How to Become a Web Developer in 2021: A Step-by-Step Guide

Becoming a web developer can be an overwhelming task, especially with so much information out there and ever-changing technologies. In this post, I will provide you with a structured approach to becoming a web developer in 2021. Follow these steps to kickstart your journey:

1. Learn the basics:

   • Understand the fundamentals of the web, including the Internet, the Web, and how network requests function.
   • Gain knowledge on how HTTP works and how HTML pages are transmitted from a server to a browser.
   • Familiarize yourself with the concept of servers and understand how browsers operate.
   • Master the basics of HTML by learning how web pages are structured.
   • Start building simple web pages using HTML. Codepen is a great platform to begin with.
   • Download and get comfortable using Visual Studio Code (VS Code) as your code editor.

2. Version control with Git and GitHub:

   • Learn the importance of version control with Git and how to utilize GitHub.
   • Track changes in your HTML files using Git.
   • Create a GitHub account, set up repositories, and host your work there.
   • Download the GitHub Desktop app and learn how to push new code revisions.

3. Styling with CSS:

   • Learn the basics of CSS and its role in web development.
   • Apply CSS to style the HTML pages you have built.
   • Keep practicing HTML and CSS until you feel confident.
   • Explore advanced CSS concepts such as typography, colors, fonts, box model, CSS grid, flexbox, responsive design, dark mode, and semantic HTML.
   • Learn how to deploy your websites to Netlify.

4. Master JavaScript:

   • Begin your journey into JavaScript by learning the fundamentals.
   • Create numerous small projects and applications to strengthen your understanding.
   • Cover important topics such as functions, objects, arrays, loops, conditionals, callbacks, promises, async/await, closures, recursion, and modules.
   • Learn about the Document Object Model (DOM) and how to interact with it using JavaScript.
   • Understand the Fetch API for making network requests.
   • Familiarize yourself with Node.js and create a REST API for browser-to-server communication using GET and POST methods.
   • Deploy this API on the internet and integrate it into one of your applications.
   • Gain knowledge on handling data effectively.

5. Embrace Frontend Frameworks:

   • To handle more complex web applications, start learning a frontend framework.
   • React is a popular choice, with plenty of tutorials and job opportunities.
   • Apply your JavaScript skills to build applications using React.
   • Explore Next.js, a framework built on top of React, to create websites efficiently.
   • Deploy your Next.js sites on Vercel.

6. Database Integration:

   • Learn how to work with databases for storing and retrieving data.
   • MongoDB and PostgreSQL are widely used options.
   • Interface the chosen database with Next.js and Prisma for seamless database integration.

7. Authentication and Security:

   • Gain an understanding of authentication concepts.
   • Implement authentication in your Next.js applications.
   • Learn how to create private pages that are accessible only after login.

8. Continuous Growth and Projects:

   • Keep creating different websites and applications to practice your skills.
   • consistently improve your skills by learning new tools, libraries, and frameworks.
   • Begin working on a project that sparks your interest, whether it’s a potential paid app or a free offering.
   • Always start working on something, no matter how small, to put your knowledge into practice.

By following this structured approach, you can become a professional web developer in 2021. Remember to continuously update your skills and keep up with the latest trends in web development. Happy coding!

Tags: web development, web fundamentals, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Next.js, Git, GitHub, databases,authentication, project development