there are many more rules that you can use to style your website. You can find a full list of CSS rules here.

At this point, you are equiped with the knowledge to create a simple website complete with styling. It isn’t so daunting afterall, is it?

JavaScript

Javascript is a programming language that is used to make web pages interactive. It is the third layer of the cake. It is used to add functionality to a website, to create interactive forms, to create games, to create chatbots and to make websites more user-friendly.

The following code will change the color of the text to red when the user clicks on it.

const p = document.querySelector("p");
p.addEventListener("click", () => {
  p.style.color = "red";
});

What now?

Now it is safe to say you have the basics of web development nailed down. You can successfully take on any web development projects. For web development projects, my go to resource is Frontend Mentor. It is a great place to practice your skills and to learn new things. You can also check out Codepen and CodeSandbox for some inspiration.

Congratulations!!! 🥳🥳. You are now a complete web developer and the article can end here. But wait, we’re not done yet.

The Advanced Stuff

The Frontend

If you have followed the guide until this point, you are already a frontend developer. What is frontend development you ask? Frontend development is everything you have been doing. It is the development of the user interface through the use of HTML, CSS and Javascript, so that users can view and interact with that website.

Developers rarely write code from scratch. They use libraries and frameworks to make their lives easier. The most popular frontend libraries and frameworks are React, Vue and Angular. You can learn more about them here. Try to learn one of them. It will make your life easier.

The Backend

You may have realized your website is not doing much. It is just a static page. You can’t store any data. You can’t interact with the user. You can’t do much. That is where the backend comes in. The backend is the part of the website that is not visible to the user. It is the part of the website that stores data, interacts with the user and does all the heavy lifting.

The languages needed on the backend are a lot more diverse than the frontend. Common backend languages are Python, Ruby, PHP, Java and Node.js(which is just javascript). Did I say Javascript? Yes, Javascript can be used on the backend. It is called Node.js and you do not need to learn a new language. You can just use Javascript. Then why the other languages? Well, they are just as popular and they have their own advantages. You can learn more about them here.

I didn’t find the backend || frontend interesting?

See what I did there with the ||? Some people find the backend more interesting than the frontend and vice versa and that’s okay. You do not need to know both sides to be a good web developer. In fact, you can specialize in one side and be a great web developer. You can be a frontend developer or a backend developer. You can be a fullstack developer if both sides please you. It is all up to you. That’s the beauty of web development.

Are we done?

Yes, we are. You are now ready to take on the world. A few tips before you go.

• Learn to use Google. You will be using it a lot. It is your best friend.
• Find a mentor. It is always good to have someone to guide you. You can contact me here. I will be happy to help.
• Work on projects. It is the best way to learn.
• Build a portfolio. It is a great way to showcase your skills.
• Use Stack Overflow and MDN Web Docs as your go to resources.
• Use git and GitHub. It is a great way to keep track of your projects and to collaborate with others.
• Practice, practice, practice. You can never practice enough.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If you did, please share it with your friends. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I will be happy to help. You can also contact me here.