Are you new to web development and interested in becoming a Full Stack Web Developer?
When I started my web development journey, I asked people how we learned this web development. The answers I got that learn Angular, Vue, or learn this or learn that. And today also many people ask me about where to start.
So this tutorial will guide you on what shall be your strategy. There is a technique that I used to master web development and you can also use it. So first of all what are the basics of web development? What are the things you need to learn?
What is Full Stack Development?
First, let’s understand what is actually full-stack web development.
Full Stack Web Development is when a developer has the skills and knowledge to work on both the front-end and back-end of a website or web application. In simpler terms, it means being able to handle everything involved in building a website, from the parts that users see and interact with (like buttons, forms, and layouts) to the behind-the-scenes logic and data processing.
On the front end (or client-side), a full-stack web developer creates the visual elements and user experience using languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They make sure the website looks good, feels intuitive to use, and responds to user interactions.
On the back-end (or server-side), a full-stack web developer manages the server, database, and business logic. They use programming languages like Python, PHP, or JavaScript (with Node.js) to handle tasks such as storing and retrieving data, implementing user authentication, and integrating with other systems.
So you know what is Full Stack Web Development what actually you have to do when you work as a Full Stack Web Developer.
Let’s explore some effective techniques you can use to excel in full-stack web development.
Web development basic
So to make any website you need to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. For example, a website has a skeleton. By skeleton, I mean that if you are driving a car then the body of the car without an engine, color, or design is the HTML and after that, you decorated the car with some colors it’s like you designed the car with CSS. You improved the wheels, you colored its body. You all can do this with CSS.
After that JavaScript is used when we click on a specific button. Its engine and all the programming of the car is JavaScript.
- In HTML you need to specify where the button or text should be here a paragraph shall start, and there is a heading, and all this.
- With the help of CSS, you will specify where an item will be, how much gap there must be, or what shall be the size of this image. If I minimize the image then what it should look like? There is something like Media Query with which we do it.
- With JavaScript, you can give life to the button. So what will happen if you press the button to do some calculations or something else?
Can we master HTML, CSS, and JavaScript 100%? Would it be ideal? NO! This is where we’ll use our technique.
What is technique?
I’ll say you make a bucket out of your Web Development knowledge.
You should learn HTML 80% and now you’ll ask why not learn it 100% as HTML is very easy. Some things in HTML are very complicated like Canvas. To learn HTML 80% and what should we cover in this 80%? We won’t master complete HTML. I think no one would tell you like that. I am telling you based on my experience.
If you want to make websites as soon as possible and optimize your web development career then you have to do it. If you do something else maybe you’ll reach your destination but this is the first way to remember this thing.
For CSS, I have written 60%. So you should learn 60% of CSS.
JavaScript is a programming language. So if you haven’t studied any programming language in computer science then you will start your programming journey from here. I will say learn 50% of JavaScript.
Now, why is this 80, 60, and 50? It looks good to hear 100, 100, 100, but if you go for 100, 100, 100 then it will blow your mind. If you got stuck in CSS, even if you think that you have completely mastered HTML which maybe you haven’t. All those people who say I know HTML completely may also don’t know some of the concepts of HTML like Canvas and there are many more that they don’t know.
I’ll say just learn HTML so much that you can make the layout of the webpage. You need to learn only so much that you can see a button on a website. You can see a heading on a website. You can also see a paragraph and there are many more things.
These are the things you need to learn and, focus on that you can learn most of it as it is very easy. CSS is the point where people get stuck and if you have started web development and stopped then you know what I am talking about. You need to learn that much CSS so that you can color an image that can work on the background, and borders and you can give padding and margin.
Learn ID, class ID, then Class, then Margin, and Padding, and I just want to say that don’t hesitate to skip the complicated part of CSS. But I am not saying that skip it for your whole life. You’ll come to it also. For now, you just need to learn 60% of CSS, and with 60% of CSS, you’ll be able to design a webpage.
You’ll be able to. You’ll be able to design a webpage. After this, you need to learn 50% JavaScript. JavaScript has very complicated concepts. Many concepts are complicated for beginners. So I’ll say by learning Variables, Constants, Functions, While Loop If Else, and all this you’ll complete 50% JavaScript.
Work on some projects
You need to create some projects. And whenever you think you are not able to do something then you have to come back and revise your concepts but before coming back you need to make at least 2 or 4 projects and maybe you might learn something while making the projects. So you need to learn HTML, CSS, and JS like this.
It should not be like that you picked up this thick book of HTML, this thick book of CSS, and this thick book of JS. And you are found after two days saying “I won’t be able to do it.” If you do it like that you won’t be able to do it because it will take a lot of time and no one has that much patience.
Some Shortcuts
Now I’ll tell you one more thing we have some shortcuts which are BootStraps, and TailWind CSS. These frameworks of CSS are some IDs and classes written by someone else for your use to make awesome websites. So if you want a very wide elliptical button and you want to specify how wide it should be then you won’t be able to do it and it will be very hard for you to customize it.
If someone asks you to add a black border inside, and a green border inside, then you will be able to make it with CSS but not with Bootstrap or Tailwind. These shortcuts are for those who don’t want to become successful web developers but want to be part-time developers and they are not even called web developers. A web developer must know these three basic skills.
Which backend language should I learn?
Now the biggest question is which backend language do we need to learn? So we have a lot of options in the Back-End but if you are an absolute beginner then I’ll recommend PHP. From my point of view, if you learn PHP then you’ll understand how the front-end and back-end work. And if you understand this then you’ll understand the complete workflow and after that switch to a different backend. This complete process becomes simple for you.
It is pros that it’s easy to learn and best for beginners. But its libraries have limited support. For example, doing machine learning in PHP is not a good idea. You should use Python as it already has some amazing projects like TensorFlow, and SciKit Learn for Machine Learning.
The second language that I’ll suggest is Node JS. I’ll suggest this as you already know JavaScript and it has a con that it has some complicated concepts of JavaScript. So you’ll need to learn the remaining 50% of JavaScript. If you’re using JavaScript as a backend and how to run Node JS on your computer is also complicated for some students who have just started. And they don’t know how to operate a computer.
If you ask for the third one then it’s Python. But it will take time as first you’ll learn Python and then Django or Flask, these are two frameworks. You can use them in the backend. These are backend frameworks. You can use Django or Flask in the backend.
Related: See our guide on How to Create Hello World Website App in Django to create a website with Django.
Avoid website builders
We have Wix, GoDaddy website builder, and these all. You don’t need to look at these. You should not install 3rd party JS libraries as a beginner. I am not saying that never installed them or never worked on them but as a beginner don’t use JQuery or others. I am not saying they are useless. These are very amazing things but as a beginner avoid them.
Final words
Full-stack software development has seen a surge in almost every large and small organization in recent years. This roadmap lets you know all the basic and intermediate skills required to become a successful full-stack developer. The more skills you gain, the more your profile gets noticed. Engineering graduates can opt for such courses if they are looking for better career growth and a good salary.
