The Basics of Web Development: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

A beginner guide to the basics of web development

Table of Content:

• Introduction to Web Development
• Frontend Development
  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
• Backend Development
  • Server-side languages
  • Databases
• Frameworks
  • Frontend frameworks
  • Backend frameworks
• Version Control
• Responsive Design
• Web Hosting and Deployment
• Conclusion

Introduction to Web Development

Web Development involves building or creating websites that are accessible over the internet. The websites are developed using different programming languages, tools, and frameworks.
The person who develops a website is called a web developer. Web developers ensure that the websites created are accessible over the internet.

Frontend Development

Frontend Development involves developing the visual part of the website that users interact directly with. Below are the technologies that web developers use to build the frontend interface:

1. HTML: HTML(Hypertext Markup Language) is not a programming language but a markup language used to create and structure the content of a page.
   Some people call HTML the skeleton of a webpage simply because it's the backbone of all web pages. Using ‘elements’ and ‘tags’ to structure how different parts of a webpage should appear.

2. CSS: CSS(Cascading Style Sheets) is used to style HTML elements. Elements like texts, headings, and images. It works with HTML to apply appropriate designs and styles like colors, spacing, and font size of the webpage content, ensuring it is beautifully structured and appealing.

3. JavaScript: JavaScript is a programming language that adds functionality and interaction to a website. It is used to create dynamic web pages that respond to different actions from the user—for example, clicking a button, submitting a form, manipulating data, and updating page content without reloading the page.

Backend Development

Backend development involves developing the server side of a website or web application. It involves dealing with databases, server logic, and APIs, in short, the behind-the-scene activities of a website. Developers use backend languages and their frameworks to build server-side functions.

1. Server-side languages: These are languages that are used to build the logic and functionality on the server side of a website. Examples of these languages are PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, Node.js, and others.

2. Databases: Databases are used to store, retrieve and manage data used by the application. Examples of databases are MySQL, MongoDB, SQLite, PostgreSQL, and others.

Frameworks

Frameworks are a set of pre-built tools, functions, and collection of libraries that assists developers to create websites or web applications faster and easier. Frameworks are structured, reusable, and usually built on a programming language.

For Web development, we have a Frontend framework and a Backend framework.

1. Frontend Frameworks: These are a pre-built set of tools and codes that accelerates the building of user interfaces - the visual parts of a website or web app that the user interacts with. They provide developers with pre-built solutions that facilitate the development process and allow them to start building without starting from scratch. Below are some examples of frontend frameworks and their programming languages(in brackets):

• React(Javascript)
• Angular(Javascript)
• Vue(Javascript)
• TailwindCSS(CSS)
• Bootstrap(CSS)

1. Backend Frameworks: These are a pre-built set of functions that makes it easier for developers to build the server side for a website or web application. Backend frameworks simplify complicated processes, allowing the developer to focus on improving the website's or web application's efficiency and functionality. Below are some examples of backend frameworks and their programming languages(in brackets):

• Laravel(PHP)
• Django(Python)
• Express.js(Node.js)
• Ruby on Rails(Ruby)
• Flask(Python)

Frameworks accelerate building by providing a pre-built set of tools and codes, this simplifies website creation and allows developers to build more efficient websites and web applications with less effort.

Version Control

Version controls are systems and tools that enable developers to track and maintain their codebase. They also allow collaboration between multiple developers. Version control enables developers to return to their code's previous version.
For example, if you write a program and save it as ‘first program’, then you update or make changes to it and save it as ‘first program update’, later you decide that you want to go back to the first version of the program, version control enables you to revert to the first version(saved as first program) of the program.
A famous example of version control is Git/Github.

Responsive Design

Responsive design also known as responsive web design involves creating websites or web applications that automatically adapt and adjust their layout irrespective of the screen size or device on which the website is being accessed.
To learn more about responsive design here is a linkto an article that discusses extensively on responsiveness.

Web Hosting and Deployment

Web hosting and deployment involve making your website available to the public by hosting it on a server. When you are done creating and testing the functionality of your website, you need to make it available to the public, this is where deployment comes in, with the necessary resources you deploy your website (the files of your website such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other files it comprises of) to a web hosting server, this enables people to access the website.
To host your website you’ll need a domain name and a server:

1. Domain name: A domain name is a unique name your website is associated with. For example, ‘www.google.com’, your unique domain name is what users will enter into the browser to access your website.

2. Web Hosting Server: A web hosting server is a provider that allows you to store your website’s files on its server space. Examples of web hosting server providers are Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Heroku, Netlify, Vercel, Github pages, and others.

In summary, web hosting and deployment is an important process that allows people to access your website. By getting a domain name and deploying the website to a server space users will be able to access it.

Conclusion

As a beginner, there are many opportunities in web development, but to find these opportunities, you need to start with web development basics which are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. After the basics, progress to backend languages, then frameworks. While learning don't forget to put what you learned into practice. Continue learning and improving your skill because web development keeps evolving, then you will discover rewarding opportunities in web development.