How can you meet web development standards?

1 HTML5 and CSS3

HTML5 and CSS3 are the latest versions of the core languages for creating web pages. They introduce new features and elements that make web development easier and more flexible. For example, HTML5 has semantic tags that describe the content and structure of a web page, such as <header>, <section>, and <article>. CSS3 has new properties and selectors that allow you to style and animate web elements, such as border-radius, box-shadow, and transitions. To meet web development standards, you should use HTML5 and CSS3 to create semantic, clean, and valid markup and style sheets.

2 Web Accessibility

Web accessibility is the practice of making web pages and applications accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. It is not only a moral duty, but also a legal requirement in some countries and regions. To meet web accessibility standards, you should follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines provide a set of principles and criteria for designing and developing web content. For example, alternative text should be provided for images, audio, and video, while headings, lists, and landmarks should be used to organize and structure content. Additionally, sufficient contrast and readability of text and colors must be ensured, as well as keyboard access and focus indicators for interactive elements. Furthermore, flashing or moving content that can cause seizures or distraction should be avoided. Finally, captions, transcripts, and sign language should be provided for multimedia content, as well as clear instructions and feedback written with simple language.

3 Responsive Design

Responsive design is the approach of designing and developing web pages and applications that are able to adapt to different screen sizes and devices. This ensures that websites remain consistent, functional, and attractive across various platforms and browsers. To meet responsive design standards, you should employ media queries to apply different style rules based on screen width, height, orientation, or resolution. Additionally, use relative units such as percentages, ems, or rems to size and position web elements. Flexbox or grid layouts can create flexible and responsive grids and containers. Furthermore, use images and icons that are scalable and optimized for different resolutions and densities. Finally, breakpoints and min-width or max-width properties should be used to adjust the layout and content based on screen size.

4 Web Development Frameworks

Web development frameworks are tools and libraries that provide a set of features and functions to simplify and speed up web development. They can help you meet web development standards by providing ready-made components, templates, and code that follow best practices and conventions. Popular web development frameworks include Bootstrap, a front-end framework that provides a responsive grid system, prebuilt components, and utilities; jQuery, a JavaScript library that simplifies DOM manipulation, event handling, animation, and AJAX requests; React, a JavaScript library that allows for user interface creation using reusable components and state management; Laravel, a PHP framework with robust and elegant web application architecture features such as routing, authentication, database abstraction, and testing; and Django, a Python framework that follows the model-view-template (MVT) pattern with features such as object-relational mapping, URL routing, template engine, and security.

5 Web Development Tools

Web development tools are software and applications that assist in creating, testing, and debugging web pages and applications. These tools help you meet web development standards by allowing you to write, edit, and format code, check for errors and compatibility issues, and optimize performance and security. Some of the essential web development tools include code editors such as Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, and Atom; web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari; web servers like Apache, Nginx, and IIS; and web development platforms such as GitHub, Heroku, and Firebase. Each of these tools have features such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, indentation, developer tools, extensions, plugins, HTTP protocol request handling, logging, cloud computing capabilities, database management functions, and version control.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?