Beginners Guide to Web Development

Having a website has become as important and crucial as having a company registered.

From e-commerce, social media, education, entertainment to promotional and information-based, we come across so many websites every day.

Web development involves writing a set of source codes to build a website. Web developer builds, creates and maintains websites for hosting. They include aspects such as web design, web publishing, web programming and database management.

Work of front-end web developers

When you land on a website, what you see on the website is the work of a front-end developer. Developing the user side of the website is their main concern. They focus on making the website look good and creating a website that aims at giving a smooth user experience. They use HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and often jQuery to turn a static website design into a workable website on the web.

Work of back-end web developers

Connecting the server to database and website is the work of back-end developers. Back-end developers are more focused on security and server performance. They make sure all the moving pieces are working together smoothly. For this, they use PHP, Ruby, Python, and other server-side languages.

The following points act as starters and will prove good to start your journey as a web developer:

• Build your own website: Brainstorm, come up with ideas and build a website around it.

• Do an internship: This is best learning curve. You will get an opportunity to work on building websites.

• Practice: Practice till you succeed. You can use sites like CodeChef, Hacker Noon, HackerEarth to participate in various coding contests and sharpen your programming skills.

• Participate in a hackathon: Hackathons are a great place to try your hands on new projects and compete with other web developers.

• Put your code on GitHub: GitHub is an essential platform for every web developer which allows them to save code online and lets others see what changes you have made. You can also discuss the issues with your code with other developers.

• Stay updated: Keep yourself updated about the new features, trends, and methods by following blogs like Tutorialzine, DeveloperDrive, and Tuts+.

• Subscribe to web development newsletters- A good way to keep up with latest tips and trends online is to subscribe to web design and development newsletters. Smashing Magazine sends out bi-weekly newsletters with resources on both web design and development. The Web Development Reading List is another good read for getting updates on development tools, workflows and performance.

• Get your daily dose of inspiration - Seek inspiration in spaces like CodePen, an open platform for developers to submit proof-of-concepts and working snippets of creative expression.