Web Development Career Master Plan : Learn What It Means to Be a Web Developer and Launch Your Journey Toward a Career in the Industry

Gain a comprehensive understanding of web development, from foundational technologies to advanced topics, along with interview tactics, growth opportunities, and strategies to kickstart a successful career in this field Key Features Gain insights into the role, responsibilities, and qualities that define a good web developer Uncover steps to establish a solid technical foundation for finding employment in the field of web development Explore tools and techniques you'll work with and understand how they all fit together Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Book DescriptionThe world of web development can seem daunting when you're a beginner and don't know where to get started. If you're passionate about web development and want to learn the art of creating captivating websites, then this book is for you. Web Development Career Master Plan will take you on a learning journey, starting from the foundations and progressing through advanced concepts and career development strategies. You'll learn the core pillars of web development, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. As you go deeper, you'll explore the landscape of frameworks, libraries, and toolkits. This book also provides valuable insights into containerization, version control, Linux, and IDEs. Additionally, you'll find expert advice on interview tactics and career growth strategies to secure your first job in web development. But the journey doesn't end there. While you navigate the twists and turns of web development, you'll also get a glimpse of what it means to be a web developer, the day-to-day aspects of the job, and the technologies you'll be working with. By the end of this web development book, you'll be well-equipped with the knowledge and tools you need to kick-start your journey and succeed in this dynamic field.What you will learn Understand the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build web pages Understand the different types of web development jobs and their requirements Explore the qualifications and attributes that make a candidate employable and adaptable in a dynamic job market Analyze the modern web development landscape to predict emerging trends Discover effective strategies to secure your first job opportunity Cultivate the essential skills needed for career development Who this book is for If you're an aspiring web developer with a passion for problem-solving and innovation, then this book is for you. Whether you're a dedicated learner, a tech enthusiast, or someone interested in building a career in the field, this book covers the web development essentials you need for a great start. Individuals without any prior technical or software development knowledge can also use this book to gain a high-level overview and a foundational introduction to the world of web development. ]]> Cover Title page Copyright and credits Dedication Contributors Table of Contents Preface Part 1:Introducing the Basics of Web Development Chapter 1: So, You Want to Be a Web Developer, eh? What even IS a web developer?! Digging deeper into being a web developer and building websites How in demand are web developers? Show me the money! But is a job in web development right for you? You gotta be a puzzle master Creativity to the max Attention to detail for fun and profit Alone or in teams, it all matters Keeping up with the times Rolling with the punches Finding what you need Being patient and handling failure Do you need a degree? Examining a typical day in the life of a web developer The duties of a web developer A typical day Understanding the one truly invaluable skill: logical thinking Problem-solving Scalability Team collaboration User experience Error handling Security Testing Data flow Resource management Debugging Documentation Adaptability Decision-making Communication That’s all great, but can logical thinking be learned? Exploring the different types of web developers The (very) basics of the internet and the web Two sides of a coin – frontend and backend developers And the, uhh, third side of the coin – full-stack developers! Another way to classify web developers Learning with, and from, others Boot camps The personal touch On-the-job learning Introducing the roadmap Summary Chapter 2: Bridging the Divide – Client (Frontend) versus Server (Backend) Development Technical requirements Understanding the client (the frontend) Dissecting HTML What about that Hypertext part?! Dissecting CSS Dissecting JavaScript Creating the DOM Understanding the client-server model Understanding the server (the backend) Getting started with Node Creating a project with NPM Writing the server Defining web developer types and job titles Frontend developers Backend developers Full-stack developers Understanding job titles Reviewing the roadmap Summary Chapter 3: Expanding the Foundations – Building a User Registration Page, Front to Back! Technical requirements Connecting over a network Understanding IP Understanding TCP Understanding HTTP Building an interactive web app – the frontend Building a registration page Building an interactive web app – the backend Introducing Express Adding dependencies Adding scripts Writing the server code Adding Express middleware Exploring a different approach – single-page apps Improving developer productivity through automation Writing a new kind of client Writing a new kind of server Loving your new best friend – DevTools Reviewing the roadmap Summary Part 2: Expanding Your Knowledge Base Chapter 4: Managing, Securing, and Working with Code Technical requirements Controlling the code – source control management systems Introducing SCM Accepting the false choice – Git it is! Getting started with Git Using the most common Git commands GitHub – Git, but nice Thinking like a hacker – securing the web Common exploits Secure coding practices Working all in one place – IDEs VS Code Visual Studio Eclipse IntelliJ IDEA Understanding the operating system – Linux The structure of Linux Basic commands Security and the one “weird” Linux fact you need to know Linux for web developers Reviewing the roadmap Summary Chapter 5: Understanding the User Experience, Deployment Options, and DevOps Technical requirements Understanding what makes a website look pretty – graphic design Understanding key graphic design areas Understanding the Gestalt Principles Ensuring it doesn’t just look good but also works well for everyone – UX Key concepts of UX Considering accessibility Flexing with responsive design Progressing with progressive enhancement PWAs Virtualizing the world – VMs and containers Understanding VMs Using VMs Understanding containers Using containers Learning basic Docker commands Key differences between VMs and containers and choosing between them Keeping your head in the clouds – cloud providers Introducing cloud providers Understanding cloud types Recognizing key services Who even needs the cloud or even servers? – Serverless Taking back control – DevOps Understanding the key aspects of DevOps Determining the benefits of DevOps (and some negatives) It’s not all about HTML, CSS, and JS – Python Reviewing the roadmap Summary Chapter 6: Exploring Modern Frontend Development Technical requirements Abstracting away the basics Meeting the modern frontend tools Meeting React Meeting Vue Meeting Angular Boosting CSS capabilities Examining Bootstrap Examining Tailwind Transpiling and data typing Introducing Babel Introducing TS Packing up and going – bundlers Reviewing the roadmap Summary Chapter 7: From Front to Back – More on Backend Tools and Technologies Technical requirements Getting to the heart of the matter – data Relational databases NoSQL databases Basic CRUD operations Building web APIs with REST, Node, and Express Introducing REST REST in practice Building your first REST API Testing the API with Postman Going back to the future – SSR Using PHP on the server side Building with Java and Spring Boot Introducing Java Writing a Java app Introducing JSPs and servlets Introducing Spring and Spring Boot A simple Spring Boot web app Introducing .NET Generating a Hello World web app Using Python web app frameworks Django Flask Reviewing the roadmap Summary Chapter 8: Writing Less Code – CMSs, No-Code Solutions, and Generative AI Introducing WordPress Key features Understanding the technical perspective Getting to know Drupal Key features Understanding the technical perspective Throwing away coding altogether – “no-code” solutions Introducing some popular no-code solutions Utilizing artificial intelligence Generative AI GitHub Copilot Reviewing the roadmap Summary Part 3: Getting and Keeping a Job and Growing a Career Chapter 9: Landing Your First Job Understanding the FAANG/non-FAANG divide Calibrating your FAANG expectations Comparing tech companies to non-tech companies Using the web to become a web developer! Using job hunting sites Going directly to company sites Building a network User groups and meetups Perseverance is key Polishing your resume to a glistening sheen Building a solid resume Accentuating what you have Having repos, portfolios, and samples to show Building websites Building a GitHub repo Building a portfolio of sample work Understanding a typical web developer interview Understanding the structure Preparing for coding interviews Dealing with the stress Presenting the best you Protecting yourself Handling common interview questions Tell me about yourself Why do you want to work here? What are your greatest strengths? What is your greatest weakness? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Why should we hire you? Describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it How do you handle stress or pressure? What are your salary expectations? Do you have any questions for us? Remembering that it’s not all about work Loving your work too much Sussing out bad companies Reviewing the roadmap Summary Chapter 10: Discovering the Keys to Quality Work as a Web Developer Sweating the small stuff Staying in the moment Exercising your Google-Fu Recognizing MVP sites SO MDN Tooling around – other tools to know about and use SCA tools Linters Stylers Using the best tool of all – you! Multitasking (like a CPU on the wind!) Keeping notes Time-boxing Deferring and Do Not Disturb Final thoughts Reviewing the roadmap Summary Chapter 11: Reviewing Soft Skills (They Make You Hard to Deny) There’s no “I” in “Team” Helping where you can Being kind when being critical Taking responsibility Being proactive Being honest, always Being social without being TOO social Learning never stops Specializing versus generalizing Determining your learning style Building personal projects Moving beyond smoke signals with good communication skills Shopping in the marketplace of ideas Exploring the Agile software development methodology Going over the falls in a barrel: The Waterfall methodology Being Agile in your development projects Hybridizing Waterfall and Agile Reviewing the roadmap Summary Chapter 12: Growing Your Career ABC – Always Be Coding! Viewing Source is your friend Thinking like a hacker Certifying your greatness Are they worth getting? Specific certifications to pursue Keeping up with the Joneses A List Apart Daily.dev dZone Hacker News (Y Combinator) InfoQ SD Times Technology Radar Giving back to get back Open source contributions Presentations Blogging Technical reviewer for authors Writing books yourself Mentoring Advanced positions to aspire to Senior developer Technical lead Architect Development manager Director of engineering Vice president of technology Chief technology officer (CTO) Chief information officer (CIO) Reviewing the roadmap Summary Index Other Books You May Enjoy