Be aware that if you want to follow this roadmap, everything in it will be different when you're half way through.
Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
81–90 of 141 posts
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#82The front-end dev chart is only mislabeled, that's the amount of knowledge one needs to become a senior front-end dev.
I'm in my seventh year of this career, and recently obtained a senior front-end role. I've worked my way through the front-end chart and it's not wrong. To write really solid web applications that work for you, other devs, users and users of limited ability, you should know all that stuff. Only lately have I gotten my skills up to the point where I can write high quality JS, CSS, HTML, and test it fully, automation test it, organize my CSS effectively, make sure it's accessible and make sure I am at least aware of possible security issues. It's a lot of work that requires a lot of knowledge that takes years to develop, but it's not wrong.
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#83Even if treating this not as a roadmap to becoming a web developer, but more as a map of what an expert-level web developer might be familiar with, it's still scary.
Why does modern web development have to be so convoluted? Here is a wishlist of what I want from ONE language:
- A package manager like nix so that each project folder doesn't have to be hundreds of megabytes
- Static typing with minimally expressive (i.e. ADTs) type system, type inference
- Built in immutable data by default, so you don't have to pile on 3 different immutable data libraries
- A better alternative to HTML+CSS like Elm UI [0]
- One very high quality backend framework (exactly like Phoenix)
- One very high quality frontend framework like Elm but with better component reusability, that makes fewer allocations, and that compiles to efficient WASM
The benefits of a "one language to rule them all approach" should be extremely obvious to JavaScript developers who are following this approach with Node.js, React, etc. This huge mess of tools that they use now is a hairball of workarounds for JavaScript's many deficiencies. We essentially just need a better JavaScript.
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#84I was convinced for a while there as I scrolled down that this was a joke. "Good parody!" I thought to myself. Then I realized to my horror this is actually serious. As a web developer since 1997, currently working in both the Rails & JAMstack spaces, I can assure any and all beginners out there you don't need to know anything about at least 50% of this stuff, probably closer to 70%. I also deeply resent the notion t…
Yep. It will also surprise people here how few companies and organisations are 'with the times' when it comes to web development or tech stacks. Many don't use containers, package managers or Sass/Less type languages. Even more don't use the likes of React/Vue/Angular, let alone automated testing or webpack type setups.
And heck, a depressing number likely don't even use version control.
The picture of what's 'normal' in this field (via blogs, Reddit, Hacker News, etc) is as distorted as a picture of what a 'normal' life would be like is on social media sites.
If you're at a tech savvy startup or planning to get started as a web developer in Silicon Valley, you'll probably want to know a decent amount of what's on this list. If you're outside of that situation or working contract/freelance/whatever, then you'll only need to know about 50% or so of it.
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#85In my opinion, "top-down" learning based on one's needs and wants works better.
I want to write some text and show it on my browser. (Learn some basic HTML)
I want to add some styling to the text I just wrote. (Learn some basic CSS and understand how it relates to the HTML you wrote previously.)
OK, now I want to publish what I wrote so I can show off to my friends. (Learn basics of static hosting and uploading files to a web server.)
I want to add a timestamp to the page that automatically updates when the page loads. (Learn what JavaScript is and how it relates to web pages.)
And so on. Travel down the rabbit hole and pick up new concepts and tools as you need them. This will keep you motivated, unlike "bottom-up" learning where you learn concepts first without a clear idea of when and why you might need them (if ever).
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#86I was convinced for a while there as I scrolled down that this was a joke. "Good parody!" I thought to myself. Then I realized to my horror this is actually serious. As a web developer since 1997, currently working in both the Rails & JAMstack spaces, I can assure any and all beginners out there you don't need to know anything about at least 50% of this stuff, probably closer to 70%. I also deeply resent the notion t…
I'll argue that over 6 months or so, a new web developer will pick most of this up. e.g. webpack, I ended up getting it setup because 90% of the tutorials out there use it. Same thing for NPM scripts, use NPM, you figure out 'npm run' pretty quick. It isn't learned per se, it is just sort of acquired. Same thing for eslint, most tutorials start off with "ok now install eslint and use these rules" If you use react, yo…
As someone who started learning JS in October ‘17 and is now reasonably good at React, this resonates with me.
Yeah sure, I know a bunch of stuff on that list. SemVer? Yeah, I get what the numbers mean. I google the ^x.x.x syntax, whatever.
ESLint, Prettier, yep, install and drop a .config file somewhere. Copy someone else’s. It’s hardly rocket science.
Webpack, I know that it exists and as soon as the defaults installed by create-react-app break, I’ll figure it out.
This is a big list but let’s not pretend that you need to be an expert in any great amount of it to get something made. And the purpose is right there at the top:
“The purpose of these roadmaps is to give you an idea about the landscape and to guide you if you are confused about what to learn next and not to encourage you to pick what is hip and trendy.”
I think it does that pretty well. Settle down a bit, everyone.
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#87In case anyone is as acronym-deficient as I am, and was confused by the supposedly-essential skills of "SOLID/KISS/YAGNI":
SOLID (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOLID):
- Single Repository Principle
- Open/Closed Principle
- Liskov Substitution Principle
- Interface Segregation Principle
- Dependency Inversion Principle
KISS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle):
- Keep
- It
- Simple
- Stupid
YAGNI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_aren%27t_gonna_need_it):
- You
- Aren't
- Gonna
- Need
- It
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#88In case anyone is as acronym-deficient as I am, and was confused by the supposedly-essential skills of "SOLID/KISS/YAGNI": SOLID ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOLID ): - Single Repository Principle - Open/Closed Principle - Liskov Substitution Principle - Interface Segregation Principle - Dependency Inversion Principle KISS ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle ): - Keep - It - Simple - Stupid YAGNI ( http…
S in SOLID should be single responsibility principle.
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#89I'm currently teaching my brother web development and I guarantee if I were to show him this, he'd just quit. This is way too much information. All a beginner needs to know is JS and the basics of HTML/CSS/SQL. If they have a mentor, the mentor should draw out and explain how frontend, backend and databases relate, and the general lifecycle of a request to a webpage. That's all you really need to start building stuff…
> All a beginner needs to know is JS and the basics of HTML/CSS/SQL. If they're going to dabble on their own stuff for fun sure, that's all you need. If you're trying to get a job that won't cut it.
This is the crux of it. In my experience, the roadmap in the OP accurately reflects the topology and expectations of today's hiring landscape.
Re: Roadmap to becoming a web developer in 2019
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Are you purposely being dense? Your response has merit but it would be better if you assumed good faith. Even if you don't understand their thinking.
You're right, it shouldn't be necessary, but their first sentence... >I was convinced for a while there as I scrolled down that this was a joke. "Good parody!" I thought to myself. Then I realized to my horror this is actually serious. ...is pompous and holier than thou. Being unable to see the value in this infographic doesn't mean it's trash, and I think it's unnecessary to comment with such an arrogant attitude li…
> especially when it's obvious they're just either not the intended audience or they're misinterpreting the goal of the graphic.
But is it obvious? I'm sure others resonate with that.
You have to consider the possibility that his criticism is entirely valid and that a non-zero number of people find this roadmap way more convoluted than it ought to be.