If you are wondering the steps to become a front end developer/ web developer then I think this post will bring some clarity in what to expect and how to prepare for the challenges.
Gone are the days when user interface(UI) use to be considered as just a placeholder. Front end technology has evolved over the years and especially JavaScript has become one of the prominent programming language. Developers can use JavaScript to create modern applications, micro-services and execute cron jobs for the database.
The below mind map was published a few years back and might not be updated with the latest frameworks and libraries but it can give you a bit of context before we dive deeper into more analysis.
FIRST THING FIRST:
By looking at the mind map, the very first thing you would have noticed is that you need to start learning with HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript.
Once you feel comfortable with all the aspects of the above three which might take some time, but you should spend as much time as possible with getting the foundation strong. Eventually, the browser only understands HTML, CSS and JavaScript and the rest of the libraries/frameworks or tools are there to enhance the capabilities.
MOVING ON:
Now once you are content with your understanding of HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, I would like to bring your attention to another important aspect - the best practices like, semantic HTML, accessibility, BEM model, design patterns etc..
You must be wondering why not move on to the latest frameworks and libraries? My view is that first getting your foundations strong and then expanding your skillset, differentiates between a developer and an expert. You can write the code just to get the job done but did you write it in the best way possible?
FINAL LEG:
Finally, you can look at the current trending frameworks by checking the trend checker platforms:
NPM Trends - How many times npm package was downloaded
Google Trends - How many times the framework was searched.
At the moment there are three popular MVC JavaScript framework/libraries - React, Angular, Vue.
For Microservices - Node, GraphQL.
For Database - MongoDB, Couchbase, NoSQL.
I hope this article must have brought some sense of clarity in your plan of becoming a front end developer. Happy coding and learning!
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