Become a Front-End Developer

Languages, frameworks, and technologies you should learn:

HTML

HTML is what structures web pages. If you compare a web page to a house, HTML is the scaffolding; the wood frame, the sheetrock, etc.

CSS

CSS describes how the HTML elements are displayed. It’s a language of style rules used to apply styling to HTML. We often use it to add various styles to HTML elements, improve accessibility to HTML elements, etc.

JavaScript

JavaScript takes your web pages to the next level. It is a programming language that allows you to add interactivity to your HTML elements and web pages.

Front End frameworks

A front-end framework is a platform that provides a scaffolding used to help you develop front-end applications. Many front-end frameworks provide file structure, web components, CSS preprocessors, help you make AJAX requests, etc. A few popular front-end frameworks:

• React
• Vue
• Angular
• EmberJS
• Svelte

CSS frameworks

A CSS framework is a library allowing for easy, more standards-compliant web design using the Cascading Style Sheets language.^[2] A few popular CSS frameworks:

• Bootstrap
• Tailwind CSS
• MaterialUI
• Foundation

Git

Git is an open-source version control system. It’s widely used in projects of varying sizes to iterate and release application versions, project features, and project updates. It also keeps a historical library of code that you can always use as a reference.

APIs

An API stands for Application Programming Interface. It allows for two applications to talk to each other. As a front-end developer, understanding what an API is and how to build a user interface using data from an API is crucial.

Interviews

At some point you will need to interview for the next gig and interviewing for an engineering job can be intimidating. Here are a few books that can help you ace your next front-end development job:

Cracking the Coding Interview

This one can be a stretch for junior to mid-level, even senior-level roles but becoming familiar with data structures and algorithms will make you a formidable front-end developer.

Eloquent JavaScript

Step up your JavaScript knowledge with this classic introduction to Programming.

Front-End Web Development: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide (Big Nerd Ranch Guides)

Learn how to create responsive UIs, build applications, debug and test your code, and more!

Next Level

Take your skills to the next level by getting these skills under your belt:

UX

UX, user experience, focuses on optimizing the interaction between humans and products. UX is vital to providing users with the best experience possible on your site.

Design

You don’t need to be a designer but having a design sensibility when developing websites gives you a leg up in the industry.

Data Structures & Algorithms

Learning data structures and algorithms will make you a better developer. It will help you write more efficient code, sharpen your problem-solving skills, and optimize programs. Learning them can be challenging, but once your start to understand basic concepts, a whole new world of coding opens up.

Backend/DevOps

A good amount of the time, front-end developers need to dabble into the other side of development. Yet another argument that supports why front-end development is so versatile. A few backend skills, technologies, and languages to understand that are helpful to front-end development:

• Databases and Caching
• Servers
• Server-side programming languages, like Python, Java, C++
• Continuous Integration/Continuous deliver/deployment

Learning front-end development can be a rewarding and lucrative journey. If you’re interested in learning more about front-end development, try our mini-learning sessions to get started! Start front-end mini lessons