What are some of the skills and tools that you need to learn as a front-end developer?

Front-end developers benefit from mastering HTML/CSS for structure and style, JavaScript for interactivity, frameworks like React or Vue.js for efficient interfaces, Git for version control, and tools like npm for package management. Understanding responsive design, browser developer tools, testing methodologies, and basic design principles are also crucial.

These are basic building blocks for web development or frontend development in particular. HTML is markup language that define the web page structure. How different elements will be placed and also provides apis to interact with these elements. CSS or cascading style sheets controls overall look or appearance of those html elements placed on the html web page. Whereas JavaScript is a scripting language used in the browsers to add interactivity to the HTML pages and do some small computations required to be done in the browser.

Whenever I am teaching someone about front-end development I like to use the analogy of: Think of the anatomical human being. The HTML represents the skeleton or bones of the human, it's what gives us structure. The CSS represents the clothes or fashion choices, and the Javascript represents the muscle, fibers or functionality which make us run. It's the same for a website. In order to become a successful front end developer one should have a mastery of all 3 technologies. One should also become highly proficient in Vanilla Javascript before learning any Javascript Framework or Library.

Learn HTML and CSS first. Concentrate on learning to build different types of components. Start with navigations, try creating a CSS only drop-down, keep a cheatsheet of selectors by your side, and always have W3School's HTML tutorial open for help on using HTML tags effectively. Learn bootstrap whilst you're at it, it will prepare you well for the other frontend CSS libraries you'll find/use. It will also teach you how to properly customize a stubborn CSS library, learning about CSS specifity will come in handy. Last but not least is JS. Creating a simple text-based game is a really good way to learn JS' syntax. After that, you should be looking to get into MVC libs like Reactjs and deciding on when to learn typescript.

React.js is a JavaScript lib. for building efficient and reusable user interfaces with a component-based architecture. it utilizes a virtual DOM for optimized UI updates and rendering. it promotes reusability of components, allowing for modular and scalable development. Data flows in a unidirectional manner, making state management and debugging easier. React has a rich ecosystem and active community, offering various tools and libraries for different needs. React can be easily integrated into existing projects and supports gradual adoption. Performance optimization is achieved through it's virtual DOM and efficient diffing algorithms. React Native, a sibling library, enables the development of native mobile applications using JavaScript.

Em rela??o a frameworks e bibliotecas, tive uma experiência muito boa com o Bootstrap. Após aprender a utilizar linguagem de marca??o HTML e CSS, e alguns códigos em Javascript para incluir anima??es às páginas web, encontrei na estrutura Bootstrap a responsividade que estava tendo muita dificuldade em aplicar. Fiz alguns cursos sobre como utilizar a biblioteca e hoje a maioria dos meus trabalhos freelancer utilizo o Bootstrap para que as páginas funcionem responsivivamente, independente do tamanho da tela do usuário final.

First, don’t skip the basics. Master HTML, CSS, and JavaScript before moving on to frameworks. Start with small projects and adapt code from examples to truly understand what you’re doing. Engage with the community and don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if you feel embarrassed to do so. Learning through mistakes is crucial for any skill especially coding. (I’m still learning all the time) Lastly, don’t give up. Persistence is key to becoming a good front-end developer.

Angular est un framework frontend . Il est basé sur le langage typescript qui étant les fonctionnalités du JavaScript (Le typage ,la POO,etc...). Les éléments fondamentaux utilisés dans le développement d'applications angular sont entre autre les composants, les directives,les services, les modules,les pipes etc. Angular facilite la mise en place de fonctionnalités importantes dans le développement front-end comme le routing avec Angular Router,la gestion des formulaires avec Angular Forms,la communication client-serveur avec Angular Httpclient,...etc Angular utilise énormément la librairie RxJs pour la réactivité mais a introduit les Signals depuis la version 15. On peut également activer le Server Side Rendering pour nos applications.

Nowadays, being knowledgeable and experienced in at least one of the major frameworks is a must in order to find jobs in this industry. However, one shouldn’t aim to become a “React” developer or an “Angular” developer. Learn and master the foundations of web development: HTML, CSS and pure JavaScript. Frameworks come and go all the time. If you have a solid base, it’ll be easier to switch and to avoid falling into sunken cost fallacy. It’ll also enable you to realize when your framework of choice is hindering you instead of helping you and to find ways around their limitations.

When it comes to version control, Git is king. And GitHub the best place to host your Git repositories. Now given the complexity of Git and that you'll probably be using VS Code, I think installing GitLens will probably help here. It has a lot of tools that makes using Git in VS Code a breeze. Learn to use Trello or any Kanban-like app. Most companies use these for task tracking and they're extremely powerful tools. Also read up on agile if you haven't already. These tools are built on top of it (it's a bit more nuanced than that, but you'll understand once you read up on it)

As a tip: you dont have to use the terminal line for all git. You can use the Desktop GitHub App to do all Git actions by clicking buttons instead of memorizing the commands. Its more intuitive and you'll code more by not having to worry about the commands!

Web dev today? It's Teamwork! ? Version control like Git keeps code drama-free, like a rewind button for mistakes. ? Collaboration tools like Jira or Trello make feedback smooth sailing. ? Plus, AI co-pilots like GitHub Copilot are like having a coding buddy in your corner, suggesting solutions and speeding things up. It's like building apps and websites with superpowers!

Sobre ferramentas de controle de vers?o, tive um pouco de dificuldade em utilizar o Git. Ent?o optei por instalar em meu computador o programa GitHub Desktop. Por ter uma interface gráfica amigável, achei muito mais intuitivo usá-lo do que usar o Git via terminal.

The whole point of the web is to be available worldwide and to promote its development which means that people all over the world can collaborate and with time better tools emerged that make it easy to collaborate and organize large projects. Git is a version control tool that helps manage projects. The collection of code and assets is known as a repository or repo and each coder gets a copy of that repo in their local environment where they make changes to fix bugs or add features which is then pushed as a branch to one of the remote repos on sites like GitHub, Bitbucket etc. The code is then reviewed and if approved, merged with the main branch and continues to evolve. Jira and Trello help managers organize tasks and deadlines.

To be a successful frontend developer, you need to: - Be fast learner and good researcher as there are fantastic libraries already exist and all what u need is know how to import them and use them correctly to serve your application. - Actively interacting with UI developers to be up to date. - Learn multiple frameworks, for example if you are angular dev try to expand your experience in React as well. This increases your chances and confidence - Understand client side caching, API, and json. - Understand client side optimization and performance - Understand css libraries such as tailwind, bootstrap. - Understand the best practices for each frontend framework. For example styled library very good option for css styling with react..

?? Elevate your development game with Jest, a powerhouse for testing JavaScript code. ?? Why Jest? Jest makes testing delightful with its simple setup, fast execution, and a powerful assertion library. ?? Unit Tests FTW! Write unit tests with Jest to catch bugs early, ensuring a robust and reliable codebase. ?? Continuous Feedback Loop: Jest provides instant feedback for quick iteration and refined code, making development smoother. ?? Top Tips for Jest Mastery: - Explore snapshot testing for tracking changes effortlessly. - Leverage mocking for efficient and isolated testing. - Use Jest's watch mode for real-time feedback.

Sobre ferramentas de teste e depura??o, ainda estou me familiarizando com as ferramentas de testes. Tive um contato inicial com o Chrome DevTools, mas ainda n?o compreendo bem as mensagens de erro que ele apresenta em meus testes de deploy. Paralelo a isso, usado a extens?o Live Server na IDE VSCode para visualizar as modifica??es em páginas web que tenho trabalhado, e acho uma ferramenta excelente pois proporciona visualiza??o em tempo real da página no navegador sem precisar acionar o bot?o de atualizar da página web a cada altera??o.

Testing and debugging tools are vital for front-end developers to ensure code quality and reliability. Jest and Mocha facilitate unit testing, validating components and functions. Selenium and Cypress perform end-to-end testing, simulating user interactions to detect and resolve issues across the application. Browser Developer Tools like Chrome DevTools aid in debugging JavaScript, inspecting HTML/CSS, and optimizing performance. Linters such as ESLint enforce coding standards and identify errors, promoting code consistency. Continuous integration tools like Jenkins automate testing processes, ensuring code stability throughout development.

The best way to learn is to debug your own code and understanding the flow of your work. Once you mastered the flow, it will be easy for you to resolve any error without even worrying.

-One thing I’ve found helpful in front end design & development from a UX perspective is becoming familiar with the most modern tech stacks in web and mobile. Familiarize yourself with React, Tailwind, and JavaScript overall. Understanding what can and cannot be done will greatly increase your ability to design with users and stakeholders in mind.

To continue on the point of @mike arce, knowing what your preferred platform is capable of ahead of time and being wildly knowledgeable in the “cans and cannots” helps the communication process with clients as well. Being able to clearly communicate that “we can’t do it that way, but we can do this instead” is incredibly appreciated from a clients perspective and builds those 3 c’s of any business relationship.

It helps to have an interest in psychology and human behavior. Understanding what drives people to do what they do when they do what they do brings a lot of insight on how to design a better interface for them.

Another helpful tactic is to let someone test out the version you created. Feedback is very important in front-end web development. This way you can iterate through different issues if they arise. User experience is going to be important, are buttons clicking? Forms being validated? Is the user experience responsive?

En tant que développeur front-end, intégrer les principes de conception et d'UX est essentiel. Visez la simplicité et la clarté, avec une navigation cohérente et un design réactif pour une expérience utilisateur fluide. L'accessibilité est primordiale, tout comme l'écoute des retours clients pour s'assurer que le style et la disposition correspondent à leurs attentes. Des tests réguliers et l'ajustement basé sur les feedbacks garantissent un site qui répond aux besoins spécifiques du client tout en restant esthétiquement plaisant et fonctionnel.

I’m surprised to find this so far down the list. This is probably the most important skill. Only 30 years ago we had the advent of HTML. Almost every year since there’s a new tool, or a version upgrade. If you’re not following the updates or reading up on the new tools that come available, you’ll fall behind in just 1-2 years and the products you develop will quickly reflect it. It can seem intense, but it’s also enjoyable knowing you’re continuously helping lead the new wave of how to approach every day problems in new ways.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket, especially when it comes to web development. The landscape is moving so quickly, and what is available to take advantage is changing by the day. If you are going to keep yourself locked into just React for example you will miss out on so many great tools out there. You will miss out on the dev experience and simplistic nature of Svelte, the easy to but up yet powerful static site generation with bring your own framework approach of Astro or the streamlined approach to the virtual dom Vue takes. There's nothing more fun, and beneficial than broadening your horizon and experimenting with what's offered outside of your framework bubble

The web is ever evolving and to thrive in the industry, you must stay curious and motivated. A good example of such curiosity is whenever you see any layout, digital or otherwise, you must already be thinking about how it can be replicated in CSS, and which properties would it use. You stumble upon a cool website or web app; you must already be theorizing the logic behind it. Get familiar with new tools and note the best cases for each tool and if you ever need to use them. Continuous learning is not only needed to make you a better developer, but it is crucial for you to stay relevant in this ever-evolving field. Flexbox and Grid are pillars of layout today and they didn't exist a decade ago!

Don't think of this as an afterthought!!! Curiosity has been my biggest asset as a developer. When you run into a CSS problem that you don't understand, follow and nurture your curiosity to learn about why it isn't working. Take a few extra minutes to learn more about this console error so you know WHY it happened and can avoid it in the future. Nurturing a sense of curiosity--getting better at being curious--is a vital skill for anyone wanting to learn front end development!

Continuous learning and curiosity are essential traits for front-end developers. The field of web development is constantly evolving, with new technologies, frameworks, and best practices emerging regularly. By staying curious and actively seeking out new knowledge, developers can stay ahead of trends and remain competitive in the industry. Engaging in online courses, attending workshops, and participating in developer communities are excellent ways to expand skills and stay updated. Experimenting with new tools and techniques fosters innovation and keeps development skills sharp. Embracing a growth mindset encourages resilience in the face of challenges and enables developers to adapt to changing demands.

Don't forget to have good soft skills, being able to work in a team, helping others but also being able to protect your time in order to deliver your work. These things help be a successful front-end developer.

Don't rush through what you learn, especially when working toward certificates and certifications. Take your time to truly understand each topic before moving on to the next one. Approach your learning like a marathon; you must properly pace yourself when learning. With this method, you will attain what's necessary; the skills of a developer. It's in your own best interest to make certificates and certifications a secondary goal. If you make certificates and certifications your primary goal and you rush to attain them, you may find out that you haven't actually acquired the skills listed in them when earned.

You will need great interpersonal skills and debugging skills. Front end is the place where error is shown to the user. It might not originate from front end but it will be responsibility of front end developer to understand it and report back on the issue. Yes, your code needs to be solid and account for any server problems that might encounter but in case that it does not, you are the first line of defence. This also means having great communication skills as well as mild temper and not taking things personally.

Multiple times I did not get hired for the "Front-End" role because I did not know enough about relational databases. Nobody hires "Front-End Developers" anymore. Read the requirements. They go way beyond "Front-End" these days. "Front-End Developer" means the employer is trying to underpay a "Full-Stack Developer" with a lower paying title.

Writing code in frontend might not be enough, it's really important for us to understand algorithm patterns and how the logic we write affects the performance of the application. While we often think about these things when solving problems, but do we think of the it while writing the code ? (I myself had missed couple of time and figured it out later.) Especially this will impact tasks like client-side search and sorting.