A front-end developer uses CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to create websites and mobile apps. It is a well-rewarded position and one of the most accessible paths in website development. And since there is a high demand for developers, it is definitely something to consider if you are looking into starting a new career.
But even if you are already into website development, with the fast ways the technology is changing, you always need to be on top of your game. Read on to find out the best resources to become a front-end developer or to find new knowledge and boost your skills and expertise.
Codecademy
A well-known platform that has served more than 100 million people throughout its existence. It is a great way to get you started into the basics of front-end development following step-by-step instructions. You will find classes on HTML5, SASS, Python, CSS3, JavaScript, SQL, Ruby, and Java, for all of which you will receive a certification upon completion.
Learn CSS Layout
Working with layout is a big part of being a front-end development – this is essentially the canvas on which you structure the website. With Learn CSS Layout you will get the basics on how rows and containers work, and how to position content.
Bootstrap
When you have learned about layouts, it is time to get a grasp on frameworks. Bootstrap is an open-source toolkit for developing with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, and one of the most popular and widely used front-end frameworks. You will find plenty of examples and use cases on the documentation pages so it will be easy to start and learn how to build responsive websites.
Front-End Checklist
An excellent tool that will help you use the best practices in front-end development. You simply provide the URL of your website and it will check whether your images are optimized or if you are following best SEO practices.
Vue.js
Vue.js is a progressive framework that helps developers to build impressive user interfaces using JavaScript and HTML. It is open-sourced and entirely supported by the community.
GitHub
The largest open-sourced platform in the world where you will find everything in regards to coding and development. You can host your project and ask other developers to submit a contribution, or contribute to other projects, as well as find plenty of tutorials, tools, resources, and everything else about technologies and frameworks.
Stack Overflow
The best Q&A programming site in the world where questions are thoroughly researched and analyzed. You can use it to understand various topics or ask questions when you need to – the best part being most of the things you would be interested in as a beginner front-end developer already being answered.
edX Front-End Courses
Another platform for front-end development courses where you can learn the fundamentals of HTML5, JavaScript, CSS3, and much more. You will get a certificate after you finish a course, and these will also give you access to course instructors and a pretty good chance to get enrolled by a company.
Frontend Masters
With extremely thorough courses, Frontend Master is somewhat of a bootcamp experience. The emphasis is on project-oriented learning and long-form content and you will learn about technologies such as Vue, React, Angular, Node.js, and more.
Egghead
Here you will find firm and condensed lessons on libraries, frameworks, languages, tools, and platforms. You can also discuss lessons with fellow community members and gain in-depth knowledge of everything you need to know about front-end development.
