What makes an excellent web developer?
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What qualities do people look at web developers when they hire them to build a Web site. How to be become an expert web devloper????
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What qualities do people look at web developers when they hire them to build a Web site. How to be become an expert web devloper????
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What qualities do people look at web developers when they hire them to build a Web site. How to be become an expert web devloper????
Web developers make web applications. Web designers make web sites. There is a fairly fundamental difference: developers make the web work and designers make it pretty. If you're interested in site design, I would suggest looking more deeply into graphic design and specific tools, like DreamWeaver (is that still a thing?), Wix, and WordPress. If you're interested in development, be prepared to become a subject matter expert on networking, security, web-stack architecture, database technologies, JavaScript, PHP/C#/Java, abstraction, and "The IT Crowd".
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli
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Web developers make web applications. Web designers make web sites. There is a fairly fundamental difference: developers make the web work and designers make it pretty. If you're interested in site design, I would suggest looking more deeply into graphic design and specific tools, like DreamWeaver (is that still a thing?), Wix, and WordPress. If you're interested in development, be prepared to become a subject matter expert on networking, security, web-stack architecture, database technologies, JavaScript, PHP/C#/Java, abstraction, and "The IT Crowd".
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli
Nathan Minier wrote:
Web developers make web applications. Web designers make web sites. There is a fairly fundamental difference: developers make the web work and designers make it pretty.
This is well put, but perhaps not the whole story. 1. For a web site to work well, you would also need someone writing great content, have an understanding of information architecture, web usability, and more. I sometimes teach the Web Editor program at our university, which links text, image handling, usability/accessibility, structuring the site, and also some coding. 2. Even if you are more into the backend of a web site/web application, the level of expertise you would need varies. For example, ASP.NET WebForms is much easier (if you're not good at OO practices) and more similar to a traditional HTML web site than ASP.NET MVC. To develop web sites, I usually say you need five skills: 1. HTML 2. CSS 3. Database logic (traditionally SQL Server or MySQL) 4. Server code (ASP.NET, PHP) 5. Javascript Of these five, Javascript could perhaps be omitted, depending on the website's needs, but you can't live without the other four. If you keep things simple you will find that web development is much easier than most other programming. It's also more rewarding, as you get results very quickly, and people from all over the world can watch your work. Thus, if you're new or relatively new to programming, then web development is a great way to expand on your knowledge. Good luck! Petter
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Web developers make web applications. Web designers make web sites. There is a fairly fundamental difference: developers make the web work and designers make it pretty. If you're interested in site design, I would suggest looking more deeply into graphic design and specific tools, like DreamWeaver (is that still a thing?), Wix, and WordPress. If you're interested in development, be prepared to become a subject matter expert on networking, security, web-stack architecture, database technologies, JavaScript, PHP/C#/Java, abstraction, and "The IT Crowd".
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli
Nathan Minier wrote:
Web developers make web applications. Web designers make web sites. There is a fairly fundamental difference: developers make the web work and designers make it pretty.
This is well put, but perhaps not the whole story. 1. For a web site to work well, you would also need someone writing great content, have an understanding of information architecture, web usability, and more. I sometimes teach the Web Editor program at our university, which links text, image handling, usability/accessibility, structuring the site, and also some coding. 2. Even if you are more into the backend of a web site/web application, the level of expertise you would need varies. For example, ASP.NET WebForms is much easier (if you're not good at OO practices) and more similar to a traditional HTML web site than ASP.NET MVC. To develop web sites, I usually say you need five skills: 1. HTML 2. CSS 3. Database logic (traditionally SQL Server or MySQL) 4. Server code (ASP.NET, PHP) 5. Javascript Of these five, Javascript could perhaps be omitted, depending on the website's needs, but you can't live without the other four. If you keep things simple you will find that web development is much easier than most other programming. It's also more rewarding, as you get results very quickly, and people from all over the world can watch your work. Thus, if you're new or relatively new to programming, then web development is a great way to expand on your knowledge. Good luck! Petter
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Nathan Minier wrote:
Web developers make web applications. Web designers make web sites. There is a fairly fundamental difference: developers make the web work and designers make it pretty.
This is well put, but perhaps not the whole story. 1. For a web site to work well, you would also need someone writing great content, have an understanding of information architecture, web usability, and more. I sometimes teach the Web Editor program at our university, which links text, image handling, usability/accessibility, structuring the site, and also some coding. 2. Even if you are more into the backend of a web site/web application, the level of expertise you would need varies. For example, ASP.NET WebForms is much easier (if you're not good at OO practices) and more similar to a traditional HTML web site than ASP.NET MVC. To develop web sites, I usually say you need five skills: 1. HTML 2. CSS 3. Database logic (traditionally SQL Server or MySQL) 4. Server code (ASP.NET, PHP) 5. Javascript Of these five, Javascript could perhaps be omitted, depending on the website's needs, but you can't live without the other four. If you keep things simple you will find that web development is much easier than most other programming. It's also more rewarding, as you get results very quickly, and people from all over the world can watch your work. Thus, if you're new or relatively new to programming, then web development is a great way to expand on your knowledge. Good luck! Petter
I'm 100% on board with your points about designers. Perhaps a better way to put it is that designers are more invested in the UX while developers generally are more concerned with the plumbing. It's just not my world, so I don't have terribly much to say about it. That said, I think there are some points of contention in the block that you wrote about developers (I do live in that world, so have a whole hell of a lot to say :) ).
petter2012 wrote:
For example, ASP.NET WebForms is much easier (if you're not good at OO practices) and more similar to a traditional HTML web site than ASP.NET MVC.
I'm sorry, but IMO this is terrible advice. WebForms obfuscate the dual nature of web applications and lead to confusion, not clarity. It was a bad stop-gap to try and make WinForm developers comfortable using a RAD tool for the web. At this juncture, I think advising learning it is an exceedingly bad idea, and I don't just say that because I'm getting tired of modernizing applications that were written using it. New devs (in the MS stack) should put in the time to learn MVC.NET; it will serve them far better and will improve the state of software overall. I would also contend that MVC.NET is quite a bit closer to the DHTML pages that I worked on with PHP and CGI gateways in the last 20 years than WebForms. WebForms are much closer to that Adobe Cold Fusion garbage that is like some sort of torture from the very pits of hell.
petter2012 wrote:
Of these five, Javascript could perhaps be omitted, depending on the website's needs, but you can't live without the other four.
I'm afraid that I need to argue this point as well. The fact is that Java(ECMA)Script is the language of the web; modern stacks can even use it for the server-side. Realistically, it's the only item that you mentioned that is a programming element that absolutely needs to be learned for a modern web application. HTML and CSS are important, but those are ostensibly templates and configurations. SQL queries are nice and all, but a decent ORM can stand in. Even server logic can (depending on the application) potentially be ignored as DBMS have begun exposing http data endpoints to support the asychronous nature of the current web application (not to mention those goofy mobile apps).
petter2012 wrote:
If you keep things simple you will find that web development is much easie
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I'm 100% on board with your points about designers. Perhaps a better way to put it is that designers are more invested in the UX while developers generally are more concerned with the plumbing. It's just not my world, so I don't have terribly much to say about it. That said, I think there are some points of contention in the block that you wrote about developers (I do live in that world, so have a whole hell of a lot to say :) ).
petter2012 wrote:
For example, ASP.NET WebForms is much easier (if you're not good at OO practices) and more similar to a traditional HTML web site than ASP.NET MVC.
I'm sorry, but IMO this is terrible advice. WebForms obfuscate the dual nature of web applications and lead to confusion, not clarity. It was a bad stop-gap to try and make WinForm developers comfortable using a RAD tool for the web. At this juncture, I think advising learning it is an exceedingly bad idea, and I don't just say that because I'm getting tired of modernizing applications that were written using it. New devs (in the MS stack) should put in the time to learn MVC.NET; it will serve them far better and will improve the state of software overall. I would also contend that MVC.NET is quite a bit closer to the DHTML pages that I worked on with PHP and CGI gateways in the last 20 years than WebForms. WebForms are much closer to that Adobe Cold Fusion garbage that is like some sort of torture from the very pits of hell.
petter2012 wrote:
Of these five, Javascript could perhaps be omitted, depending on the website's needs, but you can't live without the other four.
I'm afraid that I need to argue this point as well. The fact is that Java(ECMA)Script is the language of the web; modern stacks can even use it for the server-side. Realistically, it's the only item that you mentioned that is a programming element that absolutely needs to be learned for a modern web application. HTML and CSS are important, but those are ostensibly templates and configurations. SQL queries are nice and all, but a decent ORM can stand in. Even server logic can (depending on the application) potentially be ignored as DBMS have begun exposing http data endpoints to support the asychronous nature of the current web application (not to mention those goofy mobile apps).
petter2012 wrote:
If you keep things simple you will find that web development is much easie
Nathan Minier wrote:
if a fresh face is not intimidated by the depth and breadth of knowledge needed to be a real developer, then they should do it and do it right.
Hi, No need to apologise: please note that I never advised the OP to use WebForms - it's a matter of how far down the programming path one wants to go. By the way, ASP.NET WebForms was created to differentiate between presentation (HTML) and logic (ASP.NET) as opposed to blurring them together (like in ASP and PHP), which it still does well. Quite many member portals (for example) have been written using WebForms, at a time when PHP was a competitor. I agree that WebForms is less adequate for a Web 2.0 scenario, but it's much easier to learn than MVC.NET for example, so once again, I think we are in agreement. Skipping out on SQL? No, I dont think so... :) So sure, if one wants to dig deep into coding, then he or she should by all means explore ASP.NET MVC, some advanced PHP, and many several newer and perhaps more exciting languages. It all depends on what one tries to achieve, and where in the path from design to code one wants to place oneself. As you said, the route you are suggesting "isn't for everyone", and Scott Gunthrie himself said some time ago that WebForms and MVC.NET are for different people but both have their merits (or something along those lines). I for one live happily with both approaches.
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Nathan Minier wrote:
if a fresh face is not intimidated by the depth and breadth of knowledge needed to be a real developer, then they should do it and do it right.
Hi, No need to apologise: please note that I never advised the OP to use WebForms - it's a matter of how far down the programming path one wants to go. By the way, ASP.NET WebForms was created to differentiate between presentation (HTML) and logic (ASP.NET) as opposed to blurring them together (like in ASP and PHP), which it still does well. Quite many member portals (for example) have been written using WebForms, at a time when PHP was a competitor. I agree that WebForms is less adequate for a Web 2.0 scenario, but it's much easier to learn than MVC.NET for example, so once again, I think we are in agreement. Skipping out on SQL? No, I dont think so... :) So sure, if one wants to dig deep into coding, then he or she should by all means explore ASP.NET MVC, some advanced PHP, and many several newer and perhaps more exciting languages. It all depends on what one tries to achieve, and where in the path from design to code one wants to place oneself. As you said, the route you are suggesting "isn't for everyone", and Scott Gunthrie himself said some time ago that WebForms and MVC.NET are for different people but both have their merits (or something along those lines). I for one live happily with both approaches.
petter2012 wrote:
Skipping out on SQL? No, I dont think so... :)
Well, one can dream.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli
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What qualities do people look at web developers when they hire them to build a Web site. How to be become an expert web devloper????
You should know how to handle problems, most of the companies want developers who can found solutions of a problem in the most efficient way, for example you can write "hello world" 10 times or you can use a loop that are the traits which a good developer should possess. Now to become a web developer you should know. 1-HTML 2-CSS 3-one client side language 4-one Server side language