This guide is intended to show you how to take your first steps toward a lucrative career in web development.
Web Development also Website Development has to do with the tasks associated with creating, building and maintaining websites and web applications that run on a browser online; the term ‘Development’ is actually reserved for the construction of websites.
However, it may also encompass Web Design, Web Programming and Database Management.
Web Development is closely linked to the job of designing the features and functionality of apps (Web Design).
Programming Languages are the basic tools involved in Web Development. These languages include; HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) and JavaScript.
There are a number of other programs used to manage or facilitate the construction of websites that would in another way have to be done from scratch by writing code. A number of Content Management Systems (CMS) are in this category, including WordPress, Blogger, Joomla!, Drupal, among others.
Just think about all the web pages you have used over the years – those websites were built by Web Developers, ensuring they functioned perfectly well and performed in ways that allow for a amazing user experience.
Web Developers built these sites by writing lines of codes using different types of programming languages depending on the platforms they are working on; these languages are used to perform different tasks.
Most Common Programming Languages
The most common programming languages used for Web Development are:
- HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
- CSS (Cascading Style Sheet)
- JavaScript
Types Of Web Development
Web Development has three main types, which are:
- Front-End Development
- Back-End Development
- Full-Stack Development
Front-End Development: This is the side of Web Development that faces the user. It refers to the part of the site, app or digital product that users will see and have interaction with. Therefore, a Front-End developer is responsible for the way a digital products looks. They are often also called Web Designers. The focus of a web designer is to translate website design and visual ideas into code. They make use of design ideas built by others on Web Development teams and program them into reality. Front-End developers must possess a solid understanding of programming language like HTML, CSS and JavaScript, alongside frameworks such as Bootstrap, React, Backbone, EmberJS and AngularJS. They act as the link between design and technology. Front-End developers are responsible for creating responsive websites, conducting website testing and making sure the site structure follows SEO best practices.
Back-End Development: Back-End Developers are focused on how a website functions. They build the basic framework of a website before maintaining it and ensuring it works the way it should, encompassing Database Interactions, server, user authentication, network and hosting configuration etc. Their primary responsibility is to ensure the functionality of the site, its speed and responsiveness, they work behind the scenes or server-side. Back-End Developers use server-side programming languages such as PHP, Python and Ruby, alongside tools including MySQL, Oracle and Git.
Full-Stack Development: The combination of Front-End and Back-End Development is Full-Stack Development. Usually, Full-Stack developers understand a wide variety of programming languages and this makes them versatile. Employers will prefer to employ Full-Stack developers, as revealed by a study. Their versatility helps them clinch leadership roles on projects that developers who focus on Front-End or Back-End.
