Front-end Web Development
Overview
Front-end web development, also known as client-side development, is the practice of producing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for a website or web application so that a user can see and interact with them directly. The challenge associated with front-end development is that the tools and techniques used to create the front end of a website change constantly, so the developer needs to constantly be aware of how the field is developing.
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
The core tools used in front-end development are HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and JavaScript. These are the backbone of any web development project and all front-end developers need to have a good understanding of these languages.
HTML is used to create the structure of a webpage, CSS is used to control the presentation of the webpage, and JavaScript is used to control the behavior of the webpage.
HTML
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language for creating web pages. It is the most basic building block required for developing websites. HTML is used to create the raw content of the website, including text, images, and other media.
CSS
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a style sheet language used for describing the look and formatting of a document written in HTML. CSS is used to control how HTML elements are displayed on screen, on paper, or in other media.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a high-level, interpreted programming language that is characterized as dynamic, weakly typed, prototype-based and multi-paradigm. It is used to make webpages interactive and provide online programs, including video games.
Front-end Development Tools
Front-end web developers use a variety of tools to help them in their work. These can include text editors, CSS preprocessors, version control systems, and testing frameworks.
Text Editors
A text editor is a type of program used for editing plain text files. Text editors are often provided with operating systems or software development packages, and can be used to change files such as configuration files, documentation files and programming language source code.
CSS Preprocessors
CSS preprocessors are scripting languages that extend the default capabilities of CSS. They enable us to use logic in our CSS code, such as variables, nesting, inheritance, mixins, functions, and mathematical operations.
Version Control Systems
A version control system (VCS) allows you to track the history of a collection of files. It supports creating different versions of this collection. Each version captures a snapshot of the files at a certain point in time.
Testing Frameworks
Testing frameworks are a set of guidelines or rules used for creating and designing test cases. A framework can be defined as a set of protocols which help the user to create more efficient code which can be reused.
Front-end Development Frameworks and Libraries
Front-end web developers also use frameworks and libraries to help speed up their work. These include tools like Bootstrap, Angular, and React.
Bootstrap
Bootstrap is the most popular HTML, CSS, and JS framework for developing responsive, mobile first projects on the web. It's made for folks of all skill levels, devices of all shapes, and projects of all sizes.
Angular
Angular is a platform for building mobile and desktop web applications. It is a complete rewrite from the same team that built AngularJS.
React
React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It is maintained by Facebook, Instagram and a community of individual developers and corporations.
Conclusion
Front-end web development is a rapidly changing field, with new tools and techniques being developed all the time. However, the core skills of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript remain at the heart of all front-end development work.
