The job of web development is to build and maintain a website, making it look pleasant, work quickly, and provide a seamless user experience.
Developers use a variety of coding languages to accomplish this. The language they use is dependent on the task they are performing and the platform they are using.
There is high demand for web developers worldwide, and they are well paid too, which makes web development an excellent career choice. You don’t need a traditional university degree to become qualified in this field, which makes it one of the easiest higher-paying fields to enter.
Web development is generally divided into front-end (the user-facing side) and back-end (the server side).
Web development involves programming languages such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript.Several other programs are available that allow you to “manage” or facilitate the construction of sites that would otherwise require you to write code from scratch. There are several content management systems (CMS) that fall into this category, including WordPress, and Joomla! A few others include the Drupal platform, TYPO3, and Adobe Experience Manager, among others.
What is Web Development
Developing a website is the process of writing code or programming that enables it to function according to the owner’s requirements. It is mostly concerned with the non-design aspects of website development, such as coding and markup.
There are many types of web development, ranging from simple text pages to complex web-based applications, social network applications, and electronic business applications.
Here is a hierarchy of web development:
- Client-side coding.
- Server-side coding.
- Database technology.
Websites are typically developed using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and JavaScript.
A website’s basic framework is HTML – the foundation upon which everything else is built. A page’s layout, format, and critical components are defined by its blocks. If you code a website only in HTML, it will be a barebones site with no functions, unless you use CSS and JavaScript. Additionally, even simple style changes, such as changing the color of a button, require a lot of HTML coding.
Using CSS, you can style your website’s content by using only a few files that are shared across the entire website. Whenever a change must be made to say, the color of all buttons on each page of the website, the web developer only needs to modify one CSS file.
The JavaScript programming language is used to create interactive elements on websites. Using it, you can alter the appearance of icons and drop-down menus, and add animations, games, and other interactive features.
Types of web development
If you want a more specific answer to the question “What is web development? ” becomes “Well, what type?”
There are three major types of development: frontend, backend, and full stack.
Backend development
Backend development mainly involves writing “business logic” – the way information is passed between frontend and backend.
The “backend” is the part of the software that users cannot see. For example, the database where login data is stored can’t be viewed when a user clicks the “login” button. A backend in this sense is more abstract.
Typically, a backend web developer writes code that dictates how information flows between a user and a database, for instance.
The backend developer also writes code that allows additional functionality to be added. API (application programming interface) code is what this is.
APIs allow developers to add functionality to applications. Making payments via PayPal, for example.
The backend web developer will work with databases such as PostgreSQL and MongoDB, along with JavaScript backend frameworks like Node.JS.
Frontend development
Frontend development involves writing code for the user interface, or UI. User interfaces are the parts of the website that the user interacts with. When they visit a website, they see it. Users can sign up, log in, and see different dashboards.
It is called a frontend developer when someone writes code for the front end of a website. A frontend developer writes code that requests data from the “backend,” for example, so that a user can log in.
After the information is retrieved, it is displayed on the UI. When you click “login,” you’ll see your dashboard. For example, your profile information may appear on the dashboard. To write programs, frontend developers use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript frameworks such as React.
Full-stack development
Full-stack developers write code for both the frontend and backend. An experienced full-stack developer can build a web application from start to finish — that is, they can create the UI, write the logic for data to flow from the backend to the user, and even integrate payment features.
A full-stack developer builds an application using technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript frameworks.
Why is web development important?
Can you believe that over 5.30 billion people are connected to the Internet? Over half of our global population is actively engaged in research, connection, education, and entertainment through the incredible digital universe. The Internet isn’t just a luxury; it’s an essential part of our daily lives, in my opinion.
It’s no surprise that web development is a rapidly expanding industry given the rapidly increasing number of Internet users. The employment of web developers is expected to grow by 13% between now and 2030, much faster than most other technology careers. The best time to be in this field is now, and I am glad to be working in such a dynamic industry.
How to Learn Web Development
Getting started with web development can be confusing, but there are many resources available to help. It is in many ways more beneficial for people to take web development courses in person or online because they can interact with classmates and receive instructions from instructors. Courses are taught in real-time, so you’ll learn from the same experts wherever you are.
You might want to take a class, but obligations keep getting in the way. If you want to reshape your schedule but need to wait a bit before doing so, it’s perfectly understandable. While you’re getting everything set up, you can take an on-demand web development class to build some foundational knowledge.
There are plenty of on-demand courses available through Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare. If you have a tight budget, you might want to avoid spending money immediately.
Final Thoughts
Today, we learned what a web developer does and what sub-roles there are in web development. Also, we got a sneak peek at some of the web development technologies we’ll be studying later on. The field of web development is an awesome career path, and you can learn so much from it. I hope this tutorial inspired you to learn more!
