Web developers are considered an essential asset to pretty much any team, and as the field grows, traditional colleges have struggled to keep up with the demand.

Enter web development bootcamps.

These alternative educational institutions offer an antidote to the shortage of talented web developers, often recommended as being a “fast track” to well-paying coding jobs. With lower tuition costs, flexible learning, and a practical curriculum, these schools are praised for increasing access to education in tech.

But are they really worth it? And with so many on offer, how do you go about choosing which one is right for you?

In this article, we’ll lift the lid on the world of web development bootcamps, and how to tell the good from the mediocre. We’ll dive into the benefits, what to consider when choosing, and how you can expect life to look upon graduating.

Here are the topics we’ll cover in this guide:

1. What is a web development bootcamp?
2. What are some of the best web development bootcamps?
   • CareerFoundry
   • Thinkful
   • Ironhack
   • General Assembly
   • Springboard
   • Udacity
   • BloomTech
   • Flatiron School
   • BrainStation
3. What will I learn in a web development bootcamp?
4. Do web development bootcamps really work?
5. Do I need relevant experience before enrolling in a web development bootcamp?
6. What will my day-to-day look like when studying?
7. What kind of salary can I expect?
8. How do I choose the right web development bootcamp for me?

Ready? Let’s dive in!

1. What is a web development bootcamp?

A web development bootcamp is a condensed, immersive education program that aims to take motivated beginners to job-ready graduates in anything from a few months to a year.

By focusing on high-impact learning and practical, real-world projects, web development bootcamps fuse fundamental web development theory with the industry skills that would be valuable to current employers. The result? A comprehensive, well-rounded learning experience that will take you from total coding newbie to qualified web developer.

Bootcamps were created in direct response to the growing demand for talent in disciplines like web and software engineering—and were met with instant praise. With coding bootcamps quickly becoming the preferred entryway to a career in tech, they eventually grew to include vocations such as UX/UI design, digital marketing, and data science.

Boasting low or even no barriers to entry, web development bootcamps take students who have little proficiency in coding and allow them to focus on the fundamental aspects of coding, teaching them skills that can be immediately applied to solve real-world problems.

When considering a bootcamp, tech hopefuls have the choice to either study in-person or online. Many online coding bootcamps are flexible and self-paced, meaning students can fit their studies around a full-time job.

Others offer virtual classrooms with fixed lessons that take place over video call or chat. On the other hand, in-person bootcamps take place in a set location, with fixed start dates and class times.

2. What are some of the best web development bootcamps?

Let’s check out at some of the best options currently on offer that will get you started on your journey to becoming a web developer:

1. CareerFoundry Full-Stack Web Development Program

Price: $8,075-$8,500 USD

There are few full-stack web development programs on the market that combine a comprehensive curriculum, personalized mentorship, and project-based learning quite like CareerFoundry.

CareerFoundry’s offering comes in at $8,500 for the entire program, but the cost of the tuition is dependent on your location and is competitively priced. This includes all of the learning materials you’ll need, and the tools you will use are either free-to-use, or free for when and how you’ll use them during the program.

A range of flexible payment options include paying upfront, or getting a small course discount. Contact a program advisor to find out your local pricing and if there are any partial scholarships available.

If you’re not yet sure whether you want to take the leap into a new career in web development, you can take the one-month, mentored Intro to Web Development Course.

2. Thinkful

Price: $16,000-$19,909 for full-time, $9,975 for part-time program,

Offering not just online web development bootcamps but also design and data science, Thinkful students are paired with a mentor to support them one-on-one. Renamed from a full-stack web development course to a software engineering one, Thinkful promise students are guaranteed job placement after graduating—or tuition will be refunded.

3. Ironhack

Price: $12,500

An offline bootcamp school forced online during the pandemic, Ironhack offers the chance to learn the fundamentals of HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and more, either part-time in 24 weeks, or full time in 9 weeks.

Scholarships for their web development bootcamps are also available for underrepresented populations and veterans. They also have a Cybersecurity bootcamp which also may be of interest.

4. General Assembly

Price: $15,950

Also offering online and in-person bootcamps, General Assembly offer an immersive 12-week software engineering bootcamp or the same course over a more flexible 24 weeks.

On top of that, they offer a wide range of shorter coding courses in the likes of frontend web development, Python, Java, and React. In these offerings, students learn in-demand coding skills from expert developers in a 10-week part-time course. The courses are offered online and across 15 campuses in 4 continents, with fixed start dates.

5. Springboard

Price: $9,900-16,200 for the Software Engineering Bootcamp

Springboard offers a range of online, self-paced courses, but chiefly they offer a bootcamp in software engineering lasting nine months at 20-25 hours of work per week. They boast a wide range of payment plans including deferred tuition and a job guarantee.

6. Udacity

Price: $1,511 for the nanodegrees, or $377 for monthly access.

In case you haven’t heard of them before, Udacity offers online courses. For coders, they’ve set up their School of Programming and Development, offering courses such as 16-week frontend web development and full-stack development “nanodegrees”.

It must be noted however, that these bootcamps are not for complete beginners—Udacity state that some coding prerequisites are required first. Students also don’t receive career assistance apart from a GitHub portfolio appraisal and LinkedIn optimization advice.

As well as these two bootcamps, they offer more than 30 programs cover such subjects as cloud computing, data science, mobile app development, and Dev Ops.

7. BloomTech

Prices: $21,950-42,950 for U.S. residents, $12,000 for international learners

BloomTech offers online programs for beginners in web development and web design. One of the major benefits is that there aren’t any up-front tuition costs—under this Incoming Sharing Agreement students can start repaying when they earn over a certain amount in their new coding job.

There are also a range of other payment options, but no job guarantee. This is an intense and challenging web development bootcamp, with 95% attendance required, with completion of pre-course work or entrance test required.

8. Flatiron School

Prices: $17,900

Another of the big budget web development bootcamps, Flatiron School offers re-skilling in software engineering, data, and UX/UI design.

Boasting two in-person locations in New York City and Denver, Colorado, the majority of students opt to take their courses online. Unlike other offerings which typically use prerecorded, on-demand lectures, at Flatiron instruction takes place live. Whether online or in-person, you’ll be starting at the same time as the rest of your cohort, which means that you’ll all be in the same boat on your 15-week learning journey.

There are three payment options—pay the full $17,900, a traditional loan, and an interest-free loan. There are 40 hours of prepwork to get through before you can start the course proper.

9. BrainStation

Prices: $16,500

Rebranded from the Web Development Bootcamp, BrainStation now offers a Software Engineering Bootcamp with much of the same elements of the previous version, but with a $16,500 price tag.

The curriculum pledges to teach students the foundations of web development, as well as key tools such as React, VS Code, and the generative AI tools GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT. You’ll also have a dedicated career coach, who will work with you one-on-one to prepare yourself for employability once you graduate the program.

3. What will I learn in a web development bootcamp?

Taking less time than a traditional degree, coding bootcamps focus on equipping you with both the technical skills that can see you walk straight into an entry-level web development position upon completion. On top of that, though, they’ll also teach you the soft skills that will see you slot seamlessly into an already well-established team.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the hard and soft skills you can expect to learn:

Hard skills

Programming languages

No matter what level you’re at, any web developer should have a proficient grasp on at least a few programming languages. Some of the most commonly used languages that you can expect to learn in a coding bootcamp include Ruby on rails, HTML, CSS, Python, and JavaScript.

Collaboration tools

Collaboration tools such as GitHub are essential for web developers to master early on in their journey. Any good coding bootcamp will equip you with a good grasp on the tools and technologies that developers employ when collaborating on a project, such as how web developers use version control systems.

Web hosting

You’ll also get to grips with servers and hosting, such as Heroku, that will allow you to quickly put a web application live on the internet—as well as common developer databases, like MySQL.

Soft skills

For career-changers, the chances are that you’ll already have some useful soft skills under your belt. Here’s the big ones you’ll develop at a top web development bootcamp:

Collaboration

While the nature of web development involves significant amounts of autonomous, independent work, web developers can still expect a sizeable amount of collaboration with stakeholders or the wider team.

More in-depth coding bootcamps will emphasize collaboration techniques, and even take you through some useful online tools that will keep you synched with your teammates.

Empathy

Empathy is a vital skill in web development. Developers should be able to place themselves in the shoes of their colleagues, their clients, or anyone associated with the product.

Empathy won’t just help you to collaborate effectively—but also understand the stakeholders and their needs.

Problem-solving

Alongside writing code, debugging and fixing errors is a huge part of web development. As a result, the ability to effectively solve problems is paramount to any web development job. A thorough coding bootcamp will take you through how to logically approach problems, and come to a working solution.

Communication skills

Finally, communication skills are essential in almost any job profile—and web development is no exception.

Developers often need to explain their processes in simple terms that can be understood by employees who are less technologically savvy. They should be able to communicate well, providing as much clarity as possible.

4. Do web development bootcamps really work?

You might still be wondering: do bootcamps actually work, and are they worth the investment of my hard-earned cash?

We might be a little bit biased by simply saying “yes, bootcamps do work!” So to prove our point, let’s dive into the data.

According to bootcamp comparison site Course Report, respondents of a 2022 research study reported a $24,000 increase in median salary in their first job after attending a coding bootcamp. That’s a salary increase of 51%.

So, how does a web development bootcamp stack up against a conventional university degree? Most university computer science programs currently on offer take roughly four years, with tuition ringing in at about $163,140, according to CourseReport.

Web development bootcamps, on the other hand, are usually around 14 weeks long, and average $11,874 in tuition. If that wasn’t convincing enough, the average bootcamp graduate earns $70,698—a considerable amount more than the average university graduate salary of $59,124 (Course Report, 2022).

If you’d like to look at other reasons why this is true, we’ve created a full guide to whether coding bootcamps are worth it.

Our takeaway? If you want a faster, more affordable route into a lucrative career as a developer or engineer, a web development bootcamp is absolutely worth the investment.

5. Do I need relevant experience before enrolling in a web development bootcamp?

If you’re interested in becoming a web developer, but you’re worried that your lack of relevant experience or qualifications could hold you back, we’ve got some great news: you don’t need development-related qualifications—or a solid background in tech—to enroll in a web development bootcamp.

All you really need to enroll in a web development bootcamp is a strong interest in web development, and time to dedicate to the course.

As previously mentioned, web development bootcamps are designed to take you from total novice to fully qualified web development —so a background in tech is certainly not a prerequisite. If you’ve got the motivation, web development bootcamps have got the means.

Many of the world’s most successful web developers have come from a myriad of diverse backgrounds—from web design to engineering and beyond. The joy of web development bootcamps is that everyone is on a level playing field.

6. What will my day-to-day look like when studying?

It’s a common misconception that web development bootcamps are a “quick fix”—and don’t require as much hard work or dedication as a computer science degree.

You might expect that you’ll breeze through the syllabus, skim-reading the course material undetected, and, in the absence of a conventional exam system, emerge as a fully-qualified web developer with minimal input.

While many bootcamps offer flexible learning, you can expect to put as much hard work, dedication, and concentration into a coding bootcamp as you would for a traditional degree. Juggling your studies with your schedule (or, in many cases, a full-time job) requires a huge amount of organization and self-discipline.

If you’re opting for an online web development bootcamp, you’ll also have to find time for regular Skype check-ins with your mentor, alongside your independent study. You’ll also be expected to immerse yourself in the field of web development through networking and independent projects.

Learn more about a typical day in the life of a web developer in this insightful blog post.

7. What kind of salary can I expect on completion?

An increase in salary is one of the most common driving factors behind a career change, so it’s natural to be curious about the kind of money web developers can expect to earn in their first role.

On top of that, it makes sense to be wondering what you can expect salary-wise as you progress through your career.

After all, in order to assess if a web development bootcamp is truly worth the investment, you need to know that you’ve got a financially secure future ahead.

Average web developer salaries

As with any profession, the average salary of a web developer depends largely on location, as well as experience level.

To give you a rough idea of the kind of money you could be earning, we’ve rounded up a global snapshot based on the latest data provided by Indeed, Glassdoor, and CWJobs for the job title “web developer.” You’ll find their equivalent in U.S. dollars after each:

• Australia: Aus $92,352 ($62,044 USD)
• Canada: C$67,065 ($50,004 USD)
• Germany: €53,099 ($56,929 USD)
• India: Rs 475,266 ($5,757 USD)
• U.K.: £37,660 ($45,571 USD)
• U.S.A.: $82,460 USD

Remember, this is only a snapshot! To find out more, this complete guide to web developer salaries dives into specific roles, locations, and level of expertise.

8. How do I choose the right web development bootcamp for me?

With so many bootcamps on offer, choosing the right one can feel like a minefield.

They all have their own unique models and offerings, and a hefty amount of research is required to truly unpack which bootcamp will align with your preferred learning style, your career goals—and of course, your budget.

The truth is, not all web development bootcamps are created equal. Picking the right one could mean the difference between finding a job quickly and struggling to get a company to hire you. To help you along the way, here are some points to consider when deciding which bootcamp is right for you.

Think about your schedule

How many hours of study can you realistically commit to learning web development per month?

Do you intend to fit your studies around your full-time job, or are you planning on dropping everything to focus on making the switch? If the former is correct, you might be more suited to an online, flexibly paced bootcamp. If the latter rings true, you might be more drawn to an intensive, in-person course.

On top of that, it can be useful to think not just about the weekly time commitments of a bootcamp, but also its overall length. If a twelve-week bootcamp seems to intense for a career-change, there are many online coding schools offering longer or more flexible courses, stretching up to a year in some places.

Look at the quality of the curriculum

Is the curriculum curated from outside materials, or is it produced in-house by web development experts? How does the program break down some of the soft and hard skills that we discussed earlier, like coding languages?

Is the curriculum up to speed with the latest methods, tools, and software? Unpack each web development bootcamp curriculum to ensure it meets your standards. Above all, make sure the course content excites you!

How will the course guarantee you a job in the field?

Does the bootcamp offer in-house career specialists who can support you throughout your job searching process?

Do they offer opportunities to broaden your horizons and seek out job opportunities, such as networking events? Will you graduate with an impressive web development portfolio that you can show to future employers and clients?

Get to know the graduates

Whether it’s through virtual and in-person networking events or via LinkedIn, connecting with current students and alumni and hearing the stories of the people who studied at web development bootcamps will help you to gauge whether it’s right for you.

If you can, try to talk to a graduate who comes from a similar professional or educational background as you. That way you’ll be be able to find out more accurately what their level of coding knowledge was before they began the course, what was worthwhile investing time into, and which wasn’t. Through them, you’ll get more of an insight into how your own career path might look.

Review the reviews

Student reviews offer great insights into what it’s like to study with that bootcamp. Bootcamp comparison sites like Course Report and CareerKarma are great places to start when it comes to both finding detailed reviews and comparing bootcamps.

Weigh up the investment

Of course, comparing the prices of different web development bootcamps is crucial.

Research what programs offer ways to lighten the financial load, such as your money back if you don’t find a job within a set period of time after finishing the course.

What other payment options do they offer? Is there a way for you to stagger the cost of tuition, such as with an Income Share Agreement (ISA)?

9. Round-up

So there we have it: everything you need to know about web development bootcamps. Changing your career is always a risk. But bootcamps provide the ideal environment where you can discover the joys of coding—without the hefty financial burden.

If you’re still not sure whether web development is for you, we’d recommend signing up for this free 5-day coding short course to build you very first website, and see how you like it. Here’s a sneak preview, as Abhishek Nagekar, web developer at Mozilla, shows you the ropes to get started:

Once you’ve decided whether this mode of study is for you, you can start comparing options.

To learn more about web development, check out these articles over on the blog:

• How to get your first web development job: the ultimate guide for junior developers
• What’s the easiest programming language to learn?
• Coding vs Programming: Is there a difference?

Maybe you’re thinking of transitioning careers and want to teach yourself to code. Before investing in a coding bootcamp or paid program, you might just want to see if you even like coding. Or maybe some coding skills would help you in your existing field?

Whatever the reason, this article will go through what to look for in a free coding course. While the range out there is very wide, here we’ll focus on web development offerings.

Below you’ll find nine free courses to help you on your journey. For each course there’s a description of the content and format to help you decide if it’s the right option for you.

If you want to jump straight to our top nine, or if there’s a certain section you’d like to skip ahead to, just use the clickable menu:

1. Before you start
2. Nine of the best free coding classes
   • CareerFoundry
   • freeCodeCamp
   • Harvard’s CS50X
   • MongoDB University
   • Skillshare
   • Codecademy Java for Beginners
   • University of Toronto Learn to Program
   • Project-Based Learning Resources on GitHub
   • SheCodes Express
3. What you should look for in free coding classes
4. Final thoughts

1. Before you start

One important thing to keep in mind when beginning your coding journey is don’t get too caught up in what specific technologies you learn at the very beginning. Oftentimes people can get so focused on deciding where to start, that they never manage to start at all.

There is no perfect first tutorial. In the end, it’s better to just dive in and do it. No matter which course you take, you’ll get a basis and have a better idea for your next steps at the end.

As you gain knowledge and perspective, you can pivot and adjust based on what you’ve learned about the field.

2. Nine of the best free coding classes

So, without further ado, here are some of the top free coding classes out there, in no particular order:

CareerFoundry Web Development Short Course

Looking for a short overview of the field of web development? CareerFoundry covers what developers really do and what the industry is like. They go over HTML, CSS, responsive webpages, and JavaScript basics. By the end you’ll code your own website using the concepts you’ve learned.

Maybe you’re trying to understand what coding even is and if the field is a viable option for you. If other programs seem like too big of a time commitment, and you want to first discover if programming is worth your time, these free coding classes are a great option.

You can get a peek at the first lesson of the short course in this video, Abhishek Nagekar, web developer at Mozilla, introduces you to frontend development:

You’ll get five 15-minute daily lessons, just like this one. There are also exercises, as well as information about changing careers. If you want a straightforward overview before diving in deeper to see if coding is right for you, give this a try.

freeCodeCamp

freeCodeCamp is a free, online, self-paced coding bootcamp. There are many paths you can choose: web development, quality assurance, machine learning, information security, and more. If you’re unsure where to start, best to begin with the first certification in responsive web design.

Their courses are structured around small, digestible amounts of new information. Using that, you immediately solve a small exercise. At the end of each certification, there are five projects. If you build them all and get their tests to pass, you’re eligible for that certification.

The benefit of this is that you are ready with a web development portfolio of your work by the time you finish. They also have very supportive forums when you get stuck. If you want to be more social, most major cities have local freeCodeCamp study groups you can join as well.

Once you’re certified, they also have a course on coding interview prep. This is great as coding interviews are a skill of their own, as you’ll see in our guide to web developer interview questions.

This course is great if you’re interested in coding, or already considering a web development bootcamp. Whether you want to do their whole program on your own, or use freeCodeCamp to see if you like web development before investing in a more structured alternative, it’s a great option.

CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science

Want to learn Computer Science directly from the Ivies? Consider CS50x, Harvard University’s introduction to computer science and the art of programming. It’s a popular online entry-level course. If you want to dip your toes into the field and see if it’s for you, this is a great option.

CS50x teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics covered are: abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. Languages include C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript (plus CSS and HTML). 

The problem sets come from the real-world domains of biology, cryptography, finance, forensics, and gaming. Regardless of which path you go, this course will set a great basis and teach you to think like a software engineer. If you’re unsure which area of programming you’re interested in, you can try lots of different things out here.

The course takes an estimated 12 weeks, though it’s self-paced. You are eligible for a certificate if you pass the nine programming assignments and final project.

MongoDB University

Most free coding classes focus on the frontend. If you’re curious about backend development, this is a good place to start. As we explain more in our guide to the differences between the frontend and backend, the latter term means the data layer of a web application, not what you see in the browser.

MongoDB is a type of NoSQL database that’s widely used by analysts and web developers alike. They offer a course called MongoDB University on their website. This course covers what a database is and ​​different ways to search, create, and analyze your data. You can also learn more about authentication and authorization, which are great skills and concepts for your CV.

The courses are practical, with video lectures, labs and quizzes. Everything is self-paced. You can earn a certificate of completion at the end if you pass the labs and final exam. The MongoDB Basics course takes eight and a half hours, according to their website.

Skillshare Coding for Beginners

This course focuses on complete beginners. If you are thinking about learning a specific coding language, but don’t want to commit to one specific path yet, this may be a good option. Coding for Beginners introduces you to common coding concepts.

You’ll use these concepts in whichever programming language you learn in the future. That way you have an overview before you start mastering a dedicated language and its syntax.

The course includes 30 lectures with seven hours of video, tests, and assignments. At the end, you’ll complete a beginner level project building a simple app in both Scratch and Python.

Codecademy Learn Java

Java can be one of the more dreaded languages to learn, but it is nonetheless an important one. So what better way to learn it than for free with the help of an excellent platform?

Codecademy’s user-friendly, varied platform makes it a very enticing one for budding coders. They have a huge catalogue of free coding classes and paid resources via their Pro collection, which come with certificates of completion.

This course is composed of eleven different coding classes, beginning with Java and Object-Oriented Programming (we’ve created a beginner’s guide to OOP too if you need to brush up). You’ll go through loops, string methods, as well as how to debug Java code, to name but a few.

University of Toronto Learn to Program: The Fundamentals

If you search about online you’ll find more than a few free coding classes provided by top-class universities around the world. This one, taught by seasoned lecturers from their Department of Computer Science, starts by giving you an introduction to Python.

We’ve already talked about why you should learn Python, but here’s even more encouragement. According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2023, Python is the third-most popular programming language for those learning to code, after HTML/CSS and JavaScript, and the fourth-most-used by pro developers.

This course is split into seven different free coding classes and hosted on the popular learning platform Coursera. In total it takes 25 hours to complete, and can be divided up weekly or even quicker, depending on your schedule.

In it, you’ll have a gentle but comprehensive introduction to Python, including:

• variables
• functions
• strings
• Boolean statements
• for loops
• fancy string manipulation
• while loops
• tuples

Classes consist of videos, assignments, and quizzes.

Project-Based Learning Resources on GitHub

A huge part of learning the fundamentals is learning by doing.

These days in the age of scream-y TikToks proclaiming “LEARN CODING IN 2 SECONDS!!!!!”, it’s easy for beginners to feel overwhelmed and that they’re not making progress. As well as learning to relax and to actually enjoy the sensation of learning, remembering to work on a project you care about is a key piece of advice.

That’s where this resource list comes in.

In it, a list of free projects have been gathered together, for over 20 languages. These include building a microblog with the Python framework Flask, a machine learning project to predict the quality of wine, to building a retro FPS game with the language Swift.

SheCodes Express

Sure, there are plenty of introduction to coding classes out there online, but one of the differences that makes SheCodes stand out, is that it’s live.

Taking place every few weeks, this 60-minute lesson takes you through HTML/CSS, JavaScript, the code editor VS Code, React, and APIs, among others. You’ll be able to take in live-coding, as well as gain insight into current web development trends, and get the opportunity to ask a pro developer your burning questions.

SheCodes set out years ago in Portugal with the mission of addressing the gender imbalance in development and engineering. Now recommended by more than 180,000 women, they run a series of coding workshops, at a variety of duration from one-week to eight months.

3. What you should look for in free coding classes

Just in case you need more pointers, let’s briefly cover what to look for when choosing a free course. With so much info out there, and everyone promoting their specific way of doing things, it can be hard to pick. Here are some criteria to help you decide:

Structure

Is the course video-based? Project-based? Is it more theoretical? Tap into your understanding of yourself and your learning style.

Be honest with yourself. Will that 100-hour course based on theoretical algorithms just make you fall asleep? Do you get frustrated at videos and often want them to talk faster? Or is seeing everything visually in video form helpful? Do you get overwhelmed when a topic isn’t broken down into small, digestible pieces?

Have a look at the structure of the courses you’re considering and make sure it works for you. Also consider the schedule here re: self-paced work vs. assignments with due dates.

Does it teach the fundamentals?

Technology changes fast. It’s important a course is teaching you the fundamentals rather than only memorizing syntax. This will ensure your success as technologies change and grow.

Support

Is there some type of support for when you get stuck, such as a forum or Slack channel? It’s nice to know you’re not alone when you are stumped on a concept. You’re more likely to succeed learning something new when you have a support network.

Who is the teacher?

What credentials and experience does the teacher or creator of the course have? Have they actually worked in the field?

They don’t have to have a PhD in the subject or anything. Still, someone who has experienced best practices in the web development field first-hand is helpful.

When was the course created?

Again, technology changes fast. Which version of the programming languages and frameworks is the course taught in?

Look up the current version of these technologies on their websites. Within a couple years is usually fine, but don’t choose something published 8 years ago.

Comments

If the course has comments or reviews, have a browse through them. If you see a lot of questions or uncertainty, it may not be the best tutorial for you.

4. Final thoughts

There you have it, nine free coding classes (technically even more!) to get you started on your coding journey.

As we already mentioned, there’s not one perfect starting point for everybody. That said, all of the above courses are great based on your time and interests.

Don’t spend lots of time worrying over which course provider or class to take. What’s more important is just that you begin.

Think you’re ready to take a bigger step than just a few free classes? Then speak to one of our program advisors to see if the CareerFoundry Full-Stack Web Development Program could be a perfect fit for you.

If you’re interested in reading more about the world of coding, check out these articles:

• What on Earth Is CSS? Your Friendly Web Developer Explains
• What Web Developer Salary To Expect? Our Complete Guide
• Should You Learn JavaScript? Advice for Newbie Web Developers

There were complex configurations, confusing control panels and shady-looking free website hosting sites (unless you didn’t mind shelling out stacks of dollars every month on a paid and managed web hosting service).

Luckily, that has all changed with the advent of free and simple static site hosting services like GitHub Pages. In this article, we’ll look at how easy it is to set up Github Pages and use it to host a website for free!

By the end of this article, you’ll have your very first website live on the internet that you can share with anyone who has an internet connection. We’ve broken our guide down into four simple steps:

1. Create a GitHub account
2. Create a code repository
3. Upload your website files to your code repository
4. View your website online

Prerequisites:

Before we get started, we’ll need to have a couple of things handy:

1. A webpage that we can upload to GitHub. If you don’t have one, or if you don’t know how to create one, you can learn how to get started in this free 5-day coding short course I made with CareerFoundry.

2. An email address to set up your GitHub account.

Got everything you need? Let’s begin!

Host a website step 1: Create a GitHub account

First of all, you’ll need a GitHub account. If you’re only setting one up, it’s important to pay special attention to the username field.

This will be reflected in your website’s url, so select something that you’d like to share with your circle (for example, if you select “johndoe”, your website will be live at johndoe.github.io).

Choose the free plan, which is what we need for hosting our website. After this step, you’ll get a little survey that you can choose to fill in.

If all goes well, you’ll be redirected to your dashboard and will be asked to verify your email address. You can do it from your email client. For example, this is what the email looks like in Gmail.

Once you click on the verify email address button, you’ll be informed that your email confirmation has been successful. Proceed to step two!

Host a website step 2: Create a code repository

At this point, you can start creating something called “code repositories”. Sure, this sounds very technical but simply means a code project. You can learn about repositories and how Git and GitHub differ in our guide.

Our website, along with all its files, is an example of a code project, and we’ll create a repository for it on GitHub—or, in simpler terms, we’ll upload our website project to GitHub. If you couldn’t find the page to create a new GitHub project, click on the following: Create a new GitHub repository.

This is how the page for creating a new repository looks:

Here’s something important. The name of the repository (The ‘Repository name’ field) has to be exactly the same as the username you selected when signing up for GitHub, followed by “.github.io”.

So if youselected the username “johndoe”, the repository name has to be “johndoe.github.io” here. In our case, we selected “githubpages-testing-cf”, so we’ll name the repository as “githubpages-testing-cf.github.io”.

Keep it as public and click the “Create repository” button.

Host a website step 3: Upload your website files to your code repository

Having created your code repository, you can now upload your website files.

Don’t be intimidated by all the details; we do not need to know any of it right now! Spot the “upload an existing file” (in the “Quick setup” section, just below where you see the name of the repository) and click it:

On this page, drag and drop all the files from your project folder. If you took the web development short course, this is the folder we named “portfolio”.

After your files are uploaded and listed, scroll down and add a “commit message” which is just a message that describes your action.

In our case, we added our project files, so we’ll write something like “added project files”.

When you’re done, click “Commit changes” and GitHub will take you to the repository’s homepage.

If you see this, hearty congrats! You’ve successfully posted your project to GitHub. Your website is now live—but how do you view it online? Easy…

Host a website step 4: View your website online

To view your newly published website, open a new tab in your browser and enter the address https://your-username.github.io, replacing your-username with your actual GitHub username; so if your username was “johndoe”, enter https://johndoe.github.io.

Our test accounts username was githubpages-testing-cf, so we’ll type https://githubpages-testing-cf.github.io into the browser’s address bar and press enter!

Tadaa!!

The portfolio website that we created from scratch in our free 5-day web development short course is now live on the Internet. We can share the address that we typed in the browser with anyone who has internet access and they can visit our website. Isn’t that absolutely magical?

Summary

Good job! You’ve made a great start in the beautiful world of web development by publishing your first portfolio website. If you need more inspiration for styling it, we’ve collected a whole load of tips and web development portfolio websites in this guide.

The best part? If you so choose, you can continue to host a website in exactly that way for years to come. Whenever you look back at your first website, you’ll be reminded of the start of your journey as you move ahead towards more and more interesting challenges in this new world that you’ve found.

Now that you know how host a website, now it’s time to learn how to build an app from scratch.

If you’d love to learn more about web development, check out some of the articles below.

• How to become a web developer: Everything you need to know
• 50 Web development buzzwords that all new programmers should learn 
• What is GitHub? A comprehensive tutorial for beginners

Or how code becomes an app? Or whether you even need to code to make an app, especially now in the age of AI, low/no-code tools, and “bots that can code”?

Maybe you’ve even thought of creating a “TikTok” of your own, reverse engineering the existing one, or even creating a “better version” without the issues that you might have come across.

In this article, we define an app, go through the basics of coding one, and show you step-by-step how to code an app from scratch. 

We also talk about why learning by doing is a great approach and answer some questions you might still have about how to build an app from scratch.

If you want to learn coding in general, build your first website in CareerFoundry’s free 5-day short course.

1. What is an app?
   • Types of app
   • Mobile apps vs web apps
   • Why coding a mobile app is useful
2. Understanding the basics of coding a mobile app
   • What is app development?
   • What coding language is used for mobile apps?
   • Learning the basics of coding
3. How to code an app: Step-by-step guide
   • Step One: Plan
   • Step Two: Design
   • Step Three: Set up your development environment
   • Step Four: Write unit tests
   • Step Five: Code the mobile app
   • Step Six: Test
   • Step Seven: Publish
4. Why learning by doing is a great way to learn to code
5. How to code an app FAQ

1. What is an app?

An “app,” which is short for “application,” is software that’s designed to carry out specific functions and that runs on a device.

A banking app is designed to help customers access financial services, while a dating app helps users connect with people they might want to go out with. A gaming app—surprise surprise—allows you to play a game.

Apps bundle features together, making them accessible to users. For example, you can create an account on a dating app, build a profile, and include the specifications that you want in an ideal partner. 

Types of app

There are different types of apps, categorized based on the platforms they’re built to run on:

• Native
• Hybrid
• Web
• Desktop
• Progressive web apps

Let’s briefly look at each of these:

Native apps

These are built to run on specific mobile operating systems (OSs). There are two mobile OSs: iOS (for iPhones and iPads) and Android. 

Apps built for iOS, for example, can’t function on Android—you’ll need to install a native app on your smartphone or mobile device before you can use it. You’ll find native apps in app stores (the iOS App Store and the Android Play Store).

Hybrid apps

These can run on both iOS and Android. Like native apps, you can find them in app stores. The entire or part of the app displays web content when you launch a hybrid app. 

Web apps

These are accessed via a browser and aren’t device or platform-specific. You need to be connected to the internet to interact with web apps. 

Desktop apps

As the name suggests, these are installed on computers. They’re built to run on the computer’s OS, for example, Linux, Windows, or MacOS. They’re usually not OS compatible, and you need to install the particular version built for your OS. 

Desktops apps may require internet access or not. For example, Microsoft Word doesn’t require internet access to use it. You do, however, need to be connected to the internet to access more font options, though. 

Others, like the Spotify desktop app, require an internet connection to stream music or podcasts.

Progressive web apps

Also known as PWAs, these are, in essence, web apps. However, they’re geared towards a user experience (UX) that’s akin to that of native apps on the web.

A good example of a progressive web app would be the social magazine Flipboard, which manages to transfer its excellent mobile experience across onto the browser.

Mobile apps vs web apps

Let’s spend a little more time on mobile and web apps. 

Web and mobile apps have a lot of similarities. This is because web apps are optimized to “fit” the screen size on which you view them. This is known as “responsiveness.”

You’ll therefore see the same content when you view the same brand’s web or mobile app. For example, your WhatsApp messages look the same on your phone and on a laptop when you use WhatsApp Web.

There are, however, a few differences. For example, on your mobile device, the placement of the message icon is different from the web version.

Apart from the miniature differences in the way content is displayed on the web and in mobile apps, there are bigger distinctions between the two. 

Speed

Mobile apps tend to be faster than web apps, especially when you view the latter on a mobile device. This is because mobile apps are optimized to run on a specific OS and even hardware. 

Technologies

Mobile apps are built using specific programming languages, depending on the platforms on which they run. iOS apps are created using Swift and Objective-C, while their Android counterparts are written in Kotlin and Java. 

Hybrid apps are built with web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Known as the building blocks of the web, you can start learning how to use these languages in CareerFoundry’s free coding short course. 

These apps are then “packaged” into native apps via React Native or Apache Cordova. You can also use Flutter to build apps that run on both iOS and Android.

Flutter is based on another programming language, Dart. It’s a toolkit or software development kit (SDK), which is “packaged” with code, tools, libraries, and customizable widgets to make it easier to “convert” your hybrid app to a native app.

Learn more: What’s the Difference Between a Mobile App and a Web App?

Why coding a mobile app is useful

Why would brands need mobile apps if they already have websites, web apps, or even desktop apps? 

A lot of businesses use what’s called an “omnichannel approach.” This is where they aim to reach their customers across multiple platforms, including mobile, web, and even in person.

In addition, mobile apps allow for:

Ease of access

It’s easier to use an app while on the move, for example, your banking app to make a transaction, than having to type in your bank’s name, access internet banking, and then log in. Some native apps can be used offline too, making them more accessible to your users. 

Easier communication

Brands can easily send push notifications to a customer’s mobile device. This way, customers can be informed about offers and discounts, for example. They can then promptly take the appropriate action.

Better UX

Native apps could give a user a better UX on mobile because they can take advantage of the particular OS that they’re built for. Apps can also access phone features better, for example, the camera that customers can use to scan QR codes.

Customer acquisition

Brands can also use mobile apps to acquire new customers, increasing revenue. 

Is it useful to know how to code a mobile app as a web developer?

By all means, yes. Knowing how to code a mobile app as a web developer means that you have a more diverse skillset. You can take advantage of opportunities to build mobile apps too. 

Since businesses sometimes have both web and mobile apps, being able to build both means that you can create better user experiences on both platforms and also be paid more for your skills and knowledge.

You can also help businesses integrate the two apps to create seamless user interfaces (UIs).

2. Understanding the basics of coding a mobile app

You have an amazing idea. It might even be the next tech unicorn, or Fortnite. But before you start learning how to code an app, there are things you need to keep in mind. 

It’s important to consider the purpose of building the app, the intended audience, the platforms on which the app will run, your or your team’s skillset, and the user experience.

What is app development?

App development is simply the process of creating software that runs on a mobile device. It begins with preliminary steps such as understanding the goal, the platform on which the app will run, the type of app you want to build, and the skills you or your team possess.

Next, define your experience and navigation, as well as other supportive tools you’ll need, for example, for collaboration and communication. This will help you stay on track. 

Ultimately, once the app is complete, it’s time to test it. You can also ask your users for feedback and keep improving the app.

What coding language is used for mobile apps?

There are various programming languages used to code mobile apps, depending on the type of mobile app.

As I mentioned earlier, native apps built to run on iOS are created using Swift and Objective-C, while native apps built to run on Android are coded using Java and Kotlin.

Hybrid apps are built using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You can use a framework like React Native to achieve “native-level performance.” 

It’s important to note that you can use other programming languages that we haven’t mentioned here to build apps, but there may be more hurdles to overcome.

Now that we know what programming languages to use to build a web app, what are some coding basics that you need to learn?

Learning the basics of coding

Obviously before you learn how to code an app, you’ll have to learn how to code.

While you might want to start your app-coding journey by building a native app, the learning curve might be extremely steep and arduous.

A friendlier learning curve to get you equipped with the basics of coding is starting with web development languages like JavaScript and frontend technologies like HTML and CSS. 

This is why the CareerFoundry Full-Stack Development Program starts by teaching you these technologies with the help of a tutor and mentor, before moving on to more complex areas of web and software development.

3. How to code an app: Step-by-step guide

When you build an app from scratch, you’ll be going through what’s known as the software development life cycle (SDLC), which begins with planning and ends with deployment and maintenance. 

Step One: Plan

We’ve already come across some initial steps that you need to take when building an app. We’ve talked about:

• Defining a goal for your app
• Choosing the type of app to build
• Defining the app’s audience
• Choosing the platform 
• Deciding on the technologies
• Identifying the skillset that you have as an individual or as a team
• Determining your app’s UX and navigation

In addition, you need to create a project requirements document.

Project requirements

As you mapped out your app’s layout and UI, you hopefully gained more insights into the specific items that you need to build to achieve functionality.

These items are referred to as “features.” For example, you’d need a search button for a user to enter the type of job they’re looking for in our student job app project.

In addition to the features, we’d also need to determine the tasks that we need to carry out to successfully build the student app.

An app project requirements document (PRD) needs to be concise but should contain enough details. You can learn more about them in our product manager’s guide to the PRD.

What to include in your project requirements document

1. The goal you intend to achieve with your app
2. App features and user stories
3. User flow
4. Technologies to use
5. Assumptions and constraints

User stories are features that are more user-focused. For example, instead of saying, “Create a search button for users to enter the job they’re looking for,” you can say: “As Jamie, I want to be able to enter the job I’m looking for.”

User stories are a preferred approach as they keep the focus on the end user. As a mobile app developer, you need to keep your end user in mind at all times. This way, you’ll learn how to code an app with a great UX.

User stories are part of the Scrum framework, which is part of the Agile philosophy. An “agile” approach to development makes teams better poised to achieve their goals as they can better estimate their sprints. 

Once you’ve defined your project requirements, it’s easier to define particular goals to achieve. 

You can then use project management tools like Jira, Notion, Asana, Trello, and ClickUp to keep tabs on your project.

If you choose to use the scrum approach, you’ll begin with a backlog of a number of features to be built. You then choose the number of features to build within a single sprint, for example, 2 weeks.

You can then create a workflow like “In Progress”, “Review” and “Done”.

You can estimate how much time each task will take so as to stay on track. 

In our app example, a feature like having a button to type the job a user is looking for might seem like a simple thing to build at face value.

However, if you break it down further, you’ll have more tasks, like:

• Showing successful results after a user clicks “enter” or is done typing
• Showing a “failed” message if there are no jobs that match their criteria

To show results, you need to think about where the data is coming from. Is it from a database or from an API?

If from an API, then you need to do an API integration. If from a database, then you need to connect a database to your project. 

One feature could take an entire sprint. 

If you have a task like “API integration,” you need to move it to “in progress” when you start working on it and then to “review” or “done” when you finish.

This way, everyone on the team can see the project’s progress. Even if you’re building the app by yourself, you’re able to keep track of your progress.

Step Two: Design

Before building an app, you need to design it. You can use a pen and paper. This is known as “paper wireframing.” You can also use a whiteboard. 

A wireframe is the “skeleton” of what your app will look like eventually. The following image shows a wireframe.

As you do this, your users’ flow through the app will become clearer. 

Begin with your “home screen.” This is the first screen that your users will see. When building an app to help students in your area get part-time jobs, your home screen might ask the students to choose the kind of job they’re looking for, for example.

After they choose the job, the next screen might list the jobs available. Remember, there might be no jobs available. So you need to factor in an extra screen.

Once you’ve drafted your wireframe on paper, or at least your users’ flow through your app, you can use a tool like Figma to create a design for your app. There are a whole range of wireframe examples and templates, out there to be inspired by. 

Note that you might opt to create your wireframe directly on Figma instead of first mapping it out on paper, and that’s just fine!.There are also other tools that you can use for wireframing, like InVision, Lucidchart, and Whimsical.

Step Three: Set up your development environment 

So, you’ve already listed the technologies that you need to build your app. You need to ensure that you’ve installed them in your coding environment. 

If you’re building for Android, you need, for example, to have Android Studio installed. You also need to install some APIs in Android Studio and the Android SDK as well. 

Next, choose the Android version you want React Native to support.

Install an emulator, which you’ll use to test your app. You could use a real Android device too, or even Android Studio emulators. Installing one is recommended, though. Genymotion is a good emulator. 

When using a Macbook, you can install Android Studio as well as Genymotion. 

You also need to install the react-native command line interface (CLI) and its dependencies, like Node.js (version 4.0 or later).

You can also install Xcode if you want to set up native iOS SDKs.

The expo-cli is highly recommended if you’re new to React Native. It will make setting up React Native a bit easier. It will also help you test your app when you’re done building it. 

If you’re absolutely new to React Native, you can also use Create React Native, which is the app’s equivalent of Create React App for web apps. 

Step Four: Write unit tests

Writing unit tests is a great industry practice that will help you later on when you begin to work for a company or even take on freelance projects. 

It’s recommended that you write unit tests before you begin coding your app. This makes it easier for you to identify errors and bugs and fix them as early as possible. 

Unit tests focus on testing small pieces of code, for example, functions, objects, classes, or methods. 

In fact, React Native comes with a testing framework called “Jest” preinstalled. You can also use other testing frameworks like Mocha and Jasmine.

Some best practices to keep in mind when writing unit tests are that you should only test a single thing and that tests should be readable and maintainable.

You can learn more about tests in React Native’s documentation. 

Congratulations—you’re now all set to start writing your app’s code!

Step Five: Code the mobile app

Beginning with the first task that you defined, you can begin to write code. Some best practices that you need to follow here include backing up your code on GitHub or Bitbucket.

This way, if anything happened to your code, you could still retrieve it. 

Code repositories like GitHub are also great for collaboration. 

You need to keep track of the latest changes you’ve made to your project, something referred to as “version control” or “source control.” For this, you can install a version control system like Git.

As you write your code, you’re likely to make mistakes. Some of those mistakes may cause malfunctions in your app. 

You, therefore, want to find those mistakes and fix them, a concept referred to as “debugging.”  In order to do this, you can use Chrome DevTools, which you can find on your browser, or debug on Android Studio or Xcode. You can also use react-native-debugger.

Step Six: Test

In addition to writing and running unit tests, you also need to test your app after every sprint. This ensures that you catch any bugs and fix them before moving to the next sprint.  

You also need to test your app at the end, when it’s fully functional, to ensure that you met your users’ needs. 

As a result, we have two types of testing: integration testing and component testing.

Integration testing

In integration testing, you check whether different components of our app work in sync. You might find, for example, that an outdated dependency creates an error in another part of your app.

Component testing

Component testing involves checking whether your app does what the user intends it to. For example, if they type in a job that they’re looking for and hit enter, do they see the expected results? 

In component testing, we also check how the UI renders. Are the buttons too big, or wrongly placed on the user’s screen? 

Ultimately, you need to see your app in action. You can use an emulator or a real mobile device. It’s useful to note that with emulators, you might miss some details about the app’s performance on a mobile device or even UI interactions when a user takes an action. 

This is because the processors on laptops and devices are different, resulting in poor emulations.

Emulators also take up considerable disk space, which causes your devices to lag and your emulators to crash.

That isn’t to say that emulators can’t be used for testing. They should, however, help with debugging rather than testing for production. 

React Native recommends Genymotion. You can also use the free Android Studio emulator, or simulator, on XCode. 

To be safe, you can use both an emulator or simulator and a real mobile device. 

Step Seven: Publish

You’ve worked really hard, and you’re now ready to share your work with your users. To make the app accessible to users, you need to publish it on the Google Play Store and App Store, if your users are on both Android and iOS.

Publishing on the Google Play Store

Step 1: Create a Google Play Store account

First, you need to create a Google Play Store account. To do this, you need a Google account, which you probably already have if you use Gmail or, well, pretty much anything these days.

Step 2: Digitally sign your app

You then need to digitally sign your app using a release key. You can use Play App Signing to allow Google to manage your signing key, keep it safe, and use it to sign your app’s APK (Android Package Kit).

Google distributes and installs your app as a .apk file.

Step 3: Generate an upload key

Next, you need to generate an upload key. Google uses it to upload your app to the Play Store. You can use keytool. 

You can learn more about upload keys on React Native’s official documentation page. 

Next, you need to update the Gradle files to include keystore information. The keystore is where your keys are stored. 

Including keystore information allows your app to be signed with it.

Step 4: Generate the release build

Next, generate the release build. This is a production-ready build for Android, which simply means that we’re packaging our app in a format that the app store can work with to allow users to install it.

Our app will be generated in a format known as Android App Bundles (AAB). The AAB format helps Google generate optimized APKs, allowing for smaller app sizes across different device specifications.

Step 5: Testing

Before you upload the release build, you need to test it. 

You can also use a tool like Proguard to reduce the size of your APK.

Step 6: Gather your app information

The last step is to come up with your app’s information. Here is a short list of the app information you need to publish your app on the Play Store:

• App name
• App description
• App screenshots
• App version
• Bundle ID. This is your app’s unique identifier. Its format is “com.company.appname.” “Company” is the company’s or publisher’s name and “appname” is the app’s name.
• Developer or publisher profile.

That’s it for the Google Play Store. You’re home free!

Publishing on the Apple App Store

Step 1: Create an Apple Developer Account

First, you need to create an Apple Developer Account and enroll in the Apple Developer Program. Note that this is a paid program with an annual fee of $99.

Step 2: Use Expo

Use Expo to make it easier to publish your app on the app store.

You also need to sign up for an Expo account and install Expo Application Services.

Next, adjust some settings in your app, like your app name and slug. 

The next step is to configure your project using Expo in your terminal. 

Step 3: Configure your project

Create your app’s build by simply running an expo command on your terminal. Add a bundle identifier that will be used to uniquely identify your app.

Step 4: Set up your app on the App Store

Next, create and set up your app on App Store Connect. You can use the same credentials as your Apple Developer account. 

Add app information and screenshots. You can use screenshots from your simulator. Just like on the Play Store, you need to add details like:

• App promotional text (appears above your app’s description)
• App description
• Keywords
• Support URL
• App version
• Copyright

You also need to provide app review information that testers will use. You may also need to provide sign-in details and contact information in the event that the tester needs to contact you. 

Ensure that all the necessary app details are filled in, including pricing and a privacy policy. You need to specify pricing even if your app is free.

There are online generator tools that you can use to generate a privacy policy.

Choose whether you want to release your app manually after it has been approved or automatically. You can specify the release date for an automatic release. 

Before submitting your build to App Store Connect, you need to update details like ascAppId, which is your application ID under your app information. 

Step 5: Build

We can then run a command to submit your build to App Store Connect. Generate a key and log in to your Apple Developer account. 

Wait for the build to complete. 

Next, add compliance to your app. If it doesn’t use any encryption, choose internal testing.

Step 6: Submit your app for review

You’re now ready to submit your app for review by Apple. The review process takes around 24 hours. Fingers crossed. 

You can also use Xcode to publish your app to the app store. 

If your app is approved, then your iOS users can access it. 

It’s now time to celebrate your hard work! Your app is live on the Play Store and the App Store!

4. How to code an app FAQ

In this section, we answer some questions you might still have regarding how to code an app.

Is it hard to code a mobile app?

Coding a mobile app might seem difficult, especially when you’re a beginner. However, once you acquire some basic coding skills, you can learn how to code functional apps with great user experiences. 

How much does it cost to code a mobile app?

It all depends on who’s building it and the tools you choose to use. If you’re building it, then it will cost you time. If you place a monetary value on your time, you can calculate the cost. 

If you hire other people to do it, they’ll charge you based on their experience level. The top app developers on Upwork charge between $54 and $100 per hour.

If you hire a company to do it, they’ll charge you based on their rates, how fast you want the app developed, and the number of people on the project.

The tools you use will also determine your cost. You might choose to pay for some tools, which will increase the cost of building your app. Publishing your app on the app store means that you get to pay the Apple Developer Program’s annual fee of 99 USD.

Can I code a mobile app with Python?

Yes, you can build an app from scratch with Python, using packages like Kivy, PyQt, and the Toga library. Among these, Kivy is the most recommended, as it gives users the same UI no matter the platform that they use to access your app. You won’t also need to compile your code every time you make changes. 

Which platforms are best to create a mobile app?

Each platform is “best” depending on the type of app you’re building. You can build native iOS apps using XCode and native Android apps using Android Studio. You can also build hybrid apps in Android Studio. Other tools like Expo and Flutter make it easier to build hybrid apps for both iOS and Android. 

5. Why learning by doing is a great way to learn to code

It might seem like a paradox to say that learning by doing is the best way to learn. Don’t you need to learn something first before you can do it?

Of course, there are basics that you need to learn to lay a good foundation for your learning. For example. You’ll need to learn JavaScript’s syntax before learning React. However, once you’ve learned the basics, you need to build an app from scratch, which is the best way to learn.

When you start to build a project, you’ll be taking the acquired knowledge and skills and applying them to a particular use case. It’s more taxing than just recalling what you’ve learned.

You’ll come across challenges as you try to implement a solution like building an app. You might need to review the learned concepts and do research on how others have solved the problem that you currently face.

This is all part of learning how to code an app, and trust me, it’ll be worth it in the long run.

Why? In the end, you’ll be a better developer, as you’ll understand not only the concepts but also how to execute them in different situations and environments to solve problems. 

A true problem solver is the mark of a great developer, and it’s really what companies and individuals are looking for. Someone to help them find solutions and implement them.

It’s much easier to land a client or job when you can show that you not only understand the concepts, but can also implement them. This is why web developer portfolios are such an important part of a coder’s application materials.

6. How to Code an App: Conclusion

We’ve taken the seemingly long journey of learning how to code an app. The important thing to remember is to take it one step at a time. All the coding steps aren’t to be done in a single sitting. 

Break them up into smaller, manageable steps, and you’ll be amazed at the progress you’ll have made over a few weeks or even months, depending on how complex your project is and your skillset.

Think designing, building, testing, and publishing an app is too big a challenge for you right now? Then CareerFoundry’s free 5-day web development short course is a more gentle learning curve. In some video lessons, you’ll learn to build a responsive website with the languages HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

If you’d like to read more about the world of coding, check out these articles:

• Is HTML Hard to Learn?
• Rubber Duck Debugging: A Beginner’s Guide
• 7 Great Coding Prompts for ChatGPT: A Beginner’s Guide

You’ve likely encountered the acronym SDLC, but what precisely does it entail? In this guide, we’ll delve deep into SDLC, demystifying its significance and unraveling the seven stages that compose its framework. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a newcomer to the software development landscape, this article will provide an in-depth insight into SDLC and its role in crafting dependable and efficient software solutions.

You can jump right to a section by clicking on its heading below.

1. What is SDLC?
   • Why is the SDLC important?
2. What are the 7 phases of SDLC?
   • Phase 1 – Planning and brainstorming
   • Phase 2 – Requirements
   • Phase 3 – Design
   • Phase 4 –  Implementation
   • Phase 5 – Testing
   • Phase 6 – Deployment
   • Phase 7 – Maintenance
3. SDLC models
   • Waterfall Model
   • Agile Model
   • Spiral Model
   • Kanban Model
4. Benefits of the SDLC
5. How generative AI tools can affect the SDLC

1. What is SDLC?

SDLC is a structured approach that guides the entire software development process from inception to deployment. 

It helps ensure efficiency, quality, and successful project outcomes. By breaking down the software development process into distinct phases, SDLC provides a roadmap for developers, project managers, and stakeholders to collaborate harmoniously, allowing the team to create reliable and innovative software products.

Why is the SDLC important?

Software development is always a balance between time and resources.

Without proper planning and prioritizing, it’s easy to waste a lot of both! This means a lot of money lost for the company, unhappy customers, and frustrated employees.

To put it another way, imagine setting off on a journey without a map or any idea where you’re headed. That’s where SDLC comes in—SDLC is the map. 

SDLC helps plan things carefully and ensures software projects stay on track. It also makes sure everyone involved knows what’s going on. When people follow the SDLC process, like developers, product managers, and clients working together, projects become more organized, risks are minimized, costs are controlled, and the end result is more likely to be reliable, high-quality software.

2. What are the 7 phases of SDLC?

Phase 1: Planning and brainstorming

The first phase in the software development life cycle is, unsurprisingly, planning. 

This phase involves determining the project scope, goals, and requirements together as a team. Planning also includes creating a timeline, allocating resources, and outlining potential risks to the project’s success.

Phase 2: Requirements

Now that you have some ideas, this phase involves really digging into the project’s requirements. By the end of this stage, you should have a clear idea of your functional and non-functional requirements. Here’s an example of some requirements:

Functional requirements

The website should allow users to browse products by category, search for specific items, and add them to their shopping cart. 

The checkout process should be streamlined and intuitive, minimizing the number of steps required for a user to complete a purchase.

Non-functional requirements

The website should be responsive and provide a consistent user experience across different devices and screen sizes. 

The website should be able to handle a minimum of 1000 concurrent users without significant performance degradation, especially during peak shopping seasons.

Phase 3: Design

Now that you know what the program or feature should do, it’s time to get visual. 

During this phase, the software’s architecture, user interface, and system components are designed. 

The goal is to create a blueprint that developers can follow to build the actual software. Here tools like Figma or Adobe InVision might be used.

Phase 4: Implementation

Only after we’ve thoroughly thought about what the software should do and how it should look, do we write any code! 

Also known as coding or development, this phase involves turning the design into working code. Developers write the actual software using programming languages and tools.

Phase 5: Testing

In this phase the software will undergo testing to make sure it’s free of errors and bugs before it reaches production and the user. 

This might be manual and/or automated testing, depending on the QA process of the team. This ensures that the software functions as intended and meets the defined requirements. 

Here we also determine how the new code will integrate into existing systems, software, and processes.

Phase 6: Deployment

After thorough testing the software is deployed to real users. The code will be merged to production and released. This phase may also involve marketing the new product or feature so people know about its existence and adding release notes.

Phase 7: Maintenance

The final phase of the SDLC involves ongoing maintenance and support for the software. 

This includes addressing any issues or bugs that arise, making updates to improve functionality, and ensuring the software remains compatible with evolving technologies.

3. SDLC models

There are different approaches to managing the software development process, catering to varying project requirements, team dynamics, and risk tolerances.

Choosing the right model depends on factors such as project scope, customer engagement, development team size, and the ability to accommodate changes during the development process.

Here’s a breakdown of four popular SDLC models you might come across:

Waterfall Model

The Waterfall model is a linear approach where development progresses through distinct phases, from requirements gathering to maintenance, without revisiting previous stages. 

It’s suitable for projects with well-defined and stable requirements.

Agile Model

Agile is an iterative approach that emphasizes collaboration and adaptability, breaking projects into smaller sprints for incremental development and frequent customer feedback. 

Definitely one of the most popular models in the past decades, Agile is ideal for projects where requirements evolve and customer involvement is crucial.

If you want to look closer at how they differ, we’ve created a comparison of Waterfall vs Agile methods.

Spiral Model

The Spiral model combines iterative development with risk assessment, involving repeated cycles of planning, risk analysis, engineering, and evaluation.

It’s best suited for complex projects where risk management and flexibility are key priorities.

Kanban Model

Kanban is a visual and flexible approach to software development that focuses on continuous delivery and optimizing workflow. 

Work items are represented as cards on a visual board, and teams pull work from one stage to the next as capacity allows. It’s ideal for projects with changing priorities.

We’ve also created a comparison of Kanban vs Scrum, more from a product management point of view, but definitely useful for developers.

4. Benefits of the SDLC

Using the Software Development Life Cycle helps keep things organized when making software, making sure everyone knows what to do and when. 

In short, the SDLC:

• makes projects safer
• gets people working together better
• ensures the software works well and does what it’s supposed to

Basically, SDLC helps make sure you’re on the right path to making awesome software that does the job right.

5. How generative AI tools can affect the SDLC

Generative AI tools have the potential to significantly impact the SDLC. 

These tools, powered by artificial intelligence, can automate various stages of the SDLC, such as coding, testing, and even generating design elements. This can speed up the development process, reduce human errors, and enhance efficiency. 

Additionally, generative AI tools can aid in creating prototypes and simulations, enabling developers to visualize the software’s behavior before implementation.

Here are the top five ways generative AI tools that are playing a role in SDLC:

Automated Coding

Generative AI can accelerate coding by suggesting code snippets and even generating complete functions, reducing manual effort, and speeding up development. 

Some examples of tools: GitHub Copilot and Tabnine.

Efficient Testing

AI-driven testing tools automatically create test cases, simulate user interactions, and detect potential bugs, resulting in faster testing cycles and improved software quality. 

Some examples: Applitools, Katalon.

Enhanced Design

Generative AI aids designers in creating prototypes, layouts, and visual elements, streamlining design iterations and fostering rapid innovation.

Some examples: RunwayML and Adobe Sensei.

Natural Language Processing

AI-powered language models enhance communication between stakeholders and developers by understanding and processing user queries accurately. 

Learn more about how they work in our full guide to NLP algorithms.

Some examples: Google’s BERT and IBM’s Watson.

Bug Detection and Resolution

AI tools can identify coding errors, security vulnerabilities, and potential issues, ensuring a more reliable and secure end product. 

Some examples: DeepCode by Synk and Amazon’s CodeGuru.

Keep in mind, while these tools are great at speeding up efficiency and finding errors, they still have errors and biases. Careful implementation and human oversight is still essential to maintain a high standard of software development!

Read more: AI Programming Tools You Should Know

Wrap-up

The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a roadmap for designing and deploying software. 

It guides developers and teams through planning, designing, testing, and finally releasing new code. As a software engineer, knowing SDLC helps you make software that’s organized, reliable, and gets the job done right. 

As technology advances, new tools like generative AI are shaking up the SDLC process, making development even faster and more exciting. So, whether you’re coding or designing, SDLC is your key to crafting software that stands out in the digital world.

If you were intrigued want to learn more about web development, then why not try it for yourself? Try CareerFoundry’s free 5-day coding short course to see if the life as a web developer could be for you. In it, you’ll get to grips with building and styling your first website with the languages HTML, CSS, and adding functionality with JavaScript.

If you’d like to read more about the world of web development, check out these articles:

• Why AI Won’t Replace Web Developers Anytime Soon
• How to Become a Web Developer — Everything You Need to Know
• What is a DevOps Engineer? A Beginner’s Guide

To provide some real-life insight, we asked our in-house web developer Sam to talk us through his typical working day.

Having originally trained as a musician, Sam decided to make the switch to web development. After taking the CareerFoundry web development program, he started out as a junior developer and now leads a team of three.

Here, he tells us how he goes about his day, what challenges he faces and what keeps him motivated. If you’d like to follow in his footsteps, scroll to the end of the article to watch a video he made about how to become a web developer.

Over to you, Sam:

A day in the life of a developer: Sam’s routine

8.45am

I usually get into the office somewhere between eight-thirty and nine, before the hubbub starts. This is the best time to get some peace and quiet, and gives me the chance to get organized for the day ahead.

I spend about 45 minutes sifting through my emails and Slack messages.

I’m a zero-inbox person, so the only emails in my inbox are open tasks that I need to work on or respond to—everything else is archived. I’ll then check for errors and bug reports to see if any issues cropped up while I was gone, and prioritize my to-do list accordingly.

9.45am

Time to grab a coffee before our team meeting. Each morning we get together for an hour or so to discuss our weekly sprint goals.

We talk about what we did the day before, what we’ll focus on for the day ahead, and any obstacles we’re currently facing. This allows us to make sure we’re on track as a team and to plan the rest of the week.

10.45am

Now the real work begins. With the first meeting out of the way, I’ll get stuck into my high priority tasks. This might be something left over from the day before, or an urgent bug that needs fixing. In the absence of emergencies, I simply make a start on my to-do list.

We use a project management tool called Ora for agile planning and time tracking, so I’ll get the next project from Ora and start tracking my time. At this point, I tend to stick my headphones on and work independently to a bit of classical music.

We do also practice pair programming, so depending on the task at hand, I might sit with one of the other developers so we can work on it together. This is a fairly common practice in the web development industry, and basically enables us to pool our knowledge and brainpower to find the best solutions.

Once I’m done with a task, I submit my code for review. I upload it to the testing server and to GitHub with a comment on what I’ve done and why, any changes I’ve made and instructions on how to test it. I’ll then mark it for review so that my team sees.

We operate a policy whereby all code has to be reviewed by at least one other team member, which is why version control systems are vital tools. Once I’ve submitted my code for review, I’ll stop the time tracking in Ora and move that task to the QA column.

1pm

By now I’m pretty hungry and ready for a break, so we all head out for lunch.

I tend to go out for lunch as I think it’s really important to get out of the office and interrupt your workflow for a bit. We talk politics, philosophy, bitcoin, and family life over burgers before heading back to the office.

2pm

After lunch, I grab my second hit of caffeine before the next round of meetings begins. Next up we meet with the design team for project handover.

They present their UI designs, walking us through everything, and we can ask questions and start thinking about how we might translate their designs into code.

The meeting lasts about an hour, and once it’s finished, we make a card in Ora summarizing this particular project. It’s then added to our backlog of tasks.

3pm

Back at my desk, I take the next card from the sprint planning column in Ora and start the time tracker.

The time tracker helps us plan our time more efficiently—we get a good overview of how much time we’re spending on what, and we can make realistic estimates for future projects. Once I’ve finished my task, I’ll move it to the QA column in Ora.

5pm

I spend the last hour of the day tying up any loose ends and getting ready for tomorrow.

I’ll check the projects that I submitted before lunch to see if they’ve been reviewed yet. If they have, I’ll go through the feedback and apply all the changes requested, and then re-submit for further review. I’ll then attend to any bug fixes or requests from the other developers, and review any code that has been submitted.

If I have time, I like to end the day by watching a video tutorial. At the moment, I’m learning about frontend testing with Jest, a testing framework for the language JavaScript.

6pm

Around six, I close my laptop and head home. I generally don’t work overtime unless there’s something really urgent to deal with.

As long as I’ve wrapped everything up and know what I’m doing the next day, I’m ready to leave on time.

6.30pm onwards

Some evenings, I’ll work on freelance projects after I’ve had dinner and spent some time with my family.

Otherwise, I like to unwind by watching TV or playing piano. Generally, I try to take a break from programming—however, ideas often come to me as I’m in bed falling asleep, so I grab my phone, type out a quick email to myself and send it to my work address.

I don’t have my work email or calendar on my phone, as I prefer to have some separation and try to leave my work in the office as much as I can.

The day in review

Reflecting on a typical working day, I’d say I spend 50% of my time on project work, 25% in meetings and on general communication, and the remaining 25% working on immediate requests and bugs.

My daily toolkit consists mainly of Ora the project management tool, Slack and Gmail for internal communication, GitHub for code version control, Atom for text editing, Google Keep for note-taking, Zeplin and Sketch for design hand-off, and Google Drive for anything miscellaneous.

The biggest challenge to my productivity on a daily basis is definitely the ad-hoc requests I get from other teams. Slack can be really distracting, but it’s also a communications tool we just couldn’t do without.

It’s important to manage other people’s expectations and to balance the act of responding to urgent error reports, and knowing when to shut yourself off and focus on the larger projects.

Finally, I wouldn’t be nearly as effective at my job if I didn’t like our product. Being passionate about what the company does keeps me motivated from day to day: I go to work each morning knowing that what I’m working on has a direct and visible impact. I can see things improving as a result of my work, and that’s really satisfying.

Wrap-up

I hope you enjoyed reading about Sam’s day, and got a lot of insights into what a programmer’s day-to-day is actually like.

If you were intrigued want to learn more about web development, then why not try it for yourself? Try our free 5-day coding short course to see if the life as a web developer could be for you. In it, you’ll get to grips with building and styling your first website with the languages HTML, CSS, and adding functionality with JavaScript.

Just want to read more about the world of coding? Check out these articles:

• What Does a Web Developer Actually Do? An Expert Explains
• What is Bootstrap: A Beginner’s Guide
• The 8 Biggest Web Development Trends at the Moment

To enter the tech field as a web developer, you must select and master a frontend framework. 

The good news: mastering JavaScript establishes a solid base, making it easy to switch between frameworks with minor adjustments. Yet, the extensive JavaScript ecosystem offers numerous excellent frameworks to pick from.

In this guide, I’ll present to you the most popular JavaScript frameworks, highlighting their pros and cons, helping you choose the best to jumpstart your career and enter the tech world as a web developer.

To skip to a specific framework you might be interested in, use the section below:

1. What is a JavaScript framework?
2. The 8 best JavaScript frameworks for beginners
   • React
   • Angular
   • Vue.js
   • Node.js
   • Express
   • Svelte
   • Ember.js
   • Next.js
3. Getting started with JavaScript frameworks
4. JavaScript framework FAQ
5. Where to go from here

1. What is a JavaScript framework?

JavaScript alone is enough to build any web application from scratch. However, as the application grows, the amount of complicated code you’d need to write would be tremendous. Frameworks come to help us by providing us with a set of tools, libraries, and infrastructures we can use to create our web applications much more easily.

For example, a framework such as Vue will provide you with utilities to handle user events (click, hover), routing, data-binding, animations. All things you could do with JavaScript alone, yet wasting a lot of time trying to pull everything together by yourself.

2. The 8 best JavaScript frameworks for beginners

Let’s now dive deeper into each JavaScript framework, discovering its pros and cons.

React

According to the 2023 Stack Overflow Developer survey, React still confirms itself as one of the most popular JavaScript technologies to create web interfaces with. 

This tool is everywhere, and thanks to its huge community, great support and amazing possibilities for large scale projects, React has become the industry choice for web apps.

In short, React still is the go-to choice to find a job as a frontend developer, and it will probably remain so for many years to come.

Pros of React

Large community to support it

Thanks to its popularity, React has a huge community of supporters. This in turn makes the development experience much better, as you will have a ton of resources, courses, workshops to look for to learn and improve your React skills.

Huge amount of packages and utilities

Another upside of the tool’s popularity is the large amount of packages and utilities people created around it, allowing you to create virtually any project you can think of.

Top choice to enter the professional industry

React is the absolute best choice of JavaScript framework to increase your chances to find a job as a professional developer, and to future-proof yourself with an in-demand technology.

Reusable components

React approaches web interfaces by letting you create reusable components, which you can place across your app to save time and effort.

SEO friendly 

React is one of the best frameworks to let search engines index your web pages.

Cons of React

Harder to learn

Due to concepts like state management, lifecycle events and JSX, you may find React harder to learn compared to other frameworks like Vue. 

Documentation

While this pain point has been greatly improved lately with the framework new docs, React’s documentation has been known to be of poor quality and being not always updated.

No strict conventions

React doesn’t force you to write code using a specific pattern. Hence, developers will write React code in different ways, leading to potential problems in large scale environments.

Components can get messy

Since React implements the component logic in the same place where they’re rendered, things can get messy pretty quickly, making components harder to understand. 

Angular

Angular is a JavaScript framework developed to create single-page applications using the MVC model (Model-View-Controller), meaning you will have a logical separation between the presentation part and the logic part. 

While this framework is still used by 19% of professional developers, the releases of React and Vue casted a shadow over it, with new developers preferring to learn React thanks to its widespread use and work possibilities, or Vue for its simplicity.

We’ve created a full comparison of Angular vs React for you to learn more about the differences between them.

Pros of Angular

MVC

The MVC model offers a classic separation between view and logic, exactly as you would find it in HTML and JavaScript, making Angular familiar to new devs.

Lots of features

Angular provides a ton of features straight out of the box, from routing to state management. 

Cons of Angular

Complex to use

Due to its complexity, Angular is more complex to learn compared to its peers React and Vue.

Not so widespread anymore

With the release of React and Vue, Angular is not so widespread anymore, with React being a much better choice to find a job as a developer.

You must learn TypeScript

To use Angular, you’re forced to use TypeScript, which adds a further learning curve for new developers.

Vue.js

Developed in 2014 by Googler Evan You, Vue.js is an open-source lightweight framework which allows you to create web applications with ease and great performance.

Despite Vue.js being significantly smaller than React and Angular, it gained progressive popularity in the last few years.

This is thanks to its ease of use and great documentation, which make it an amazing choice for beginner developers to jump into the world of JavaScript frameworks.

Pros of Vue

Easy to learn

Thanks to its simplicity and its use of HTML templates, Vue has a much more progressive learning curve than Angular and React without requiring you to learn JSX or TypeScript to use.

Great documentation 

Vue has an amazing, extensive documentation, whose authors keep updating and curing to give developers the best experience possible while using the framework.

Lightweight

With a size of just 18kb , Vue is an extremely light framework that will help you create highly performant web applications.

Can be integrated into existing apps 

Apart from being used as a framework to create an app from scratch, Vue can be progressively integrated into an existing web application without any troubles in creating new components.

Great for beginner JavaScript developers

To build their first complex apps using a framework.

Cons of Vue

Less plugins and libraries

Compared to its more mature peers Angular and React, Vue offers a significantly smaller number of additional plugins and libraries, which may be limiting to some developers.

Overly flexible

Vue offers great flexibility for developers to adopt their preferred patterns to write code. This approach can create significant problems since there can be “no best way” of writing Vue code, leading to different parts of the code being written in completely different ways.

Node.js

Contrary to most other JavaScript frameworks on this list, Node.js is not technically a framework, but a backend environment in which you write JavaScript.

This tool is widely adopted by millions of developers around the world, standing once again as the number one web technology on the 2023 Stack Overflow Developer survey.

Today, Node.js is loved by thousands of companies, thanks to its robustness, speed and ease of use, with a huge community of developers supporting it, making this framework the best choice for you if you want to jump into the backend side of web development.

Pros of Node.js

Based on JavaScript

Allowing developers to switch between frontend and backend code easily.

Huge community of developers

With a large and vibrant dev community online, learning how to use Node as well as troubleshooting it are simpler.

Sought-after

Thousands of companies are always looking for backend developers who can use Node effectively.

Fast and efficient

Thanks to its optimized JavaScript V8 engine, making it a great choice for large scale applications. 

Cons of Node.js

Prone to callback hell

A situation referred to as “callback hell” can happen in Node, when the way the code is written to carry out tasks makes it confusing and difficult to understand, like a puzzle.

Hard to master

While it is incredibly useful and key for any ambitious JavaScript developer who wants to become full-stack, getting a good handle on Node.js can take time. A good mentored JavaScript bootcamp or course can really help in this respect.

Single-Threaded

Node is single threaded by nature, This factor can lead to challenges in handling CPU-intensive tasks and might require additional techniques to manage concurrent operations effectively.

Express

Express is a powerful JavaScript framework for Node.js. 

It provides a set of features to build backend APIs like routing, middleware management and request handling. This framework is often the foundation of building backend applications and it’s currently used by thousands of companies worldwide.

Pros of Express

Large community of developers behind it

As with Node itself, a thriving and dedicated community will make your life easier when learning and applying Express.

Great opportunity to find jobs as a backend developer

Having Express in your toolkit will really help increase your employability, opening up working as a backend developer.

Rapid development

Thanks to its great amount of features, Express will help you develop backend applications quickly and efficiently.

Cons of Express

Harder to master

Similarly, becoming fully proficient in Express can take some time and perseverance.

Potential security issues

Many users of Express have reported problems with the security integrity of some applications built using it.

Svelte

Svelte is a modern framework used to create web applications. 

Unlike its competitors, Svelte approaches creating interfaces in a unique way, compiling your components into highly optimized JavaScript code, instead of interpreting code during runtime. This results in amazing app performances and small bundle sizes, eliminating the need for a virtual DOM.

Pros of Svelte

Efficient performances

Small bundle size

Great learning curve

This is thanks to Svelte’s easy syntax.

No virtual DOM

Removing a big overhead of knowledge you will need to gain.

Simplicity and readability

Cons of Svelte

Limited adoption

Despite its many pros, Svelte is still an emerging technology, with limited job postings and a community dedicated to it.

Ember.js

While Ember has never found true, large-scale success like other frameworks, I still mention it here, as many high profile companies like Netflix, Twitch and Linkedin are using it as part of their platforms. 

Pros of Ember.js

Great documentation

Reinforces structure

meaning all Ember apps will have the same structure, making it easy for devs to jump between projects.

Built-in CLI

used to debug your projects, install dependencies and set up new projects.

Cons of Ember.js

Steep learning curve:

compared to tools like React or Vue.

Not so popular:

Compared to its competitors, Ember suffers in popularity and, consequently, you will find less job opportunities for this framework.

Highly opinionated: 

Ember enforces a “best way” of using the framework, which you will need to learn and come to terms with if you want to use the tool.

Next.js

Next.js is a modern JavaScript framework built on top of React. This tool extends modern React features, and adds new ones to create highly-performant applications, like server-side-rendering and automatic static optimization.

Next has found great popularity in recent years, and I see it progressively becoming a new standard for React developers to create their apps.

Many companies are also adopting Next as the tools support better SEO, faster development and performance optimizations are hard to ignore for large organizations, making Next.js a great choice for existing React developers.

Pros of Next.js

Great for SEO

Thanks to its capability for server-side-rendering, building in Next scores well with search engine crawlers, boosting your pages on Google.

Build hybrid apps

Allows devs to create static apps that behave like dynamic ones.

Great for job hunting

More and more companies are turning to Next for their React projects, making it a very attractive JavaScript framework for job hunters.

Build React apps faster:

This is thanks to all the features Next offers.

Large community surrounding the project

Next has a thriving community of devs around it, with multiple resources you can use to build amazing apps for your portfolio.

Cons of Next.js

You will need to learn how to create React apps using Next.js

Thought you could avoid having to learn React first? Not quite.

No built-in state management

Next.js lacks a pre-built system for handling changing data, which is called state management. As a result devs must choose and implement their own method, which can be more complex but allows customization to suit specific project needs.

3. Getting started with JavaScript frameworks

Many people who want to learn a JavaScript framework make the error of jumping straight into one, without making sure to have a rock-solid JavaScript foundation first.

If you want to gain the ability to master any framework, first you need to become really good at JavaScript. In the end, these frameworks are just additions to the language itself. New technologies come and go constantly, and it’s only with a great foundation that you will be able to tackle any new tool with ease.

If you need a course that will make you great at JavaScript as well as several of its frameworks, you can enroll in our Full-Stack Web Development Program, where you’ll be able to build the ideal knowledge from start to finish to be able to create amazing web applications, and finally become a professional web developer.

4. JavaScript framework FAQ

What are the JavaScript most famous frameworks and libraries?

According to the 2023 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, the most famous JavaScript frameworks are React, Node, and jQuery.

Do people still use jQuery?

Yes, jQuery is still used on millions of websites thanks to its popularity then it was released in 2006, making it the most popular JavaScript library in use in the world.

5. Where to go from here?

In this article you’ve learned about the different JavaScript frameworks, and the role they play in the modern web development scene. Now, you’re ready to pick the best choice for you and start developing your first project using a framework.

If you’re unsure about how to master JavaScript and need more guidance in picking a framework, we can do that for you. With their Full-Stack Web Development Program, CareerFoundry teach you JavaScript inside-out, as well as several of its frameworks, jumpstarting your tech career.

A solid knowledge of the basics of JavaScript as well as how to use frameworks will mean you’ll be ready to tackle any frontend framework that will arise in the future.

If you’d like to learn more about JavaScript and coding in general, check out these articles:

• How Long Does It Take To Learn JavaScript? Advice From A Senior Developer
  
• Our Guide to the Best Entry-Level Programming Jobs
• Rubber Duck Debugging: A Beginner’s Guide

You know you’ve got the skills to do the job. The question is, how do you communicate that to hiring managers? How do you impress at the interview stage? How do you make sure you even get an interview in the first place?

In this guide, I’ll show you how to get a job as a web developer. If you’re just starting coding, try this free 5-day coding course to see if it’s for you.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

1. Is it possible to get a web developer job without professional experience?
2. How to gain experience that will help you land a job
3. Where to look for web developer jobs
4. How to make sure your application stands out (including portfolio tips)
5. How to network as a newbie in the web development industry
6. How to ace your first web development interview

1. Is it possible to get a web developer job without professional experience?

It’s that classic conundrum that many jobseekers and career-changers face. Lots of employers want you to have experience, but how do you get experience without a job in web development?

The great news is that developers and software engineers are at a particular advantage here. Because coding has so many applications and there’s so much demand for these skills, there’s a whole host of projects and ways that you can build up your experience.

How career-change programs can help

A lot of these examples will be detailed more in the next section, but for now I’d like to talk about how career-change programs such as CareerFoundry’s Full-Stack Web Development Program are designed to build on this demand and allow you to walk into a professional job after you complete it.

Essentially, the program is designed to give you experience as you go through the program itself. We’ve purposefully chosen subjects and projects which are relevant to areas that are easy to break into as someone who has changed careers into coding.

Career-changers already have experience

If you’re fretting about this need for real-world experience when applying for web development roles, remember that as a career-changer you already have real-world experience.

By harnessing that experience from your previous career and combining it with the practical coding skills and projects you’ve worked on, you can develop your own personal brand to impress employers.

Not convinced it’s possible? If you any developers you might know how they got into coding, you’d be surprised how many of them came from surprising backgrounds. CareerFoundry have helped dancers, community managers, and Uber drivers successfully become professional developers.

2. How can I gain valuable experience that will help me land a job?

Fortunately for web developers, there are plenty of ways to put your in-demand skills to good use. Here’s how you can get hands-on with programming before you’re officially hired:

Volunteer your programming skills

Volunteering is a great way to gain real-world experience and add some interesting projects to your portfolio. Not only will you be gaining valuable experience; you’ll also be giving something back to the community. Win-win!

Pick up freelance work

When you’re trying to establish yourself as a bonafide developer, freelance gigs will help you to build credibility.

Check sites like Upwork and fiverr for ad-hoc projects. It may also be worth approaching smaller local companies to see if they could use your services. This might not be the most lucrative endeavour of your career, but it sends a clear message to employers: you’ve got real-world skills and you’re ready to use them!

Get involved in open-source projects

Open-source projects consist of publicly available source code that anyone can modify—and they’re great for new coders wondering how to get a job in web development.

As well as putting your skills into practice, open-source projects give you the opportunity to work collaboratively with other developers. You can find a broad range of open-source projects on GitHub.

Never stop building!

When it comes to convincing employers that you’re job-ready, it’s all about getting hands-on and putting your skills into action.

Therefore, it’s really important to keep learning and building. The more projects you work on—be they open source, volunteer or freelance—the more you will have to talk about in the interview room.

Keeping up with projects and trying new things out is a great way to improve your coding chops. So get involved!

3. Where should I look for web development jobs?

While gaining as much real-world experience as possible, you also need to come up with a solid job-search strategy.

Web development is an extremely broad field, and there are so many different avenues you can pursue. Before you start browsing for jobs, you need to consider what you’re looking for and use this to streamline your search.

Tailoring your job search

Your job search should be tailored to both your existing skills and your goals for the future.

If you want to focus on frontend development, it makes sense to apply for frontend roles. However, if you have plans to branch out into backend development later on, check for roles that might accommodate this.

At the same time, think about the kind of setting you would most like to work in. Before you start searching, consider the following questions:

• What specific area of web development do you want to focus on?
• Would you thrive in a startup environment, or are you more at home in a big corporation?
• Do you want to be part of a small or large team?
• What industries and products are you passionate about?
• Would you prefer to work in-office, remotely, or in a hybrid of the two?
• Are you willing to travel or relocate?

We’re not encouraging you to be fussy. However, having a good idea of what you want will make your job search much more efficient.

Web development job titles

We’ve already seen that the world of coding is absolutely filled with its own buzzwords to learn. Unfortunately this doesn’t stop at the different tools and technologies you’ll be using—there’s a wide variety of job titles in the field as well.

If you want to master how to get a job as a web developer, you’ll need to be clear on which kind you are becoming. To help you out with decoding some of these, we’ve collected a few of the more common ones and what they generally mean.

Frontend developer

Also known as client-side development, these developers focus on what the users interact with on websites. If you’re interested in this path, created an article with all the steps you need to become a frontend developer.

Because a lot of their work is to do with building style elements for webpages and apps, frontend developers commonly find themselves working with UX designers. You can learn more about it in this guide to the UX-web dev relationship.

Backend developer

Otherwise known as server-side development, backend developers work more with the organizing and storing of information in databases.

If you want to learn more about how the two disciplines differ, we’ve illustrated the difference between frontend and backend development using…well…dog treats.

Full-stack developer

The final piece of the puzzle, these are developers who are expected to be able to carry out front- and backend development. Because of the wide range of expertise required, full-stack developer salaries are often quite a bit higher than their counterparts.

Software engineer

While these terms originally denoted different roles, they are used so interchangeably of late that it’s always worth checking out the rest of the job ad to see what skills and tools they are looking for.

We’ve created a guide to try to untangle web development from software engineering. Generally, engineer positions command a higher salary than developer ones.

Programmer

Don’t worry, a programmer and a developer are essentially one and the same. However, programming vs coding can sometimes be different, depending on the context.

iOS / Android Developer

These are programmers who are skilled in working in Mobile App development, either Apple’s iOS system or the Android system common on the majority of smartphones and tablets.

Ultimately when you’re looking at job ads, it’s important to bear in mind that the meanings behind titles can change depending on country, industry, and company. Because of this, make sure that you examine the job ad itself, to see which technologies they are asking for and tasks the company is expecting. This should give you a better idea.

Useful web development job portals

Now you know what you’re looking for, it’ll be much easier to find suitable roles. There are plenty of places to look for web developer jobs. Some of the most popular online portals include:

• LinkedIn
• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• AngelList
• Authentic Jobs
• IT Job Pro
• CyberCoders
• Smashing Jobs
• The Muse

Besides the internet, opportunity may also be lurking in the offline world too. Don’t be shy about asking your friends or industry contacts if they know of anyone hiring. If you’re yet to build a network, we’ve got more tips on that in section four.

4. How can I make sure my application stands out?

The next challenge in landing your first web development job is to secure an interview.

While it’s not uncommon for experienced developers to be headhunted (programmers are in high demand, after all!), those new to the industry have some convincing to do.

So how can you stand out from dozens, possibly hundreds, of other applicants? Let’s take a look at some key strategies.

Tailor your resume and cover letter

Job hunting is extremely time-consuming, and we’re all guilty of firing off loads of generic applications at once. However, recruiters will spot this a mile away, and this one-size-fits-all approach rarely pays off.

If you are serious about landing a web developer role, you must tailor your resume and cover letter to each job you apply for. This is just one of the tips in our extensive software engineer resume guide.

Pay attention to:

• Vocabulary: Recruiters (and the tools they use) will be skimming your resume for certain keywords. Pick out the most important keywords from the job description and optimize your resume for those exact terms. For the job description below, you might focus on the following keywords: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Design Thinking, agile development, JQuery, willing to travel.
• Highlighting the right skills: In both your resume and cover letter, it’s important to highlight the skills and experience that match you to the job. Even if you have an impressively broad skillset, emphasize those skills that are essential to the role.
• Providing relevant examples: Give generic claims and vague, sweeping statements a wide berth. Instead of declaring yourself “an excellent team player”, provide concrete examples of when you’ve demonstrated this.

Optimize your online profiles

When it comes to finding a job, your online presence can make or break your chances of success.

Most recruiters nowadays will search for you online, so make sure you’re making a good impression. Watch this seminar on how to impress recruiters in the tech field, and keep reading for the first steps you can take to improve your online presence.

Start by optimizing your professional profiles on sites like LinkedIn and AngelList. Make sure all the information about your skills, experience and qualifications is up-to-date, and upload a professional photo (not a selfie).

Reinforce your skills with a concise, captivating heading that sums you up in one or two sentences. For example:

“Frontend developer proficient in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, with extensive experience in the payment technology sector.”

Again, pay attention to keywords here: recruiters may be scanning for certain terms, so match your vocabulary to the kinds of jobs you’re looking for.

Finally, make sure your social media profiles are either set to private or clear of any content that might deter an employer.

Polish your portfolio

A crucial part of your application package is your web developer portfolio. Your portfolio is a personal website that should:

• Introduce you to potential employers, clients and contacts
• Summarize your skills and areas of expertise
• Showcase projects you’ve worked on
• Provide contact details
• Share links to your GitHub projects and social media accounts

Before applying for jobs, get your portfolio up-to-date with all your latest (and best) projects together with the right contact details.

And remember: Your portfolio website is not just a platform for hosting your projects—it’s a portfolio piece in itself! Go the extra mile to code in some quirky functionalities and show what you can do as a developer.

To let you know what a great site looks like, we’ve gathered 38 web developer portfolio examples for you in this guide. If you don’t have the time for all of those, take a look at these portfolios for inspiration:

• Matthew Williams, full-stack web developer
• Josue Espinosa, software engineer (don’t worry—we’ve created a guide to find what’s the difference between software engineers and web developers)

Web developer portfolio inspiration: Josue Espinosa

​​​​​Web developer portfolio inspiration: Kathryn McClintock

Share your code on GitHub

Yet another way to show employers what you’re made of: sharing your code on GitHub.

We have a full guide to GitHub for beginners, but essentially it’s a web platform which hosts code repositories. It’s considered the industry standard tool for version control—something we can also explain. On top of this, GitHub also makes it easy to follow certain coding best practices—making it a great tool for beginners.

Creating a GitHub account and making regular contributions shows potential employers that you’re actively using and expanding your skillset. Not only that: they’ll also want to see how clean you keep your code!

Make sure you have an active GitHub account in place before you send out any applications, and be sure to include a link in your resumé.

If you like, you can learn more about why GitHub is so important to web developers.

5. How can I grow my network and meet new people in the industry?

For anyone wondering how to get a job as a web developer and to break into the web development industry, networking is key.

It’s not just about finding job opportunities, either; for both new and experienced developers alike, networking can be a great source of support, mentorship and knowledge exchange. Focus on building a solid community around you and you’ll naturally open up more professional doors.

If you are completely new to the field, networking can seem like a pretty daunting task — but don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to meet fellow developers without necessarily feeling like you’re networking.

Take part in a hackathon

Hackathons provide the perfect opportunity to practice your skills and meet new people. A hackathon is basically a design sprint for programmers, bringing lots of developers together to collaborate on various projects.

You’ll be working as part of a team, so you’ll easily get talking to people while learning a lot from those around you.

Here are some useful websites for finding hackathons in your area:

• Angelhack
• Hackalist
• Devpost
• Major League Hacking

Attend tech meetups

If the idea of a hackathon seems too intense, try attending tech meetups instead. Meetup.com has something for everyone, ranging from casual beginners’ groups to more formal workshops.

You don’t need to stick purely to web development groups, either; free or low-cost meetups are a great way to explore your wider interests, be it web design, virtual reality, gaming, or something else entirely.

Real-life networking: A word on mindset

For many of us, the idea of standing awkwardly in a room full of strangers, trying to strike up a conversation while handing out business cards, is the very definition of a nightmare.

This is why, when it comes to in-person networking, it’s so important to go in with the right mindset. Try not to fixate on the idea that you are there to sell yourself.

Rather, focus on the topic at hand and use it to establish common ground with those around you. It’s not about coming away with a job offer — networking should be seen as a long-term strategy.

Make genuine connections with people and, over time, your network (and professional opportunities!) will grow organically.

Join online communities

Of course, there are also plenty of networking opportunities in the online world, with StackOverflow, WebDeveloper.com, GitHub, CodeProject, and Bytes among the most popular hangouts for developers.

Engage in discussions, share your work and keep up with the latest industry news while making valuable contacts along the way.

6. How can I impress at interview?

You’ve gained hands-on experience, networked hard and sent an outstanding application. Finally, you’ve landed an interview! Now for the final hurdle: acing the interview and securing your first web developer role.

When it comes to giving a good interview, you need to convince the interviewer that you’ve mastered the right skills and can hit the ground running. At the same time, you need to demonstrate genuine passion and enthusiasm for the role.

To help you get started, we’ve crafted a guide to the most popular web developer interview questions. For now, here’s how can you put your best foot forward:

Prepare for a coding challenge or technical test

It’s highly likely that you’ll be asked to take a coding challenge or technical test as part of the interview process. Employers want to see that you’re fully comfortable with at least HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery, so be ready to demonstrate this.

At the same time, be honest about what you do and don’t know. If you’re going for your first ever web developer role, you’re not expected to know everything. Emphasize the fact that, while you don’t know XYZ yet, you are a quick learner and would be keen to pick it up. This will earn you much more credibility than pretending to be an expert.

Research and engage

This seems like the most obvious interview advice: researching the company and knowing what they do.

However, this doesn’t mean scanning their “About” page and being able to recite their products and services. Employers want to see that you truly grasp what the company does — and most importantly, where your role as web developer fits into this.

Make sure you can talk confidently and knowledgeably about their mission and how you can contribute. Frame your answers within the context of the company, and ask questions that show you’re interested and engaged.

Before your interview:

• Check the company’s social media accounts for all their latest news and updates.
• Do some research into the person who is conducting your interview. This may help you to find some common ground!
• Research the company’s industry or niche so you’re aware of the key trends and challenges they face.

Don’t forget about teamwork!

A large part of being a good web developer is teamwork. You won’t just be coding behind a computer: you’ll need to collaborate with designers, other developers, marketers, product owners, even the CEO.

Amid all the technicalities, solid communication skills and team spirit will earn you significant bonus points. At the end of the day, employers want to be sure that you’ll work well with others and bring a positive attitude to the office.

Convey this in your interview and you’ll be well on your way to a job offer!

Final thoughts

So there you have it: the ultimate starter pack for landing your very first web developer role. Hopefully now you’ll feel a lot better about the direction you need to go in, as well as how to get there.

Remember that if you’d like to formalize your web development education, CareerFoundry’s month-long Introduction to Frontent Development Course is a great start. Fully online, mentored, and flexible, it’s a great opportunity for you to not only pick up the frontend skills necessary to make it, but also to start discovering your own web development career pathway.

Keen to learn more about the world of programming? Try these for further reading:

• The Ultimate Junior Web Developer Guide for 2023
• What does it take to become a web developer? Everything you need to know to get started
• How much will I earn as a web developer?
• What is a typical day in the life of a web developer?

There are lots of reasons why you might want to become a web developer, but what does it actually take to make it in this industry? And how do you know if you’re a good fit for a career in web development?

Nowadays programmers come from all different kinds of backgrounds, so there is no one “right” profile. This is a huge positive for those looking to switch.

Our aim is not just to help you to become a web developer, but to remind you why you’re making the right choice in the first place, and to dispel any fears. We’ll do this by first looking at the role itself and what it can involve, and then by getting you to ask yourself some key questions before you commit.

If you want to try out web development is a good career for you, try out this free 5-day coding short course.

In this article, we’ll consider:

1. What does a web developer do?
2. Are you a good fit for a career as a web developer?
3. Do you have the right background to become a web developer?
4. Is web development a good career move?
5. Next steps

By the end of the article, you should be a lot more prepared to answer the crucial question: Am I a good fit for a career as a web developer? So, let’s get to it!

1. What does a web developer do?

Before you set out to become a web developer, it’s crucial to understand what the role actually entails. We’ll give you a refresher now, but you can find a thorough explanation of what a web developer actually does in this guide.

So, quite simply, web developers build websites and applications for the internet, as well as for private networks (intranet). 

As a web developer, you can expect to do the following:

• Code new web pages
• Find and fix bugs
• Meet with stakeholders on projects
• Add new functionality to existing products
• Keep up-to-date with the latest trends
  

The role can vary a lot based on what kind of developer you are, and what sort of company or setting you work in. If you want to see what your day-to-day life might look like, check out this day-in-the-life account from a web developer. 

2. Are you a good fit for a career as a web developer?

If you’re wondering “Is web development a good career for me?” then it’s worth reflecting on what motivates you deep down.

Will working as a programmer tap into your qualities and help you thrive? Will it align with your career goals? Ask yourself the following questions: 

Do I enjoy seeing the results of my work quickly? 

This happens more rarely than we’d like in the working world—sometimes it can feel like we’re all waiting on quarterly results to tell us whether we’re doing a good job or not.

This is often not the case with coding. If you become a frontend web developer, for example, once you run the code, you can view the results instantly, in terms of how the web page looks or functions.

Do I enjoy problem-solving?

Much of a web developer’s role is about figuring out all of the different possible approaches to a situation and then deciding on which is best.

You’ll find yourself using this not only when deciding how to code a project, but also frequently when it comes to fixing bugs in your code. Often, these tasks require you to come up with a creative solution.

Another quality you will need for this is tenacity—you will need to keep trying different potential solutions, and have the patience to stick with it and not become disillusioned.

Am I creative?

A common misconception about web development is that it’s a purely technical exercise. However, that’s actually not the case.

Frontend developers in particular are creative in terms of how the results of their work appear visually, but all programmers need some degree of creativity. As mentioned earlier, technical problems often require creative solutions.

On top of this, code is not just for computers to read—coding expressively is a talent as well.

Would I like flexibility in my work?

If there’s one thing you’ll get from becoming a web developer, it’s flexibility. Within a company, you will have the flexibility to work collaboratively with a wider team, or on your own. You can work in an office, from home, or even further afield as a remote web developer.

This flexibility doesn’t just extend to where you’ll be working, but also to what you work on. As you become more experienced, you’ll gain the flexibility to decide which kinds of projects you focus on.

If you choose to work as a freelance web developer, you’ll have complete freedom to pick which clients and which projects to carry out, even subcontracting others to do the parts you don’t want to do yourself.

Do I enjoy learning and keeping up with trends?

Any good web developer worth their salt is constantly learning.

The speed at which the industry progresses means that there are always new tools, frameworks, and technologies coming on stream that will allow you to achieve more functionality or to work more efficiently.  

So if you have a love of learning and keeping on top of trends, then web development is a good career for you.

Do you want to make an area your own?

As well as constantly learning, gradually you’ll begin to find your own niche as a web developer.

This could be working with a particular API, or a certain style of coding for WordPress blogs, or using a web framework for data integration, for example.

If specializing in one area and potentially getting a steady stream of clients out of it appeals to you, you’ll find that web development is a great field to do so.

3. Do you have the right background to become a web developer?

We’ve already talked about how there’s no must-have qualification, degree, or certification to become a web developer. But let’s look again at why you should stop worrying about not having the “right” background.

The simple truth here is that there is so much demand for web developers, your background is not that important to most employers. Overall, there is a skills shortage for web developers, in North America and elsewhere. The Covid-19 pandemic not only increased the demand due to the increased digitization of many sectors, but also the amount of people switching careers.

This means that now more than ever, your professional or educational background prior to web development will not affect your ability to break into the field and get hired.

In other words, you don’t need to have been coding from day one; as long as you learn the necessary skills, and can demonstrate them to employers, you’ll be considered a qualified candidate.

There is no one ideal background—people come from everywhere to learn to code. Prospective employers will be looking more at your portfolio projects and coding tests.

Still don’t believe it? Just take a look at some of CareerFoundry’s graduates, some of whom transitioned from being a professional dancer and an Uber driver to becoming web developers.

4. Is a web development a good career move?

There are many standout benefits of a career in web development. Chief among them are:

• Job satisfaction
• Salary level
• Remote working
• Global working opportunities
• Possibilities within your own company

Let’s go through each of these in turn.

Job satisfaction

No matter which career you want to switch to, you want to know that you’ll be happy there.

According to the Stack Overflow Survey, there’s a strong likelihood of that happening. Over 70% of developers surveyed reported that they were satisfied with their jobs, with the majority very satisfied.

So, if you’re looking for an occupation that you are more than likely to be very happy in, web development is a good move.

Salary level

In terms of what can make you happy, money isn’t everything in life, but it can certainly help.

Those considering a career move to web development will definitely find the relatively high average salaries encouraging. Our salary research has shown that you should be able to command a good salary. For example, in the U.S. the average developer salary is $82,460, well above the national average.

What’s more, these salaries only increase with experience.

This applies to a range of development job titles and areas of specialty. For an idea of how much you could earn, check out our guides:

• Software engineer salary guide
• Full-stack web developer salary guide
• JavaScript developer salary guide
• Python developer salary guide
• Computer programmer salary guide

Remote working possibilities

Long before the pandemic brought the benefits of working remotely to wider sections of the global workforce, developers have been able to choose where to work.

Of 73,810 developers surveyed by Stack Overflow in 2023, the vast majority of professional coders were working from home at least part of the time. That majority is split between 41.41% working entirely from home, and 42.18% who have a hybrid set-up, where they go into the office at least once per month.

While not just saving commuting time and costs, the benefits this flexibility brings to the home life of developers is huge. Those who are caring for family members or who have children or pets are particularly advantaged by this.

Global working opportunities

As a result of the remote working, becoming a programmer is like being given a passport to the world. This is because coding languages are universal, and developers are in demand across the globe.

With web development skills in your repertoire, it’s entirely possible to move elsewhere and get hired easily.

And, no matter where in the world you end up, you’ll find that English is the most common language used in the field, so you won’t necessarily need to be fluent in the local language to get hired as a developer.

There are multiple opportunities for digital nomads and remote developers as well.

Possibilities within your current company

Learning to code doesn’t have to just be about a momentous career change, either. Adding web development to your skillset is an excellent career move if you want to stay within your current industry, company, or even team.

You’ll find that it opens a lot of doors for you—maybe you can help redesign the frontend of the company website, or work closer with the technical teams on certain projects. It can give you an edge and make you an (even more) invaluable employee.

5. Next steps

As you’ve seen here, working as a web developer requires creativity, tenacity, patience, and a passion for learning.

You’ll quickly find that soon you’ll start feeling the benefits of coding. In return for your hard work, you can expect a whole lot of flexibility, choice, and a seriously competitive salary.

If, by now, you’ve made up your mind that web development is the career for you, then talk to one of our Program Advisors about your next steps with CareerFoundry.

If you’d like to do some further research, have a look at the following articles:

• What is a Full-Stack Web Developer Exactly?
• 18 Ways to Learn to Code
• The 10 Best Web Development Tutorials for Beginners

Wrong. In fact it’s much, much bigger than just data analysis—the advantages of learning Python for web development are plentiful.

Here’s why any web developer, whether they’re a seasoned pro or a complete newbie just starting out, should consider adding Python to their skillset.

First we’ll explore what the language itself is all about, and how Python is used by web developers. After that, we’ll take a look at how you can go about learning the basics. We’ll also consider the advantages of adding Python to your suite of languages.

If you’d like to skip ahead to a section, just select it in the table of contents:

1. What is Python?
2. What is Python used for in web development?
3. How to learn the basics of Python programming
4. Advantages of learning Python for web development
5. Next steps

1. What is Python?

Python has been blazing a trail through the tech world for the past decade, and shows no signs of stopping. Having just celebrated its 30th birthday, Python’s popularity is now almost unmatched due to its simplicity and adaptability.

In fact, according to the Stack Overflow survey, Python has been voted the developer community’s second-most desired coding language just behind JavaScript in 2023, after topping the list for the past five years in a row. It’s also top of the TIOBE index of language popularity, having finally overtaken established leader C, which has been around since before the internet itself. 

Just like JavaScript, Python is an interpreted (as opposed to compiled) language, meaning that the source code is translated instantaneously by a separate program. The most important thing to remember about this language (and a major part of the appeal of learning Python for web development) is that it prioritizes readability over anything else. In fact, the language has a set of 19 guiding principles to follow, called “The Zen of Python”. No, really.

While it’s true that the discipline you’ll most commonly hear Python being used for is data analytics, the language’s flexibility and ability to handle large amounts of data means it’s also frequently used in software and game development, image processing, AI and machine learning, and of course web development. Let’s dig a little more into the last one.

2. What is Python used for in web development?

Python’s adaptability, open-source nature, and large community have created a world of choice for web developers. The main elements key to this are its frameworks, micro-frameworks, and libraries.

When you ask about Python in web development, often the first word you’ll hear back is “Django”. This is a framework essential for developing server-side web apps, allowing coders to build very quickly without getting bogged down in fiddly details. If you need to create a web app that’s database driven and large-scale, then Django is the one for you.

Any full-stack developer worth their salt in 2023 should know their way around this framework—Django is a key advantage of learning Python for web development. We have a more complete guide to Django, but it’s worth stressing that learning how to work with it is essential for web developers looking to add Python to their repertoire.

Python also integrates with HTML, using Flask to build pages using the markup language. Flask is a micro-framework, designed more for those who want to create simpler features, such as a single-page web application (think Gmail, AirBnB, PayPal, Google Maps…)

Our daily lives are filled with countless real-life examples of Python websites and web apps, from the music we listen to to the TV we binge on at night. So, now that we know the variety of ways in which web developers employ Python code, how do you go about getting started with the language?

3. How to learn the basics of Python programming

Like any other coding language, you’ll need to get yourself familiar with the syntax and basic concepts of Python first. Next, you’ll need to look at data structures, file handling, and other operations in the language. 

It’s important to remember that like JavaScript, Ruby, and PHP, Python is typically an Object-Oriented programming language. This means that you’ll have to get to know how the OOP paradigm works. While it can support procedural and functional programming as well, you won’t tend to be using that approach for web development.

Make sure to start by downloading the language—it’s important to note that Python is completely free! You’ll also find that it comes as part of many package tools, such as Anaconda, or pre-installed on devices such as the MacBook Pro. To bring you up to speed on the features of Python 3.8, we’ve created a beginner’s guide to the release. For taking your first steps, you’ll find a useful tutorial on their official website.

Next, you can start having some fun by playing around with the code itself. The best way to do this, like we recommend with all coding, is to build something first. If you don’t feel like starting from complete scratch, then you’ll find the Python Standard Library full of resources. 

If you’re looking to bring a little more structure to your Python learning, a free coding bootcamp is an excellent way to take things to the next level, with a great number of offerings online. Further down the line, you’ll have to get to grips with learning Django itself.In terms of a payoff, the advantages of learning Python as a web developer are many. Not only are the average Python salaries pretty high, there are many other benefits outside of your pay packet. Let’s explore those now.

4. Advantages of learning Python for web development

App scripting & testing

App scripting couldn’t be easier with Python, due to its agile and simple syntax, as well as its many libraries of pre-written code. Furthermore, its easy integration with the language C (more on that later) gives you a lot of scope to create powerful web applications.

It’s also highly useful for API and software testing. Python developers can make an API request and quickly fetch the data needed using easily accessible libraries. The language is based on a wide range of popular testing frameworks, giving developers a huge amount of options, as well as a stable environment in which to try things out.

Server-side scripting

Python is incredibly useful on the backend for server-side scripting. Clarity of syntax within the code itself doesn’t just make it easier for humans to read, but also for computers to process. This means that compared to other languages, server-side scripting tends to be much quicker with Python.

Scalable and adaptable

This is another one of the major advantages of Python in web development, and why it’s been so hot in the tech scene. The language’s adaptability in terms of different approaches, as well as the plethora of libraries full of pre-written code allow you to scale a project incredibly quickly. At the same time, Python’s adaptability is also key if you have to change tack with a project and start building in a different direction.

Now, which part of the tech scene likes to be able to scale rapidly and to change approach at the drop of a hat? Ah yes—startups. Building something with what is ultimately the wrong code can lead to a lot of time lost, and time is money (in this case, venture capital money). 

Prototyping

Following on from the previous point, Python’s flexibility and adaptability allows developers to quickly iterate, meaning that what began as a basic mockup can quickly become a working prototype, shortening the overall journey into the complete final product.

Easy-to-learn and readable

We wanted to keep this bit of good news back for you. There are many reasons why we included Python in our guide to the easiest programming languages, chief among them being how the language appears on the screen. Its syntax is full of English words and phrases, instead of looking like an endless pile of hieroglyphics like other languages.

Web-scraping

Finally something that does exactly what it says! Web developers often employ Python for this technique to collect data from websites, because it’s simple to use and can handle a lot of data easily.

Once you’ve picked out which data you’d like to scrape from which URLs, web developers typically use Python’s libraries to do the heavy lifting. Instead of spending vast amounts of time writing the code, instead you’ll just have to specify which data to scrape. If you want to learn more about this and how to get started, we’ve written a complete beginner’s guide to web-scraping.

Integration with other languages

Python links easily with languages such as Ruby (using the RubyPython application), C (using CPython), Java (using Jython), and PHP. This makes it possible to connect up and build around previous structures, which is a common requirement in building web applications.

5. Next Steps

By now it should be clear—Python is not just the plaything of data analysts. In fact, the advantages of learning Python for web development show why this language is so popular with developers in today’s tech world.

If you’re interested in adding it to your own skillset, there are a number of online specialization courses available in Python for programmers, chief among them the CareerFoundry Python for Web Developers course.

Studying flexibly at 15 hours per week for two months, you’ll learn to master Python, in particular the Django framework. At the end of this mentored course you’ll emerge with not just Python in your toolbelt, but also a certificate and projects for your web development portfolio.

Students of our full Web Development Program will also be able to take this course as a specialization.

If you’d like to learn more about the world of web development in general, then have a look at these articles:

• Swift: A Step-By-Step Guide
• How Much Will I Earn as a Full-Stack Developer?
• What is Bootstrap: A Beginner’s Guide