Front End Development
Front end development is the process of using JavaScript, CSS, and HTML to create a website or application for users to interact with directly. The web development field is constantly changing and the tools used to create these sites and applications evolve and grow regularly. It’s important for developers to stay up to date on the latest technology and what is involved in web development in order to meet the growing demands of the industry.
When you’re browsing online, you’re looking at the product of several front end developers. From the simplest web page to the most complex web applications, front end developers are constantly working to meet the demands of their clients.
The following guide teaches you everything you need to know about front end development and why you should consider it if you want to transition into a career in tech.
Skills Needed for Front End Development
While web designers determine what a website looks like, it is the job of a front end developer to make the website interactive. If you want to learn IT or work in the tech industry, a front end developer can be a great choice.
When learning front end development, you gain a number of skills that can be utilized in various fields, not just web development. The following are the skills required to master front end development and why they’re important.
HTML and CSS
HTML and CSS serve as the basics of coding when it comes to web development. This is the code needed to create websites and you will use both of them quite a bit when you’re making a webpage.
It’s important to have a strong understanding of both HTML and CSS as a front end developer and it is one of the first things you’ll learn if you want to pursue it as a career. Luckily, this isn’t a difficult hurdle to overcome.
Both HTML and CSS can be learned in a matter of weeks and you can start taking advantage of your knowledge immediately to create websites.
JavaScript
Once you’ve gotten a handle of HTML and CSS, JavaScript is another thing you’ll need to learn. JavaScript is what allows you to add more to your website besides design. Functionality, web applications, and more are all possible through the use of JavaScript.
Beyond web development, there is another reason to learn JavaScript. As one of the most popular programming languages in the world, being able to use JavaScript opens you up to multiple career paths and opportunities.
jQuery
Once you’ve got an understanding of JavaScript, it’s time to learn jQuery. This is a JavaScript library that makes developing much easier and faster. You won’t have to code everything by hand and instead, you can utilize plugins and extensions to use ready-made forms of code.
Front end web development is all about creating interactivity and good user experiences. Through jQuery, you can quickly implement things like countdown timers, autocomplete search functions, and automatic resizing and rearranging of layouts of your website for a more responsive design.
Responsive Design
Today, people browse webpages through multiple devices. It’s important that a particular design isn’t just made for computers or laptops. Every web page needs to be made with all users in mind, which means creating designs that are dedicated to tablets, phones, and computers.
As a front end developer, the job requires you to have a strong understanding of responsive design principles and you must implement them regularly into your code in order to make the webpage accessible to everyone.
Testing and Debugging
A skill vital to all programmers, testing, and debugging is an important skill to have for developers. No matter how small or large a webpage may be, there is always the possibility of a bug. These bugs can be anything from a simple error where an image doesn’t load properly to a page that deletes data whenever someone visits it.
There are multiple testing methods for web development. Two of the most common are functional testing and unit testing. Functional testing is the process of looking at specific aspects of the website to make sure everything works properly. On the other hand, unit testing is the process of testing small pieces of code responsible for a single task.
Developing for Multiple Browsers
Today, most browsers are pretty consistent at displaying websites. However, things aren’t always the case behind the scenes. Web browsers interpret code differently. Cross-browser compatibility is something that every developer has to keep in mind as they’re designing a website.
What may work on Firefox could cause issues on Chrome and Safari. You may also find issues with smaller web browsers that you aren’t familiar with using. As a developer, you should be up to date on how to make your website compatible on all browsers and make it an important part of your testing process.
Git and Version Control Systems
When you’re working on a webpage, you have to keep up with everything that you do. Using version control systems is a great way to keep track of the changes you make to your code. These systems also allow you to go back to an earlier version of your code, which is great in the instance you make a change that doesn’t work or causes a bug.
Manually undoing and fixing the errors in your code can be a time-consuming process and it may take hours to undo a simple mistake that only took a few moments to cause. As a developer, your tools are important and version control systems are one of the tools you’ll be utilizing the most.
Content Management Systems
Today, multiple websites are designed through content management systems (CMS). In fact, WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world. Over half of the websites that use these systems use WordPress.
There are several others you may come across and the benefits are numerous. Not only do these content management systems help streamline the design process, but it also makes it easier for people who are unfamiliar with web design and development to upload content, images, and media to their websites with little hassle.
Having a strong familiarity with content management systems will make your job much easier. You will also be more desirable to companies who use these systems.
Problem-Solving
One of the most crucial parts of front end development is problem-solving. You must have incredible problem-solving skills to make sure your webpage is working properly. From finding the best way to implement a design, to finding and fixing any bugs that may pop up—it is important that you use your problem-solving skills to effectively design your website and make the process for users as seamless and easy as possible.
Solving issues with design involve more than just finishing a webpage and leaving it. There is any number of bugs that can come up that you may have missed or that may arise from an outside party updating their software. A good front end developer is always ready to tackle any issue they come across and resolve it as quickly as they can.
Finding a Career in Front End Development
Front end development offers you the ability to work in multiple career fields. Your knowledge can be used for web design, UI/UX design, and so much more. In addition to this, some of the largest companies in the world seek front end developers for their webpages. You may be creating new websites from scratch based on another person’s designs or constantly ensuring websites are running properly after a major update.
Learning Development
With all the skills required to learn development, it may seem like a difficult task. However, that is far from the case. Within a matter of months, you can learn front end development, and have the ability to create a webpage based on someone else’s designs or even your own.
One of the best ways to efficiently learn front end development is through bootcamps. Front end bootcamps condense the learning requirements you need to become a successful front end developer and you can learn all of the most crucial tools required to find a career in the industry.
If you’ve ever wanted to start working in tech, front end development is a career worth pursuing. People all over the world have found success in this industry as a developer and your job opportunities are numerous.
