I recently completed my internship at DevCareer and some people have reached out to me asking how to get started as a front-end developer. With the rise of new technologies and frameworks, it is not easy starting out in this field. As a newbie, you might be confused about which area of web development to start with. I strongly recommend this blog post How to Choose the Right Career Path in Software Development
What is Frontend Development
In my own words, a frontend developer is someone that develop beautiful user interfaces for website and applications using technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Wikipedia says Front-end web development is the practice of converting data to a graphical interface, through the use of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, so that users can view and interact with that data. Let me show you how to be a frontend developer
1. Learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is a markup language used by the browser to manipulate text, images, and other content, in order to display it in the required format. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, it is a simply designed language intended to simplify the process of making web pages presentable. CSS allows you to apply styles to web pages. JavaScript is basically a scripting language for adding interactivity to a website. There are different platforms you can learn HTML and CSS but I'll recommend a few which include:
2. Build stuff
After learning the basics of Html and CSS, you can start practicing what you have learned. You can start by creating a landing page or a login page. You can also get challenges from platforms like Frontend mentors and Codewars. These platforms help with daily and weekly tasks to help develop your skills and make you a better developer
3. Read more
As a developer, one of the skills you have to improve is your reading skill. New technologies, new trends, and better ways of writing codes are coming out every day and as a developer, you have to stay updated on these trends. One of the ways to stay up to date is by reading articles, reading newsletters, reading docs, and reading more books. Some good platforms I'll recommend are:
Books:
- Eloquent JavaScript - Marjin Haverbeke
- JavaScript: The good parts - Douglas Crockford
- A smarter way to learn JavaScript - Mark Myers
- Learn JavaScript visually - Ivelin Demirov
- JavaScript: The definitive guide - David Flanagan
4. Learn Version Control Systems
A version control system allows users to keep track of the changes in software development projects, and enable them to collaborate on those projects. Using it, the developers can work together on code and separate their tasks through branches.
As a frontend developer, you should be familiar with Github because it helps software teams to collaborate and maintain the entire history of code changes. You can track changes in code, turn back the clock to undo errors, and share your efforts with other team members. It is also a repository to host Git projects. For those wondering what is Git? It is an open-source version control system that features local branching, multiple workflows, and convenient staging areas. Git version control is an easy to learn option and offers faster operation speed.
5. Go into frameworks
Now you are familiar with some front end technology, it's time to dive into any of the frameworks in front end web development. We have
Knowing which framework to delve into is totally dependent on you and you convictions.
6. Start Contributing to open source
Contributing to open source for the first time can be scary and a little overwhelming. Do you know big framework were developed by several people with different ideas. Getting involved with various projects, especially open source, will not only make you a better front-end developer, but it will also help you build up your very own online brand as an active, experienced developer. There are different resources that can help get you start contributing to open source. We have
YAAAAAYYYYY we did it
The path to becoming a front-end developer will definitely take some time and here are some tips I feel will help
- Learn at your own pace
- Study every day
- Practice more
- Reach out to other frontend developers
- Ask questions and also
- Join Communities
I wish you all the best in this field
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