Web Development as a Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Developer

Web development is the aspect of computer programming that involves the creation of applications that are accessed through browsers (i.e., web apps/websites). These applications are hosted on servers and are accessed by clients when they browse on their devices.

Web development is divided into two famous aspects, which are the front end and the back end. Hence, web developers can be either front-end developers who work with tools like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Angular, etc., to create the user interface of websites or backend developers who work with tools like Django, NodeJS, Laravel, etc. They are also full-stack developers who do both frontend and backend.

Web development is probably the most popular aspect of software development, with many more job requirements than other aspects like mobile development and system development. However, it is a very broad field with many subsections and numerous tools being applied to it. Hence, a new person to the field and even an expert could be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options available to solve a particular problem.

Also, job descriptions in the field usually state the skill level of the developer they need. Hence, it’s important for web developers to be able to correctly measure their current skill level in order to apply for jobs appropriately and improve calculatedly.

Web Development: Beginners

Beginners in web development are the group that needs the most guidance they can get. They are probably the most confused group as they have to select a stack from all the available technologies for web development. If not well guided, they could become too discouraged and give up on web development entirely, or they could learn an unnecessary technology only to turn back and learn other, more useful ones. As a beginner in web development, you should understand how websites generally work. You should learn topics like web architecture and web design.

Then you should decide whether you want to be a frontend developer, backend developer, or full stack developer. The first two have already been explained in the introduction, while full-stack developers combine both front-end and back-end functionalities. After selecting your area of focus, you should then select the languages you prefer to use, and you should focus on these languages till you have mastered them before proceeding to others. Avoid trying to learn too many languages at the same time, as this can be very distracting.

Popular tools for web dev. beginners

• HTML: Mark-up language for structuring web pages

• CSS: Styling language for adding design to web pages

• JavaScript or Python, or PHP for adding functional logic to web pages

Beginner errors to watch out for

• Syntax error from language misuse

• Logic error in programming languages

• Improper organization of files

  Best Practices for Beginners

• Don’t underestimate the fundamentals: Beginners in web development may not receive much respect as developers. This is because a lot of developers look down on frontend languages like HTML and CSS which beginners use. More experienced developers and tech-savvy non-developers may not be really impressed with your web these design languages because they are not programming languages. Hence, beginners may find themselves hurrying to learn design tools fast and move to more advanced tools. This may not turn out well. While these fundamental web dev tools may not have as much clout as more advanced ones, they are the most indispensable in building web apps. A lot of the jobs you’ll find yourself doing as a web developer will not require advanced languages and frameworks, but you can’t do without HTML and CSS. Moreover, you may find it very difficult or impossible to learn advanced frameworks without mastering these languages. Hence, focus on the fundamentals.

• You must not memorize all language syntax: This may seem surprising, but programming languages are not entirely like human languages, where you have to memorize many spellings. Programming is mostly about putting the components of languages together to build products, not really knowing the individual languages. This means that it’s more about practice than knowledge. Endeavor to understand the components of web languages but don’t spend all your time committing it all to memory when autocomplete tools and Google can help you remember while coding.

• Practice a lot: Programming is a mental skill that has to be repeated over and over again to be mastered. Don’t just learn a language and leave it for some time before returning to it; you’ll forget. The truth is it can take up to a year of practice for the average person to master software development. Hence, build a lot of projects while learning.

• Network with other developers: While it seems quite cool to call yourself a self-taught developer, the truth is that software development goes beyond just knowing how to code. You also have to know how to get jobs, work with a team and communicate with customers. Having a network will also help you avoid pitfalls, discover opportunities and stay motivated.

• Don’t learn too many things at once: This is quite a big temptation for beginners. It may seem to a beginner that knowing several programming languages will give them a bigger chance of getting a job in the industry, but this is not really true. Most jobs prefer a lot of experience in one particular skill. Also, learning too many things at once may not allow you to master any. Focus is important.

Web Development: Intermediate

At this level, a developer has likely mastered the fundamental requirements for web development and now understands HTML, CSS, and at least one programming language for web development. They should also know how to use these languages together and likely have already built some functional websites with these technologies on their local machines.

Now they are trying to learn more advanced web development frameworks to create more sophisticated websites with better functionality. Intermediate web developers may already know how to host a basic website or may be learning how to do it. However, the websites they can build, while impressive, are likely not very dynamic, secure, or scalable. Intermediate web developers should learn how to use advanced web development libraries, frameworks, APIs, and state management tools.

Popular tools for web dev. intermediates

• Frontend frameworks like React, Angular, or View
• Backend frameworks like Django, NodeJS, Laravel
• APIs: Application Programming interface for adding external data to websites
• State management tools for handling external data
• Databases like Mysql, MongoDB, Firebase
• Web hosting platforms like hosting gear, Heeroku, etc.

Intermediate errors to watch out for

• Server request errors (200, 404, etc.)
• Data handling issues
• Compatibility issues for frontend, backend, and database tools
• Cost of hosting platforms
• Website appearance issues on different devices

Best practices for Intermediates

• You are not yet done: I think this is the equivalent intermediate urge to that of beginners wanting to learn many different things. An intermediate-level developer has already put in a lot of effort in developing their skill. Hence, they may feel like they have gotten what it takes. While an intermediate developer can realistically get a job, the truth is that top companies usually require advanced skills to maintain their large, established web infrastructure. Hence, it will do a developer well to also learn these advanced tools. Also, technology moves on at such a rapid rate that a developer never really stops learning.

• Learn to work with documentation: Tutorials might be great, but they often don’t provide all the available information about a particular tool. The official documentation written by the team that developed a particular technology is usually the most comprehensive source of information about that technology.

Web Development: Advanced

Advanced web developers already have different websites hosted and being used by people. They already have a good understanding of the web development process and don’t really need much assistance to perform their craft. However, there are still many different platforms for building, hosting, and maintaining websites/web apps, that even advanced web developers still have a lot to learn. Also, they have to fix hard-to-find bugs that are often discovered by users of their sites after they are released to production. Advanced web developers should learn to release their sites for testing before they are released to the public.

Popular tools for advanced web developers

• Web servers like Apache
• Web analytics platforms like Google
• Feedback systems like email management tools and admin panel
• DevOps tools like docker etc.

Advanced errors to watch out for

• User complains
• Maintenance difficulty for already released websites

Best practices for advanced developers

• Properly vet your online servers before adopting them. IONOS is a recommended server that is flexible, scalable, and affordable
• Ensure to release of web app prototypes for testing before releasing the main software.
• Analyze user data to discover and fix some errors which they may not report.

Conclusion

Web development is a complex process with numerous tools, architectures, and design patterns to learn. While this could be confusing to someone with not much experience in it, a little guidance like the one above should provide a streamlined learning roadmap that may help a web developer achieve his/her goals in record time.