Beginner's Roadmap to Web Development

Study Notes

Created a beginner's roadmap for learning web development, covering all the basics necessary to understand web development skills.
Recommended steps 1, 2, and 3 in sequence for beginners, followed by branching out into front-end or back-end development with steps 4A or 4B.
Understanding general concepts when starting web development journey includes how websites work, the difference between front-end and back-end, and using a code editor.
The internet is essentially a connection between a client (your browser) and a server, where data is exchanged back and forth.
Roles in web development typically split into front-end developer, back-end developer, and full-stack developer, each focusing on different aspects of website functionality.
Front-end development deals with the client-side, visible part of a website, while back-end development handles the behind-the-scenes logic and operations.
Web development tools like code editors or Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) are crucial for writing website code, with Visual Studio Code being a popular choice.
Front-end of a website consists of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, where HTML forms the basis, CSS is for styling, and JavaScript adds interactivity and functionality.- People tend to overlook HTML when transitioning to JavaScript, but it is important to be able to convert design into the front-end interface of a website using CSS.
JavaScript is a programming language designed to run in browsers, allowing you to make your website responsive to user inputs or other sources.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are foundational for front-end web development, with additional tools like package managers such as NPM and Yarn being beneficial.
Front-end development also involves using build tools, such as modules, compilers like SASS to CSS, and transpilers like Babel for JavaScript.
Version control, also known as Source Control, is crucial for tracking code changes and reverting back to previous versions if needed. Git is a popular open-source version control system.
Responsive design practices involve using flexible sizing and media query breakpoints to target specific designs for different devices.
React, Angular, and Vue are popular front-end frameworks, each with its unique features and popularity in the web development community.
Learning server-side development involves understanding servers, server-side programming languages like PHP or Python, and databases like SQL or NoSQL (such as MongoDB).
Databases store website information and are queried using SQL; popular database management systems include MySQL for Windows and PostgreSQL for Linux.
Using databases in web development enables functions like storing user form data, managing user login processes, and implementing authentication logic.
Starting your web development journey should involve learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and then progressing to front-end frameworks and server-side development tools.